Chóra - Ypsiloú - Lámyra - Ménites - Messariá - Moní Panachrántou - Messariá - Lámyra - Chóra |
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Evaluation:
This is one out of the hikes on Andros you really HAVE TO make. On this
hike you will get a marvellous view of the large valleys above the town
of Chóra, with great panoramic views on the town itself. You will pass
through one of the most watery areas of the island with the wonderful
valley of Ménites. Next, from Messariá onwards to the monastery, the
trail goes up beautifully, following great monopátia. And the monastery
itself is obviously also worth a visit. All the way long the hike is
nicely indicated by means of the trail marker [1].
This hike really
deserves the maximum evaluation of ****. Estimated time:
The hike till Ménites takes 2 hours in actual hiking time (AWT); about
20 minutes later you arrive in Messariá and the marvellous climb to the
Moní Panachrántou takes 1h25.
The distance of the walk there to the monastery is 9,88 km. 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, hikes [3],
[17] and [18] continue to the left, but you should take a RIGHT here
(hiking sign [1] Ypsiloú 2,2 km / Lámyra 3,6 km / Ménites 6,1 km /
Messariá 6,8 km / Panachrántou 10,1 km and [2] and [8a]).
The hiking sign for walk [1] in Chóra.
(0h09) In a
slight depression of the street, you go down the staircase on the right,
in between two electricity poles (sign and [1]; down at the foot of the
staircase, you continue straight on a descending concrete street [1] and
you reach in this way the river, which flows into the sea on the beach
of Nimborió. If necessary you can cross the river via the wooden bridge
(hiking sign [1]
Ypsiloú 1,6 km / Lámyra 3 km / Ménites 5,5 km / Messariá 6,2 km /
Panachrántou 9,6 km).
[Hikers staying
near the beach of Nimborió can also leave from the far end of the beach,
close to the bridge over the river. You then have to stay on the
left-hand side of the river and a little further on you even have to
walk in the bed of the river – which is only possible in the dry season.
In this way you will also arrive at the large wooden bridge [1].]
(0h12) Past the wooden bridge you go straight ahead [1] and via an earth road you cross the green valley. Strikingly, the valley is full of cypresses and all the way up to the left you can see the dispersed villages of, amongst others, Ypsiloú and Lámyra. About 3 minutes after your departure, you come on a concrete stretch, but, when the little road veers to the right, a clear path starts straight ahead [1]. After some minutes a nice pavement begins and after about 10 minutes, you cross a concrete road, where the path continues straight [1]. Another 4 minutes later on you cross a small brook by means of an old bridge made out of two flat stones – there was still a lot of water on May the 3rd, 2015 and on October the 4th, 2018.
The marvellous path to Ypsiloú, with a bridge built with flat stones. After another two
minutes the trail takes a right near a church with next to it a ruin [1]
– mind the flat stones on
the rood and the bended walls!!.
Always those beautiful paths to Ypsiloú...
(0h28) You
thus take a right and a couple of minutes later you get to a beautiful
stone staircase, wonderfully shaded – this shade is so characteristic
for Andros! Mind the nice walls and slightly further down you keep left
on a cross-trail; you notice a water pipe and a
[1]. The following narrow path is really beautiful, but rather steep and
it runs between high walls - a little later, you keep to the right
[1]. Some
concrete steps announce the village of Ypsiloú; a few minutes later –
pay attention – , you turn left [1], following the water pipe.
(0h36) The
following stretch is nice and runs in between (dry) water-shoots; at the
corner of a large house, you keep to the left (there is a [1] on the
staircase). You continue between a couple of houses; the path or the
steps are made out of concrete and you always proceed in the direction
of Ypsiloú. You cross an asphalt road and you continue on the opposite
side (hiking sign and [1]. First, you reach a little bridge (inscription
1891 of G.K. Empiríkos), immediately thereafter you reach a spot shaded
by a large plane tree: over here you can find the old Doubli-source with
an inscription from 1818, the "paradosiakí kríni Ipsiloú" – mind the row
of 4 plane trees in the brook!
A nice source in Ypsiloú. (0h43) You follow the paved path and after 1 minute, you keep to the left [1] along beautiful cypresses; your trail zigzags further on, passing some waters-hoots, gardens and citrus trees. After about 3-4 minutes you pass a small bridge from 1929 [1]. After a splendid old staircase, you reach a bifurcation, where you take the steps on the left (sign "PROS LAMYRA" and [1]). You then get to another well, a “paradosiakí kríni Ypsiloú” from 1842. You continue straight and descend slowly and – pay attention – , just pas some white houses and near a double electricity pole, you take a RIGHT (sign Pros Lámyra, a little further a [1]). A little later, you keep to the right of a high white house ([1] on the staircase) – the left path descends to a church. After a concrete stretch, you go up to the right on a staircase ([1] on the stairs). After a lot of steps, you keep to the left between 2 houses (sign Pros Lámyra and [1]) and you reach in this way the third white source of Ypsiloú: it dates from 1763 and was renovated in 1890 by the famous N.K. Empiríkos. The inscription on the third source of Ypsiloú. A little later,
you reach a concrete road, which you follow to the left for a short
while ([1] on a wall and a pole). Slightly further down, though, on the
right of a row of cypresses, you can get to the trail again [1]. You
then pass the church of Mesathoúri.
