Chóra - Sinetí - Dipotámata-valley - Kochýlou - Ormos Korthíou

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 ****.
[Update by Raymond on October 15^th, 2013, on May the 5^th, 2015 and on October the 7^th, 2018.]

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].

(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. 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 15^th 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. 
Another 9 minutes later you cross the main asphalt road [3].

(0h36) You continue  by climbing by three sets of steps: first 80 steps, then a rocky stretch that leads you down to a tiny bridge, which consists of one large flat stone; a second series of 110 steps, which brings you to a little rocky plateau, and finally another 45 steps, arriving at another rocky plateau, from where you have a wonderful view of Chóra and the entire valley.

(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.

[The right path is also very nice: it rises firstly for 3 minutes, then it continues horizontally to the right, farther to the left. It is here that you have a splendid view of Chóra, and the walls with sharp stones are just as beautiful. There are vineyards on the left and the rocky trail ends near some fields...]

(0h51) You keep to the left (only a red mark) and it will take now only 2 minutes to descend to the asphalt road, which you follow towards the right – there are no trail markers at this point! After 5 minutes you get to a junction and you should keep to the RIGHT (hiking pole [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]).

(1h05) It is only after 7 minutes that there is an obvious sign that offers you the opportunity or to continue straight (without a visit to Sinetí) or to go down to the left towards the village.
You go down the stairs on the LEFT (sign Sinetí 300 m / Dipotámata 2,8 km / Kochýlou 4,8 km / Ormos 7,8 km) - you descend about 160 white steps, which alternate with some flat ends. So you pass high above the church.
After 4 minutes, you continue your descent [3] and after 75 zigzag steps, you get to a side street where the indication [3] sends you to the left. Further on, you still keep to the left [3], but near a spring, you descend to the right [3] and you thus arrive next to the church, where you veer to the right. At the end of the concrete lane, you go down again to the left, but then you follow a cross lane on the right (arrow with a [3]). You arrive in this way at the kafenío I Vrýsi: there is a pleasant outdoor terrace, with on the left a well ("vrýsi") with the sign "18 July 1892".

(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.
You pass a first gravel road, which turns back sharply, and after 700-800 metres or 10 minutes you notice another gravel road on your left-hand side. However, some 15 metres PAST this gravel road you also find the beginning of a trail between walls. This trail runs parallel to the gravel road (there is an information panel of AndrosRoutes, a sign “Dipotámata”  and a hiking sign [3] Sinetí 1,5 km / Chóra 4,8 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]. 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...

(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.

(2h10) About 13 minutes past the bridge, you arrive almost on top of the hill ridge and there is a junction: the trail straight ahead continues to Exo Vouní (see the hike Chóra - Dipotátama), but today we take a left towards Kochýlou (arrow + [3]).
The following climb on an ancient trail is very beautiful again; you can look all the way to the bridge you crossed a few minutes ago.

(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.]

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.
After a descent of 7 minutes, you arrive between some ruins – it is here that you can take a left on path [3b] towards the Paleókastro (hiking sign [3b] Epáno Kástro 665 m and [3] Kochýlou 630 m / Korthí 3,6 km / Dipotámata 1,3 km).

(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].
 
(2h32) You now follow the main street: a little later, you do NOT go obliquely to the right, but you continue straight [3] and soon, you descend the staircase to the left [3]. You now continue to go down straight through the entire village [3]: you pass in this way to the right of the first church, Agios Georgios, and underneath the tower.
The nameless café on the left is often open after 5pm – do not miss it, this typical old village pub is really worth it and no one knows for how long it will still exist!

(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.

(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.

(2h57) The path veers to the right and descends gradually; after another 5-6 minutes since the view on Korthí there is a junction where you take a left (red arrow and [3]). 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.

(3h15) You take a left and you go down (red arrow and [3]), after 3 minutes you cross the road to Tis Griás to Pídima and on the opposite side you find a very nice path again (red arrow and [3]). After several minutes the concrete stretch begins and so you reach a little asphalt road. On the opposite side you find an unevenly paved path [3], but later on the pavement gets better and the walls become very high.

(3h25) Finally, you end up in the valley, on a little concrete road (hiking sign [5] Exo Vouní 6 km and [3] Kochýlou 2,5 km / Dipotámata 4,5 km / Sinetí 7 km / Chóra 10,3 km). You go left and 2 minutes later you reach the bridge, where you go right into the pedestrian street. Via this street you reach a beautiful little square – the Platía Alíkis Psálti – with the café-ouzéri Díporto and a nice outdoor terrace under the mulberry trees. A minute further you find a large square, with the school and the war monument, and slightly later on you get to a roundabout, with the café-bar Centro and the hotel Kórthi on the opposite side (hiking sign [3] Kochýlou 3 km / Dipotámata 5 km / Sinetí 7,5 km / Chóra 10,8 km). (3h32)

At the roundabout you could walk back to the left along the sea, where you will find a couple of taverns and cafés.
Straight ahead along the sea you can also go to the beautiful sandy beach – there is no shade, however, and the water gets deep very quickly, which makes it rather unsuitable for children.

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.
Another solution could be to split up this long hike in two parts: see the walks Chóra - Dipotámata and back and Ormos Korthíou - Paleókastro and back.

Gpx-files:


https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/andros-chora-sineti-dipotamata-valley-kochylou-ormos-korthiou-31684792


https://www.routeyou.com/en/route/view/5925061/hiking-route/andros-chora-sineti-dipotamata-valley-kochylou-ormos-korthiou