Hotel Manthos Beach Vólos

Up by five in the morning. Had an adventure getting to the bus station... Was in Volos by ten and on a boat an hour later.

The fatal flaw of my morning: Neglecting to put on sunscreen. On the boat, I sat in the shade for the better part of the trip. Went out into the sunshine only a few times to take in the view. While this ...

10.04.09 Arrived in Volos and set off to explore the city on foot. Found a laundry service (cheaper than getting it done on the ship at 6.00 EUR / shirt un-ironed), we got several shirts, socks & smalls done for 8.00 EUR in total. Found a few shops of interest and saw a couple of adorable Dalmation Puppies in a pet shop, poor little mites no room and soiled cage. Lovely selection of fashion, bags ...

I got the train to Volos from Larisa, considering it cost only 2.5 Euro and the roads being closed due to the farmers strike I decided it prudent to travel in that fashion. Upon arrival I was greeted by my CS host Kostas and his friend Nikos. We went to eat at the university cafe, for ...

... little bays, harbours, beaches, marinas. Then it was south again, towards Athens. Just outside Volos, on the road to the motorway we went through a normal non-descript town called Nea Anchialos. Non-descript that is until right in the centre was a massive excavation of a Palo Christian basilica and associated buildings. A huge site, not mentioned in any guides that we could see. Well worth a wander round (and a coffee ...

... I had to leave this beautiful city and its wonderful, amazing, people. I felt so at home here – everyone accepted me so readily with opened arms. Many of them didn’t speak a word of English but they had no inhibition showering me with so much love and affection. No expression through words was required. I felt their warmth and love. I felt welcomed. I was and still am very grateful for their hospitality.

I enjoyed my time ...

... Katerina had the tables and benches set out at the back of the restaurant, which looked out to the other side of Pelion. As it was situated at quite a high altitude, we could see the winding roads below and the spectacle of steep cliffs nearby was quite a sight to behold.

Good food and good wine – what a perfect combination! I was already getting used to this lazy lifestyle and didn’t want to leave!

Vólos, Thessaly, Greece xuanargi

... and Fakistra because unlike the earlier beaches, this one is surrounded by lush greenery instead of just rocks. Hence, to me, it looks more like a tropical beach in Asia as opposed to a Mediterranean one.


Hania:

After Agioi Saranta, we drove westward towards the village of Hania which means “hostels”. Hania is situated right in the middle of the major east - west route of Pelion. It used to be a ...

... br>We stopped for some pictures and continued on our journey to Potistika.

Potistika:

Pot istika is one of the more popular beaches in Pelion, situated on the south eastern side of the mountain. It was a beautiful sandy beach but on the day we were there, we had extremely huge waves which made it almost impossible for us to have a nice dip in the warm, tempting waters.

Nobody swam and the few who attempted to swim was swiftly pushed back ...

... and organic vegetables. The beautiful bungalow is hidden in a secluded area reachable by a small dusty lane away from the main road and about 10 minutes away from the city centre. One would never have thought that there would be a house at the end of such a lane!

It has a swimming pool and an outside bar with a gazebo shaded by huge trees all around. Perfect for a hot summer afternoon!

We arrived for dinner on our first day in Volos and I was ...

... curve and often just in time to see another car heading straight at us. I think with practice this might be fun. Vizitas is 2-3 k. on from there and we pull into a parking slot just off the main drag of approximately 3 shops and two tavernas. I ask for directions to the Santikos Mansion from a couple of guys hanging around nearby and they smile and point straight up. About 150 yards above the lot stands the hotel. Can't drive any closer than where we are, but ...