Chóra - Ypsiloú - Lámyra - Ménites - Messariá - Moní Panachrántou - Messariá - Lámyra - Chóra
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 ****.
[Update by Raymond on October the 1st, 2012 on May the 3rd,
2015 and on October the 4th, 2018.]
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.
The descent to Messariá will cost you 1h20 and then you
have to walk for 1h40 to return to Chóra. All together this makes for 6h45 of
actual hiking time, which is a very long hiking day – maybe a little too long…
You can shorten this hike with one hour and a half by taking the bus from
Messarià back to Chóra. In this case you should not forget to note down the bus
schedule (of the busses from Batsí to Chóra) before your departure. You can also
opt – like we did – for two shorter variants: Chóra – Ménites – Messariá and
Messariá – Panachrántou; this gives you more time to enjoy all of the wonderful
spots!
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]).
You go down on the steps, you cross the asphalt road that descends to Nimborió
[1], and – pay attention – after another 8 steps, you should take a left in a
narrow street [1].
You walk past a
staircase on the right and continue to follow the concrete street between the
houses for some 5 minutes.
(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. 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 roof and the bended walls!!.
(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!
(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.
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.
(1h00) You go down [1] to the left and
pass another building with abundant wells – there is also a fourth sign “PROS
LAMYRA” [1].
You now go up to a very little square: there you take a left for a while, but
immediately you go down to the left again (there is a sign “Pros Lámyra” and a
[1]).
[This is the bifurcation of the paths [1] and [10] – see a.o. the hike Chóra –
Strapouriés – Ménites (hiking signs
[1] Lámyra 425 m / Ménites 2,9 km / Messariá 3,6 km / Panachrántou 6,9 km
and [10] Strapouriés 750 m / [1] Ménites 2,9 km).]
You descend now next to some high cypresses on a path with a nice pavement.
(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.
You cross a little bridge, you veer right and then left, in order to cross
another bridge (3 X [1]), and after the second one you get to a bifurcation
crossing between some houses - remarkable because of the large number of water
pipes and also because of the funny blue chimney on the left. The long staircase
on the left side descends to Messariá; in order to continue to Ménites you have
to go to the RIGHT, slightly upwards ([1] on the steps).
(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. Flat parts alternate
with steep ends…
(1h39) After 16-17 minutes, you zigzag
right and left [1] and then the trail goes up and down and is covered by flowers
– it was on this stretch that we discovered in April 2014 and May 2015 a lot of
Serapia orchids.
(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.
You pass another house, then a pigeon tower and some cypresses – it is only now
that you can see Ménites in front of you. But you descend still a lot and then
you veer to the left in a shady valley, where you follow an old uneven path,
along some water and a house. You pass a little bridge and you then get to a
large arched bridge. Also here, a sign from 1890 tells you that this bridge was
paid by a member of the Empiríkos-family.
(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…
After a staircase, you keep to the right on a concrete path [1] and then to the
left, next to a house – there used to be a rather high waterfall here…
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!
After some rest you can also climb up to the church – striking here are the
bas-reliefs from 1808.
(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]).
[If you want to return to Lámyra and Chóra, you should take a left here: see the
hike Chóra – Lámyra – Ménites and back.]
You thus take a right,
you cross the water-shoot and for quite a while you walk alongside this
water-shoot. After about 3-4 minutes you cross the water-shoot again (near the
remnants of a water mill) and one minute later - you should watch out now! - you
take a left on the staircase, near a small white building [1]. You thus get
alongside some streaming water again. A little further on, you go left over the
water-shoot and you go down in the little valley. Later on, you do NOT go left,
but straight ahead, to the right of a wall [1]. Another 2 minutes later, you
pass a staircase to the right and you proceed straight while keeping a little to
the left, along a gutter [1]. The path is flat now and then you see the blue
dome of the church of Messariá in front of you. You walk horizontally, the trail
is still running alongside a water-shoot.
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.
(2h21) In order to continue to the monastery of Panachrántou and to
keep following hike [1], you should go to the right on the asphalt road (hiking
sign [1] and Stichioméni 1,05 km / Panachrántou 3,35 km). On the left-hand side
of the large living tower (pýrgos) of Kaïri, which you see immediately in front
of you, trail [1] continues. 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.
(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).
