Ioulída - Roúkounas - Kómi - Agios Konstantínos - Mylopótamos and back

Evaluation: For those who want to walk to Mylopótamos, Fléa, Korissía or Písses, the stretch between Ioulída and Agios Konstantínos is always a problem, because it follows the asphalt road for about 2 km. 
Since 2010, however, there is a new path that runs from Ioulída to Agios Konstantínos, albeit via a long detour. The walk can be made by itself, but can also be continued to Mylopótamos and Fléa, or even further. 
The paths are sometimes very beautiful and the views of Chóra or Ioulída are often marvellous. This hike deserves an evaluation of ***. 

Estimated time: To walk to the height of Roúkounas takes about 40 minutes and then it will cost you a little under 25 minutes, through the valley of Komi, till the asphalt road next to Agios Konstantínos. From there you have to follow the wide, old trail for another 20 minutes until you reach Mylopótamos. The way out takes a total time of 1h25 (actual walking time), and for the way back you should count on the same time. 
This total actual time of 2h50 can easily turn into a total walking time of about 6 hours. 

Route description: (0h00) As with all other walks departing from Chóra (or Ioulída), you leave from the lowest parking lot (there is also the bus stop). You pass on the left of the shop Kianos, you walk through the picturesque archway (the Stoa) and you arrive at a tiny plaza, the Piátsa, with the nice outdoor terrace of the cafe/estiatório I Piátsa. 

The Piátsa.

Over here you take the street to the left, to the Kástro, and you walk uphill, past 2-3 churches. At the third church (with two trees), you see the walking sign "Roukounas 45 minutes" and you take a right.

The hiking sign to Roúkounas, in the kástro of Ioulída.

Sometime later you see a second sign where you take a right again, and immediately afterwards you go right once more - you get a nice view of Ioulída. You turn to the far left, you walk through a dilapidated kamára (vaulted passage) and you start going down, first on a neglected stone path, but further on also on beautiful steps or on a nice rocky path. After many turns you hear gurgling water, so you are approaching the bottom of the valley - especially the final turns are very beautiful.

(0h13) You first follow a more or less flat stretch, almost beside the river bed, with a lot of reeds and greenery; further on you walk on a sort of elongated terrace. The valley on your right side becomes deeper and deeper and you gradually turn to the left - in fact you walk around the hill on which lies the kástro. 
After about 6 minutes you descend on a nice path between walls - you notice the path on the other side, climbing up on the left of a small chapel. 
After about 3 turns you arrive in the green river bed, you step over a brook (on the 24th of October 2010) and you walk to a wall, which you follow to the left. 

(0h22)
When you arrive at the corner of the wall, you go to the right and in front of you, you discover a beautiful staircase that curves to the left. 

A marvellous staircase...

While ascending, you already get a good view of the hill of the kástro, on the left, and also of the neoclassical school. Gradually you will also see more and more houses of Ioulída. The path becomes flatter and it curves to the right. After half an hour of walking you can have a rest, while sitting on a wall in the shade of a tree, with a beautiful view behind you of the hill of the kástro and Ioulída.


Views on the hill of the kástro and on Ioulída.

(0h31) You continue on a beautiful stretch, above the deep valley that runs to Korissía - a brilliant stretch midst almond trees. Watch carefully: after another 2-3 minutes you go up a little to the right and you get to a well (with the sign "Pigádi). On the left in the valley below you, you see a few white houses, that is the village of Kómi, where you will pass later today. 
You climb a bit and at the highest point you walk just under a gravel road - you go down a little bit to the left. Further on, you continue on this beautiful trail and on your left you notice the beautiful staircase which you will follow to descend to Kómi. You gradually curve to the left and slightly further you really arrive beside the gravel road - if you look carefully, you can spot the chapel with the red dome of Agios Konstantínos, on the opposite side of the valley and above the white buildings – that is the location you will ultimately reach, after a steep climb from Kómi. You descend a little, you see the first trail marker [2] and you arrive at the sign "Roúkounas ».

(0h42) At this point you go down on the left, by following a marvellous staircase once in a while.

The nice descent between Roúkounas and Kómi.

The trail arrives between high walls and it ends in Kómi, a small hamlet with a large farm on your right. There is a sign "Mylopótamos 40 minutes / Fléa 1 hour " and you also notice the trail marker [2].

(0h51) You follow the concrete ramp, you pass a bridge [2], but you do NOT take the path that you see immediately, because it is barred further down. You follow the little concrete road up and after a few turns you do take the beautiful staircase on the left (2 X [2]). After 4-5 minutes the staircase narrowly passes a bend of the paved road ([2] on a pole). The final stretch is difficult, because the path goes up steeply, up the rocky slope or on subsided parts of the trail - the drainage of the asphalt road causes a lot of erosion! 

