Evaluation: The middle part of the long walk [3] from Ioulída via the Profitis Ilías and Elliniká to Karthéa follows the asphalt road for a couple of kilometers- it is therefore tempting to split that long walk. The first part, described in this walk, leads to the Profitis Ilías - a very nice stretch, with beautiful paths, and a nice detour to the church of Episkopí. This hike therefore deserves the maximum evaluation of ****.
For the second half of the walk, see the walk Agios Simeoón - Karthéa and back.
[Update by Raymond on October the 11^th, 2015 and on April the 23^rd 2018.]
[The translation of this walk was made with the help of Google translate - so, please, do not mind the mistakes...]

Estimated time: It takes 55 minutes (actual walking time) to reach Episkopí; the next 40 minutes to the Profitis Ilias are really beautiful - the total distance of the way out is 4,01 km. The return road requires a little more than 1h20 - always in AWT.
The actual walking time thus mounts to a total of 3 hours, but the total walking time, with the visit of Episkopí and a picnic on the Profitis Ilias, can take twice as long - we walked from 10am to half past three, this means a TWT of 5h30.

Route description: (0h00) For all hikes departing from Chóra you leave from the upper parking lot (with bus stop). You walk on the left of the small shop of Kianos, through the picturesque arched passage (the stóa). In this way you arrive at a tiny square, the Piátsa, with the outdoor terrace of the café/estiatório I Piátsa.

The Piátsa.

The stóa that leads to the Piátsa.

The small street on the left leads to the Kástro (hiking sign [2]), but you take a right (hiking sign for the hikes [1], [3], [4], [10] and [1]), through a modern vault, to the centre. After some 20 metres you keep to the right: in front of you, you can see the church with the red dome of the Agios Dimítrios. You pass the nice bar + outdoor terrace En Levkoó and via the Odós A. Lazarídi it takes you a few hundred metres to get to the central square, the "platía", with the "dimarchío" or town hall.
You continue while veering to the left in between two tavernas and almost immediately, at the small shop Baxes, you keep to the right; you then go up the staircase street (a small sign points to the "archaíos léoon", the "old lion"). After some 2 minutes you get to the junction of the important hikes [1] (straight ahead to the Lion and Otziás) and [3] (on the right to the Profítis Ilías and Karthéa – hiking sign).

The hiking sign in Ioulída, at the beginning of walk [3].

(0h06) You thus take a right into the Odós Ilía Malavózou, which is a nice staircase street. After 14-15 steps you go up straight across and to the right [3] and further on you keep to the left [3]. After 77 steps you pass a chapel [3]: the street continues to go up and by means of a small, climbing concrete road, you leave the village after 4 minutes; on the left you have a nice view on the site of the Lion.

View on the site of the Lion and path [1].

Another 2-3 minutes later you pass a nice well + washing-place; from here, the view on the location of the Lion and on the trail of hike [1], which runs past the cemetery, above the Lion and then further on, is the most beautiful. The following climb up is really steep and then you arrive at the asphalt road; the staircase continues on the opposite side [3].

(0h19) The beautiful path, which is in the beginning a broad and paved staircase, later on an rocky path and a little road, passes a few houses. Some 4-5 minutes later it gets to a little asphalt road, where you go diagonally to the left and you arrive at the asphalt road after about one minute.

(0h27) A gravel road continues straight across ( [3] on the left-hand wall). Almost immediately, the monopáti continues on the right [3], and it is nicely paved now and then. After another 5 minutes, at a tall electricity pole, there is a junction: trail [3] continues on the left. The path is now narrow and  stony and it descends gradually for about 3 minutes; it then continues as a grassy and flat monopati [3], dug in between walls.

(0h38) At a bifurcation, the trail goes up to the left [3], but past some ruins, it goes down again; you reach in this way a road that ends here [3]: you take a left for a short while, but immediately, you take a sharp right [3]. The beautiful path descends between walls for about 4 minutes, it goes up again and it arrives at a wonderful well with clear, potable water - the sign indicates the year 1879.

The well in Messariá.

(0h47) You take the nice staircase going up on the left and after 2 minutes already, you reach a clear three-forked junction, where the hikes [3] and [4] split: walk [3] continues up on the right, and straight ahead you could go to Sykamiá (via walk [4]) and also to the old monastery of Episkopí.

[If you prefer not to make the detour to Episkopí, you go up to the right here – see below under point (1h02).]

(0h49) Today you first make a small detour via Episkopí and you therefore take a LEFT ([4] and blue dots) – afterwards, you will have to return here.
The marvellous trail, which is shaded by oaks and Mediterranean maples, keeps going up and some 2-3 minutes later you get to a well-indicated side-road. You follow this path to the right and you then reach a gravel road, which you follow to the left and then to the right.

The beginning of the path to Episkopí.

At the sign "Náos Episkopís" you open an iron gate and you continue to the remnants of an old tower (some ancient construction elements are incorporated into this tower) and the impressive (but closed) church of the monastery. These ancient construction elements (also the altar has assimilated a Doric capital) indicate that an antique temple used to be situated on this spot. Unfortunately, though, the view is limited to the Profítis Ilías and its summit is covered by aerials. Notice how the tower is built on a natural rock platform.

The site of Episkopí.

The beautiful church of Episkopí, with some ancient elements in the wall.

(0h56) After your visit you return the same way you came and at the gravel road you take a left, obviously.

[A little further you can follow a little road straight ahead, so you would arrive at point (1h07) below  - this route is a little bit shorter.]

We prefer to take the path on the right (sign and [4]) in order to return to the main path. There, you take a left, of course, and after 2 minutes you reach the nice crossroads, where you now take a left [3].

(1h02) At first, you follow a beautifully shaded staircase; later on it turns into a regular path. After 5 minutes this path brings you to the gravel road coming from Episkopí and then it gets to the asphalt road, on the right.

(1h07) You take a RIGHT – against your expectation -  for only one minute and between two houses you find to the LEFT the beginning of your trail [3] again, between walls (the hiking sign “Profítis Ilías 25 minutes” and the trail marker [3] had disappeared in October 2015).
At first your path is flat and it runs in the direction of the Profitis Ilias, crowned with many antennas, but soon you get to the beginning of some beautiful pavement – the path first descends, but it soon climbs gradually. The monopáti is very broad – mind the sometimes large, flat stones, alternating with smaller stones put on their side. You steadily proceed up, between and under the oak trees in a beautiful, rolling landscape. The kalderimi describes a sharp right turn after 10 minutes, it continues to rise and it turns into a beautiful staircase after another 9 minutes.