Moní - Chalkí - Apáno Kástro - Páno Potamiá - Koúroi - Kournochóri

Evaluation: This is a long hike, combining a number of highlights – it might be a useful hike if you do not have too much time to visit the island of Náxos. Between Moní and Chalkí you will see two marvellous Byzantine churches; visiting Chalkí is obviously very interesting; you will pass the Apáno Kástro and you can take some time to pay a visit to the green valley of Potamiá; at last you can also visit two koúros- statues. Therefore, this hike gets an evaluation of ***. 

Estimated time: The actual hiking time takes about one hour to the church of Agios Geórgios Diassorítis; when taking the shortest route it then takes another hour to Páno Potamiá. To walk to the Koúros of Mélanes will last for 35 minutes and then it will take you half an hour to get to Kournochóri. When taking into account the visits and the pauses these three hours of actual walking time refer to a hike of about six hours – without taking into account the detour via Chalkí or to the valley of Potamiá. This will thus become a very beautiful, but long hiking day.

Route description: Only in summer you will be able to take the bus to Moní, otherwise you have to catch a taxi. When arriving in Moni, you walk through the village till the café Parádeisos and the estiatórion To Panórama.

It is still early, but the outdoor terrace of To Panórama is very pleasant and the panoramic view is really attractive. From the balcony of the café you can see the white super-structure of the Panagía Drosianí, a place where you will get to later on. Down under you can also notice the blue dome of the church you will aim for right away.

The Panagía i Drosianí (Our Lady of the Dew – according to the legend the famous icon of Our Lady gets wet when the region faces danger or a disaster) is an early Christian church, probably dating back to the 6th century. The famous fresco’s which you can visit here date from the 6th or the 7th centuries. Fortunately, the church is regularly open; you can also buy a booklet (in Greek and English) with some explanations and with beautiful illustrations of the icon and the fresco’s.

From the church you go down the paved trail, you cross the asphalt road and you continue on the path straight ahead (there are some clear dots). Your trail descends nicely and via a steep staircase you reach a small, dry bed of a stream. You follow this bed to the left for a couple of minutes (there is also a red arrow pointing to the left). Finally, you walk on the left-hand bank of the river-bed – not too early though! – and the monopáti becomes very nice again. You cross a small stream with water and you go up on the left. You thus continue almost horizontally for some three to four minutes, until you get to an open space with a concrete slope on the left. Straight ahead you descend a couple of steps and you continue on the left-hand side of a wall (with dots). The trail is slightly overgrown (especially in Spring time); it first runs along a river and it then ends into this river on a beautiful spot – you follow this dry bed to the left.

At this point you should watch out: you should follow this bed with oleanders for exactly six minutes; at the corner of a wall (with a red dot and an arrow) you climb up the sloping rock and you continue on a beautiful trail for another three minutes. You then reach a stretch of gravel road – some 50 metres further down there is a white building – and here you have to go up on the right to the church of the Panagía Rachidiótissa, which is closed however. This is a nice spot though, so very inviting to take some rest.

On the right-hand side of the church you continue on a nice path between walls, (so you DO NOT go back down). After about 50 metres you curve to the left and downhill in front of you can - with some difficulties - discern the ruined basilica of Agios Isídoros. A little further there is a trail off the right, where from you can see the basilica even better. However, you have to go straight at this point and you go further down – you thus stay on the somewhat overgrown path. Some three minutes later you still keep to the left and you now walk between wonderful, tall oak trees. After another three minutes you arrive at a clear junction: the trail on the left leads to the main valley and it thus returns to the Panagía Rachidiótissa. Obviously, you should take a right; you walk on the right-hand side of a very tall wall for another three minutes. You then get to the deserted houses of Rachí and to the church. You then take the narrow street off the left (there is a red dot). It runs in between houses and after about two minutes it reaches a black gate. You descend on the left in the ‘main street’. You continue to go down on this concrete road, which runs all the way through the village. Across the bridge the road gets larger and it describes a bend to the right. In the next bend to the left you go straight ahead on a green path in between walls (there is a sign). At a junction you take a right, and further down you go right again on a stretch of turned over land. You thus get to the marvellous church of Agios Geórgios o Diassorítis (or Saint George the Saviour), situated amidst olive trees. This church would be one of the oldest Christian buildings on the island, dating from the 11^th century. Sometimes, the church is open, but definitely not on Mondays.

From the church you return, in the direction of Chalkí: you walk back over the turned over stretch of land and a little further down you have to choose.

