Day trips from Volos: a mountain, an island

We name the trips and say what each is. We print no boat times, drive times or prices, because those change every season. Confirm sailings before planning an island day, and check the last boat back.

Pelion, the villages on the ridge

The nearest and the best. Behind the city, Mount Pelion rises steeply and the villages sit high on the ridge in chestnut and beech woods, which is not what most visitors expect of Greece.

Makrinitsa hangs on the slope directly above Volos with a view down over the whole gulf, stone mansions with painted interiors, and a square under enormous plane trees. Portaria beside it is slightly less visited. Further along the ridge, Milies and Vizitsa are the quieter pair.

The temperature drops as you climb, which in August is most of the appeal.

The old railway up the mountain

Worth its own trip. A narrow-gauge line was built up from the coast to Milies, and a section of it still runs in season, climbing through the woods on stone viaducts.

It is slow, short and entirely the point. Take it up and come back by road, or walk part of the old trackbed, which is a good easy path.

The two coasts of Pelion

The peninsula has a sheltered western side facing the gulf, with calm warm water, small resorts and short drives, and an eastern side facing the open Aegean, bigger and rougher, with steep descents through the woods to beaches like Mylopotamos and Damouchari under cliffs.

Pick one per day. Crossing the ridge to do both means spending the day on the road.

Skiathos and the Sporades

Volos is the mainland port for the Sporades, and Skiathos is a fast boat away: a small green island with dozens of sandy beaches along a sheltered south coast, a town that stays up late, and a road-free north coast reached by boat.

As a day trip it works, and it is a long day. The better use of the connection is as the start or end of an island week, with a night in Volos at the mainland end. Volos to Skiathos covers the crossing.

Meteora, west across the plain

Meteora sits west across the Thessaly plain: monasteries on top of sandstone rock pillars above the town of Kalambaka. It is a drive each way and a long day, and you arrive when the coaches do.

It is far better as the next stop than as a return trip, and Volos is a natural place to come from or go to afterwards. Meteora vs Delphi sets out how it fits a mainland route.

Where this leaves you

From Volos: Pelion is the day to take first and the villages of Makrinitsa and Portaria are the easy version of it, the old railway is the most charming half day, the eastern beaches are the most spectacular, Skiathos is better as an island week than a day, and Meteora is better as the next stop. The order for the city itself is in the Volos itinerary.

Quick answers

What is the best day trip from Volos?

Pelion, the mountain behind the city. Makrinitsa hangs directly above Volos with stone mansions and a plane-tree square, and it is noticeably cooler than the coast. The ridge villages further along are quieter.

Can you visit Skiathos as a day trip from Volos?

Yes, it is a fast boat away and Volos is the mainland port for the Sporades. It makes a long day, and the connection is more useful as the start or end of an island week with a night in Volos at the mainland end.

Is Meteora a day trip from Volos?

It is possible and it is a long drive each way across the Thessaly plain, arriving at the busiest hours. Meteora rewards two unhurried days, so it works far better as the next stop on a mainland route than as a return trip.

Is there a train up Mount Pelion?

A section of the old narrow-gauge line still runs in season, climbing from the coast to Milies through the woods on stone viaducts. It is slow and short and the ride is the point. The old trackbed also makes a good easy walk.