Falatádos - Manganári - Liváda and back

Evaluation: This hike is a variant of the hike Falatádos-Liváda via Myrsíni, and it is also situated in the greenest part of Tínos. In our description, we walk until the river, after a hike of about 1h10. Ardent hikers could continue even further to the beach of Liváda, which would cost them another 40 minutes actual walking time – see the hike Manganári - Liváda.
But even the hike to the river in itself is already marvellous; it brings you to some wonderful trails, belonging to the most beautiful trails of Tínos and even of the entire Cyclades.
The path is well signposted by means of the trail marker [1] and it is easy to follow. This hike definitely deserves the maximum evaluation of ****.

Estimated time: It will take you some 1h10 actual walking time to reach the river, at a spot where you can also see little turtles. The return route takes a little longer, about 1h20.
The total hike will cost some two and a half hours, still actual walking time. We hiked from 11am to 4.30pm – as usual, the total walking time is about twice as long as the actual walking time.

Route description: [In Falatádos the asphalt road passes near the houses of the fairly large village, at the foot of the paved slope with steps in the middle – the car park is located on the left.
There is also a bus connection between Chóra and Falatádos – usually, the last bus back departs at about half past four.]

(0h00) You go up the slope or the steps, in the direction of the large church: in this way you pass the school, the monument for the dead and the café "To Katooi". You keep going straight ahead, among a couple of outdoor terraces in natural stone. You then arrive at the picturesque platía Megalochóri, at the foot of the large church with the two towers.
You continue to the right, underneath the church, going down the steps. You walk past the beautiful tavern "En Falatádoo" and then you go up on the left, on the steps made out of natural stone. Further on you walk through a kamára (vaulted passage) on the right. You get to a concrete side street, at the edge of the village: straight across you notice a concrete staircase going down – there is also a trail marker: a little red-white plate referring to hike no. [1]. You descend and straight ahead you see the beginning of the trail [1A] to Liváda and Fáros (there is a hiking sign and a trail marker [1A]).

[This part of the hike is called [1A] – the other branch, [1B], begins in Myrsíni and after half an hour it gets to the crossing where the branches [1A] and [1B] join – see 0h44 below.]

(0h05) After one minute you keep to the right [1]: the path descends nicely and after 3 minutes it passes a watering place with a well. A sign in Greek tells you that this used to be the ancient water pipe ("katalýmata") to Falatádos. It was first built in the years 1750-1850. Shortly thereafter you pass underneath a large chapel. You descend while meandering from right to left, and then the path continues nicely above the green valley.
Thereafter you go down gradually, between walls of which the right-hand wall has iron wire on top of it – in front of you, you can already spot the hills strewn with enormous, round blocks of granite. These blocks sometimes transform the surroundings of Falatádos and Voláx into real moonscape.
You can already hear the streaming water underneath.

 (0h17) When you reach the first granite block there is a junction and you have to keep to the right [1A]. You should have a look at the beautiful green valley and the marvellous line of mountain peaks of the Tsikniás beyond!
The trail gets to some large rocks and it continues nicely, going down gradually, together with the bed of the river that runs some 20 metres below.

(0h25) After a beautiful stretch you arrive at a second chapel, dedicated to Agios Konstantínos and Agia Eléni: the chapel is open and on and behind the ikonostási you can see some paintings. Later on the path continues amongst the boulders, it passes a little field with beehives and then it runs between some marvellous walls, built by means of large blocks. Finally, you get to a beautiful crossing, with a trail coming from the right sharply. Look around you to the fields strewn with these amazing, round rocks.

(0h31) You go straight ahead, obviously, and a little later the trail runs on the right-hand side of a very small chapel. Immediately thereafter you proceed straight on and you pass a beautiful staircase on your left-hand side (red dot). You pass next to two alónia (threshing floors), you descend and finally you reach the bed of the river. You cross the water at a nice spot and a little further you pass yet another small chapel (this one is open). The path climbs on the right-hand slope of the valley: in this way you get a very nice panoramic view on the continuation of the valley, with also the few houses of Liváda. You go down again, with on the left the beautiful gorge of the river; all of a sudden you can also see the sea, still very far in front of you. You descend steeply now on a rocky staircase and some three minutes later you reach a rocky side valley, where your trail curves to the LEFT.

(0h44) A little further you arrive at a beautiful junction, where your trails merges with the side branch [1B] leaving from Myrsíni. There is an obvious hiking sign and a trail marker [1], pointing to the left, to Manganári.
You go left; the marvellous trail descends and after 2-3 minutes it arrives at a wonderful side valley: over here you really feel as if you were hiking in the Belgian Ardennes or in Luxembourg...: on your left there is a deep valley with tall trees, in front of you and towards the right there is a beautiful well with a watering place [1] – even at this time of the year (28 September 2009), after the summer, there is some water left in this bed.

