Evaluation:
This walk is a part of the long hike [3] which runs from Chóra to Ormos
Korthíou, through Sinetí, the gorge of Dipotámata and Kochýlou.
Because you now walk the marvelous part of de hike between Ormos Korthíou
and Epáno Kástro in two directions, you can enjoy the magnificent views
towards Kochýlou and the Epáno Kástro on the way out, while on the way
back you have a view towards the
bay
of
Kórthi
.
This
walk is well marked with the trail marker [3] and because of the quality
of the paths and the views, it deserves a maximum rating of ****.
[Update by Raymond on May the 5th, 2015
and on June the 27th and 29th, 2021.]
Estimated
time:
It takes
1h05
(actual walking time) to reach the clock
tower of Kochýlou; then it will cost you
35 minutes to arrive at the
summit of the Epáno Kástro .
The distance of this way ou is 6,71 km.
The descent from an altitude of
586 meter
to the sea level requires
the same time as the way out, about
1h40,
still in actual walking time. The entire walk
thus
takes 3h20 in actual
walking time, but the total walking time of this wonderful hike can run
up to more than twice as long - we walked from 11.30am to 7pm, partly
because we wanted to enjoy the views both at noon and in the evening sun.
Route
description:
(0h00) At the bus stop and the
roundabout with the ship’s mast, on the edge of Ormos Korthíou you
take the pedestrian street, the street between the Centro café-bar and
the information office with the taxi rank
(hiking sign
Kochýlou 3 km / Chóra 10,8 km + [3])
. Further on, you see a first
square, with the war memorial, the school and a sign giving more
information about the hikes
- to your right there is a store where you can buy your drinking supply.
A little bit further, there is the picturesque square Alíki Psálti
with the cafe Diporto and a nice outdoor terrace under the mulberry
trees You
go straight, you pass many shops and at the end of the pedestrian street,
next to a bridge, you take a left, after the bed of the river
[3] [5]
- there is a signpost to the
beach
of
Tis Griás
to Pídima.
(0h05)
After 1 minute there is a little concrete road on the right (again
signposted to Tis Griás to Pídima), but you go straight, always
following the little road on the right of the bed
[3] [5]. In front of you, you have a beautiful view over the villages of Rogó and Gianniséo.
Approximately
1-2 minutes later you take the beautiful path off the right, which runs
between walls – on the right of a gate [3].
This is the bifurcation of hikes [3] and [5].
Over
the next 3 minutes the nicely paved path runs between high walls - the monopáti is sometimes covered by uneven stones.

The beginning of path [3] to Kochýlou.

At first, tha path runs between nice, high walls...

... and further on, there are beautiful, uneven
stones on the path.
(0h10)
After a little over 3 minutes you cross an asphalt road (leading to the
beach
of
Tis Griás to Pídima) and on the opposite side you take the
little concrete road that replaces the old path [3]. Fortunately, the
beautiful paving recommences rather soon and you get a nice view over
the whole bay. You climb steadily, but then you reach a concrete road
– to the right there is another sign post to Tis Griás to Pídima.
You follow the concrete road going up straight across, on the right
of a large villa [3]. But after a little more than 3 minutes you find,
in a curve to the left, a beautiful path, under a Mediterranean maple [3].
(0h18)
You will now be walking for more than 40 minutes on a beautiful and
really varied path, which is sometimes shaded.
After
3 minutes you continue
obliquely to the right, of course, on concrete stairs [3]
and then you get to a nice climb again.
Further on, near a small road, you keep to the
right and you go up, on very beautiful eroded steps.
After just under 4 minutes, the magnificent staircase crosses a dirt
road.
You go straight
up, but first you should have a look at the beautiful landscape:
-
behind you, you have a wonderful view of Ormos Korthíou, with the high
ridge of the Ráchi behind, and with the villages of Aďdónia (to the
left) and Kórthi.
-
to the left, you see the ascending row of the villages of Rogó, Gianniséo
and Mésa Vouni
(this is the route of the beautiful walk Ormos Korthíou - Exo
Vouní).
(0h25)
You go straight now
[3],
again
on a beautiful staircase.

