Makrinitsa is called the balcony of Pelion, and the name is exact. The village hangs on a steep slope more than six hundred metres above the Gulf of Volos, and from its terraces and the central square you look straight out over rooftops and plane trees to the blue water, with the city of Volos small and distant on the shore. The square, shaded by a huge plane tree and cooled by a marble fountain, is the centre of village life, and the church of the Virgin, with its fine frescoes and carved iconostasis, stands beside it. In the late afternoon, when the sun slants through the leaves, it is one of the most pleasant places in Greece.
The village is a maze of cobbled lanes and steps, lined with stone mansions with slate roofs, wooden upper floors and flower-filled balconies. Many of the houses date to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when Pelion's villages grew rich from silk, olive oil and trade, and today they are mostly guesthouses and tavernas. Cars are not permitted in the lanes, so you leave the bike at the edge and walk, which suits the place. The streets are steep, and a good pair of shoes is advisable.
Pelion has a place in Greek myth as the home of the centaurs, and in particular of the wise centaur Chiron, who taught Achilles, Jason and Asclepius. The mountain is green and wet, with chestnut, beech, plane and oak forests, and apple orchards on the slopes, and the climate is cooler and wetter than most of Greece. The air smells of wood smoke and damp leaves, and in autumn the chestnuts fall on the road.
The ride up from Volos is a series of tight hairpins through woods, with the road narrow and the surface in reasonable shape, though in places patched and slippery when wet. It is not a road for speed, but a good one for a leisurely climb with views opening behind you. Rain is common in the mountains, and fog sometimes covers the village, so carry waterproofs. In summer, weekends fill the lanes with visitors from Volos and Athens, and parking is limited, so come on a weekday if you can. Spring and autumn are the best times, with mild weather and fewer people.
The village has several small tavernas and cafés serving local dishes such as spetsofai, a stew of sausage and peppers, and spoon sweets, preserved fruit in syrup. Tsipouro, a clear grape spirit, is the local drink. Fuel is not available in the village, so fill up in Volos or at Agria, about seven kilometres away, on the coast.