Períssa - Emborío

Evaluation: This short walk takes place in the foothills of the Profítis Ilias and may be useful as a continuation of the hike Emborió - Pýrgos - Profítis Ilias - Théra - Períssa . The beach of Períssa is quite nice and the kástro of Emborío is also nice. This walk deserves **.
[The translation of this walk was made with some help of Google translate - so, do not mind the mistakes...]

Estimated time: It takes approximately 50 minutes to reach Emborío, then you can stroll through the streets of the kástro ...

Route description: [In Períssa, you should take a right by car, in order to follow the road along the beach (road sign); you follow the coast to the left until the end of the road, where there is a small parking lot with a roundabout in the middle. In front of you and just beneath the impressive rock-face are the ruins of the early Christian basilica of Agia Iríni (sign).]

(0h00) Starting from the parking lot, you follow the paved road to the interior; after a little less than 5 minutes, there is a junction where you go straight. You pass Hotel Marianna and after another 3 minutes, there is a left turn, where a gravel road continues straight ahead (sign "Ancient Théra").

(0h08) You continue to follow the asphalt road, but in the next turn you do take the gravel road to the right. You pass two drive ways on the left, you veer to the left next to a simple house (red mark) and continue down, then up a little, always at the foot of the impressive rock-face of the Profítis Ilias, but with a desolate landscape on the left side.

(0h17) Just past some eucalyptus, the gravel road continues: you veer left between concrete walls and you thus get to a paved crossroad. You take a right and then you pass the little blue and white church of Agios Stéfanos. It is surrounded by small gardens - a friendly man opens the chapel and a lady gives us chocolates and asks us to sit down...
Beyond the chapel, you pass a road on the right, then you veer left and gradually right again. You enjoy a beautiful view on the the Profítis Ilias with the monastery on the top. You pass a sort of on the track on your right side, you still veer left and right - and then, after 9 minutes, there is a sudden left turn, near some houses with lots of cacti, and you follow a gravel road that continues straight between the walls.

(0h29) This was once a path: this little road continues always straight; however, after 6 minutes, next to a quarry, you take a sharp left to follow a small paved road. Very soon, you take a path on the right, between a wall and a gnarled tree, and so you pass to the left of the small chapel of Agia Iríni - inside, there are old columns.
Beyond the little house, you take a narrow path to the left of a retaining wall; you continue for some time between two walls, and when the right wall turns right (red mark), you follow the wall on a very vague path. When the wall turns sharply to the right again, you should continue straight ahead to cross a field towards a small square building. Soon, you see in front of you and on the right a three-nave church, and more to the left the elegant tower of the church of the kástro of Emborío.

(0h38) You arrive at a gravel crossroad, where you take a right; after 2 minutes, there is a bifurcation and you keep to the right again, just past two drive ways. You continue between 2 walls with a gate made of reinforcing steel (red mark). And so you pass below the church with three naves.

[A little further on, the track on the right side allows you to go and cast a glance at the church (but it is closed): you enjoy here a beautiful view of the church and the kástro of Emborío - with to the left the 7 mills on the crest of Gavrilos.]

You continue on the small road that veers right along a wall, then along a recent fence. Further on, you make a sharp turn to the left, and the sunken path comes to a dead end next to 2 drive ways.

(0h47) A grassy monopáti continues straight; later on, the gravel path goes up to the left of 2 houses, and then descends with a beautiful view of the kástro and the church, and becomes a concrete alley between the houses.

(0h49) You arrive at a cross-street - you are now on the route of the walk [2] to Pýrgos - see the walk Emborío - Pýrgos - Profítis Ilias - Théra - Períssa.
You take a left, and a little further, there is a hiking sign for the walk [2]. You continue straight for a few moments until you get to a cross-street ([2] on a pole) .
If you want to visit the kástro, you should take a RIGHT here.

[Walk [2] does the same, but goes almost immediately up to the left, on a staircase painted in white: in this way, you can reach the forecourt of a church, and while going up some large steps and keeping to the left, you reach the little square in front of the entrance of the kástro - see below under point (0h58)].

However, we preferred to continue straight, and after a few minutes, next to a small chapel which forms a corner, you can mount on the left side, in a narrow alley. You climb between old houses and, once arrived at a bifurcation, you still go up to the right. BEFORE you go through a double archway, you can go up to the left: after a high narrow passage and a few steps, you thus arrive near the church of the kástro .
You continue to the right of the church, then you go down , you still go through some kamáres, and so you reach the entrance of the kástro (date 1831 ); here, you get to a cross-street, where the walk [2] passes.

(0h58) You continue to the right ([2] on an electricity pole) and you arrive at the side of a beige church with 6 bells in the spire of the tower. You pass to the right of the church until you get to another cross-street. Here, you can descend to the left, but walk [2 ] continues straight on: the street becomes wider and beyond the blue fence around the back side of the dimarchío (town hall), there is a wide stairs which descends to the left. You thus arrive at the asphalt road, with on the right side the square and the bus stop. (1h04)