(1h02) After about 11 minutes of climbing up you thus arrive at the asphalt road, next to the sign "Mylopótamos 30 minutes / 1h10 Ioulída". You take a right and after about 3 minutes or 200 meters you find the ancient trail in front of you, in the bend of the road [2]
To your left you see the chapel of Agios Konstantínos and with next to it a well. The path is beautiful and wide, and nicely paved; after 20 minutes it easily brings you to the valley of Mylopótamos.


The broad path from Agios Konstantínos to Mylopótamos.

A beautifully laid out curve, with nice curbs...

The path ends next to the little church of Agii Apóstoli.

One minute after the picturesque chapel with a red roof, you arrive at the side-path of Mylopótamos. (1h25) 
Hike no. [2] continues here to the left, towards the watermills and the well of Fléa - see for instance the walks Ioulída - Korissía and Ioulída - Písses.

The hiking sign where the path in the valley of Mylopótamos splits up.

(1h25) In the hike of today, though, this is where you will return and go back the same way you came. Again you follow the beautiful path to the paved road, past the chapel of Agios Konstantínos.

(1h45) You end up in the bend of the road, besides the relatively recent department store Shop & Go. You then follow the road going up on the right, for about 150 meters. After two minutes you see an opening in the crashbarrier, and the trail goes down to the left - there is a hiking sign and the trail marker [2]. 

The hiking sign on walk [2] - here starts the descent to Kómi.

The steep staircase is somewhat subsided; further on, you continue to descend over cliffs or rocky steps into the deep valley. After a little over four minutes, you arrive next to a turn of the asphalt road and you continue on a beautiful wide staircase [2]. 

Your descent in the valley of Kómi.

This brings you into the green valley and on a little concrete road [2], which you follow down to the right.

(1h55) Down in the valley you cross the bridge and you find a path between high walls, straight ahead, between two gates; again there is the walking sign "Roúkounas 10 minutes – Ioulída 1 hour" and a [2]. In the beginning you find a lot of litter on the path, as is often the case near houses; but then you continue climbing on truly magnificent steps, sometimes under olive trees.

The nice climb to Roúkounas.

If you look back, you see the clear trace of the stairs you just followed, on the opposite side of the valley. After a few curves you reach the top [2] and you see the sign that indicates Roúkounas, with a signpost to the right to Ioulída.

(2h07) You take a right now and your path continues just below the gravel road; soon you bend to the right, away from that road, and you get a wonderful view of Ioulída. You walk high above the valley and twice you get to a protruding height, with magnificent views. The second time, there is an overgrown path to the left; you continue your descent and a little further you pass next to an old fountain in kind of cave (sign "Pigádi). 
Shortly thereafter you curve to the left, with a path that descends to the right, and you continue now again on a horizontal trail, with an orchard of almond trees to your right.

(2h19)
Further on, you curve to the left and you get a unique view of the kástro and the houses of Ioulída. You descend slowly, with high curbs on the right of the path, and you pass next to the tiny chapel of Agios Mathiás.

The little chapel of Agios Mathiás.

Immediately afterwards you turn to the right to descend on beautiful steps, sometimes with beautifully laid out curves with large flat stones.

(2h27) You thus arrive in the green river bed: over here, the continuation of the trail is somewhat unclear, because there are no trail markers anymore. You walk to the wall, you go to the right and then to the left when you reach the corner; you cross the narrow brook and you find a vague path between the greenery. It meanders up and it ends on a clear monopáti that climbs steeply between walls. Further on, you continue many minutes on a kind of long, narrow terrace with a beautiful wall on your right. 
After another four minutes you can distinguish the cemetery and then the houses of Ioulída, high up in front of you. You are now walking around the entire hill of the kástro.

(2h36) After a flat stretch, you again see a nice staircase before you. You now climb rapidly by describing many curves, sometimes with a heavy curb. After 6-7 minutes the curves are getting shorter and steeper - the plastic bottles and cans indicate that you are approaching the houses. A little further you see the church of Agios Spyridoon, high up and on your left. You pass under an old wall and a little bit further you keep to the right on the heavy staircase that takes you among the houses. Via an old kamára you arrive at the white staircase beneath the kástro. You follow this staircase up to the right, you turn again to the right, but you then turn to the left twice (walking sign). At the crossroads next to the church with the two trees you see a second sign: you go down to the left, you pass next to two other chapels and you get to the Piátsa, where you find the parking lot on the right. (2h52)

 

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