Chóra - Apíkia - Steniés - beach of Giália - Chóra

Evaluation: This is a beautiful hike, especially because of the marvellous trail between Chóra and Apíkia, one of the longest kalderímia of the island, and because of the great location of the villages of Apíkia and Steniés. It thus gets an evaluation of ***.
[Updated by Raymond on May 14^th, 2011, on September 30^th, 2014, on May the 1^st, 2015, on May the 6^th , 2016 and on April, the 25^th 2019.]

Estimated time: The hike till the Sáriza-well in Apíkia takes about 1h10 (AWT). It will then cost you a little over 1h10 to walk to the beach of Giália, by passing underneath Steniés. In about 35 minutes you can then walk back to the beach of Nimborió in Chóra. This circular hike of 8,27 km means a total actual hiking time of a bit less than 3 hours; taking into account the breaks this makes all together for a hike of about five hours (TWT).

Route description: (0h00) For all hikes leaving from Chóra you have to depart from the main street near the large church of the Panagía tis Kímisis, which is visible from all over town (for more details you might have a look at the description of the short hike in Chóra itself). For the hikes in the direction of Apíkia and Vourkotí you have to follow the main street inland for a short while (to the right when facing the church). You then have to take the first street off the right, the Odós Stamátis Empiríkou. Via a staircase of about 50 steps you thus descend until you get to a promenade with a couple of restaurants; you veer to the left and then you take a right to cross the bridge over  the mouth of a small river, where the Nimborió-quarter begins. On the parking lot over the bridge, on the right side, there is an information board of Andros Routes – and  you follow the asphalt road for 1 more minute, to the left of the palm trees.

(0h07) After 1 minute you take a left and you walk on the wide white stairs (walking sign to Apíkia 3,2 km / Bistis tower 5 km / Katakaléï 4,9 km / Vourkotí  7,1 km + [2]).
Then you continue straight ahead on the concrete ramp and follow the street [2], until you arrive at a cross street, where you go to the right (signpost to Vourkotí  2 1/2 hours + [2]). Almost immediately a beautiful staircase begins along a wall [2]. Later on, the really beautiful trail is sometimes 3-4 metres large and it climbs gradually above Chóra and the sea, for about 9 minutes. You then get to a concrete road and you follow it, while describing a curve to the left [2].

(0h20) Two minutes later this road becomes again a very nice trail: you climb slowly and then, a small asphalt road goes off the right, but you follow the ancient staircase going up on the left [2]. You continue on a large staircase, overgrown with flowers in Spring. Some 4 minutes later this staircase crosses an asphalt road - on the left you can see a commemoration plate from 1907 for the "great patriot" Alkibiádis Empiríkos, “because he created a road from the town to there”. 

(0h28) After these 120 steps, you already have a great panoramic view on Chóra, but you have to continue climbing up on the staircase [2]; after another 2 minutes and about 150 steps, you pass an (open) chapel with a terrace and stone benches, you cross the asphalt road to Ménitzq and you continue, via a newly constructed staircase (hiking sign Apíkia 1,7 km / Vourkotí 5,6 km + [2]). You continue going up, towards the hill crest. From here onwards you can really admire the walls, built in a typical Andriotic way:  these walls are made out of regular stones alternated with large, flat schist-plates; this method of construction was probably used to save building materials and time, but it also resulted in a very aesthetic unity. Have also a look at the construction of the trail itself – with the foundation stones piled up vertically!
After another 8-9 minutes, the stone pavement of the trail has basically disappeared – it is quite likely that the stones have been used to build the walls in the neighbourhood.

(0h46) You cross another broad asphalt road, leading to Agia Marína, and you go straight ahead, on a gravel road between nice walls (hiking sign and [2]). You are now on the crest of the hill and in front of you, you discover the beautiful, green valley of Apíkia (with the remarkable Sáriza-hotel); all the way high up the mountain slope you can distinguish the village of Katakaléï, on the right there is the village of Steniés and on the far right the bay of Giália.
Since the gravel road you crossed a couple of minutes ago, your trail thus has become a gravel road as well, which you follow for about 6 minutes – this pleasant road continues flatly, with nice views and in the wall, you can see splendid schist-plates. For some moments, you see above you and to the left the big monastery of Agia Marina; near the driveway to a house (gate), you keep to the left. Three minutes later, you get in front of an open gate, but the trail continues down to the right, next to this gate (sign and [2]). Some 4 minutes later this beautiful trail splits up and you go down on the right [2]. 

(0h59) For a short while you now walk above the road, which you then cross (hiking signs Sáriza 500 m / Vourkotí 4,3 km). You continue going down on the opposite side [2] and after 2 minutes you thus get to a really beautiful spot. Midst large trees you see an arched bridge over a deep river with streaming water.
You now proceed on a paved staircase and a concrete ramp, you cross an asphalt road and you continue on the other side on a concrete staircase [2]. A little further the trail splits up – straight ahead (on the right of the blue iron gate) hike [8] continues to Steniés and the beach of Giália (hiking signs). You will return here within a short time!
For now you take a left (the continuation of hike [2]) and via a staircase of 184 steps you arrive at the asphalt road, high up in the village (hiking signs [8] and [2]).

[Here, you could continue to the left to the waterfalls of Pithára (hiking sign "Waterfalls" + [2a]) - see the walk Chóra - Apíkia - Pithára and back.]