A marvellous path!
A
few minutes further you see Kochýlou
in front of
you, and very soon also the
flat hilltop of the Epáno Kástro to the right of it. The climb is
getting less steep and it continues between beautiful walls.
You follow again some concrete and then rocky steps;
after 10 wonderful minutes, there is a little road
that comes from the right: you cross a gate, you
follow the road straight for a moment, but you
immediately take the old path obliquely to the left [3],
with a magnificent view
on Kochýlou and the Epáno Kástro .
(0h34)
The following stretch of the path is really superb – the monopáti
is often paved with large flat stones.

The path is paved wit large flat stones!
(0h44)
Some
10
minutes later, you get an exceptional view again of the village and the flat rock, your
goal of today.

You get an splendid view on Kochýlou and the
Epáno Kástro .
A
little bit further there is a junction where you keep to the left [3]. You continue to climb and after
4 minutes the views on Kochýlou, on the terraces below and higher up on the
Epáno Kástro are
again beautiful.
(0h54)
Four
minutes later you go down a little; the shaded path still curves
to the left, it crosses a small creek and it climbs again until the
first houses of Kochýlou. You descend and you climb again on a
beautiful
concrete
staircase
– at the top, you keep right (2
times [3]) and then you walk beneath the church.
To the right, you see the old kafenío tou chorioú.
(1h06)
A little bit further the street passes at the foot of the clock tower of
the second church – to the right of the church, there is a beautiful
courtyard with a tree and a beautiful view. This is a wonderful picnic
spot, especially when there would be too much wind on top of the Epáno
Kástro . 
You
pass under the clock tower... After
a break you return to the tower and you follow the
stepped street to the left of
the church. You climb many steps and you finally reach the asphalt road,
just past the parking lot
Bezeri.
You follow the road for a few moments and you then take the other
concrete road in front of you (hiking pole [3]; 10 meters further you take the first concrete
staircase on the left [3].
(1h12) You first climb some
steps, then you follow a concrete or paved path with to the right a very
impressive sight on the flat rock. After 6 minutes there is a trail to
the right.
[The nice path [3] continues straight ahead, towards the valley of
Dipotámata, Sinetí and Chóra.]
(1h18)
You take
a right here,
after a gate (hiking
sign Upper Castle 665 m and
[3b]): you immediately pass through a
little gate in reinforcing steel and proceed on a narrow trail that
sometimes is flooded (5th of May 2015). You keep to the right
at a bifurcation [3b] and ascend a long staircase with about 215
concrete steps – and you pass in this way along 2 chapels and through
another gate in reinforcing steel. This path obviously has been cleared
recently.
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(1h25)
At the
end of the staircase, you pass through a
breach in a wall [3b]; you continue to go up, while keeping to the
right, on an
earthen
path. Soon, you pass through a cross-wall ([3b] on a
sharp stone) and continue on the steep trail. Another 2 minutes later,
the path passes again through a little wall [3b] and you now
keep to the left on
the path: it zigzags to the right and
to the left and arrives at some concrete steps, where it again crosses a
wall [3b]. You begin a last climb and again you meander through a fifth
wall - and finally, you get to the concrete road.
(1h31)
Here you go to the right for a while, but then begins a white staircase
with a blue railing: 140 steps and a short path lead you to the church
of the Panagía Faneroméni, on the first rounded summit.

The
staircase to the summit of the Epáno Kástro . 
The
Panagía Faneroméni on the summit of the Epáno Kástro .
From this point you have a wonderful view over the
bay
of Kórthi , on the
valleys and also on Kochýlou that lies quite deep below you.
Behind the church, there is a path that continues amidst the remnants of
other buildings, and in 4-5 minutes, you can arrive on the highest
summit. This was the "Apáno Kástro" (the upper Kástro); in the Venetian
period this was the counterpart of the "Káto Kástro" (the low Kastro),
situated in Chóra. Both castles were probably built by the Venetian
Marco Dandolo in 1207. You are now at an altitude of
586 meters.

