Heading uphill along the winding road from Volos, the coastal port city in the mainland’s east, towards the picturesque village Portaria, serves as yet another reminder of how much there is to the Pelion mountain region’s overall beauty. Snow-covered during the winter months, the region’s lit-up fireplaces creating a warm atmosphere from end to end, Pelion offers a blossomed setting in spring, when its nature is at its finest, as well as laid-back, cool summers, when the blue sea of the Pagasetic Gulf glitters under the hot sun.
If we had to name one destination in Greece that is truly ideal for all seasons, this would have to be Pelion, combining mountain and sea.
We drove into the front space of the Xenia Palace Portaria, parking before this elegant, modern building that hosts one of Pelion’s most comfortable and impressive hotels. Built at a privileged village location, at the entrance to Portaria, close to the Agia Marina church and opposite the Agios Taxiarhis chapel, this hotel offers an unobstructed, magical view of Volos and the entire Pagasetic Gulf.
Xenia Palace Portaria, upon entry, offers guests an immediate sense of tranquility and relaxation. It is extremely well-organised and managed, ensuring days and nights of complete relaxation and refreshing mountain coolness during the hot summer period. Venturing out for swimming is very convenient here as Pelion’s best beaches are just a few kilometres away.
We left our luggage in our hotel room, immediately noticing its big windows, offering a panoramic view of the Pagasetic Gulf’s blue waters, as well as the room’s stylish furniture, whose wood, earth-tone colours and quality fabrics dominated, contributing to the creation of a serene, luxury space.
Our Pelion weekend began right after check-in, with a very satisfying stroll along the Portaria trails, cobbled alleys running through lush settings with running waters. We marveled at the imposing, picturesque mansions with flower-decorated balconies and small yards, before ending up at neighbouring Makrynitsa, just 2.5 km away, for food at one of the village’s superb tavernas, as well as sweets and Greek coffee at a traditional kafeneio, all with a view of the lush mountain.
Upon returning to our hotel, we could not think of a better way to spend the afternoon than by relaxing at the swimming pool, where we swam and sunbathed on the poolside sunbeds. If travelling to Pelion with children, Xenia Palace Portaria has all the youngsters need to keep them preoccupied for hours. The hotel features a fully equipped outdoor children’s playground that is spacious and covered in lawn, making it a safe place for play, as well as an indoor children’s playground, fully equipped for hosting children’s birthday parties amid a comfortable, entertaining environment.
Guests can also surrender themselves to specialised wellness treatment offered by staff at the hotel spa, its services including relaxing massage therapy, and specialised full-body and face treatment. Also, guests can, if they please, work out at the hotel gym, offering a wide range of equipment covering all needs. And there definitely is no better way to top off the day than by enjoying a delicious meal on the veranda of the Belvedere restaurant. We then returned to our room, switched off the air conditioner and opened the windows to let in the sweet and cool mountain air. The gentle breeze caressed our faces as we enjoyed a perfect, carefree night’s sleep.
Indeed, as noted in international reviews and articles, a first hospitality highlight noticed when entering this hotel is the breakfast buffet, followed by the immaculate white linen at the rooms. After our superb night’s sleep, we looked forward to breakfast, always a delight here. Fresh local goods are served, including white and wholemeal bread, straight from the oven of the village bakery, as well as marmalades produced by the Portaria women’s cooperative. Everything was delicious and made using fresh, pure ingredients. We particularly enjoyed a kiwi fruit marmalade made by the Belvedere restaurant’s young and gifted chef. It really was one of the highlights of our stay.
We thought about spending the second day of our Pelion visit at the beach areas, all nearby, to make the most of Pelion’s mountain-and-sea combination. One thing for certain, we had already made up our minds to keep coming back to the Xenia Palace Portaria on future visits, whenever in need of rest and relaxation, any time of the year.
Volos Palace Hotel GPS
(+30) 24210 76501-5
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