(Xóbourgo) - Falatádos - Mirsíni - Liváda - Falatádos

Evaluation: This hike is situated in the greenest part of the island of Tínos – almost everywhere the trail is indicated by means of the trail marker [1], so it is fairly easy to follow. You can start the hike in the village of Falatádos [1A] or in Mirsíni [1B]. We have added a third side to the triangle by first walking from Falatádos to Mirsíni (no trail markers). We have interrupted the hike in Liváda, but if you are adventurous-minded you could continue to the beach of Liváda and then even further to the light house – this will make the way back even longer, though... If you have not yet climbed the plateau of Xóbourgo, you could also consider starting your hike at the foot of Xóbourgo. This hike clearly deserves an evaluation of ***.

Estimated time: If you begin this hike in Falatádos, the trajectory to Mirsíni will take 20 minutes; we then hiked for another hour before setting out on the return route. Hiking back to Falatádos has cost us another 1h20 – still actual walking time. The entire hike (till Liváda) thus takes 2h40 (AWT). Catching a taxi to Falatádos will cost you about 9 € (in May 2005); but since this hike also comes back to Falatádos, you could consider renting a car for this day.

[If you would like to take an early start and leave from Xóbourgo, you have to count on another 40 minutes to climb to the summit and to come back down again; thereafter it will take you another 30 minutes to Falatádos.]

Route description: 

[If you begin the day at Xóbourgo, the taxi will drop you near the large monastery of the Holy Heart (Iera Kardía). You walk along the left-hand wall in the direction of the plateau of Xóbourgo; pretty soon you see a sign in front of you, which points to the right, towards the Kástro – you are now at an altitude of 440 metres.

After about 3 minutes you already walk through some remains of ruins and after 8 minutes you arrive at the actual Venetian remnants of the kástro. At this place, though, also remains of much older buildings have been found, such as the remnants of the ancient city of Tínos, founded at about 1000 BC. During the excavations, some geometrical and archaic statuettes have also been discovered.
The trail continues now under the form of steps, until you get to the cross of 1931 and the aerials on top of the 559-metres-high summit. The panoramic view is fantastic over here: from the southeast to the southwest (and from left to right) you can distinguish in clear weather: Mýkonos with Dílos and Rhínia (and the islands of Náxos, Páros and Antíparos beyond), Sýros (with the islands of Sífnos, Sérifos and Kýthnos beyond) and the uninhabited island of Giáros. You can also discern many villages, such as Koumáros, Kámbos, Chatzirádos and Ktikádos!
It takes you about 10 minutes to get down again.  

You now continue to the catholic monastery of the Holy Heart (Ieras Kardías); you walk on the right-hand side of the wall, and then you do not go straight ahead, but you take a left – a blue sign points in the direction of Falatádos. You follow the meandering concrete road until you arrive at a stable with a flat roof after a couple of minutes. On the left of the stable you find the beginning of two trails: the right-hand trail (with a small blue signpost) is your trail that leads to Falatádos; the left-hand trail goes to the village of Koumáros (there is a wooden signpost) and then to Loutrá and Kámbos – for this trajectory see the hike Chóra - Xóbourgo - Koumáros - Loutrá - Kámbos - Chóra.

You thus take the right-hand path, you open a small iron gate and in this way you get to an overgrown trail between walls. There are also thistles, so some long trousers come in handy. After about 8 minutes you arrive at an asphalt road; you climb down and you proceed straight ahead on the gravel road in the direction of Falatádos. You follow this rather monotonous road for about 14 minutes – fortunately, the green fields with flowers offer some distraction.

Some 28 minutes after your departure from the monastery you reach the asphalt road. On the left you notice a trail leading to Voláx, see the hike Chóra - Xóbourgo - Falatádos - Voláx - Agápi, but today you follow the asphalt road. Already one minute later you get to the church of the hamlet of Kathlikádos. It then takes you another 5 minutes to reach the actual village of Falatádos, where you continue until you get underneath the church with the two towers.]

If you leave from the village of Falatádos, the taxi driver might drop you on the main road; in any case, you then go up the slope (with steps in the middle), in the direction of the large church: in this way you pass the school, the monument for the dead and the café "To Katooi", and you thus arrive at the platía Megalochóri, at the foot of the church with the two towers.

The street on the left leads to Xóbourgo, and on the right there is the nice tavern "En Falatádoo". You take a right here; you walk through the entire village, going down gradually, and you pass a number of vaulted passages (kamáres). All the time you rather keep to the right, towards the northeast and in this way you reach the last houses of the village. Over here you notice a small concrete bridge on the left, with on its left a beautiful rock trail (next to a black water pipe).

This obvious path runs towards the north-northeast and it goes up slightly. Some fifteen minutes after your departure you get to the crest of the hill, you turn to the right and you follow the crest for a short time. Rather quickly, however, you descend on the right; you see Mirsíni in front of you and you walk in the direction of the church. You pass the church and you thus walk through the village until you get to a T-junction. On the right there is a grocery store and on the left you notice an arched passage or “kamára" – over here, on a telephone pole, you also notice the first trail marker, a small red-white sign with [1B]...

You thus take this small concrete road in order to leave the village. You walk over a bridge and you then follow the sandy road for a short while, until you get to a bend to the right where you see the path in front of you – there is a blue dot and some 50 metres further you notice a reassuring trail marker [1B]: this is the right way to go!