[If you have not yet paid a visit to Chalkí, you can keep to the left here; at the next junction you have to go right. With some difficulties and with wet feet you follow the flooded path (in May 2004) until you arrive at the church Agia Marína. This chapel is really built on top of a well with lots of water, even the floor of the chapel is wet! You take a right here and you follow a meandering road for the next five minutes – all the way you are guided by red dots. Just before the village of Chalkí you cross the concrete road, you go straight ahead and you thus get against the outer wall of the Ergostásio Kítrou of Vallándris. This is one of the distilleries at Naxos, where the famous lemon drink is produced. The work place is worth a visit and you can also buy different varieties of this tasty drink. Before Vallándris you take a right for a short while, then left again, and then you have reached the beautiful and very pleasant outdoor terrace of the most popular tavern of Chalkí: O Giánnis.

By taking the shopping street leaving from O Giánnis you arrive close to the church Panagía i Evangelístria i Protótronos. This church contains some beautiful wall paintings and specially a marvellous ikonostási; unfortunately though, the church is usually closed. Your best bet is in the early evening: at that time of the day you might see the papás opening the church in order to go and sing the vespers. In this way you can both admire the treasures of the church and enjoy the singing of the priest!

On the left of the church you can walk into the small street to have look at the large tower of the Pýrgos Grazía: also here you can notice the coat of arms of the famous Venetian family Barozzi above the entrance.

In order to leave Chalkí you go back to the distillery Vallándris. Over there you take a narrow street on the right – at the place where you entered Chalkí just a moment ago. After about 150 metres already you take the first street off the left. You then go right and immediately thereafter left again. In this way you leave the village and you arrive at a nicely paved trail between walls and olive trees. One minute later you get to a junction: you have to go straight ahead (there is a red arrow pointing to the left). On your right you find the trail to Agios Geórgios Diassorítis; this is the end of your detour to Chalkí.]

If you DO NOT want to go to Chalkí, you have to take a right after the turned over stretch of land, on the way back from Agios Geórgios Diassorítis. Slightly further you reach the main trail from Chalkí to Tsikalarió and Apáno Kástro, where you have to go right obviously.

During the next couple of minutes the path tends to be slightly overgrown, especially in Spring time; it is also littered with junk. After some three minutes you cross a presumably new sand road; some five minutes later you walk through a dry and large bed of a river – you then go up straight ahead. After about seven minutes all together you get to a gravel road, which you follow to the left for a short while, and then to the right (note the red arrows and dots). Quite quickly the road becomes a nice path, which is paved once in a while, and which now definitely climbs up. After another six to seven minutes you arrive at a small square, near the small church of Tsikalarió (on the right you can find a wash place). At this point you have a great view on the valley filled with olive trees, with Damariónas on the other side. Further to the left you can distinguish the larger village of Filóti and then Chalkí, all the way to the left and submerged in olive trees.

You continue into the village towards the right, walking on the largest paved street; after a few minutes the road becomes a concrete road and in this way you leave the village again. Some five minutes later, your road turns into a gravel road again (note the red dots) and sometimes you can see Apáno Kástro in front of you, just like the church of Agios Pandeleímonas, at the bottom of the village towards the right – you will get to this spot later on. After ten minutes you reach a wall and on the right of this wall you find the beginning of a trail, in between a crisscross of rocks (there are red dots). The trail continues very clearly, all the way on the right-hand side of the wall. A couple of hundred metres before the church you have to go through a hole in the wall and you continue on its left-hand side (red dots!). The next part of the trail is rather vague and you now walk on grass. At the end you go through another hole in the wall and you thus get to the tiny little church and the sign "Kástro Tsikalarióu", on the other side of the wall.

[If you want to climb up to the ruins of the Venetian Castel d' Alto (Apáno Kástro in Greek) you can go up on the left over some difficult terrain. The panoramic view is marvellous though.]

To continue the hike, you should keep walking on the right-hand side of the same circular wall. After about 5 minutes you have to go through a rusty gate and on the highest point of the pass you have a wonderful view on the valley to the right, and a little later on also on Chóra, far away in front of you. Some ten minutes later on you even get to an ancient tiled kalderími - believe it or not - ; this trail is overgrown sometimes, but you can continue without problems by walking on the large kerbstones. By describing a bend the old road crosses a bridge and then it gets to a gravel road.

