Apíranthos- Moní - Chalkí - Filóti (the four-villages-route)

Evaluation: If you do not have a whole lot of time to spend on Naxos, and if you want to visit four of its most beautiful villages on one and the same day, this might be an ideal hike. You start in the picturesque village of Apíranthos, midst an impressive landscape you walk next to the Fanári to Moní and you continue via Chalkí to Filóti, past a couple of marvellous churches. Obviously, this hike gets an evaluation of ***.

Estimated time: It takes about one and a half hour to hike to Moní, whereupon you will hike for another 70 minutes to Chalki (via Drosianí); the final stretch to Filóti takes 30 more minutes. All together this makes for three hours of actual hiking time, which means that in reality you should devote about six hours to this hike. In the villages of Apíranthos, Chalkí and Filóti you should definitely look around for a while, which will turn this day into a very long and busy one. At certain times of the year there is only one single bus to Apíranthos (at 9.30am leaving from Chóra), and in fact this is too late for this fairly long hike – taking a taxi on the journey out might be an option…

Route description: Do not get off at the first bus stops in Apíranthos, but wait until the bus reaches the furthest part of the village, after having described a large bend. On the left you will see the church Kímissis tis Theotókou and on your right-hand side there is a large war monument. From this bus stop you enter the village, where you can first wander around for about one hour.

You first get to a rectangular square with the shop of "The Aperinthian women’s association" (where they sell all kinds of different textile), with some fancy bars and with the workshop "Apiranthos Art". The square leads to a beautiful street, paved with marble tiles: to the left there is the café Samaradiko with a great outdoor terrace; you also pass the tiny little church of Agios Sardónis. A little further down you get to the archaeological museum that was established by Michaïl Bardáni: to be seen in this museum are a lot of small Cycladic statues, a clay vase from the 3^rd millennium BC, a geometric tripodos from the 8^th century, some prehistoric stone tools, bronze arrowheads, etc.

You then reach a small platía with beautiful houses from 1846 and 1897. Above these houses you find the folk museum, consisting of three rooms of a not too old house: in the living room, the kitchen and the bedroom you can see all kinds of traditional objects and tools. If you want to, you can then continue to walk up the road for a little while, whereupon you should return to your point of departure. If you follow the asphalt road further to the left for a short while, you can also pop into the museums of natural sciences and geology

For the start of the actual hike, you should leave from this beautiful little square and take the marble staircase going up, opposite the church Kimíssis tis Theotókou (so on the right hand side of the square when coming from the asphalt road). You thus walk all the way through the village, meandering to the left and to the right, until you get to the highest north western border of Apíranthos, on the right hand side of the first invisible church of Agia Paraskeví, with the white dome. Red dots already show you which way to go.

On the right of the church you take a small concrete road, which runs underneath the remains of a mill. Towards the left it then goes up in north western direction, until you pass a large cistern after some 200 meters. At this point the path bends to the left sharply and it goes up (note the red arrow and dot). A little further you go through a iron gate, whereupon the really beautiful trail zigzags further upwards. The retaining walls of the monopáti are still clearly visible, but also the red dots are convenient. The path goes up fairly steeply and behind you, you can see that Apíranthos is quite extensive – it also appears to consist of two parts. Beyond the village, towards the south east, you have a great view on the island of Donoússa (on the far left), the island of Amorgós and behind the hill the other small islands or “eremonisiá” (the little islands between Amorgós and Náxos). After climbing up steeply for about six minutes you go through another iron gate; the trail then continues in between walls.

You now walk again on a marvellous stone monopáti and a little later on you imagine yourself on a green slope in the Alps. A little under ten minutes after the gate, you get to a clear junction: there is a red arrow pointing to the right sharply for the climb of the Fanári, but you do not have time for this detour now. Instead, you continue straight ahead and a little further on you get to a gravel road. You reach a very windy pass, where the view on the valley in front of you is great. You continue to go down in the direction of a rocky hill, with two large pastures, some walls and stables – at the bottom you can clearly distinguish the staircase-trail. After eight minutes on the gravel road you take a path going to the right, next to the wall and in a bend – there is also a cairn, the village of Filóti seems really nearby... You follow this trail which runs on the right hand side of the wall (note the red arrow).

Some minutes later you get to a wonderful descent, on a meandering rocky trail and amidst an impressive landscape. On the right you see the steep cliff of the Fanári, in front of you there is the marvellous valley with the villages of Moní and Chalkí (invisible on the left). At first the landscape is very rocky, later on you get to fields with olive trees; if you are lucky you can even see eagles circling high up in the air. You can also try to figure out the details of the landscape in front of you: on the left-hand side of Moní you can distinguish Drosianí; on the right of Rachídi you can discern the basilica; and deep underneath you can see the trail in between the walls you will follow later on. 

Next, you get to another great descent on a meandering trail; you go down steeply in this grand landscape! After going down for about fifteen minutes, guided by red dots and arrows, you get against a wall. You take a right for a short while and you then go left in between the walls. You walk over a large, rocky stretch, where water might be flowing sometimes. After some four minutes you keep to the right again and you thus get to a real bed of a river, in between oleanders.

