Chóra Serífou

Evaluation: The Chóra of Sérifos is so beautiful and offers such magnificent views that it is absolutely necessary to spend a few hours at a leisurely tour - preferably late in the afternoon, because the sunsets at the top, near the chapels, are truly unique... This short walk describes a possible route through Chóra. Our Rating: ***.
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The translation of this walk was made with the help of Google translate - so, do not mind the mistakes...]


Estimated time: This short walk will not last long in actual walking time (AWT), but it goes without saying that you have to take the time to enjoy the panoramic views at the top and to spend some time at the platía with its the special atmosphere...

Route description
: [If you want to walk from Livádi by the old and magnificent staircase, we refer to the first part of the walk Livádi - Chóra - Livádi. In this case, your walk through Chóra will start in another place, i.e. at the end of the pebbled staircase, near the folklore museum - see below.

The small walking sign to Chóra, in Livádi.

If you come by bus from Livádi, the stop is mostly on the platía, next to some cafés and shops; sometimes the bus stops a little lower - in this case you should go up a little until the platía.]

The café I Míli (The Mills), on the bus square.

The shortest route to the center of Chóra follows the broad staircase that you see between the supermarket and the internet café, where you see a source next to a  phone booth – on the opposite side of the Karavomýli bar.

The staircase that goes up to the platía of Chóra.

After 66 steps and a short street, you arrive on the platía – over there, you see the Dimarchío or town hall and the cafés Zorbas and Stou Strátou. A nice place to end the day after the walk ...

The Dimarchío.

In the right corner, to the right of Stou Strátou, you continue your walk (sign Kástro). You pass at the foot of a high rock and through a kamára (archway); then you start to climb a narrow staircase. After passing through a small square kamára, you take a left and then a right - there are signs [A] and a red mark.

Walking through Chóra...

You thus get to the first chapel - 43 more steps and here you are near the highest chapel - it is dedicated to Agios Konstantínos. You enjoy a wonderful panorama on the lower chapels and the bay of Livádi.

The chapels of Agios Konstantínos and Agios Ioánnis Theológos, in the evening sun.

Agios Ioánnis Theológos.

You descend to the two lower chapels, on the left Agia Varvára and on the right Christós (with the dome). Here too, the view is fantastic.

The dome of the chapel of Christós and the bay of Livádi.

[The fastest way down to the lower quarter of Chóra is the following: you pass to the left of the chapel of Agia Varvára [A] and you return along the long staircase. After a number of steps you keep to the left, and then you always continue straight. You will pass below the platía and arrive automatically on the bus square. If you want to return to the platía, you have to go up on the left, some tens of meters before reaching the bus square...]

But if you want to visit the lower quarter of Káto Chóra, you have – from the summit – to retrace your steps. So you go first to the upper chapel, then you descend. You go back down, along the wall of the kástro, while following the signs [A] and "Square/Platía." A little further, you keep to the right and you pass through the small square kamára. You reach a T-junction: to the right, you can return to the platía, but now you descend straight ahead. When you reach a street that ends in a dead end, you go to the far left and you always follow the small signs [A]. After many steps with edges painted in white, you first take a right, then a left - and you keep descending, while following a wider staircase.
Finally you pass between the primary school and the war memorial, later between a church and the museum of folklore.
You now see the pebbled staircase in front of you, that beautiful old trail that descends to Livádi...
To discover other areas of Káto Chóra, you must retrace your step for a while, but after a few dozen of steps, you DO NOT continue up to the right (sign "Kástro" and [A]), but you continue straight while following the big staircase. You thus arrive in the beautiful main street of Káto Chóra.
If you want to reach the platía, you must take the wide staircase that goes up to the right, next to the beautiful restaurant "Géfsi Chóras" - it will lead you to the center of Páno Chóra.
If, on the contrary, you continue straight near the restaurant, you finally will get to the asphalt road. You then can follow this road for a while, but soon you will take another wide stairway to the right. This staircase describes some zigzags - at the top, the street on the right can lead you to the kástro, for the platía you have to take a left…

 

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