Chóra - Sinetí - Dipotámata-valley - Kochýlou - Ormos Korthíou |
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Evaluation:
Also this hike is really a must on the island of Andros. The trails,
amongst others between Chóra and Sinetí and in the Dipotámata-valley,
are very beautiful; in this valley there are still lots of remainders of
water mills, and also the villages of Sinetí and Kochýlou are quite
interesting. For the magnificent panoramic view you can even make a
small detour to the summit of the Apáno Kástro, and at your final
destination you can go for a swim at the beach of Ormos Korthíou. The
hike is very well marked by means of the number [3].
This hike deserves a maximum evaluation of ****.
Estimated time: The hike till Sinetí takes 1h10 in actual hiking time and then it is
another 1h25 to Kochýlou; continuing to Ormos Korthíou will take another
1h40 – which makes for a total of 3h30 for a total distance of 10,8 km. Taking some long pauses, we
hiked from 10am to 5pm. At that time of the day there are not many
busses anymore to return to Chóra, which means that you will have to
catch a taxi.
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 this town (for more details you might have a look at the
description of the small hike in Chóra itself). Today you should follow
the main street to the right (facing the church) and soon you arrive at
the big square of Vas. Goulandris, where you find an information sign of
Andros Routes. You keep following the pedestrian street (little signs
[1], [2], [3], [8a], [17] and [18]!). At the end of
this street, after 70 meters, you keep to the left and continue
obliquely to the right, in the direction of the parking lots (signs [3],
[17] and [18]. You follow the concrete street obliquely to the right,
thus on the left side of the parking lot and you keep to the left on the
road next to the second parking lot – where walk [17] goes right.
(0h09)
After a bend, you arrive at the bridge over the Megálos Potamós: you
cross it to the right and continue to the right ([3] and [18]). A little
later, walks [17] and [18] go to the right on a smaller concrete road
(next to the old
bridge, now useless), but you should continue STRAIGHT for hike [3]
(hiking sign). The road veers to the left in the direction of the
football ground, but just BEFORE the tavern Parapórti, you should take
the little concrete lane on the right – there is a hiking sign Sinetí
3km / Dipotámata 5,5 km / Ormos Korthíou 10,5 km and the trail marker
[3].
The old hiking sign at the beginning of path [3], near Parapórti.
(0h13)
You follow a concrete alley next to a house, then you go up for some 8
minutes on a nice meandering staircase, with a view over the entire
valley; you can see Chóra with the villages of Ipsiloú and Lámyra
beyond. The monopáti to Sinetí.
After 7 minutes and 265 steps the staircase is destroyed and you go up
on the left in the direction of a chapel. After one minute you thus
reach the asphalt road that runs to the little heliport.
(0h22) On the opposite side and slightly to the right the trail continues [3]: it will lead through a small valley and you already can see the trail continuing on the opposite slope. Some 5 minutes later you cross the small valley – the water is bordered with oleanders and there was still water (with little crabs) on October 15th 2013! You now get to a marvellous climb on a very beautiful, but slightly overgrown staircase, with about 385 steps. Have a look at the way in which large, flat stones have been used here, in contrast with the vertical and smaller stones on the trail to Apíkia.
The huge flat slabs are sometimes more than 2 meters large!
Another 9 minutes later you cross the main asphalt road [3].
View on Chóra, during walk [3].
(0h46) You go up for some
moments and then go down slowly - Chóra disappears - and you climb again
during some minutes on a nice, rocky path, with the road and the deep
valley on your left side. Then,
there is a vague bifurcation - just past a nice threshing floor - where
you should keep to the right, and 1 minute later another clear
bifurcation.
View on Chóra,
taken from a side-path of walk [3]. [A few years ago, the hike continued here on the left and it followed the asphalt road for another 6 minutes. Just after a shelter on the left and just before a bench, there was a concrete path on the right, which entered the village ...]
Now you follow the road to the right for
7 minutes (1 sign [3]).
On the terrace of café I Vrýsi, in Sinetí.
(1h09)
To
continue on this hike you take the staircase that goes up on the left of the
well. You then take, halfway the stairs, the first street on the left [3] and
after 1 minute you keep to the right in order to follow the concrete steps [3],
next to some water pipes – these steps bring you to the top of the rocky valley.
