Evaluation:
This hike explores the region between Ormos Korthíou and the hill ridge
that separates the deep valley of Dipotámata from the large valley of
the Megálos Potamós - this is a hill crest with summits such as the
Gerakónas (719 m) and the Tsirovlidhi (722 m). The hike then also goes
up via an endless number of steps and with a great panoramic view on the
bay of Kórthi, all the way till Mésa Vouní, situated at an altitude of
600 metres.
Further on, the hike continues to Exo Vouní, from where you can
eventually follow the asphalt road to Kochýlou.
Until Exo Vouní,
this hike is well indicated with the trail marker [5]. It
deserves an evaluation of ***.
[Updated by Raymond on May the 13th 2011 and on April the 21st
2019.]
[The translation of this
walk was made with some help of Google translate - so, please, do not
mind the mistakes...]
Estimated time:
From your point of departure in Ormos Korthíou it takes 45 minutes to
Lardiá, 1h55 till Mésa Vouní and 2h30 to Exo Vouní. Taking into account
the pauses and a picnic, we hiked from 11.30am to 4pm, so a little over
four and a half hours (AWT).
The total distance until Kochýlou is 9,21 km.
In May 2005 there was a bus from Chóra at 10.30am, and it takes this bus
one hour to reach Ormos Korthíou. To return from Exo Vouní you have to
call a taxi – except if you make a circular hike by walking back to the
point of departure via the same route (so an additional 2h30 of hiking)
or by walking via Kochýlou and the itinerary of hike [3] to Ormos
Korthíou (30 minutes of asphalt road and then marvellous trails from
Kochýlou onwards, another hour of AWT).
Route description:
(0h00) At the bus stop in Ormos Korthíou you follow the
pedestrian street, the main street between the bar Centro and the
information and taxi office (hiking sign [3] Kochýlou 3 km / Dipotámata
5 km / Chóra 10,8 km).
Slightly further you get to a first little square with an information
sign on the hikes. Here, you continue straight ahead to the picturesque little square called Alíki
Psálti, with the café Sea Satin and a nice outdoor terrace under the
mulberry trees – on your right-hand side there is a shop where you can
buy some supply of drinks.
You still
continue straight ahead until the end of the pedestrian street, where you
cross the bridge and turn left [3]. You continue
for a few minutes straight on a concrete lane to the right of a small
river (April 21, 2019).
(0h06) You arrive near the
bifurcation of hikes [3] and [5] and you always continue straight
(hiking sign trail Lardiá 1,6 km / Mesa Vouní 4,7 km / Exo Vouní 6 km).

The hiking signs
at the bifurcation of hikes [3] and [5] in Ormos Korthíou.
The small concrete
road climbs and after 10 minutes, you pass some small bridges;
a little further on, just after a bench, you
arrive at a
junction. Over there, the real paved path trail continues to the left,
running alongside the stream all the time [5].

The path runs alongside a little stream...
(0h18)
A little further you
get to a bridge. You go up the bridge by means of a staircase on the
right and on top you can see some steps continuing on the right,
indicated with [5] and a red arrow. You pass a couple of houses of the
village of Rogó and after another 2 minutes and 107 steps, you go up
another staircase on the left [5].

The beautiful - sometimes overgrown - monopátia between Rogó and Lardiá.
Yet 80 steps later
you follow a nice climbing path with a beautiful valley on your left
side, and you get in this way to a rocky three-forked junction.
(0h27) Here, you go up on the
right (red arrow and [5]). The following climb of almost 13 minutes is
rather strenuous; first you walk on a nice rocky trail, later on a
concrete staircase with a marvellous view on the bay of Kórthi behind
you.
(0h40) At a corner with white houses you go left ([5] and red arrow)
and then right: you now walk on a flat concrete path + balustrade, with
a great view on the valley on your left-hand side – you are now in
Lardiá. You then get to a staircase with many, many steps leading to the
higher part of the village. You follow this staircase until you reach a
beautiful spot – have a look on your right side at house no.16 with the
terrace full of flowers.

Panoramic view on Ormos Korthíou, from the village of
Lardiá.
(0h47)
You take a
left and immediately thereafter you go left again ([5] and red arrow).
You keep left again after 44 steps, you pass an alòni (threshing floor)
and a little later, you go down to the right on a staircase – but soon
you go left [5].

The living tower in Lardiá.
(0h51)
You leave the village
via a lot of steps, leading to a narrow earth path: it goes up until you
reach the asphalt road. You go to the left for about 10-15 metres and
then you go up the big staircase on the right (hiking sign
[5] Gianniséo 450 m /
Mésa Vouní 2,5 km / Exo Vouní 3,8 km).
(0h57)
You keep on climbing concrete or stone steps: after about 190 steps, you
pass a little school, you get to a flat stretch and then again some
160-170 steps. After a little more than 10 minutes, you cross a concrete
road and you continue straight ahead on steps ([5] and red arrow).
(1h07)
After another 120 steps, you arrive in
the village of Gianniséo: you keep to the right first and then to the
left (2 X [5]); after some 30 steps you continue on a short stretch of
concrete and then there are again some 145 steps. You then go up to the
right and after some steps you get for a short while on a little
concrete parking lot, where you have to take the staircase up to the
left. At the top, you take a right [5] and in this way you arrive in the
hamlet of Paleokástro: you pass the municipal office and you continue
straight ahead, leaving the village already. There are again some
concrete steps and after a total of 100 steps, you arrive at a gravel
and concrete road [5].
|
|
(1h15)
You have to follow this road to the left [5] - mind the flowers on the
verge of the road.