The path goes up again, strewn with leaves, but thereafter you start to go down gradually – after a couple of minutes you have to keep to the left of course (blue dot with the trail marker [1]), and after yet another 2-3 minutes you notice a little waterfall on your left-hand side. This water fall feeds the river, full of large granite blocks. You then get to the river and to a large, concrete bridge: a sign in Greek "Akti Livádas" ("Beach of Liváda") sends you to the left. 

(0h53) The trail continues horizontally now; you go through a wooden gate and you pass a few houses of the village of Manganári – just past the second house there is a water tank fed by a well. The trail is still flat and it is stony at first; it then becomes sandy and it brings you to some picturesque spots – running among large rocks and between tall walls. After a really magnificent stretch amongst marvellous rocks, you descend and you end up on an open terrain. The path is sometimes very worn away and you can still spot the sea very far in front of you.

(1h00) A little further you get more or less between walls again and the trail is vaguer. You then walk on a narrow gravel road, which first meanders to the left, over a little side bed of the river, and then on the right-hand side of a large rock (blue dots). At a junction of the road you take a right (blue arrow).
You arrive at a ford and the gravel road now runs on the right of the bed of the river – which is getting deeper and deeper. Watch out now: when you notice a dam and further down some kind of concrete beam on the right of the water, you have to approach the brink of the gorge, but very, very carefully. If you move not too brusquely, you might spot some turtles in the sun, on the rocks along the water. Via a little concrete bridge you can even get to the dam itself, from where you have a great view over the bed of the river. But the turtles are really very shy, so it is important not to move, nor to make any sound!

(1h06) You keep following the gravel road along the water and you keep to the left twice when you pass roads coming from higher up. You pass a spot where you can leave your car (there is a road sign P), if you would have driven all the way up here – see the hike Manganári – beach of Liváda.

The road turns into concrete for a short while and then it gets to the streaming water again – you can wade through the bed of the river or you can also cross by means of the large bridge. The path then curves to the right and it moves away from the concrete road (trail marker [1] on the wall and a blue dot); it then continues on the left bank. 

[If you would like to continue to the coast, we refer you to the hike Manganári – beach of Liváda and back.]

We stopped here, in order to picnic close to the ford, where we found a couple of really pretty corners... (1h12)

(1h12) You return by following exactly the same route. We can thus keep the indications brief:

- you cross the river at the ford or via the bridge, you take the concrete slope and the gravel road (you keep to the right twice) and you walk along the river with the turtles
- (1h21) the little road crosses the bed of the river – also at this spot you might spot some turtles on the rocks, so you should try to approach carefully – and then you follow the worn out road among the large boulders. The road curves to the left, on the left of a shack that is built against a rock in a really strange manner; you cross a little bed of a river and then you proceed to the right, between walls (blue dots); further down you follow the left wall
- you walk past a huge rock and then you get to the wonderful trajectory, among the fanciful and large rocks
- past two houses, through a wooden gate and then over the heavy bridge
- (1h32) you now walk on the left-hand side of the valley [1], you go up many steps and after four minutes you climb even further, of course. The path is strewn with leaves and it descends to the beautiful spot in the side valley, close to a well [1] and under some tall trees
- (1h41) 2 minutes further you arrive at the beautiful junction, where you take a RIGHT [1A]
- you cross the rocky side bed of the river, you climb up steeply on many steps and you get above the rocky gorge
- (1h48) the beautiful valley will then soon disappear behind you; you descend slowly and then you go up and down; next to the first chapel and just past a huge rock you have to cross a narrow brooklet; you continue to the left, now on the right of the valley again [1A]
- you pass the second chapel and you go up the steps; thereafter you have to keep to the right (blue dots). The following trajectory is really great, among round boulders and between really beautiful walls – you also pass some old stables
- (2h02) after 7 marvellous minutes you pass the chapel of Agios Konstantínos and another 6 minutes later this wonderful part of the trail gets to a really big rock
- you go up again, after 3 minutes you have to keep to the left of course and at the next junction you go up on the right – you keep climbing up, with Myrsíni in front of you and towards the left
- (2h20) after a steep climb you pass underneath the fourth chapel and then you also pass the well with the ancient water pipe
- you reach the final flight of steps and then you notice the two little chapels with the blue domes on your left – further on, on the slopes of the valley, you can see Myrsíni on the left and Stení on the right. And then, the church of Falatádos appears in front of you
- (2h25) the path reaches a side road: you go up the staircase just opposite and when you get to the top you continue straight ahead to the village (NOT towards the left). Past a kamára you descend on the left and a little later you go up on the right, until you have passed the café En Falatádoo at the foot of the church – in this café (is usually only opens after 5pm) you should really try the "tsípouro" (rakí) and the delicious mezé!
- a little bit further, between the two cafés you take a left, you walk between the terraces made of natural stone and then you go down the paved slope with steps in the middle.

In this way you arrive at the asphalt road; the car park is located on the right and a little further on the right you find the tavern of Léfkes. It is often open and it is an ideal place to sit and take some rest. (2h31)