Pródromos - Márpissa - Píso Livádi - Dryós

 

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 Poúnta - Voutákos - Alykí follows this coastal path on the south-west coast, this walk will follow at first a few paved roads until Píso Livádi and then the coastal path until Dryós, through some very nice beaches, with among others the famous "Golden Beach"... Deserves **.
[The translation of this walk was made with some help of Google translate - so, do not mind the mistakes...]

Estimated time: After having followed paved roads for a little more than 50 minutes (AWT), this walk follows some very nice trails and long beaches for another 1h15 - the actual walking time thus amounts to a total of 2h15. We walked from half past eleven to 3pm, a total time (TWT) of three hours and a half.
Route description: [There are regular bus connections from Parikia until Léfkes and Pródromos, and also from Dryós there is a regular bus of the same line, back to  Parikiá.
This walk could form the continuation of the beautiful walk Léfkes - Pródromos, the so called "Byzantine route"...]

(0h00) From the square of Pródromos - where you can leave the car - you descend to the main road where you can find the bus stop and the bakery, to the left: you go right and you leave the village behind you. After 3 minutes, you pass an old well, with a rusty machinery.

(0h09) Another 5 minutes later, you cross a bridge: there is a chapel on the left and you already see the road sign "Márpissa" in front of you. You descend by the concrete slope to the left, and a little later you climb the hill to the right. The gravel road becomes concrete and you reach the first houses of Márpissa where you get to a concrete road while holding to the left. You keep to the right, you pass a small sculpture museum and you arrive in the courtyard of a large church with a red roof and dome. Benches invite you to take some rest...

(0h17) Behind the church, you can follow a lane until you get to a side street, that you follow while meandering down. After a kamára (archway) you thus go left and right, and down you get to paved street. You keep to the right here, until you reach a small white chapel and you then continue left to the main road - notice the remains of a nice oil press on the left.

(0h21) You follow the road to the left and you should follow it for 8 minutes, until the bifurcation: the road to the right continues to Logarás and Dryós, while the road straight ahead leads to Píso Livádi.
You see in front of you a small coniferous wood, with a chapel on the left and a bust to the right: behind this bust begins a paved path to the right of the road.
The trail ends after just 4 minutes and you should now continue on the road again; do not take the first small road that goes right, but the following little road, which goes up to the right of a small wood. You now cross the upper part of Píso Livádi, always continuing straight, but finally you descend to the main road – to the left, you have a beautiful view of the harbor and the beach of Píso Livádi.

(0h41) You follow the road to the right for another 4 minutes, but then you can, near a parking lot, go down the paved slope that leads to the beach of Logarás - this is a sandy beach with tamarisks and some hotels.
At the other end of the beach, you go up right through a breach in a wall, and there you can finally follow the coastal path to the left -  you enjoy a beautiful view of Náxos and Irakliá, and behind you, the red dome of the church of Márpissa is still visible...

(0h51) After having followed the trail for 7 minutes, you descend to the beautiful sandy beach of Poúnta with its many sun beds. At the other end of the beach, you climb on the rocky slope or on 11-12 steps and you find the continuation of the path. You continue above the rocky coast for 6 minutes, then the trail continues next to a wall, and further on the pebble or sandy beach of Mesáda.
It continues again on the other side for another beautiful 10 minutes. You pass a tiny beach and the trail becomes a little dirt road; when it bifurcates, you keep to the left. You follow a sandy trail for a few moments, then you go down to another nice and sandy beach. At the end of this beach however, it is better to take a kind of bridge that leads to the huge hotel of St. George, in order to get easily to the small concrete road - the place is called Tserdákia.

(1h27) You go left, and the small road becomes gravel after a few minutes. You turn around another small bay with a small beach, but when the road goes right, you take a little dirt road in front of you. After a few minutes you arrive in front of a new house: the coastal path continues to the left, with Ios in front of you.
You pass to the left of a tennis court, you go around cape Choní, while passing on the left side of a chapel, and then you discover in front of you the beautiful sandy "Golden Beach" or "Chrysí Akti." You follow a short time a sandy road, then you go down to the very wide beach.

(1h41) You follow the beach - where there is no shadow, however - for more than 12 minutes. You pass the Golden Beach restaurant and you continue up to the extreme end of the beach, where you climb some concrete steps to reach the trail. It crosses a border of reeds, then follows another border, you pass small fields, a beautiful vineyard and beautiful holiday houses, with green lawns, swimming pools and small beaches...

(2h05) You finally reach via a concrete staircase one last small beach, you climb a few steps, and then you pass to the right of the small harbour of Dryós. The paved promenade follows the sea, with on the right a few restaurants and cafes - it is very pleasant to drink or eat something here - in the sea you see Náxos, with Ios and Síkinos to the right.

(2h07) After a possible break, you follow the promenade until you go to the right to follow a street between oleanders; you zigzag left and right and in this way you get to the main road (road sign "Paralía Dryoú"). The bus stop is about 3 minutes away, on the left, near some shops and the Anna restaurant. (2h16)