You continue to follow this bed, strewn with large rocks, for about 200 meters; you stay on the right hand side of some fields with lots of “machaires”-flowers (machairi = knife). At the point where the bed narrows, you go up towards the right on a fairly rocky terrain (there is also a red arrow). A little further down you take a left again in between walls (another red arrow) – this is the rocky terrain you saw from high up, some minutes ago.

You now get to a pleasant earth trail, which runs between stables and flocks of goat; above the valley with olive trees this trail describes a large bend to the left. Some seven minutes later you reach a couple of small fields, but the red dots (even on trees) do a good job in showing you the right way. After ten minutes all together you get to a cart track or a road, which you follow towards the right. Almost immediately you go right on a field and then up towards the right (note the red arrows); you now walk on the right hand side of a low wall, with a barred gate on top of it.

During the next ten minutes you follow a narrow and meandering trail over fields and walls; in this way you walk around the valley. Finally, you climb down into the rocky bed of a small stream (on the 25^th of May 2004). For about one minute you walk in the water of the bed, until you can leave the bed on the right. You thus get to a nice trail in between a high and a low wall. Some large collapses of the walls make this stretch somewhat difficult; the trail stays very obvious however, and it turns directly towards Moní. You then have to cross a small valley, you open a gate and you walk over a concrete bridge. For another five minutes you follow an earth path, you pass through a very final valley and you get to an outdoor wash place. In this way you get to a street at the beginning of the village.

You continue by zigzaging through a deserted part of Moní (there are still red dots!); you pass a couple of small chapels and you thus get to a square with a tree and a telephone booth. 

[On the left/straight ahead you find the Odós 28 Oktovríou. At the house with number 55 you can descend steeply and in this way you can walk to Chalki via Kalóksilos (see the second part of the hike Chalkí - Moní – Chalkí, clockwise).]

Today though, you decide to continue to Chalkí via Drosianí, and from the square you take the small street towards the right, which brings you to the centre of Moní. After 50 meters, at the end of the street, you can have another beautiful view on the valley towards the left – all the way to the left you can even see the Fanári, with Filóti and Damariónas. Further down the street you get to O Parádisos on the right and To Panórama on the left, the latter being a typical Greek café-restaurant, where you have a beautiful view from the balcony.

From the balcony of the café you can distinguish the white upper part of the Panagía Drosianí, where you are heading for. Underneath you can see the blue dome of the church where the second part of the hike takes off.

Outside To Panórama you take thus a right, almost to the far end of the street. You then go down the steps on the right until you get to the left of the church. On the south-side of the church there is a street off the right. By means of steps this street describes a wide bend to the left and it thus leaves the village quickly. You follow this beautiful and sometimes very large staircase for about five minutes. At the junction you then go right. The trail continues horizontally for a short while and it becomes sandy later on. You thus arrive at the left-hand side of the church of the Panagía i Drosianí.

The Panagía i Drosianí (Our Lady of the Dew – according to the legend the famous icon of Our Lady gets wet when the region faces danger or a disaster) is an early Christian church, probably dating back to the 6th century. The famous fresco’s which you can visit here date from the 6th or the 7th centuries. Fortunately, the church is regularly open; you can also buy a booklet (in Greek and English) with some explanations and with beautiful illustrations of the icon and the fresco’s.

From the church you go down the paved trail, you cross the asphalt road and you continue on the path straight ahead (there are some clear dots). Your trail descends nicely and via a steep staircase you reach a small, dry bed of a stream. You follow this bed to the left for a couple of minutes (there is also a red arrow pointing to the left). Finally, you walk on the left-hand bank of the river-bed – not too early though! – and the monopáti becomes very nice again. You cross a small stream with water and you go up on the left. You thus continue almost horizontally for some three to four minutes, until you get to an open space with a concrete slope on the left. Straight ahead you descend a couple of steps and you continue on the left-hand side of a wall (with dots). The trail is slightly overgrown (especially in Spring time); it first runs along a river and it then ends into this river on a beautiful spot – you follow this dry bed to the left.

At this point you should watch out: you should follow this bed with oleanders for exactly six minutes; at the corner of a wall (with a red dot and an arrow) you climb up the sloping rock and you continue on a beautiful trail for another three minutes. You then reach a stretch of gravel road – some 50 meters further down there is a white building – and here you have to go up on the right to the church of the Panagía Rachidiótissa, which is closed however. This is a nice spot though, so very inviting to take some rest.

