The country's third largest commercial port, a city with a great industrial past (especially during the interwar period), Volos, is a 'self-contained' destination, but also a 'base' for Pelion and the Sporades. Although the industrial boom is now a thing of the past, the impressive architectural 'footprints' of it are still scattered throughout the city. It is estimated that from the late 19th century onwards, over 50 industrial buildings (tobacco warehouses, ironworks, potteries, etc.) were built in Volos. Many of these began to be restored in the late 1980s with the collaboration of the municipality and the University of Thessaly, and some now house entertainment and cultural venues. 

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From industrial town to student town

Gradually, Volos was transformed into a "student town" and the approximately 10,000 young people who are preparing for the future here, gave new breath and vitality to a city that at one point, fortunately for a very short time, seemed to be falling into stagnation. The seaside front is the showcase of the city with its pedestrian streets and parks that are flooded with people at all hours of the day. Here, the profile of a modern and vibrant city is formed. 

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Behind the "showcase," in neighborhoods such as Palia, the Castle of Golos (the medieval core of the city) or the refugee districts of Nea Ionia, visitors can enjoy "retro" moments and emotions. It is in these neighborhoods where the very special way of entertainment in Volos, the "ritual" of the Tsipouradika, has its roots! The midday need of the refugees who flooded Volos in '22 is reflected in its most authentic form in these old neighborhoods. You sit, you drink, you DON'T order food, the mezedes (the "nibbles") come on their own, and the more 25ml bottles are stacked, the more exquisite they are. The most mainstream version sets up tables for passers-by on the beach. 

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A very important "gateway"

For those who, beyond the "old," are also looking for the "ancient," a short distance from the city are important archaeological sites, such as Dimini and Sesklo, while the Archaeological Museum of the city is also very important. 

Beyond all this, Volos is a very important "gateway." Entrance, as it is adjacent to the Nea Anchialos airport, but also exit, as passenger ships depart from its port to the Northern Sporades (Skiathos, Skopelos, Alonissos). In Kordoni, dozens of sailboats find a safe anchorage, with which modern "Argonauts" seek adventure in the Pagasetic Gulf and the Aegean Sea. 

Damouchari is the safest natural harbor on the eastern coasts of Pelion, which is why during the 19th century it "hosted" a customs office, warehouses, and shops. Here, the Zagorian ships found refuge when the weather did not allow them to "dock" in Horefto or Ai-Giannis. 

According to local tradition, the first to realize the value of the place was a captain with operations in Europe, Apostolos Vainopoulos. For the sake of his wife, Cleopatra, he built a famous mansion in Damouchari that remained known as "Cleopatra's Miramare." Cleopatra, unfortunately, passed away after complications in childbirth, while the baby boy who was born died at the age of 10. Vainopoulos, after this blow of fate, found "refuge" in the arms of the child's nanny, Victoria, with whom he had 5 children. Most of the inhabitants of the area are descended from these descendants. 

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On the rocky peninsula that divides its two bays, are located the ruins of a castle (probably Venetian), of unknown other details. Damouchari is connected via a wonderful path to Ai-Giannis to the north, while at the end of the southern beach ("Old Damouchari"), after the Halorema ravine and the wooden bridge, begins an amazing uphill cobblestone path that leads to Tsagarada. 

The autumn and winter aspect of the settlement is far from the summer "festival" that is presented on celluloid. It is somewhat melancholic and certainly more atmospheric. There are many who prefer Damouchari exactly like that!  
 

It is called the "balcony of Volos" since the view it offers towards the city is panoramic and unobstructed. Designated by Presidential Decree since 1980 as a "traditional settlement of absolute protection," Makrinitsa is ideal for endless walks in its traditional stone cobblestone streets. 

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The original settlement was organized around the monastery of Theotokos Oxeias Episkepseos or Makrinitissis (no longer exists) in the early 13th century AD. It took its current form during the years of Turkish rule. It experienced great flourishing during the 18th and 19th centuries thanks to trade and tanning, while shortly before the entrance of the 20th century it numbered 5,000 inhabitants! 

Makrinitsa has been considered one of the most touristy villages in Greece since the 1960s. The mansions, the "tower houses," the 54 fountains, the willows, and the plane trees will enchant you. Start the exploration from the wonderful square, where you will find the church of Ai-Giannis Prodromou, the "Athanato Nero" (Immortal Water) fountain with the lion heads, and the relatively recent "acquisition" of the village (since 2018), the very beautiful and extremely interesting Byzantine Museum. 

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Among the most impressive buildings are (further north) the Dormition of the Theotokos of 1767 and the Museum of Folk Art and History of Pelion housed in the Topalis Mansion. Of particular interest are the Skoteiniotis Tower in Koukourava (the "lower district" of the village), the well-preserved bridge in Mega Rema, the ruined tanneries that operated until the late 1950s, and the old dristeles (water-powered grain mills) in the same area.