Poúnta - Voutákos - Alykí

Evaluation: Páros is the only island of the Cyclades where the old coastal path still exists over a long distance: it is thus possible to follow that nice path almost along the whole south-east and south-west coast of the island. The walk Pródromos - Márpissa - Píso Livádi - Dryós follows the east coast, sometimes through very nice beaches, while this walk will follow the coastal path between Poúnta and Alykí. Deserves an appreciation of **.
[The translation of this walk was made with some help of Google translate - so, do not mind the mistakes...]

Estimated time: This walk follows at first a gravel or sand for about 35 minutes (actual walking time); vague trails or beaches alternate then for another 45 minutes, and finally you follow very fine paths for 40 minutes, before finishing with small roads to reach Alykí - a total AWT of 2h10. We walked from half past ten until two o'clock, a total time (TWT) of three hours.

Route description: [There are regular bus connections from Parikiá until Poúnta and from Alykí it is also possible to return to Parikiá.
It is also easy to reach Poúnta from Antíparos, since there is of course the ferry ...]

(0h00) From the quay for the ferry to Antíparos and the bus terminal, you take for a few moments the road to the interior, but near the chapel, you take the gravel road to the right, which will follow the coast for quite some time.

(0h12) After about 12 minutes you pass next the facilities of Paroskite (www.paroskite.gr) – indeed, one can practice kite surfing here, in the quite windy strait between Páros and Antíparos. There is still a center of kite surfing a few minutes later, then the rather sandy path continues from time to time right next to the water.
The small road turns left and you get to another little road, which continues to the left of a row of tamarisk - you thus continue to follow the coast.

(0h34) You pass a very small harbour and arrive at the chapel of Agios Nikólaos: the sandy road continues and at a bifurcation, you keep of course to the right to continue along the coast. The small road finally comes to a dead end near a house: you continue beside the water with virtually no visible trail, first to the right of a field, then to the right to a vineyard or to the right of some beautiful houses (one with a chapel).

(0h49) Beyond the last house, a vague trail continues between the rocks, mostly 5 or 10 meters from the edge of the water: the brownish colour of the path is sometimes slightly visible between the vegetation, but it remains very vague. As you get closer the cape, you continue over the edge of the pale rocks next to the sea

(1h01) After this difficult passage, you come up against a wall, where you go left through a gap, and then you can go down to a sandy beach. You follow this beach which is followed by a long pebble beach, and you get in this way to a small road that continues along the houses of Voutákos.

(1h10) Past the small harbour, the road continues a little, then it comes to a dead end; you then follow again a sandy beach, then you continue along the sea between a ruined wall and rocks. When the passage between the water and the tamarisks becomes difficult, you continue to the left of the tamarisks on the edge of a field. You get to another pebble beach, and then, suddenly, the trail becomes much more visible, between a small wall and the reddish rocks. A little later, you follow for a few moments a little road in order to surround a small red cape, then you arrive again on a narrow beach - and then the path becomes clearer, to the right a row of agaves.

(1h24) You pass a tiny beach and some beautiful eroded rocks,  and the path continues between a wall and the vegetation – this is really a pleasant stretch. After 5 minutes, you again get to a beach, and at the other side, you continue on a stony path on the edge of the pale rocks and 3-4 meters from the sea. While veering to the left, you surround the last cape, with the islands Glaróbi, Tigáni and Panterónisi ahead. Your trail climbs a bit and you still veer left while Alykí appears in front of you.

(1h42) After some beautiful minutes, you reach another beach that you cross in the direction of a few houses. The trail continues on the other side, a little higher above the sea You meander between the walls, then you continue underneath some tamarisks.

(1h49) After this nice stretch, you keep a little to the right, so that you come near the angle of a wall, where you should pass through a small wooden gate (do not forget to close it!). After a second small gate, you continue between the vegetation and the pale rocks. A few minutes later, you climb a bit to get around a creek.
You veer left to surround the broad bay of Alykí and after a total of 14 beautiful minutes, you get to a small road leading to a beach, with to the left a kind of small lake (Spring 2013).

(2h00) You get to a small concrete road that goes down to the right to the sandy track that continues between the sea and the small lake. At the other side, you get to another concrete road: you pass a tennis court, and then you cross the beautiful beach of Alykí - and you thus arrive in the center, not far from the bus stop.
Near a grove of tamarisks and a períptero (kiosk), you can go right to some beautiful terraces, with among others the pleasant terrace of the tavern To Balkóni tou Alykí. (2h11)

[In May 2013, there were buses to Parikiá at 2.35pm, 4.40pm and 6.10 pm.]