Chóra - Livádia - Petriás - Moní Panachrántou and back
Evaluation:
If one wants to walk up to the monastery of Panachrántou,
one follows mostly the route [1] which describes a wide curve via Ménites and
Messariá - but this hike [1] requires in actual walking time not less than 3h30,
and this only for the way out. This hike will follow an alternative path from
Livádia until the route of the trail [1] near Petriás, and is much shorter - but
it is also very nice. At first it runs through the green valley below Livádia,
then there is a nice climb until you arrive next to Petriás and finally it
follows the well-known route [1] up to the monastery. Deserves ***. There is a
good signposting with [17], [17a] and [1].
[9th
of May 2016 and update by Raymond on October the 5th,
2018.]
[The translation of this walk
was made with some help of Google translate - so,
please, do not mind the mistakes...]
Estimated time:
The way out
of 5,81 km requires, in actual walking time, 1h10
until the route of hike [1] and then another 40 minutes to get to the
monastery. The return takes a little more time, about 2 hours, and this
always in AWT.
The actual walking time thus amounts to a total of 3h55, but the total
time (TWT) can easily amount to the double, if one takes into account a
long visit to the monastery and some breaks.
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 on the left side of the
parking lot, but BEFORE you reach the second parking lot you should
go right and follow a beautiful trail (hiking sign "Livádia circular route 5,5
km” + [17]).
You follow this path always straight and so you pass
underneath the theater - and the alley with the beautiful pavement again arrives
between the houses. [17]. The pavement becomes concrete, you climb some steps
and you continue in this way above the green valley. The concrete becomes a nice
pavement again and finally, you get to the bend of a concrete road, where you go
RIGHT [17].
(0h10) After a little less than 2
minutes, you keep to the left [17], you are continuing between nice houses - the
lane continues straight between high walls and then becomes a dirt path along a
beautiful row of cypresses. You veer to the left, you pass through a gate in
reinforcing steel [17] and you continue next to a large meadow on a grassy path
- you hear from time to time water lapping.
(0h19) You arrive near a small
building, where you veer left and right; you still meander right along the same
large meadow, then left again [17] - in the wall, you see an inscription from
1874, again about K. Empiríkos. The pavement of the trail is now really
beautiful, it continues between walls.
(0h23) You arrive in front of the gate
of a large house with a beautiful garden: you go left, between the house and a
wall [17], and then you cross the valley by following a path that continues
straight. You still pass next to a meadow surrounded by walls - remember that
the
name "Livádia" means "meadows" ...
You veer to the right, the old paved path now runs along a small river and
reaches a splendid spot, near the old bridge of Livádia, between rows of
cypresses.
You descend some steps, then you go left to cross the water on stepping stones.
On the other side, you follow the small concrete road to the right [17]. It
continues in the valley between two rows of huge cypresses - and you thus get to
the asphalt road.
(0h29) Over here, you cross the bridge
to the right [17] - Livádia lies on the left -, but you then continue diagonally
to the left on a small concrete road that starts between a paved road and a
marble yard (hiking sign [17] and [17a] Mon. Panachrántou 4,2 km).
You still follow the course of the river, you cross the
concrete bridge to the left and you reach, on the other side, the bifurcation of
hikes [17] and [17a]: hike [17] continues straight while your hike [17a]
continues to the right (sign [17] 400 m Káto Chorió / [17a] Mon. Panachrántou
3,9 km).
(0h32) So you are following the road
to the left of the river; after 5 minutes, this road crosses the water and you
continue to the right of the river bed; the asphalt becomes gravel, you still
cross the water on stepping stones, and again a few minutes later – so you
continue to the right of the river.
(0h43) Pay attention: a little later,
when the road goes left to cross the water, you continue straight on a path that
was recently mowed (no signposting yet!). You arrive again next to the water and
you see sea turtles on some big rocks - a beautiful spot with water lapping! A
little further, you follow the road again, while you keep to the right; you come
to a clearing where you still keep to the right, the road becomes a trail along
the reeds, and, next to a plane tree, you cross the water to the left (picket
[17a]).
