Ia - beach of Baxédes
Evaluation:
This short hike goes to the beach of Baxédes, on the northern coast of Santoríni
– nothing spectacular, but the beach is definitely more peaceful than the
other overcrowded beaches of Santoríni. This can be an extension of the
hike from Firà to Ia.
This hike gets an evaluation of *.
Estimated time:
The hike from Finikiá to the sea only takes 35 minutes (AWT). From Ia to the beach of Baxédes
itself thus takes a little under one hour. Obviously, you also have to
go back till the bus stop of Finikiá, which lasts for another 30 minutes.
Route description: You
can start this hike from anywhere in Ia; you just walk through the main street
in south-eastern direction until you reach the asphalt road to Firà near the
church. A couple of hundred metres further on, at the Market Oia with the
imitation windmills, you take a donkey trail off the left, in between walls. The
path to Firà departs on the right of the mini market.
This trail leads directly
towards the sea all the time, the sea which you can distinguish far away in
front of you. Watch out NOT to take a right after 5 minutes, NOR a left, into
the fields. Your route rather looks like the bed of a river; it runs in between
high walls, it is sometimes overgrown and it is littered with plastic. After
about 20 minutes the trail gets clearer, though. You continue in between fields
and you can see traces of donkey dung. Because of the shrubs it is better to
wear long trousers and some decent shoes. If you doubt which way to take you
should continue in the direction of the sea all the time.
About 25 minutes later you
get to a large gravel road, which you follow to the left for a couple of hundred
metres. You then take a similar, fairly large trail off the right, in between
walls and again in the direction of the sea. At this point you can get an idea
of the old Santoríni: small fields, vineyards, and dusty roads – completely
different from the artificial Ia.
After
another 10 minutes you cross the asphalt road and you arrive at some houses,
among which the tavern Parádisos. Near a little chapel you finally get to the
beach, with plenty of large boulders. If you are looking for a more pleasant
beach you have to continue for about ten minutes alongside the sea, in the
direction of the parasols on the black beach of Baxédes.