About 3 minutes further down you take a right [1B], you go down and another 5 minutes later you cross a small, humid valley; thereafter you go up again. Another 3 minutes later there is a gravel road off the right, but you go straight ahead, obviously.

Your trail is clearly an ancient road and it seems to be used a lot – sometimes it is paved and sometimes there are steps. A beautiful staircase goes down midst the oak trees... Further down it turns into an earth trail, which still continues between the trees, mainly oak trees.

A couple of minutes later on you go down into a dry bed of a river. For a short while you then walk along a deep ravine on your left-hand side, and you descend until you arrive at a junction. This is a nice spot, where you get to the main trail: on the left, trail no. [1A] returns to Falatádos, on the right, the hike continues to Magganári and Liváda.

Some minutes later you really feel like hiking in the Belgian Ardennes or in Luxembourg: on your left-hand side there is a deep valley with large trees and in front of you there is a really beautiful well.  

Slightly further you keep to the left (blue dot and the trail marker [1]), and after another 2-3 minutes you see a small waterfall on your left-hand side. This waterfall feeds the river, studded with large blocks of granite – slightly further down you cross this river by means of a bridge. You pass the few houses of Manganári (there is a wooden gate) and you continue on a well-maintained path.

The following stretch is really beautiful, between large blocks of granite, rests of a volcanic eruption of thousands and thousands of years ago.

Your trail is worn in the rocks and it never moves very much away from the right-hand wall. Thereafter, you get between two walls, but about ten minutes later you reach a gravel road. This road first crosses a bridge on the left, and then it takes a right (blue dots). Slightly further you cross the water by means of some large and flat stones and you continue along the bed of the river.

Further down, the banks of the river are somewhat fortified with concrete and later on you get to a spot with large boulders in the water – over here you also discover about ten large turtles!

You proceed to the left on the gravel road and one minute later you take a right (blue dots); thereafter your trail becomes less clear. After a ford in the river you follow this river to the right (a blue dot), continuing on a broad and grassy path. You get between the houses of Liváda and later on you arrive at a gate; you follow the water by curving to the right (blue dot), you wade through the water one more time and on the opposite side you follow a difficult and vague trail on the left.

Two fairly difficult minutes later you reach another gravel road. This road curves to the right and it seems to move away from the sea – which, for some time already, you could distinguish far away in front of you.

[Without doubt it should be possible to reach the bay of Liváda and from there onwards to continue to the lighthouse – the road did not seem very attractive, though.]

[In October 2005 Eric and Nicole from the Haute-Savoie did follow this trajectory – you can read their enthusiastic report under the hike Liváda - Fáros.]

You thus return the way you came – it should definitely be enough to only give the most important indications in telegram style:

- you walk back on the gravel road till you get to the river
- you follow the difficult trajectory along the river and then you reach the ford
- there is the grassy trail, then you go left on the concrete road and you get to the second ford
- you proceed on the concrete road for 2 minutes and then you take a right on the gravel road
- 2 minutes further you go right again, alongside the river (with the turtles), then you take the gravel road off the right and you arrive at the third ford
- you go left and after 7 minutes you get to a wall with an open gate: you stay on the right-hand side of the wall, along the bed of the river
- this stretch is really beautiful, midst a landscape with blocks of granite – the trail is difficult at first, but then it becomes very beautiful
- after 8 minutes you go through a wooden gate, next to a small building, you cross a bridge and then you  follow a nice path along the water
- you move away from the water and you begin a very nice climb under oak trees
- you pass the well and finally you get to the crossing.

Over here you take a right, of course, in the direction of Falatádos – your return route follows another valley. You go up now for some 7 minutes and in this way you arrive high above a truly beautiful and rocky valley. Further down the valley becomes grassier and it is studded with oak trees. Some 11 minutes after your departure from the crossing you continue straight ahead, next to a modest chapel – you notice some large boulders on the left and there is water everywhere (on the 1^st of May 2005)!

For a short while you follow the water and the oleanders, but slightly further down you cross the river and you climb up on the other side for about 3 minutes. At another very simple chapel and near some huge boulders you go straight ahead again. A little further you take a right (blue dot) and you climb even more. In the meanwhile you can admire the pleasant landscape with its meadows, its sheep and its olive trees.

After another 7 minutes you pass a third chapel: you now walk high above a very nice valley with marvellous trees – on the opposite side you can already see a couple of houses of Mirsíni. You now continue for quite a while without any difficulties - the landscape is very desolate; sometimes the path is paved and sometimes there are steps. Some 11 minutes after the last chapel you have to keep to the right and another 3 minutes further down you get to a rocky junction where you go left. You should have a look at the beautiful valley on your left-hand side, with its ponds full of croaking frogs!

All of a sudden, the large church of Falatádos appears in front of you... on your left you get an idyllic image: two picturesque little churches next to each other... A final effort and some 46 minutes after your departure from the crossing you arrive at a parking lot.

Over here you proceed straight ahead, but in the village you take a left (blue dot). You thus get to the Platía Karambéla: on the right there is another square, located underneath the church. On this square you also find the attractive tavern "En Falatadoo" – you should definitely try the "tsípouro" (rakí) and the delicious mezé!

If you call a taxi from this tavern, it is better to wait for it downstairs, on the opposite side of the asphalt road.