Kechrovoúni - Mountádos - Sberádos - Tripótamos - Xóbourgo - Karyá - Tzádos - Kechrovoúni

Evaluation: This circular hike departs from the monastery of Kechrovoúni and via a couple of beautiful villages it returns to the monastery. The enormous convent of Kechrovoúni is very impressive, but also the trails and the panoramic views are amazing.  
Just recently, the entire hike was signposted with the trail marker [3]. This hike deserves an evaluation of ****.

Estimated time: The first part of this hike, via Mountádos and Tripótamos, to the foot of Xóbourgo, takes about 1h05 in actual walking time.
The detour to the summit of Xóbourgo and back will only cost you another 35 minutes (still actual walking time).
The second part, via Karyá and Tzádos, and back to the monastery, takes another 1h10. This means that the total actual walking time is about 2h15 – without the climb of Xóbourgo. The entire hiking time can, as so often, be twice as long, definitely when you climb to the top. We hiked from 11am to 4.30pm, with first a fairly long visit to the monastery.

Route description: [There are buses from Chóra, via Kechrovoúni, to Falatádos, but since this is a circular hike, it is also very easy to just drive to the monastery with your own means of transport.]

We really recommend, of course, to first pay an extensive visit to the monastery itself.
This convent is in fact a village, with various churches: there is the church of the Zoödóchos Pigí (the Life-Granting Well), with a stone from the year 1760, and there is the church of the Kimísis tis Theotókou (Mary in the Ascension) in particular, with a wonderful ikonostási from the 16^th century, originating from Constantinople. There is of course a church in honour of the Blessed Pelagía, whose skull is kept over there. On the 23rd of July 1822 she received a vision from the Blessed Virgin, to tell her where the famous icon was buried. It is this icon that is now worshipped by so many pilgrims in the Panagía Evangelístria in the capital of Tínos. About 50 nuns are still living in this convent.
Opposite these churches and on the right, there is a real village, with some alleys and kamáres (covered passages).
There are still a fairly large number of nuns living here; the monastery is open from 7am to 1.30pm and from 4.15pm to 7.15pm.
Also the forecourt is a pleasant place: there are benches and three eucalyptus trees, there is a tap and there are some stalls with herbs and delicious, dried figs. From here you also have a great view over many of the Cycladic isles: all the way to the right there is the deserted island of Giáros with the island of Kéa behind it; in the middle you notice Sýros with Kýthnos, Sérifos and Sífnos beyond, and all the way to the left there are the isles of Páros and Antíparos. From the road in front of the monastery, the view of Chóra, Tripótamos and Xóbourgo is marvellous! 

(0h00) You leave from the asphalt road, where you go down a path towards the left – there is a wooden sign and from here onwards the hike is signposted with the red-white trail marker [3]. After a little under 3 minutes you reach another asphalt road, but on the other side of the road, and towards the right, the beautiful trail continues [3]. Sometimes you go down steeply, on a recently cleared path. In front of you, you have a great view of Xóbourgo, with Tripótamos on the left, and underneath you can already distinguish the clock tower of Mountádos.

(0h08) After another 5 minutes you reach a side trail: the path off the right is the one you will follow on the way back (also [3]), you take a LEFT now and after some 10 metres you go RIGHT [3].

[At this place, both the Anávasi map and the Skaï map make a mistake: the trail that descends to Mountádos is not indicated on these maps!] 

A marvellous staircase brings you to the asphalt road near Mountádos in a little over 3 minutes – over here there is also a wooden sign, pointing upwards to Kechrovoúni + [3]. You go left for a little while and then sharply to the right ([3] and the sign Tripótamos 30' / Xóbourgo 1 hour). On a concrete slope you then walk into the village. After a while you walk under a little arch, on the left-hand side of the first church. A little further down you walk on some steps and you keep to the left, in this way you pass the second church. Over here you go down to the left again, but later on you take a right [3] and you pass two chapels with the typical blue spires. For the next 3-4 minutes you continue on a paved street or staircase and in this way you leave the village.  