After many steps and some 6 minutes after your departure you arrive at a
concrete road; at this point this road runs to a dead end at the water tank. You
follow the concrete road to the left, it goes up quite steeply and after 7
minutes you reach the asphalt road once more.
(1h28)
You have to follow this road now towards the left for about 1 km. (1h40) Gradually, you now proceed deeper into the Dipotámata-gorge, via a marvellous trail with beautiful walls, with gurgling water underneath and midst blooming broom (May 2005). Even in September 2007, after a very dry summer, there was still water in the valley! The gravel road comes to an end after 8 minutes, but you continue on your marvellous path [3].
The path that goes down in the Dipotámata-valley.
After some 17 minutes all together you cross the small river on a nice
bridge – next to it you notice the ruins of a water mill. In earlier
days there used to be more than ten water mills, upstream from here
towards Exo Vouní! The
water mill has been restored a bit and, at the top, you can clearly
distinguish the supply canal and the upper part of the mill... |
The bridge over the Dipotámata-valley with, to the left, the water mill.
(1h57)
On the other side of the bridge, a wonderful kalderími climbs higher and
higher; now and then you have some great views on the right, on the
gorge with the multitude of terraces and on the ruins of water
mills. After a while the trail becomes narrower, slightly overgrown and
also wet as a result of some streaming water. Thereafter it turns into a
very nice staircase path again.
View on a water mill...
Climbing from the Dipotámata-valley to Kochýlou. (2h20)
After another 10 minutes you get to a gravel road – on the left you have
a view on Paleokástro and in front of you, you can distinguish the
beautiful bay of Kórthi. This gravel road leads to the left to the
Paleókastro or Apáno Kástro.
[If you want to make the detour to the Paleókastro by following the
gravel road or by following path [3b] a little further - see the walk
Ormos Korthíou - Paleókastro and back.]
The old trail marker on your way to Kochýlou.
You go left for a short moment (hiking pole [3]), but immediately you
descend to the right - the large, flat stone with [3] on it, which
formerly stood here, has disappeared… You get to an old staircase, you
veer left and then right again along or between walls.
(2h27)
You
continue straight ahead between narrow walls on a nice pavement. Later
on, the path is covered with concrete. After a few minutes, you arrive
at a concrete road, which you follow up and to the right for a moment
(hiking pole [3]). You reach the asphalt road, which you follow down to
the left also for a few moments, because almost immediately - and before
you get to the parking lot - you take the concrete street to the right
[3].
The typical old village café... (2h37) You continue on the main street, passing on the left of the second church. Immediately past this church, a staircase goes down to the left (it is the Odós Vasiléoos Konstantínou) [3]. After 1 minute and 70 steps, you keep twice to the right [3]; you climb slowly and outside the village you descend gradually on a concrete path or staircase, but after 6-7 minutes the old stony path begins again. It veers to the right, crosses water and after some zigzags it continues straight - with a beautiful view on Kochýlou and on the Paleókastro in the evening sun.
Kochýlou and the Paleókastro in the evening sun.
(2h52)
A few minutes later you get an
equally stunning view over the bay of Kórthi and the entire valley! The
path is now very nicely paved, sometimes with large flat stones,
sometimes with small stones placed vertically.
A long time ago, somebody left the date 1933, carved in the stone...
For
several minutes now, the path is narrower, but soon the monopáti gets
better again as it is paved with large flat stones.
(3h01)
You get to a recent gravel road, where you veer to the
right (red arrow and [3]), but soon, next to a stable, you can again
follow the old path to the right [3]. You descend many minutes, after a
short time on a splendid staircase, and suddenly, Ormos Korthíou seems
quite close. After 9 minutes, you cross a little gravel road and you
continue your descent on beautiful steps and later on concrete steps. In
this way, you reach a concrete road after 14 beautiful minutes.
At the roundabout you could walk back to the left along the sea, where
you will find a couple of taverns and cafés.
At the roundabout you also find the bus stop and the taxi rank (number
22820 - 62171). In May 2005 the final bus was at 2.15pm, so it is often
a good idea to take a taxi for the way back. Gpx-files: In
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