Ormos Korthíou - Rogó - Lardiá - Gianniséo - Mésa Vouní - Exo Vouní - Kochýlou

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 21^st 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 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].

(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]. 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.

(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].  

(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. 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).

(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?
  
(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.