Volos is the main port of Thessaly and, with about 86,000 inhabitants, one of Greece's larger cities. It stretches along the Pagasetic Gulf, enclosed and calm as a lake, at the foot of Mount Pelion, the mountain of the centaurs, covered in chestnut, beech and plane woods and dotted with stone villages. It is a modern, lively university city, famous throughout Greece for its tsipouradika, and the gateway to Pelion and the Sporades islands.
The myth of the Argonauts
Volos stands near the site of ancient Iolcos, the city of myth from which the ship Argo set sail. Here young Jason was given by the usurping king Pelias the task of bringing the golden fleece from distant Colchis; having built the ship from Pelion timber, he sailed with the greatest heroes of Greece, from Heracles to Orpheus. A replica of the Argo is moored on the waterfront, and the centaurs of Pelion, including the wise Chiron, teacher of Achilles and Asclepius, are part of local identity. See Jason and the Argonauts.
History and growth
Near Volos are two of Europe's oldest Neolithic villages, Sesklo and Dimini, inhabited as early as the 7th millennium BC. In antiquity the gulf was home to the cities of Iolcos, Pagasae and Demetrias, founded by Demetrius Poliorcetes. Modern Volos was born in the 19th century, when Thessaly joined Greece (1881): within a few years it became a commercial and industrial port, with factories, warehouses and a railway to the plain. The 1955 earthquake destroyed much of the city, which was rebuilt in modern style. In September 2023 Storm Daniel caused devastating floods throughout Thessaly, hitting Volos and the Pelion villages hard.
Giorgio de Chirico, son of Volos
Volos has a special link with Italy: the painter Giorgio de Chirico was born here in 1888, son of an Italian engineer working on the construction of the Thessalian railways. The metaphysical painter spent his childhood in Volos and always remembered the city, the myth of the Argonauts and his father's trains as sources of his imagination: trains, ports, deserted squares and figures of ancient heroes recur in his paintings. His brother, the writer and musician Alberto Savinio, was also born in Greece. A plaque and cultural initiatives in the city keep his memory alive.
What to see
| Place | Why |
|---|---|
| Waterfront (Argonafton) | The long seafront promenade, with cafés and tsipouradika |
| Replica of the Argo | The reconstruction of the Argonauts' ship moored in the port |
| Athanasakeio Archaeological Museum | Neolithic finds from Sesklo and Dimini and the painted stelae of Demetrias |
| Church of St Nicholas | The patron saint's cathedral, on the waterfront |
| Tsalapatas brickworks museum | An industrial archaeology museum in an old kiln |
| Sesklo and Dimini | Neolithic villages a few kilometres from the city |
| Palaia district | The oldest area, near the site of ancient Iolcos |
The tsipouradika
The symbol of Volos is the tsipouradiko, a small place where you order tsipouro, grape-pomace spirit, in quarter-litre bottles. Each bottle comes with a different plate of mezedes, often fish and seafood from the gulf: shrimps, mussels, octopus, sardines, squid. The more bottles you order, the richer the plates become: a social ritual lasting hours. There are hundreds, from the port to the streets of the centre. Volos tsipouro is drunk neat or with water and ice, with or without anise. See ouzo and tsipouro.
Mount Pelion
Behind the city rises Pelion, one of Greece's most beautiful mountains. A scenic road leads in minutes to Portaria and Makrinitsa, the "balcony of Pelion", with stone houses, paved squares under giant plane trees and a spectacular view over the gulf. Further on are Tsagarada, Zagora and Milies, and on the east coast the white-pebble beaches of Mylopotamos, Damouchari and Agios Ioannis, on the open Aegean. In winter you can ski at the Chania ski centre, less than half an hour from the sea. The naive painter Theophilos decorated some Pelion houses and tavernas with his murals.
The narrow-gauge Pelion train, built in the early 20th century on a project that also involved de Chirico's father, runs in summer and at weekends from Ano Lechonia to Milies, crossing bridges and woods.
City life
Volos is home to the University of Thessaly, and students keep the city young and lively all year. In the evening life centres on the waterfront, the pedestrian streets of the centre and the old port area, among bars, tsipouradika and small venues with live music. In summer many residents spend their evenings in the cooler Pelion villages or on the coastal beaches. The city also has a good theatre tradition and holds summer festivals in its open-air theatre and by the sea. Compared with the island resorts, prices are moderate and the atmosphere is that of a real Greek city.
Getting there
| Transport | Details |
|---|---|
| Plane | Nea Anchialos airport (VOL), about 25 km away, with seasonal flights from Europe |
| Car | About 3.5 hours from Athens, 2.5 hours from Thessaloniki, via Larissa |
| Train | Link to Larissa and from there to Athens and Thessaloniki |
| Bus | Frequent KTEL services to Athens, Thessaloniki and the Pelion villages |
| Ferry | Ships and hydrofoils to Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos |
Around Volos
| Destination | Distance | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Makrinitsa and Portaria | 15 km | Pelion's loveliest villages, overlooking the gulf |
| Milies and Vyzitsa | 30 km | Stone villages and the end of the little train line |
| East Pelion coast | 40-50 km | Aegean beaches, Mylopotamos and Agios Ioannis |
| Sporades | 1-3 hours by boat | Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos |
| Larissa and Meteora | 60 and 150 km | Thessaly's capital and the monasteries on the rocks |
Tips
- Spring and autumn are ideal for Pelion; summer for the sea; winter for snow and village fireplaces.
- In tsipouradika don't order too much food: it arrives by itself with the tsipouro.
- Volos is an affordable base for exploring Pelion and the Sporades.
See also Thessaly and Greek cities.