26 Feb
Although Makrinitsa is characterized and not unjustly as the balcony of Pelion, Portaria has almost nothing to envy since from various points of the settlement it offers an endless view of the Pagasitikos gulf and the capital of Magnesia.
A typical example is the spot, shortly after the entrance to the renovated Xenia hotel, which is worth visiting and sitting for a coffee, depending on the season, of course, in order to enjoy the beauty of the slopes of Pelion as they are lost in the semi-urban and urban landscape of Ano Volos and Volos respectively.
The central Melina Merkouri square
The visitor to Portaria should not miss visiting the famous squares of the village. The central square “Melina Merkouri” is perhaps one of the largest in Pelion and certainly one of the busiest and most beautiful.
It is worth not only to walk along it enjoying the smells emanating from the plane trees, the pots with flowers, the wood burning in the fireplaces of the houses and of course the grilled and stewed food from the surrounding taverns, but also to sit there and try some of the Peliorian dishes such as the famous spetzofai and the grilled sausages of the region which you can accompany with local tsipouro or wine.
As you get to the center of Portaria and a few meters before the steps to the square, you will see a large fountain where they are most likely filling water bottles. From this point on the road and up to quite a bit, sometimes, there will be small shops spread out selling all the goods of the mountain such as pots with fragrant flowers, fruits most commonly the famous Zagora apples, household art items, and many spoon sweets but also honey!
The square of Agioi Taxiarches
The second large square of Portaria is that of Agioi Taxiarches. It seems to be a little smaller while it is definitely quieter than the central one. But it offers an excellent view of the Pagasitikos gulf, while from there it is worth walking a little higher and seeing the small Karavos waterfall as well as a different view of Portaria as it spreads out on the mountainside. Another route that is worth walking if you have two or three hours available, is the well-known and beautiful path of the Centaurs.