The flowered verge...
First you walk
toward
a
prominent
hill with
a
flat
top, but then
you veer a
little to the right on a
cross road
-
you see
Mésa
Vouní
already in
front of you.
You veer to the right and – pay
attention – some 15 meters further, there is a path to the far left, on
the left side of a metal
gate: it
descends
between
walls in
a
green,
flowered
valley. You cross
a fast-flowing
stream
in a green river
bed
(May
13, 2011) and
then you
climb again on
concrete steps
[5],
between
many flowers.
The following stretch
is flat and really beautiful,
sometimes
shaded by
beautiful
Mediterranean
maples,
and
after
four minutes,
you keep to the
left ([5]
and red arrow).

Beautiful paths between a lot of flowers...
(1h37)
Another minute further down you take a left again ([5] and red arrow).
[The trail straight ahead seems to lead more in the direction of Vouní,
but it runs to a dead end after 6 minutes!]
You should also
have a look at the beautiful valley with the cultivated terraces on your
right-hand side.
You thus have to go left, which means that you walk again in the
direction of the flat rock. Later on, the trail curves to the right and
after some 2 minutes you get to a modest church with a stone roof – the
church is open, so maybe it offers you a cool picnic spot?

The nice path towards Mésa Vouní.
(1h41) The trail splits up and
you have to go right ([5] and red arrow); slightly further you take a
right again and the following stretch is nice and flat – you should
remember that the monastery of Panachrántou is not very far from here,
only at the other side of the hill in front of you (with an aerial and
electricity poles).
After 5 minutes you go right [5]; you veer again to the right, you walk
through a small valley with a well on the left and a concrete staircase
leads you to the little village of Mésa Vouní.
[If you would go a little higher up in the village and to the
left, you would arrive at a large house with a wonderful tree.
Over there you would find the concrete road which leads over the hill to
the left till the monastery of Panachrántou – if you are really
adventurous this could be a way to return to Chóra on foot via hike [1]
...]
Today, though, you have to keep to the right in the village and
you meander in this way through the little streets [5]. A little
further, at a junction and next to a rounded corner of a wall, you go
left [5] and so you walk in a northeasterly direction on a concrete
little street with steps and on a concrete lane. This nice alley gets to
a concrete road, but it goes further on the left of a bunch of oak
trees.
(1h56) You thus arrive at the left of the church, you go down
to the right and a little further, you take a sharp right again [5]
in order to descend into the valley via a concrete staircase, in Spring
next to running water. You go up again and halfway the staircase you
take a right [5]. A little further – pay attention – next to the angle
of a house, you go left again [5] and in this way you get outside of the
village where you arrive at a nice concrete trail between walls.
About 1,5 minutes later you reach some concrete and you go down on the
right [5] via some steps and then immediately down to the left on a path
[5]. After 1,5 minutes you get to an asphalt road, where you should
continue a little bit to the right.
(2h05)
You thus continue
to the right on the asphalt road for about 2-3 minutes and then a hiking
piquet [5] points to a narrow path on the left – you can spot Exo Vouní
already. The narrow path becomes a
stony track [5] which becomes towards the end [5] again a difficult and
steep rocky path.
In the bottom of the valley, you arrive
at a concrete bridge, but on the left and behind a small gate [5] you
still see a small steep path. It becomes less steep, you cross another
gate and the cemented path then passes next to some houses and an old
tower.
(2h21) You descend to the right [5], you cross a small road [5] and
the staircase descends to a small bridge and then goes up again until
you get next to the church of Exo Vouní. At the bottom, you go to the
left, you wind through the village, but near a double electric pole you
descend to the right [5]. At the edge of the village, you keep to the
left on a cemented alley (no signposting!), further you descend to the
right and you finally arrive on the asphalt road (hiking sign [5] Mésa
Vouní 1.5 km / Ormos Korthíou 6.3 km).
(2h30)
The hike thus
comes to an end a little abruptly on a deserted spot – you could call a
taxi from here and tell the taxi driver that you are at the asphalt road
underneath the village of Exo Vouní.
[You can also follow the asphalt road to the right until you get to the
bridge over the Dipotámata-valley: you can then see a lot of water mills
on your left and right. A sign points to the right, to water mill no.5:
this one is restored and it gives a good idea of the way old water mills
looked like.
A restored water mill.
If you continue on the asphalt road, you will get above the village of
Kochýlou after 1,7 km.
Here you can take the side road to Kochýlou to the left: after 1,5
minute, you should go down to the right on the first staircase and after
about 100 steps, you get to a side street. If you take a left here, you
will get after some minutes to
the path of hike [3], which continues there sharply to the right.
Following this walk, it would take another
hour to reach Ormos Korthíou.]
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