(1h05) You
cross the asphalt road again (there is a sign “Pros Lámyra”, a red dot
and a [1]), you descend a staircase and veer to the right [1]; then you
keep a little to the left, where a concrete staircase goes up to the
right, and in this way you get to Lámyra. You enter this village on a
very beautiful spot, at the Platía 28 Oktovríou, next to the old "parthenagogío"
of Lámyra – a school for young girls, buil in 1926. This is an ideal
place to have a rest underneath a big plane tree...
(1h09) You
continue towards the right [1] and slightly further on you reach a
beautiful well: this abundant source was constructed in 1840 at the
expenses of K. Empiríkos. You follow now a marvellous trail with
beautiful houses alongside (some with the date 1840) and with a great
panoramic view. You go up again until you get to a concrete spot, where
you should take the stairs up to the right [1] until you get to the
concrete road underneath the large church of Lámyra. You follow the
concrete road to the left for a short while ([1] on a rock), but only
one minute further on, in a bend, you continue straight ahead on the
trail [1]. You keep to the left [1] and at another junction between tall
houses, you go down to the left again [1]. You cross a gravel road [1]
and on the opposite side you find a narrow path [1], to the right of 2
houses. (1h22) After some steps and a nice little bridge, you get to a trail that is slightly overgrown. After some 4 minutes you pass another old bridge made of flat stones. On the right you notice a sign from 1912, indicating who paid for this "odós" or road – it is of course Alkibiades Empiríkos again. Further on you get a beautiful view on the elongated town of Messariá with the church and the black Kaïri-tower.
The green valley, with Messariá.
Flat parts alternate with
steep ends…
A Serapia orchid.
(1h43)
Almost 20 minutes after the bifurcation, you pass a lonely house, where
you keep a little to the right; later on, you walk again on a flat path.
(1h50)
Slightly further on there is a bifurcation: the path to the left is the
path to Messariá (hiking sign [1] Messariá 1,1 km / Panachrántou 4,5
km), you should take a right here (hiking sign [1b] Ménites 370 m) – you
will return here after your visit of Ménites…
An elegant waterfall below Ménites. You climb a lot of
concrete steps, but in front of a house, you take have to take a left
([1] on a pole). At the top, next to another house, you should take a
left on an concrete lane ([1b] on a pole). Further on, you take a right
[1b] and, after a vaulted passage, you go up a staircase and get to the
asphalt road (bus stop and hiking sign Springs 80 m). You take a left,
you pass the tavern Fountana and arrive next to the marvellous source
with the six spouting lion heads. On the right you notice the wonderful
outdoor terrace of the tavern Pigés Karidhiés. Next to it, there is also
the taverna Drosiá. (1h58)
These are great spots to sit down for a while – underneath the large trees and midst the gurgling of the water coming from the wells and from the small river in the deep valley. If you consider having lunch here, you should try the fourtália, an omelette with potatoes and sausage. Also the dessert with the “glyká tou koutalioú” is very tasteful! A delicious "glykó tou koutalioú"... After some rest you can also climb up to the church – striking here are the
bas-reliefs from 1808. The church of Ménites.
(1h58) For the
way back, you go down the stairs on the opposite side of the church
(hiking sign [9b], because this is the beginning of the walk to path
[9]); after 5 + 12 steps, you continue straight ahead – walk [9b] goes
here to the left, without signposting… You continue your descent [1] and
past a house – with to the right the little waterfall – you veer to the
right, but immediately after, you take a sharp left on the stairs [1b].
Later on, you keep to the right ([1b] on a pole) and you keep going
down, but past some houses you veer right and take again a sharp left on
a paved staircase [1b].
(2h03) You thus get
to the bifurcation, where you should take a RIGHT (hiking sign [1]). The path between Ménites and Messariá. |
Past the first
house of
Messariá and next to a gate to a chapel with a flat roof, you go right,
up a staircase [1] and in this way you reach the asphalt road, next to
the tavern Diónysos.