(0h20) Outside of the village you arrive at a gravel road and you curve to the left [3]; you cross the little bridge and you keep to the left again [3]. At this point you have to watch out: after 30 metres the trail goes up to the right, on the right of a wall, and next to two water pipes [3]. You get a great view of Mountádos with the monastery on top.
A couple of minutes later you walk through a fence in iron wire, and then the beautiful trail curves to the right gradually. When you get to an overgrown path you keep to the right, on the main trail (red dots). You cross the hill ridge and Mountádos disappears behind you. Slightly further, some 10 minutes all together after Mountádos, you take the trail on the right (red dots). You now walk straight to Xóbourgo, with Tripótamos in front of you and to the left. You should also have a look at the 5-6 little churches on the slope of Xóbourgo!
Some 2-3 minutes later you reach a stable and you keep to the left (2 times [3] + red dot) and in this way you descend until you get to a concrete bridge with on the right a pretty well + washing place (with a sign "xinári Sberádou") .

(0h34) You cross the bridge [3] and you go up on a concrete and then paved little street, which brings you to the hamlet of Sberádos.

[The path that goes left just past the first house, leads to Chóra – see the hike Chóra - Kechrovoúni - Sberádos - Chóra).]

You now stay on the main trail and you curve to the right; you pass a little church and you continue on a concrete slope on the left (sign to Xóbourgo + [3]). From now on, the concrete road goes straight to Tripótamos and it passes the abandoned village school (behind the building you can even see the playground with some left behind school benches...).

(0h40) A little further, at the xinári (washing place) of Tripótamos you curve to the left and you enter the beautiful village. You keep to the left at the church, you walk through a kamára and you keep right. You walk through a number of other beautiful  kamáres and you go left, again through a high kamára [3]. Later on you take a right again and immediately thereafter a left; you walk through a long kamára and you pass the "traditional lodgings Crossroads inn".

(0h44) You arrive at an old staircase, but you go LEFT and you pass on the left-hand side of a nice well and a washing place (with the date of 1793). If you take a rest here, you can still see the monastery, from the arch of the washing place!
You go up to the asphalt road, where you take a right. In the curve you notice a path to Xóbourgo in front of you, but you do NOT take this path. Instead, you keep following the asphalt road until you get close to the cheese factory (tyrokomío). 

[At this point, there is a marvellous trail on the left, going to Chóra – see the hike Falatádos - Xóbourgo - Tripótamos - Chóra.]

For now, you take a RIGHT, just before the drive to the cheese factory: the trail goes down for a short while [3] and then up again. You arrive at a rather well paved monopáti, which goes up, straight to two mills. Thereafter you descend a little again and then you have to watch out: straight ahead, the path continues to Xynára, but you have to take a RIGHT instead [3].

(0h55) You go up gradually now, straight to the hill of Xóbourgo, with on the left a marvellous view over the entire valley: Kámbos on the left, with Tarampádos above; Kómi in the middle, and on the right side Loutrá with Krókos above; all the way to the right, and fairly nearby, you notice the village of Xynára.

(1h03) After some 8 minutes, this easy path reaches a windy pass: in front of you and to the right you can see three chapels with a blue spire. Immediately before a chapel, hike no. [2] comes from the left sharply; you go straight ahead and for a short while, hikes no. [2] and [3] form one path. At a T-junction the two hikes take a LEFT (there is a sign "Ancient town Xóbourgo") – the trail on the left comes from Tripótamos, you saw it just a while ago. You climb up again, with a great view over the broad valley underneath the monastery of Kechrovoúni – on your right you can also see some excavations. 

(1h06) A little further you have to watch out: hikes no. [2] and [3] go straight on over here, but you have to take a RIGHT.

[If you would like to visit Xóbourgo, you first have to go straight ahead, but thereafter you will have to come back to this point.

If you decide to first continue straight ahead to the hill top, you go up a little more, curving on the right of the rock with some more ruins on top. By climbing up all the time you get underneath a white chapel and slightly further down you can already distinguish the large building of the monastery of Ieras Kardías. A path on the left leads to the small church – this is a pleasant, though rather early picnic spot, not only because of the great panoramic view, but also because you can sit out of the wind.
The landscape is green and grand, with a view on Falatádos in front of you towards the left, and on Chóra on the right. The islands located in front of you are: on the left the island of Mýkonos with the smaller islands of Dílos and Rhínia, and further to the right first the island of Náxos and then Páros.
From the little church you walk back to the main trail, which you follow to the left. Just before you reach the two large churches, you find a sign on the left, pointing 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!

