Chóra - wind turbines - Agios Prokópios - Chóra

Evaluation: This fairly long hike brings you to the real interior of Ios, via a truly beautiful trail on the slope of the Profítis Ilías (519 m), and it arrives via the wind turbines at the very picturesque monastery of Agios Prokópios, situated in a green setting. For the return route you follow the same trail [1] which you can also follow during the hike Chóra – Skárkos – Agios Prokópios – Chóra, while the way out is marked with [2]. This hike gets an evaluation of ***. 
[Update by Raymond on April 29th, 2013 and on May 2^nd, 2023.]

Estimated time: For the way out you should count about 1h30 until you arrive near the wind turbines and a little over 20 minutes to Agios Prokópios, and for the return route about 1h10. This means a total actual walking time (AWT) of almost 3 hours, for a total distance of 8,90 km. Our real walking time (TWT) took about 6 hours, including a one-hour-break at the monastery. 

Route description: (0h00) You leave, as for many walks on Ios, from one of the most famous spots of Chóra, the row of mills, with ruins of 12 mills, situated on a windy ridge. You enjoy there a beautiful view on Chóra and the hill with the three chapels.
You walk over the terrace and keep to the left in order to pass next to the 2^nd and 3^rd mill. You go down to a little asphalt road, that veers left and right between the 3rd and the 4th ruin of a mill (sign Profítis Ilías + [2] and [3]). You then go up on this road that soon crosses the broader road to Manganári. You follow the little road going up on the right side of the other mills (there is a hiking sign and also a signpost to the theatre). Further on you continue straight ahead and after 7 minutes you arrive at a curve, near steps that go up on the right-hand side of a house (sign to the theatre).

(0h07) You thus go up to the right of the house and, near the second house, you go up to the right on other steps, until you reach a concrete road which you follow to the left. To the left of the chapel there is a path that starts to the right (sign Profítis Ilías 2h40 + [2[ and [3]) and you continue to the right of the large museum building and thus reach a third chapel (with an inscription of 15 October 1894 above the door).

[You can possibly take a look at the small modern theater. There you have a beautiful view of the bay and the beach of Mylopótas.]

(0h13) This is the place where the actual trail begins, straight ahead between walls (next to a heavy black water pipe). You get in this way at the bifurcation of paths [2] and [3].
The first path goes straight ahead between walls: it goes to Agios Ioánnis (see the hike Chóra – Diaséli – Agios Ioánnis and back).
Your path takes a left immediately, between walls as well (sign Profítis Ilías 2h35 + [2] / Agios Ioánnis 2h25 + [3]).

You thus take a left [2], following a very nice and rocky trail; it goes up and it provides you with a great view behind you. After some 8 minutes this view on the town of Chóra, the entire bay and the island of Síkinos is absolutely marvellous.  

(0h26) About 13 minutes later the trail becomes almost flat. You arrive at a large valley, in the shape of an amphitheatre, and your trail seems to continue nicely on the other side of this valley.

(0h33) After 6-7 more minutes the monopáti curves to the left sharply, indeed – in earlier times there used to be a lot of cultivated terraces and fields over here, but now everything lies fallow.
You continue, but a little later you reach a triangular and rocky spot, where you go right (===). Slightly further you take a left (==), but 3 other minutes later, you keep to the right, next to a little ruin. The walls move away from each other, but a lot of signs == and a cairn show you the right way. Later, the walls approach each other again, on the left-hand side of another small building. 

(0h44) The path becomes steep and rocky and then you reach a pass: in front of you, you notice two wind turbines, with on their left the island of Náxos. You are now just below the summit of the Profítis Ilías.
You now continue for quite a few minutes on an easy and flat trail, while spotting a small chapel with a flat roof underneath.

[Just before the chapel and again 3 minutes later, you could go up to the right in order to climb to the summit of the Profítis Ilías - there is no marking at all! See the walk Chóra - Profítis Ilías - Agios Prokópios - Chóra.] 

(0h56) After 12 minutes on this flat trail you can distinguish your aim, Agios Prokópios, on your left-hand side and down.
A couple of minutes later you start to descend gradually, you continue straight ahead and go up again – and in this way, you get to the gravel road that comes from the Profitis Ilías.

(1h15) You go left, but you immediately take the little road on the right. You follow this rocky road for 11 minutes and slowly approach the asphalt road. In front of you, you see the islands of Irakliá and Náxos, with on the left the two wind turbines.

(1h28) You finally get to the road, but BEFORE reaching the asphalt, you follow a gravel track to the LEFT (red arrow / white sign towards Agios Prokópios).
You follow this track for a few minutes: it starts to go down, then it turns left.

(1h36) After 8 minutes, you have to pay attention: before the track ends, there is a path that starts on the LEFT, to the left of green bushes (= and arrow). This nice path goes down between walls, it turns right after 2 minutes and there is even a beautiful pavement. It winds and descends faster, often on large flat stones or steps, sometimes it becomes rocky again.

(1h46) During this very rocky descent and after a bend, you discover the building of Agios Prokópios and you thus get to the path [1] (sign on the left Chóra + [1]).
So you go left, you go down next to the chapel and, arriving almost at the bottom, you take a right and climb some terraces.

(1h52) A brick staircase leads to the buildings (the chapel and a house), but it is now private land and you therefore have to picnic on the terraces (with a beautiful view of a very green valley, with terraces planted with olive trees.

(1h52) For the way back, you go down the stairs through the terraces to the south, you pass the path that you have followed and continue straight. Then you cross the river bed on a concrete path. You keep here to the far right and you arrive in this way at the beautiful trail that goes up between walls. It is not until after 5 minutes you see a trail marker [2].
After 5-6 minutes, you get to a long flat stretch, and you can see how the path continues far ahead of you and veers to the right. On your left you can see the Profítis Ilías very clearly with its antennae - on its slope you see the line of the path [3].

(2h07) A little further on, you begin to descend on large flat stones: you see very clearly Síkinos in front of you, with to its right the vague contours of Folégandros, Sífnos and Antíparos. Your path describes a right turn and continues as if on a balcony above the wide Kámbos plain.

(2h17) You begin a descent after a long flat stretch and you enjoy again a magnificent view of the bay of Gialós and of Síkinos, to the right of Chóra, and also of the houses of Káto Kámbos.

(2h31) Finally, you can enjoy a general view of Chóra, with the bay of Gialós and Síkinos, and with a general view of Skárkos hill on the right.

(2h43) After 12 nice minutes, you finally arrive at a small concrete road next to a large metal gate and you follow it to the right and down. You get to the asphalt road, next to a chapel. You follow the road to the left for 2 minutes, then you take, in the turn of the road and just passed a heavy electricity pole, a little concrete street that goes down to the right between the houses [1].

(2h51) After a few minutes you get to a side-path, next to a chapel - this path comes from Skárkos and you followed it this morning. You take a left of course, the concrete path veers to the right and becomes a paved staircase-path [1]. You continue now straight - the trail that goes to the left leads to the mills ... -, first on concrete, then on a paved street that finally gets to the Platía Ioánnis Stínis.
You take a left next to the church and goes to the left again in the main street. You keep to then right and gets to the wide staircase, where you go up to the right until you arrive next to the first mills. (2h58)