On the right-hand side of the church you continue on a nice path between walls (so you DO NOT go back down). After about 50 meters you curve to the left and downhill in front of you can - with some difficulties - discern the ruined basilica of Agios Isidóros. A little further there is a trail off the right, where from you can see the basilica even better. However, you have to go straight at this point and you go further down – you thus stay on the somewhat overgrown path. Some three minutes later you still keep to the left and you now walk between wonderful, tall oak trees. After another three minutes you arrive at a clear junction: the trail on the left leads to the main valley and it thus returns to the Panagía Rachidiótissa. Obviously, you should take a right; you walk on the right-hand side of a very tall wall for another three minutes. You then get to the deserted houses of Rachí and to the church. You then take the narrow street off the left (there is a red dot). It runs in between houses and after about two minutes it reaches a black gate. You descend on the left in the ‘main street’. You continue to go down on this concrete road, which runs all the way through the village. Across the bridge the road gets larger and it describes a bend to the right. In the next bend to the left you go straight ahead on a green path in between walls (there is a sign). At a junction you take a right, and further down you go right again on a stretch of turned over land. You thus get to the marvellous church of Agios Giórgios o Diassorítis (or Saint George the Saviour), situated amidst olive trees. This church would be one of the oldest Christian buildings on the island, dating from the 11^th century. Sometimes, the church is open, but definitely not on Mondays.

From the church you return, in the direction of Chalkí: back over the turned over stretch of land; a little further down you keep to the left (the trail on the right leads to Tsikalarió) and at the next junction you take a right. With some difficulties and with wet feet you follow the flooded path (in May 2004) until you arrive at the church Agia Marína. This chapel is really built on top of a well with lots of water, even the floor of the chapel is wet! You take a right here and you follow a meandering road for the next five minutes – all the way you are guided by red dots. Just before the village of Chalkí you cross the concrete road, you go straight ahead and you thus get against the outer wall of the Ergostásio Kítrou of Vallandris. This is one of the distilleries at Naxos, where the famous lemon drink is produced. The work place is worth a visit and you can also buy different varieties of this tasty drink. Before Vallandris you take a right for a short while, then left again, and then you have reached the beautiful and very pleasant outdoor terrace of the most popular tavern of Chalkí: O Giánnis.

[If you have not yet paid a visit to Chalkí, you should definitely have a look first: by taking the shopping street leaving from O Giánnis you arrive close to the church Panagía i Evangelístria i Protótronos. This church contains some beautiful wall paintings and specially a marvellous ikonóstasis; unfortunately though, the church is usually closed. Your best bet is in the early evening: at that time of the day you might see the papás opening the church in order to go and sing the vespers. In this way you can both admire the treasures of the church and enjoy the singing of the priest! On the left of the church you can walk into the small street to have look at the large tower of the Pirgos Grazía: you can notice the coat of arms of the famous Venetian family Barozzi above the entrance.]

For the third stretch of the hike you cross the small village in western direction (possibly by leaving from O Giánnis). You pass the butcher and the bakery until you arrive at the road to Sagrí. On your right-hand side you see the bridge and immediately before the bridge you descend on the left to a spot underneath a large tree – the washing place is on the right and on the left you notice a well. On the left of the tree you continue straight ahead and then to the left immediately. After a couple of minutes you should watch out: beyond the wall on the left you should keep an eye on the beautiful church of Agios Geórgios. Here you have to climb up from the trail to the olive field and the church.

At the other side of the church and the olive field you walk towards the well-protected and large mansion – it belongs to a certain G. Mamouzélos. At that point you take a gravel road to the right. You thus get to a junction, where you take a left. The road becomes a narrow and rocky path, which you follow for a few minutes.

In this way you arrive at the wonderful ancient church of Agi Apóstoli, on the left of the road, situated in a nice olive field. The church dates from the 10^th century; it is a rather unusual building because a second dome has been constructed above the entrance. Slightly further down you find a small concrete path off the right, leading to the more modern church of Agia Eleúsa (from the 17^th century), with a beautiful cypress next to it.

You now walk between ruins and you keep to the right. A little further you go left and after some time you thus get to a marvellous hollow road. Later on, your trail gets narrower again, the walls have collapsed once in a while and the trail tends to be slightly overgrown, but all this does not really hinder you. You reach another gravel road, you take a right at a junction and you pass on the right-hand side of the chapel of Tímios Stavrós. Further down, the road gets to the asphalt road from Filóti to Damariónas, which you follow to the left for about seven more minutes.

You arrive in Filóti near the busy junction of the roads to Chalkí and Apíranthos (and Apóllonas); the bus stop, the cafés with their outdoor terraces and the stores are situated nearby.

Hopefully, you still have some time left to pay a visit to Filóti; you then have to walk in the direction of Agia Marína for a short while (towards the right, facing the outdoor terrace of the kafenío O Plátanos), and you go up the first steps on the left. You continue going up until you finally reach the church of Agios Andréas. At this spot you have a great view on the two parts of the village. Past the church you descend again, you get to a small asphalt road, which you follow towards the left. After a couple of hundred meters you take a right at a junction, past the Iatrío (the small medical centre). You thus get to the other part of the village, close to the old Pírgos (= tower) Barozzi with in front a nice, ancient fountain with plenty of water. Above the gate in the tower you notice a beautiful old coat of arms, with the double lion and the inscription "Geronimo Barozzi 1718". You continue and thus get to the large plane tree on the left of the main church of the Panagía i Filótissa: in front of the church there is a nice square; the church itself has a beautiful door with a wonderful casing. Inside you can find a great ikonóstasis made of marble. You continue to go down and you thus arrive at your point of departure, with the kafenío O Plátanos – and the truly impressive plane tree. At this point you can wait for the bus or a taxi..