In a little under 10 minutes you get back down and then you take a right again until you reach the crossing. You continue with your hike by taking a LEFT.

The detour to the summit of Xóbourgo will take about 18 minutes in actual walking time for the way up and some 15 minutes for the way down.]

(1h06) You pick up the thread again and you go RIGHT at the T-junction (coming from Tripótamos!). You now walk more or less horizontally, with on the left a real Cyclopic wall; on the right and underneath you notice the remains of excavated houses. The grassy trail is easy now, running among neglected terraces. Gradually, you see the town of Chóra appearing from behind a hill on the right; in the sea towards the left you can spot the islands of Dílos and Rhínia, and Sýros on the right.
You climb up steeply now and you see Falatádos and Stení appearing in front of you, with behind Falatádos the high mountain of Tsikniás.
Note that this recently cleared trail is not indicated on the map of Anávasi, but it is on the Skaï map.

(1h18) It seems as if the monopáti goes straight to Falatádos, but after 12 beautiful minutes you curve to the right – the trail is dug in now. On a deeply located junction you keep to the right (there is a number [3] high on the wall); most probably, this trail used to be very much overgrown.
A couple of minutes later you reach a small plateau, it turns out to be a pasture with a cow – therefore, you should carefully close the fence in iron wire, or you should avoid the fence by climbing over a wall on the left. The path continues [3], it then goes through a small crevice and it curves to the left [3]. You walk above a sloppy valley – an ancient rubbish dump? – and you take a right ([3] on the wall).
You climb to a gravel road, but your path continues straight on [3], on the left of a chapel and a lot of junk. You get to a regular trail again, between walls. When the path becomes grassy, it gradually curves to the right, with a wonderful view over the far away Chóra, over Mountádos and the monastery.

(1h33) The path gets to a stony track, which descends on the right, until it reaches the chapel of Agios Spyrídonas. You pass on the left-hand side of the chapel, you go straight on ([3] on a telephone pole) and you descend on the left of the beautiful church with the blue dome of Karyá. The sunken trail goes down steeply and it arrives at a paved road, between houses and on the left of the church. You go down on the left, towards a white church, but you take the white staircase on the LEFT of the church of Agios Elefthérios [3].
You climb up this staircase and then the old monopáti continues flat or by slightly going up, next to a tall wall and under a couple of walnut trees. You walk next to a watering place and you can already spot the church of Tzádos higher up in front of you.
At a fence made out of iron wire you turn to the right sharply and a little further you keep to the left, obviously. Past a large plane-tree you reach a washing place (with the date of 1904) [3].

(1h46) When you get to the top, you are in Tzádos, where you go right; in this way you quickly leave the village. Under a wonderful pane-tree you go straight ahead and up, on a little concrete road ([3] on an electricity pole). About one minute further you reach a curve in the road and you take a small road straight ahead [3]. You can already see Karyá, Xóbourgo and Tripótamos on your right-hand side.

(1h51) After 3 minutes you get to the right of a chapel; you take the path on the left of a little wall and you continue straight ahead [3]. You now walk between walls and with a great view over the valley all the time. There is an obstruction made of branches which you have to climb over, but it really seems as if the trail has been cleared recently.

(2h04) Some 13 beautiful minutes later you pass just underneath the monastery, and exactly above the tower of the main church of Mountádos. Slightly further you have to go through a fence made out of iron wire; your trail is very large at this point and it provides you with a great view of Chóra.

(2h06) Watch out: do not pass the trail going up to the monastery on the left: there is an obvious trail marker [3] – when, about 20 metres further down, you see the path that descends to Mountádos on the right, you have gone too far...
You have closed the circle now: you climb for another 6 minutes until you reach the asphalt road, and you find the continuation of the path on the staircase on the opposite side and towards the right [3]. After a little under 4 minutes you arrive at the asphalt road near the monastery. (2h16)