(0h48) It is here that begins an old
staircase between walls [17a]; above, you continue on a beautiful trail that
runs almost flatly between walls, a "stení". Some 4 minutes later, you cross a
small dry river bed, you go left for a while, then right [17a] and you see in
front of you a nice staircase [17a]. At first, it climbs in the shadow, then it
continues on many old steps on a more open terrain. You zigzag ever higher and
higher and the view behind you becomes also more and more panoramic - Chóra lies
to the far right, right in front of you you see the line of the houses of
Messariá with the Kaïri tower, and you also distinguish the bends of path [1]
that descends from Messariá to the (still invisible) bridge of Stichioméni.
(1h07) After a long climb of 15
minutes, you reach the crest of the hill on which trail [1] goes up too. You
still continue on a flat path for 3 minutes - the monastery and Fállika appear
in front of you - and so you get to path [1] (hiking sign Panachrántou 1,8 km /
Petriás 420 m - even Aladinoú via hike [18] and Zagorá via hike [7] are
mentioned ...).
(1h10) You take a left [1], at first
you continue flatly or on a gentle slope - 2 minutes later, you pass on the
right side the lower path, a little overgrown, that leads to Fállika. You
continue straight ahead [1] and the climb starts again, on a splendid staircase
with rocky steps.
(1h20) After 10 minutes, you get to
the route of hike [18], which comes from the left from Vrachnoú (hiking sign
Vrachnoú 3,2 km / Livádia 4,7 km). You continue up to the right ([18] and [1] +
hiking sign), but soon you reach the junction where the
path on the right goes the ruined village of Pétrias and where walk [18] takes a
right too – see the hike Chóra – Vrachnoú – Petriás – Fállika – Aladinoú -
Vakóni. You go up to the left and the following climb is very nice again. After
yet another 4-5 minutes, in one of the many curves, you can stop for some
moments to enjoy the marvelous view; there is an obvious trail marker [1] on a
beautiful, upright stone.
Beneath you, you notice the ruins of the deserted village of Petriás, to the
left and nearby you see Fállika, on the plateau nearby you distinguish the
obvious bifurcation of hikes [1] and [17a], from where you come, and far away,
across the wide valley, you can see Pitrofós and its church, high up and to the
left; a bit lower there is the village of Aladinoú, then Menites among the many
cypresses; more to the right you notice the row of houses of Messariá (with the
blue dome and the residential tower of Kaïri), further on there are the villages
of Lámyra and Ypsilou, with Chóra to the far right!
(1h26) You continue your climb for
nearly half an hour – the monopáti is exceptionally beautiful; sometimes you
walk amidst the yellow broom (in spring), usually straight towards the
monastery. After 16 minutes there is a turn to the left, and then to the right
[1] and then you continue straight up again, often with a beautiful view of the
monastery. After one last turn to the left and to the right you arrive at the
new asphalt road - it used to be a gravel road and now there is also a large
parking lot.
You follow the road on the left of the wall of the monastery, and you see the
entrance with the modern white arch on your right. You descend the stairs and
you reach the beautiful terrace with two magnificent plane trees. An ideal
picnic spot! (1h52)
The Iera Moni Panachrántou - sometimes also called
Agios Panteleímonas – is located at an altitude of 500 m; one of the 6 monks who
live there receives you with fresh water and loukoúm and shows you around. He
says that the monastery dates from the 10th century, but the oldest historical
evidence goes only back to the 16th century. In the church you can see a
beautiful icon and a beautiful wooden ikonostási, dating from the 18th century.
In the courtyards there is flowing water from the wells and also the large
dining room and the old kitchen are very interesting. Unfortunately, the rich
library is not accessible. When walking around, you definitely have to climb to
the very top: the view on top of the terraces is really beautiful.
