Destination Volos, Greece
During our stay in Sofia, we did a little bit of forward planning, where to next. We had stored Australia (caravan) in Thessaloniki while we completed our house sit in Cesme, Turkey. So it was time to pick up our caravan and head south for the winter. We did overnight in Thessaloniki as it would have been too long a day otherwise. Most caravan parks are closed during the off-season in Greece but we did find a couple of sites open just south of Volos.
Volas doesn’t get a lot of attention internationally as it’s the sixth most populous city in Greece with 150,000 plus inhabitants. So what was the attraction for us? Well, number one was a couple of caravan parks open all year. Another that suited was it is almost midway between Thessaloniki, the second-most populous city in Greece, and Athens, the capital. And we were heading south towards Athens anyway. And we also wanted to visit Delphi on the way.
Camping Sikia
We stayed at Camping Sikia, approximately 18kms south of Volos on the coast road. Why? Because they answered my email inquiries quickly and assured us that they were open and waiting for our arrival. The trip down was uneventful with the motorway smooth and very quiet. Incidentally, the tolls were triple as Greece charges by height on the motorways. We did make one stop to break up the trip for a quick snack of cold chock, hard-boiled eggs and takeaway coffee, yum. We didn’t get lost this time as we luckily took to ring road around the city onto the coast. The trick was to put a suburb on the way into the GPS route.
Camping Sikia is a family run site and the mother met us on arrival. She was so nice and told us she had been there some sixty-odd years and spent some time showing us around. There were only three other campers on-site and they were down on the lower beach level. The campsite is terraced so we decided to take a pitch on a higher level with an uninterrupted view across the Pagasetic Gulf. You can drool now 😂
Confession: We had our awning up to enjoy the outdoors but we did find it too cold in the late afternoon. Luckily we had our tie-down strap to keep it in place when the wind came up. At first, it was strong and gusty at about 30 km/hr but when the gusts got up to 55km/hr we were ‘slightly’ concerned. We did without it after that. 😀
At times we were the only campers on site. The temperature daily average, ranged from 8-18 celsius while we were there mid-November to mid-December (2021). The cost per day for the pitch was 20 euros including power and wifi. The toilet and showers were open but restaurant and bar areas were closed. Camping in the low season is very quiet and the least expensive time to travel.
Kato Gatzea.
What is great about this site is that there are two small villages on either side. You could say the campsite is right on the edge of the village of Kato Gatzea. Just a ten minute walk along the beach. The village esplanade is loaded with restaurants and even in the low season, we found most of them open. It was also my jog-shuffle route 😂. Yes, I used to be a keen runner, then a slow jogger, now a shuffler.
Kala Nera
The second village, Kala Nera, was a little further away but you could still walk to it along the road, more like twenty minutes. This one was a little quiet in the low season with most of the hotels and restaurants closed. On the plus side, it did have two supermarkets open and one quite large and well-stocked. We made friends with the owner of the larger one. He makes his own red wine and generously shares it with his special friends (and some customers) for a small contribution since he couldn’t possibly drink it all himself, shhh…OK? 😂 😂
Volos
Volos is quite an industrial city and the second-largest port in Greece after Pireas, Athens. As we found out there is lots to do and see in this scenic city. That is apart from eating and drinking in the many portside and mall restaurants, cafes and bars. Lots of cruise ships visit the city every year helping the local economy. Tours we would have liked to do, well me really, a five-day bike tour of the Pelion region and Fabian would have liked the little train of Pelion. Unfortunately, both shut down for the winter months.
Pagasetic Gulf
Volos port is not just industrial, you can also catch a ferry connecting Volos to the Northern Sporades group of islands (Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonnisos). If you are a keen sailor, then his city offers you a variety of yacht charter services to independently cruise the Pelion region. The gulf and islands are known for their calm weather conditions and clear blue waters.
Cost of Living, Greece
Living in a caravan in Greece can be just as costly as living in a rented apartment. For example, the average cost in the offseason is approximately 20 euros per night but that also includes power and wifi. During the high season, this can increase to as much as 50 euros a night. Based on a month that would be 600-800 euros per month. Surprisingly quality apartments start a around 400 euros a month without power and wifi. Domestic power, gas and wifi approx average 160 euros a month. So Caravan camping over apartment living in Greece, Not much difference, interesting.
Cost of living in Greece check out this site: https://wise.com/gb/blog/cost-of-living-in-greece
An apartment rental in Volos then this one: https://en.tospitimou.gr/
Greece Tourism these ones: https://www.visitgreece.gr/ https://www.discovergreece.com/ https://mintour.gov.gr/en/archiki-english/
