Pýrgos - Mésa Goniá and back

 

Evaluation: This short walk is quite interesting because you can once again get acquainted with – as you also can do on the hikes departing from Vóthonas or Emborió – with another aspect of Santoríni, the quiet and lonely aspect... Deserves **.
 [The translation of this walk was made with some help of Google translate - so, do not mind the mistakes...]

Estimated time: It takes only half an hour to get to the Canava Argyros in Mésa Goniá.
The round trip thus lasts for one hour (always in AWT) - we walked, with a visit to the cellar, about 3 hours (total walking time)...

Route description: [From Firá, there is an hourly bus to Pýrgos - it concerns the bus that mostly continues to Períssa (and sometimes also to Akrotíri).
The bus stops in the center of Pýrgos, on the Platía Stefánou Melékou - which is rather a crossing with shops and outdoor terraces.]

[If you have time, it is very interesting to climb to the  kástro and the large churches, which are distinguished by their blue dome and their typical bell tower.]

(0h00) You take the street paved with small pebbles (in between a palm tree and the café Johnnie): the street starts to the left of the main road to the Profítis Ilías and runs parallel to it (mark [1] a little more below). You thus get to a square with the same pavement. To the left and behind the square, you find a narrow street that goes to the right [1].
Halfway this street, you take the second concrete street to the left - the road that continues straight is walk [1] to the Profítis Ilías - see the walk Pýrgos - Profítis Ilías - Théra - Períssa.

(0h05) You thus take a left [2] and, a little further on a large concrete slope, you do not take a right, but you continue straight on - shortly after you see a trail marker [2]. The little concrete road becomes a trail, you pass above a nice alóni (threshing floor) and you get a beautiful view of the Profítis Ilías.
After a paved stretch, you arrive on pumice, and immediately after, there is a bifurcation, where you descend to the right in several turns (straight, you could go to Exo Goniá).
Your monopáti goes down quickly now and you arrive after a few minutes again on pumice, while descending alongside a black wall. In front of you lies the airport and the road to Kamári that you see on the right. You always enjoy a unique view over the green slopes of the Profítis Ilías (4 May 2011).

(0h15) You get again between black walls, you veer to the right and you pass under 2 fig trees. At another bifurcation, you take a left this time, and then you descend a staircase, next to a rather large chapel. After a path made of steps, you arrive again between the walls, and you continue straight.

[You could make here a small detour to the right, towards a chapel, half buried in the tufa. Look how many chapels you can see from here – this is also another aspect of Santoríni.]

(0h20) A little later, you reach a concrete road (2 X [2]) - you follow it straight and down. You arrive between 2 chapels, where you take a sharp RIGHT on concrete stairs ([2] on a pole). The pavement of the trail becomes nice again, you go left next to a house, then the trail continues amidst the traditional houses of Mesa Goniá, until you get to the asphalt road. (0h28)

To the right you see the famous winery of Canava Argyros. You can visit it and buy a few bottles of wine...

[To the right, the asphalt road leads to the beautiful church of Episkopí (road sign) - the distance is about 1300 meters.]

(0h28) You return by the same route. The beginning of the monopáti is marked by an obvious sign... The cobbled street again passes through the "traditional settlement", where many houses are in ruins.
You pass the large church, then you turn right near the house. You climb to the other church, while keeping to the left, and you arrive at the concrete road, where you take a sharp left.
You again can enjoy the new splendid view of the hills on your left, and also on two chapels, half buried in the tufa. After a little less than 2 minutes, you see in front of you, in the right bend of the road, the paved trail that continues straight [2].

(0h38) Shortly after, you continue straight ahead - it is here that you could go to the left to the two chapels. You pass a picturesque church, where the staircase continues upward. You arrive at a bifurcation where you go right, but a little later, you veer to the left and you continue between two black walls. The trail runs on pumice now and, in spring, it is covered with a multitude of daisies; it rises quickly, next to a heavy black wall.

(0h49) The pavement becomes uneven and, after another 2 minutes, you get to a cross-trail, where you take a left. Almost at the top, you continue on the concrete slope [2], but you get then again to a stretch with an old pavement. You finally get to the cross-street, where you take of course a right to the center of Pýrgos.
You arrive at the right side of the square: here you take a sharp left, up to the square, and there you take the pedestrian street to the right - it leads up to the Platía Stefánou Melékou. The bus stop is on the right side. (1h00)