Panoramic
view from the Epáno Kástro .
(1h42) For
the way back, you go down between the ruins, and at the front of the
church, you take the path that leads to the staircase; 32 old steps and
109 concrete steps bring you below to the concrete road.
You take a right and will now continue to follow the road – the path is really steep, it could be slippery…
[If you prefer to follow the same way as on the way out, you will arrive
at point (2h14) below…]
(1h50)
You thus
proceed on the concrete road, that describes a few turns and later large
bends to the right and left – an easy descent.
Have a look at the marble plaques that are attached here and there on
the cliff face: they mention the generous donors of 35, 50 or 150 meters
of concrete, who, in this way paid, funded the construction of the
concrete road in 2006.

"The
105 meters of concrete happened with the support and to the memory of ..."
After 12 minutes you keep to the left on the gravel
road and after another 4 minutes, you should look out carefully, in
order not to miss path [3] that crosses the road.
 The
road to the Epáno Kástro .
(2h07)
The right path – that continues to the valley of Dipotámata -
is very clearly visible (there is
a striking [3] on the beautiful wall), on the left there is
a hiking pole [3] and you thus take a LEFT here.
At first the left path veers to the right for a while: it gets to an old
staircase that bends to the left along a wall. Later on, you veer right
again [3] and you arrive between 2 walls.
The old pavement is still visible.
After a descent of 7-8 minutes, you arrive between some ruins – it is
here that you toke a left on path [3b].
(2h14)
You continue straight ahead
through a gate and
between narrow walls and the nice pavement
begins. Later on, the path is covered with concrete, with next to it a
little gutter that has now been replaced by a water pipe.
After a few minutes, you arrive at the concrete road, which you follow
up and to the right for a moment. You reach the asphalt road
[3], which you
also follow down for a few moments, because almost immediately - and
before you get to the parking lot - you take the concrete street to the
right [3].
(2h17) You now follow the main
street: a little later, you do NOT go obliquely to the right, but you
continue straight [3] and soon, you descend the staircase to the left.
You now continue to go down straight through the entire village [3]: you
pass in this way to the right of the first church, Agios Georgios, and
underneath the tower.
The nameless café on the left is often open after 5pm – do not miss it,
this typical old village pub is really worth it and no one knows for how
long it will still exist!
 The typical old village café...
(2h24)
You continue on the main street, passing on the left of the
second church. Immediately past this church, a staircase goes down to the left
(it is the Odós Vasiléoos Konstantínou) ([3] and blue mark).
After 1 minute, you keep
to the right (blue dot and [3] on the wall), you climb a little and you descend
then slowly on a stony path; you keep going straight ahead - with a beautiful
view on Kochýlou and on the Epáno Kástro in the evening sun. 
Kochýlou
and the Epáno Kástro in the evening sun. A few minutes
later you get an equally stunning view over the
bay
of
Kórthi
and the entire valley! The path is very nicely paved, sometimes with large flat
stones, sometimes with small stones placed vertically.
(2h45) After another 9 minutes there is a junction where
you take a left (blue dot and [3]). 
A
long time ago, somebody left the date 1933, carved in the stone... For several minutes now, the path is
narrower because of the abundant greenery and some disturbing shrubs, but soon
the monopáti gets better again as it is paved with large flat stones.
Suddenly,
Ormos Korthíou seems quite close; you descend many minutes on a beautiful
staircase, and later on by taking many concrete steps. In this way, you reach
the concrete road after 17 beautiful minutes, under the mulberry tree and the
Mediterranean maple.
(3h02) You take a left and you go down, after 3-4 minutes
you cross the road to Tis Griás to Pídima and on the opposite side you find a
very nice path again (blue and red dots). After several minutes the concrete
stretch begins and so you reach the asphalt road. On the opposite side you find
a very unevenly paved path, but later on the pavement gets better and the walls
become very high.
(3h13)
Finally, you end up in the valley, on a little
concrete road. You go left and 2 minutes later you reach the bridge, where you
go right into the pedestrian street. Five minutes later you reach our departure
point at the end of the street, at the roundabout with the ship's mast.
(3h20)
Gpx-files:
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/andros-ormos-korthiou-kochylou-epano-kastro-94151377
https://www.routeyou.com/en/route/view/10212701/hiking-route/andros-ormos-korthiou-kochylou-epano-kastro
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