You follow this gravel road straight ahead, after 20 minutes you keep to the right and after a couple of more minutes – you can see Chóra straight ahead! – you get to a steep descent, over some concrete. Just before the asphalt road you can see some remnants of the old kalderími, on your right-hand side. You thus get to the main road after about eight minutes. You cross this road – a blue bench is very inviting to take a rest and to marvel at the view on the beautiful valley that runs from Ano over Mési to Káto Potamiá.

You go down into the valley, on a concrete road that becomes a concrete staircase later on. By the name of the Odós Nikoláou Orfanoú this staircase arrives at a little square with a fountain (this is the platía Filothéou Orfanoú). 

[In order to make this many-sided hike even more complex, you can make a small detour of fifteen minutes at this point. Therefore, you first have to go down on the left into the valley of Potamiá – via the Odós Giampoúra. You descend for some two minutes and by keeping to the right slightly you arrive at a marvellous spot. The path continues in a narrow valley, along side a stream full of water (on the 19^th of May 2004); there are two bridges, some benches and lots of shadow. After this introduction to a valley that will offer you many beautiful places later on, you return to the Orphanoú-square – over there you continue straight ahead on the Odós Giampoúra.]

On the right of the well there is a concrete slope: in this way you go up on the right of the church and you get to the asphalt road. On the opposite side you find a clear trail, which turns into a marvellously paved and broad monopáti after a couple of minutes. The trail goes up steeply, accompanied by redundant blue arrows.

About seven minutes later you get to a concrete spot, where you keep to the left for a short while. However, the trail continues on the right straight away (there are arrows, dots and signs to the 'Koúros'). After some ten minutes all together the path continues beautifully in a kind of depression between the hills. Slightly further on there is a junction, where the trail markers and a sign send you to the left. The trail is really beautiful and it now runs between tall walls, more or less horizontally or going up gradually once in a while. Another five minutes later you get to the red letters pointing to 'Ano Potamiá', but you should continue on the open plateau, midst small fields. After three minutes you reach yet another junction: the narrow trail on the left goes directly to the koúros of Mélanes or Flerió, but you follow the clear trail on the right – where there is also a rusty sign saying 'Koúros'. You go straight ahead for about eight minutes, up and down the hills, until you describe a sharp turn to the right; then you continue along a wall with some railings on top of it. Beyond the wall on the right you can already see the spot with the trails, a bench and also the statue itself (the “stone” on the right-hand side of the bench). You thus descend for about one minute and then you get to an earth road with a water pipe. On the right you see a gate; you go through this gate and via some recently constructed trails and stairs you arrive at the statue – which is actually a korè, so the statue of a girl – amid the remnants of an old stone quarry. This statue is known as the Koúros of Potamiá.

After your visit you walk back for some three minutes and after the gate you go straight ahead down the hill. You walk on an earth road that is probably being reconstructed. After a couple of minutes you thus reach a side road, bordered with oleanders, in a valley with streaming water. You take a left and after two minutes you can see the entrance to the Paradise Gardens on your left-hand side. This is just past the narrow trail that leads to the Koúros of Mélanes or Flerió. This statue dates from the 1st part of the 6^th century BC; it was never finished because of a crack in the material. Through a small gate on the left you can get to the gardens of the Kondili-family – this family actually owns the land where the statue is situated. The garden is nicely maintained and when having a seat at the stone table under the large olive tree between the actual garden and the koúros it really feels like paradise! You can also have a glass of Naxos wine or taste some kítro-liquor.

From the statue or from the garden you go back to the road, where you take a left. Further on you bend to the right and you thus reach the asphalt road and the parking lot. On the left you see the gravel road to Mélanes, but a little further and on the left of the asphalt road there is a slightly overgrown path. This path continues underneath the asphalt road; it passes underneath the chapel of Ipapánti and then it turns to the left. You get to some concrete for a short while, you descend to the left and you reach a beautiful trail again – this is next to a water mill with lots of water and a water shoot leading to the next mill. 

[Over here you find a trail going down into the bushes on the left. It goes through the valley, straight towards Mélanes.] Today though, you take a right here and you walk along the water, gradually getting a very nice view on Mélanes. Five minutes later you get to a small road. This road runs underneath the village of Kournochóri, sometimes it is made of concrete and sometimes it is a gravel road. After a couple of minutes you arrive at two kafenía; from these cafés you can climb some steps and thus get to the kástro and the robust tower of the Pýrgos della Rocca.

When relaxing on the beautiful terrace of the café O Grígoris you can call a taxi.