We traveled to Pelion when our twins were 15 months old, we wore them, walked around Makrinitsa and Portaria, those cobblestone traditional villages, and took 25 dreamy pictures that will for sure inspire you to visit the ancient mountain with your babies on your next trip to Greece!
Getting There
Ιt’s a 4 hour drive from Athens, so you might consider staying 3 nights. Make sure you have snacks with you, because you’ll definitely need a stop if your babies are this young (our twins were almost 15 months old when we went). There are several interesting stops around, so maybe a longer road trip will be a good idea. Consider Pavliani or a trip to Trikala, Elati, Pertouli and Plastira Lake, but make sure you have more than a week for all these.
Stay
We stayed at Portaria village, in quaint yet big and panoramic Portaria Hotel & Spa. We recommend it if you travel with kids or babies, because it’s accessible, the rooms are spacious and they serve food all day. Makrinitsa village might be much more quaint, but if you have a stroller and/or babies, stairs are such a pain. Portaria Hotel is accessible by car, so it’s good to stay here if you want to move around.
Also check out the family villas of Pelion Homes, and Esperos Suites & Villas if you’re exploring South Pelion.
Eat
You can’t leave Pelion without trying spentzofai (sausages cooked with peppers), giant beans (fasoles), apples, small apples and syrup desserts. I recommend you buy several of those, as well as small apples and honey, from Portaria village. But when it comes to your meals, Makrinitsa is the best. We had lunch at AB during our more recent trip there and it was to die for (try the bread). But every time we’re here, food is a memorable experience.
See
Makrinitsa is the most quaint village. It’s cobblestone alleys are amazing to walk among the beautiful houses, true architectural gems. The view to Volos bay is breathtaking, while the nature colors will give a piece of magic to your walk. I also recommend Chania for food and to take on the views. But if you have time and your babies are up to it, Milea village is a great stop and its train station a true marvel. Portaria village is ideal for shopping (syrup sweets, jams etc.) But if you stay here, it is perfect for a food or drink in the quaint little square.
Mom tip
Carry your babies! The cobblestone alleys, the uphill-downhill, the narrow cafes and taverns are not friends to strollers of any kind. Also, bring your own chair harness, as not a single tavern we’ve been to had baby seats.
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