The Pýrgos Kaïri in Messariá. You follow the
concrete path for about three minutes; you cross an asphalt road and you
continue on the opposite side [1]. A little later, in a bend to the
right, the concrete path becomes a beautiful trail which descends into
the valley and which gives you a great view on the monastery and on the
village of Fállika. You can hear the splashing of water and indeed,
slightly further you get to a small river. After 12-13 minutes going
down you get first in the dry riverbed; you go to the right next to a
wall and you reach a marvellous bridge, the bridge of Stichioméni –
about 20 minutes after your departure from Messariá. The bridge of Stichioméni (2h41)
You cross the
bridge to the left [1], you go up for a while and keep to the left (sign
[1] Panachrántou 2,25 km). Good signs on our way to the monastery.
The monopáti with, still far away, our goal, the monastery. After another 11
minutes of climbing up on a beautiful trail, you get to the side trail
[18] – this hike follows now for a short while the same itinerary as
walk [1], to the right (hiking sign [1]
Panachrántou 1,4 km - [18] Fállika 900 m / Aladinoú 2,1 km / Vakóni 3,4
km – to the left sign [18] Vrachnoú 3,2 km / Livádia 4,7 km). A little
later, walk [18] goes right (sign), you continue up to the left [1]. The inner yard of the monastery. The Iera Moní
Panachrántou - also called Agios Pandeleïmonas - is situated at
an altitude of 500 m; one
tells
that the monastery dates from the 10th century, but that the
oldest historical indications go back to the 16th century. You can
admire a wonderful icon in the church and also a beautiful wooden ikonostási
from the 18th century. On the inner yards there are some
wells with streaming water and also the large dining room and the old
kitchen are very interesting. Unfortunately, the rich library is not
accessible. The beautiful ikonostási in the monastery of Panachrántou. (3h45)
For the return route you first pass the entrance arch, you then have to
curve to the left sharply. You thus follow the asphalt road along the
side and the back of the monastery. When arriving at the bend in the
road, with a well on your right-hand side, the trail continues straight
ahead underneath the trees (hiking pole [1] and old sign Fállika 45’ /
Messariá 1h25). The path descends fast and the road is really
self-evident, because the trail is well signposted with [1] – the gravel
road on the left side is new and goes down to Fállika.
The following descent
is absolutely marvellous: you walk on a rocky trail with steps – the
road is really unambiguous. After 16 minutes, you reach the side trail
to the left to Fállika and after an easy descent of another 5-6 minutes,
you get to the first viewpoint. Still some 6 nice bend and 85 steps, and
you get to a most beautiful viewpoint – do not forget to look at the
multitude of terraces underneath Fállika and at the ruins of the ancient
village of Petriás. The viewpoint with the beautiful panoramic view of Fállika. (4h13)
After another
135 steps, you arrive underneath the ruins at the a bifurcation with the
path that starts to the left to the ruins of Pétrias: here, walk [18]
goes to Fállika and Aladinoú (hiking sign Fállika 800 m / Aladinoú 2
km). You continue straight and your walk [1] now follows for a while
that walk [18]. You thus go
straight ahead: the beautiful trail descends quickly into the narrow
valley underneath Fállika via countless steps. After some 10 minutes you
reach the bed of a river midst blooming oleanders (on the 12th
of May 2005) and you follow this bed for a couple of minutes. In this
way you get to the marvellous arched bridge over the Megálos Potamós –
your small bed of a river ends in this larger river. You can take some
rest here and watch out for frogs and tortoises in the water. The Stichioméni-bridge with in the background the monastery and Fállika. (4h46)
On the other
side of the bridge you descend on the right to the bed of the river,
which you follow downstream on the right-hand side of the wall – for a
short while you walk between oleanders and other bushes next to the
water, but very soon you find the staircase and the trail on the left –
you thus rise above the valley. If you are
courageous you can continue to Chóra on foot; you then have to follow a
short-cut for a short while and deviate from hike [1] – this hike (on
the left of the tavern of Diónysos) would you lead via Ménites again.
(5h04)
If you continue
on foot, you thus follow the asphalt road to the right for about 4
minutes, past the church, the monument, and the school opposite a small
chapel. Then, BEFORE the first house past the school + chapel, you take
a staircase on the left. Next to this staircase there is a beautiful
tree and a well with a sign from 1998 – the blue letters on the wall
have become unreadable. The footbridge between Messariá and Lámyra.
A nice bridge from 1912.
Further on, you cross a small gravel road and continue on the opposite
side between houses [1]. You keep to the right, the concrete or paved
trail continues to meander between the houses of Lámyra and finally
leads to a bend of the concrete road.
Another old bridge of the famous Empiríkos.
You get to the road again, where you continue on
the opposite side face [1]. Shortly after, you veer left on the
concrete path along a gutter [1]. You continue straight along a nice row
of cypress.
Chóra in the evening sun.
[You can possibly turn left to continue in the bed and on the path
towards the bridge and the beach of Nimborió. (sign [1a])
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