(1h10) You go right for a short while (hiking sign + [2]), with the big hotel Pigí Sáriza in front of you, and on the left-hand side of the hotel you go up the shining white staircase (hiking sign Vourkotí 3,9 km + [2]) until you see the famous Sáriza-well on the left in front of you. One still can read the date 1787. The water of this well is famous and it is bottled in a small factory a little further down in the village – in 2019, this factory was closed…

[A little more to the right, along the asphalt road, there is since August 2013 the café-restaurant "Tou Parianoú", with nice music, and a very good espresso and home mad lemonade...]

[The hike [2] continues straight to Katakaleï and Vourkotí, see the hike Chóra - Apíkia - Katakaléï - Vourkotí.]

(1h11) Today, you retrace your steps, you go a few moments to the right on the paved road [2] and you take the stairs down to the left (sign Paralía Giália 3,5 km / Chóra 3,2 km + [2] and [8]). Once arrived in the bend, after 4 minutes and the 184 steps, and near some pines and a small blue gate, you go to LEFT: it is the beginning of the walk [8] (signs [8] Pýrgos Bísti / Giália). You follow the concrete path for 2-3 minutes and, while descending, you reach a beautiful spot under cypresses and maples. There is a fork, where you descend to the right [8] to cross the lowest bridge and you continue on a flat, concrete path that passes over small gardens.

(1h19) After another 3 minutes, you go down again on the right [8] - it is the Odos Bouboulínas - and a little further, you have to take a sharp right to go down a staircase [8]. You cross a small asphalt road, you continue the descent on a staircase [8] and you now discover an old paved staircase; at the end of the stairs you go to the left, next to a small bridge ([8] on a pole). Past a chapel, you begin a long descent on concrete steps [8], while keeping to the left [8] after 1-2 minutes. After many steps, you arrive again to an old path (built with stones placed vertically), then to concrete steps [8] - and finally you get to a concrete road.

(1h31) A [8] on a pole sends you to the left. You cross water and after 3 minutes, the small road ends near a small car park with a spring and near some cypresses: you descend steps on the right [8], then immediately on the left [8], to follow again a concrete path with steps (2 X [8]). This path continues next to an irrigation gutter or a little stream and you follow it another 4 minutes. You cross a small narrow valley, on a small bridge, and you continue a long time flat.

(1h39) Suddenly, in a very slight depression, you have to go down a staircase on the right [8]. You descend while winding, then you come to a dirt path, just above the river. After a nice flat end of 3-4 minutes, you reach a spot with wells, under tall trees, and with a spring in front of you - there is water everywhere!

(1h44) You go up obliquely to the left on a staircase [8], you veer right and you climb above the valley and pass just next to some houses. Pay attention, a little further: you should suddenly go down to the right, on a concrete staircase [8]. You turn right near a house, and so you continue next to a long terrace wall and some houses; near another house, you wind left and right and continue for a long time flat. You get in this way to a cross-staircase (sign).

Above and to the left, you see the ruined Bísti-Mouvéla tower.

(1h51) You have to go down on the right here [8], and at the bottom, you go to the left and you get to the asphalt road that leads to Steniés on the left ([8] on a pole). Shortly after, you reach a fork: on the left, you could go to the village of Steniés, but you go down the stairs sharply on the right [8] and you arrive after 3 minutes near a beautiful arch bridge - it is the " gefíri tou léontos "or" lion bridge ".

(1h57) After the bridge, you cross a concrete path, but you continue straight on a small cemented path between low walls [8]. Beyond a house, there is a junction: a variant [8a] goes to the right and also leads to the beach of Giália, the main path of walk [8] continues to the left (hiking signs [8] Paralía 1,2 km / [8a] Nerómylos 85 m / Giália 1 km / Chóra Nimborió 2 km).

[(2h01) If you turn right, you arrive already after a minute beside the big building with the water mill Empiríkos: just opposite a spring (1952), you have on the left a nice view through a small gate on the huge water wheel!
If you continue, you arrive next to a long wall, then you go up on steps and on top, you continue straight next to some houses ([8] on a pole). You get to the asphalt road where you take a left (hiking picket [8a]). You follow the road for 8 minutes and you arrive in the bend high above the beach of Giália. (2h17)]

(2h01) If you want to follow the main path [8], you take a left (signs): rather quickly, you pass a bridge, located under a beautiful plane tree, with a large inscription saying that the bridge was built at the expense of Geórgios K. Empiríkos in 1895. You continue to the left next to the water, but a little further, after 10 steps, you go RIGHT (2 X [8]). Here again, you have behind the wall a nice view of the big building with the water mill.
After white steps, you continue between a wall and a house, you go up a little and you come again to a beautiful spot under trees, with water everywhere.

(2h06) You turn right, you continue on concrete and after other concrete steps, you reach an asphalt road. You follow it while keeping a bit to the right and you go down the stairs after 4 minutes. There are many, many steps; at the bottom, you follow the wall on the right, then there is another staircase [8]. At the end of the concrete alley between walls, you take a left and you follow the stagnant water - you already hear the sea, the bridge appears in front of you and you arrive on the big bridge, with the beach of Giália in front of you (sign Chóra Nimborió 1,1 km). (2h23)