(1h52) For the return route you take a
left sharply, beyond the entry arch, in order to follow the asphalt road along
the side and the back of the monastery. In the curve of the road, with a well on
the right, the path continues straight on, under the trees (hiking piquet [1]
and an old sign Fállika 45’ / Messariá 1h25)
From now on the way back is quite obvious thanks also to the good signposting
[1] – the gravel road to the left is new and descends to Fállika.
You first go down 480
unequal, sometimes small steps, until the first viewpoint, and then you follow 6
beautiful curves with 85 steps – until you reach the most beautiful viewpoint,
with the upright stone with the trail marker [1].
(2h20)
After another 135 steps you arrive at the first side path on the left, which
leads to the ruins of the deserted village of Pétrias – hike [18] also starts to
the left here, to Fállika and Aladinoú (hiking sign). Of course you continue
straight ahead – your path [1] thus follows for a few moments the route of hike
[18] –, but after only 10 steps there is a small path to the right – walk [18]
continues here to the right, to Vrachnoú and Chóra (hiking sign). You make here
a sharp turn to the left (dots and
[1]) and you now follow a rather long stretch with
225 steps which brings you to the overgrown side path off the left that also
leads to Fállika – you continue straight.
(2h37)
About 2 minutes later, you get to the obvious bifurcation between walls: the
main path [1] straight ahead goes to Messariá - see the walk Chóra - Ménites -
Messariá - Panachrántou and back -, while you should take a right here ([17a]
and hiking sign Livádia 2,4 km / Chóra 4,5 km).
The first 3 minutes, you follow a beautiful trail between walls, then you reach
the edge of the plateau where you descend to the right on a staircase that goes
zigzagging down for 11 minutes, with some 460 uneven and sometimes very small
steps. While descending you see on the left and in front of you, on the other
slope, the trail [1] going up from Stichioméni bridge to Messariá. After a
beautiful descent on this old rocky stairs, you arrive down.
(2h53)
You
go right to cross the small bed to the left [17a]. You go up a little, then
there is a nice end flat end between the walls, after which you descend to the
left to the brook.
(2h59) You cross the water on stepping
stones and you continue to the right on the other side (piquet [17a]). The
grassy path quickly becomes a dirt road that you follow a little less than 4
minutes down to the water: you remain to the LEFT water [17a] - you continue a
little more than a minute, until you get again to the road.
(3h07) You keep to left at a junction
[17a] and,
a little further, you continue just to the left of the bed (cairn and [17a]).
Later, you continue a little higher and always to the left of the bed, until you
arrive again at a small road and on asphalt. Shortly after, you cross the water
for the last time and you follow the small road for another 6 minutes.
(3h18) At the level of the path [17]
coming from the right (sign), you cross the small concrete bridge to the left
and you go to the right [17] to follow the water. You continue straight up to
the main road: you go to the right to cross the bridge, but you take an
immediate left on a small concrete road along the river ([17] and road sign to
Parapórti). Cypress trees, beautiful plane trees and other trees provide shade
...
(3h24) After 3 minutes, near the ruin
of the old bridge, you cross the bed towards the LEFT; you climb the 9 steps to
the right [17] and follow the paved path to the left of the river. A little
further, you veer left and you continue now for about 3 minutes between walls.
At the end of the pavement, you arrive on asphalt, where you go to the right
[17] to follow a paved lane.
The lane winds
between the walls, passes a pumping station where it becomes a dirt trail, and
then continues rather long time between a wall and a large meadow. Further on,
there is a large meadow on the left, behind the wall, and later, there is again
a meadow on your right. You finally veer to the left and to the right, and the
pavement starts again.
(3h40) You arrive between the houses
and on concrete and 1 minute later, you zigzag on the right and on the left
[17]. The cemented alley goes down, you veer left in front of a house and
pavement [17] or concrete alternate.
You arrive definitively between the houses (picket [17]) and you continue
between the 2 car parks.
You go up obliquely to the left, but at the top of the upper parking lot, you
keep to the right, then you go left towards the beginning of the pedestrian
street. Here, you take a right and so you get first to the big square and then
to the church.
(3h54)
Gpx-files:
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/andros-chora-livadia-petrias-moni-panachrantou-31519339