Strapouriés - Ano Pitrofós - Paleópolis

Evaluation: This hike runs through a good part of Andros - and if you leave from Chóra , it will cross the entire island from east to west. The trails are beautiful, a real pleasure for all those who love nature and walking. Therefore deserves the maximum of ****.
[Update by Raymond on the 18^th and 20^th of September 2023.]
[The translation of this walk was made with some help of Google translate - so, do not mind the mistakes...]

Estimated time: The walk up to Ano Pitrofós takes in actual walking time (AWT) some 1h25, then you need 55 minutes to reach the bifurcation of the paths to Ano Aprovátou and Paleópolis, and then another 55 minutes to arrive down in Paleópolis. The AWT thus amounts to a total of 3h15, for a total distance of 9,18 km. We walked from 11am to 4.30pm, a total time (TWT) thus of 5h30.
If you want to cross the entire island, starting from Chóra, we refer to the first part of the hike Chóra - Strapouriés – Ano Aprovátou – Batsí - but do not forget that, in this case, you should add 1h25 to the actual walking time…

Route description: [You begin this walk along the asphalt road in Strapouriés, near the tavern I Terpsichóri Pertési, which is situated on the right, a little away from the road - unfortunately it is usually closed off season.]  

[Just past the tavern, at the corner of a concrete wall, you can see a staircase on the right. On the steps you find the trail marker [10] – the beginning of the hike to Evrousés...]

(0h00) Today you keep following the main road – thus in the direction of Ménites and away from the church -  until you have passed the small sports field. At the foot of a rock you then see a concrete staircase, which goes up on the right-hand side of the road. There is a hiking sign “Ano Pitrofós 1h45/4,1 km / Paleópolis 3h10/8,7 km / Ano Aprovátou 4h10/11,1 km” and on the rock you note the trail marker [9].
You go up between some houses and soon you get to a beautiful old trail with nice steps; you pass through a little gate and after about 3 minutes you keep to the left [9]. You continue high above the valley, with a nice view on Chóra and the valley.

(0h07) Slightly further you walk on some concrete for a short while, you cross the little road and the old trail continues straight ahead, on the right-hand side of a stable [9]. A little later, you keep to the right at a bifurcation [9] and the nice rocky trail rises gradually between rather high walls. You pass a nice shady spot and you continue to climb the rocky path. You thus walk between beautiful walls up to the left of the green hill - the view is still beautiful: in the valley you distinguish the elongated village of Messariá, and on the opposite side the monastery of Panachrántou with the villages of Fállika, Kouréli and Sasá (from left to right).

(0h20) You go down now, you get on a thick carpet of leaves next to beautiful trees, you pass through a gate and you descend rapidly in a depression under nice plane trees - you continue straight up [9].
After another 4 minutes, you reach a beautiful double junction, with many water pipes: the left path goes down to Ménites - see the walk Chóra - Strapouriés – Ménites. Further, there is another path on the right, but your walk continues straight [9]. You proceed more or less horizontally, next to 2-3 water pipes, and after a pleasant end, you come next to a very simple chapel - you are just above Ménites now.

(0h33) A little further you descend into a little valley – there is still a little water in the bed (12 October 2013 – dry in 2023); you go up again and you get a more open ground, where the trail continues between beautiful walls, which are so typical for Andros – with pieces of normal walls, alternating with vertically erected and sometimes sharp plates [9]. Further, you also note on top of the left wall a row of stones set vertically.

(0h40) A few minutes later, you descend a little to a shady spot under sometimes dried up cypress and plane trees, and you veer to the left next to a large rock [9]. Notice also the nice breakthrough into a wall, which offers a beautiful view of the surroundings, with an alóni below you.
The trail continues pleasantly and almost horizontally, always with the splendid view of the valley full of cypress.

(0h46) You reach a slight depression where you keep to the right [9] and then go uphill on a pretty bare slope.

(0h51) You arrive in this way on an open ground in the middle of a crossroads - which actually forms a large X - you take a RIGHT and then follow the other "leg" of the Xto the far left - you arrive in this way at the continuation of your path, where you go right – so you again can follow a flat monopáti, southward.
You climb the bare hill and you see how the trail continues far ahead of you on the next slope.

(0h58) But first you descend rapidly to the right, in a valley that is now desolate because of a fire (October 2013) - below, you take a sharp left. It takes a rather long time to cross the broad ridge, but then you discover Káto Pitrofós, which is already close enough.

