Volos

Volos is the largest city of the Thessalian coast, built at the innermost point of the Pagasetic Gulf where the sheltered water laps almost up to the streets. Behind it rises Mount Pelion, the wooded mountain of Greek myth, so that the city sits neatly between sea and slope. It is a modern, working port rather than an ancient showpiece, and its pleasures are those of a real Greek city: a long seafront promenade, an easy pace and a strong food culture.

The city is best known for its tsipouradika, small tavernas where an order of the local spirit tsipouro arrives with a succession of seafood and meze plates. Working through them along the waterfront on a warm evening is the classic Volos experience. The town also has a well-regarded archaeological museum, whose collection spans the Neolithic settlements of the Thessalian plain and the painted grave stelae of nearby ancient Demetrias.

Volos is above all a gateway. Its port is the main departure point for the Sporades islands of Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos, with both conventional and high-speed ferries running through the season. Just inland, the villages of Pelion climb into the beech forest, and the restored narrow-gauge railway once ran from the city up to Milies, part of which still operates as a heritage line in summer.

Getting here is easy by Greek standards. The city lies just off the main Athens to Thessaloniki motorway and railway, and Nea Anchialos National Airport (VOL) sits around 40 km to the south-west, handling seasonal flights. Frequent buses and trains connect Volos with Larissa and Athens.

Most visitors treat Volos as a launch pad, pausing a night to eat well and catch a ferry, but it also makes a practical base for touring Pelion by car. With its student population, its waterfront cafes and its blend of mountain and maritime air, it is one of the more characterful cities of central Greece.