[The staircase on the right leads to hike [18] (hiking sign [1c] 565 m to [18],
Vrachnoú – Vakóni.]
You stay in the dry side valley: you cross it, then you return into the bed and
after 2 minutes, you go up to the left [1] and leave the valley. By following
the meandering trail you climb up quickly – behind you there is a great view on
the villages of Messariá and Ménites and in front of you the views on Fállika
and the monastery get clearer. After climbing up steadily for about 13 minutes
you reach a kind of plateau with terraces on the right side. Then you arrive at
a three-forked junction between walls: on the left there is an alternative trail
to return to Chóra via Livádia (hiking sign
[17a] Livádia 2,4 km / Chóra
4,5 km – see the hike Chóra - Livádia - Pétrias - Moní Panachrántou and back),
your walk [1] continues straight ahead (sign Panachrántou 1,8 km / Pétrias and
walk [18] 420 m).
(2h57) You
thus continue straight ahead and a beautiful trail with rocky steps brings you
higher and higher: you keep going straight ahead, with the trail markers [1],
and you ignore the path off the right (there is a wooden sign post to Fállika).
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].
(3h15)
Another 7 minutes later,
you can stop for a while on a
beautiful spot: nearby you can see the ruins of the deserted village of Petriás,
close by, also on the left, there is the village of Fállika, and far away, on
the opposite side of the large valley you can distinguish: the village of
Pitrofós and the church high up on the left, the village of Aladinoú a little
lower, the village of Ménites midst the cypresses, the houses of Messariá (with
the blue dome and the tower at your point of departure), then also the villages
of Lámyra and Ypsiloú and the town of Chóra all the way on the right!
You continue for almost half an hour on this marvellous and unambiguous climbing
trail, sometimes between yellow broom – sometimes, the climb gets less steep. At
the end, you pass beneath a protruding rock and 2 minutes later, you arrive at
an asphalt road – you have to come back to this spot for the return route. Via
the gravel and concrete road you walk along the back side of the monastery till
the modern white arch indicating the entrance. You go down the staircase and you
get to the beautiful terrace with the large plane trees. (3h45)
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 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 first terrace is a marvellous spot to
picnic.
(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.
(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].
(4h19) Slighly further, after only 10
steps, a trail starts to the right - it is here that walk [18] continues to
Vrachnoú and Chóra (hiking sign
Messariá 2,5 km / Stichioméni 900 m / Vrachnoú 3,2 km / Livádia 4,7 km).
You take a sharp LEFT
here and you get to a long descent of 225 steps – then you reach the somewhat
overgrown path on the left that also leads to Fállika – you always proceed
straight.
(4h30) Another 2 minutes later you
arrive at the clear junction between walls; on the right here you can see an
alternative path to Chóra, via Livádia (hiking sign
Livádia 2,4 km / Chóra 4,5 km
/ Stichioméni 500 m / Messariá 2,1 km / Ménites 2,9 km / Chóra 8,4 km).
[The alternative
return route to Chóra is about 40 minutes shorter than via Messariá and Lámyra –
see the hike Chóra – Livádia – Pétrias – Moní Panachrántou and back.]
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.
(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.
Some five minutes after the bridge you continue straight ahead and you DO NOT go
up steeply on the left. The following climb is quite strenuous and after 14
minutes your trail turns into a narrow gravel road. This gravel road becomes
concrete and it leads to an asphalt road. You continue straight ahead on an
overgrown trail. Very soon the trail gets clearer and it leads to the main
street of Messariá, near the living tower of Kaïri.
(5h04) You go slightly to the right
and you thus get to the tavern of Diónysos, a welcome stop-over. If the tavern
is closed, you can go a little further to the right, just past the church, and
find an old café + shop, which is basically always open. Over here you can wait
for the bus from Gávrio and Batsí or you can call a taxi.
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.
You proceed without any difficulties for about six minutes until you descend
towards a green river with an impressive footbridge.
(5h14)
You go up, alongside a nice
row of cypresses. You thus go higher all the time, first keeping to the right
and then to the left at a junction near a house. In this way, you get to a very
long and difficult staircase, leading to the crossing with the large number of
water pipes and the funny blue chimney. At this point, you are back on the
official hike [1].
From here you take a
right and you follow the same hike as a couple of hours ago – in the opposite
direction obviously.