(1h07) You go down on a very stony path , with a difficult fence in reinforcing steel on the left; but a little more than a minute later, you go RIGHT on a triangular spot - the trail that continues straight ahead is blocked by a gate,  it leads to Káto Pitrofós, with its red roofed church and the blue dome.
You climb quickly, you veer left and almost at the top, you continue more or less on a gravel road that arrives on the top after 8 minutes in total - Ano Pitrofós is no longer so far.

(1h21) You arrive at a little concrete road, you descend for a moment to the left, but there is immediately a path on the right, next to an electricity pole (2 X hiking picket). Once passed a white chapel, you descend between high walls and you get by a concrete staircase to an asphalt road. A little further on, there is on your right side an abundant source with a funny small table + bench [9].
You follow the road and you arrive in this way  near the olive mill of Chelmi, with a small museum - see www.musioelias.gr 

(1h26) Just beyond the mill, there is a white staircase that goes up to the right (hiking sign + [ 9]), you veer left, then you still walk up a white staircase (2 X [9]) and you arrive next to the Barberi-source with its washing-place.
You still go up between the last houses on concrete steps, and you thus get to a small cemented path. Attention: when it veers down to the left, near the last house, you should continue STRAIGHT, climbing a small slope between a stable and an alóni on your left side [9]. You follow the path road for a little less than 2 minutes, and then you do not continue to go down, but you take the rocky path up to the right and to the left of a wall (2 X [9]).

(1h33) At first, this trail is narrow because of the vegetation, but later it becomes a beautiful rocky trail [9]. The pavement , with its large flat slabs, becomes very nice, and you continue winding, up and down ...

(1h44) You cross a wonderful little bridge made of three large flat stones, then you ascend quickly on a staircase. You continue to go up, you pass a gate and arrive between walls [9]; you keep going up, at the end on a splendid staircase, you reach a triangular spot where you keep to the right [9] and you still go up,  sometimes on beautiful flat slabs.

(1h54) You continue in the direction of the crest of the hill and the high-voltage line. You slowly veer right, during the crossing of the broad hill ridge. The pavement with the flat slabs is now simply splendid!

(2h04) You get in a riverbed, where you step with some difficulty over the water on step stones. After another 4 minutes, you step over a water shoot that comes from the slopes on the right – this is again a splendid stretch.

(2h10) A very stony path continues between walls; you slowly veer to the left and after a few minutes, you keep following the right wall, then you again arrive between two walls - and so you continue on a rocky gravel road until you get to the hill crest.

(2h16) You take a right here (hiking picket), but already after 2-3 minutes, next to another hiking picket with a [9] on it, you go left again. The trail continues at first in the direction of a high tension pylon, but later it follows a wall with pointed stones and further, you get again between 2 walls.

(2h21) This is the point where you should take a sharp LEFT, along a wall that comes from the left (hiking sign [9a] Paleópolis 2,2 km).

[The trail that continues straight leads to Ano Aprovátou - see the walk Ano Aprovátou - Ano Pitrofós and back.]

The path continues for 3 minutes just next to a wall, then you again get to a gravel road - you continue on the opposite side. You walk until you get next to a high voltage pylon ([9] on a rock next to the pylon), but just BEFORE you reach the pylon, you go to the right [9a] until you arrive between two converging walls [9a] where you can continue to descend on rocky ground without a real path.

(2h28) After a few minutes, the path becomes clearer, to the right of a wall. You get to some marram grass, then you cross some water, but you always continue with the wall to your left and then again between 2 walls..

(2h34) You step over a heavy water pipe and continue to go down to the right [9]. The path starts to zigzag, and you need to follow carefully  the marks, until you arrive at the other side of the valley against a cross-wall, where you continue to the left on a clearer path between 2 walls.
You arrive in this way at very green spot – sometimes, it is difficult to find a passage between the vegetation.

(2h42) When the walls diverge again [9], you follow the right wall, but then you zigzag left and right, and then - when the walls diverge again - you clamber down to the RIGHT - and now, finally you get a beautiful view of the valley of Paleópolis.

(2h49  Further, you veer to the far left and the path becomes clearer and easier.

(2h56) Shortly after you pass through a breach in a wall, near a stable, and then you continue under beautiful trees bent by the wind - a very nice stretch again!
After that stretch, you start to zigzag next to the wall, and you arrive at the right of bizarre rocks - near the second group of rocks, you could go left to enjoy the view over the valley!
You descend rapidly now and the rocky descent is steep and rather difficult, but the view of the many cypress trees in the valley is magnificent.

(3h05) You take a left on a sort of side-path:  further on you need to climb again over some rocks, but down you can continue to the right [9a] and the path becomes better.
You pass some rocky passages, but then you get via some steps to an almost flat path between walls. Eventually, you arrive via 10 concrete steps to the asphalt road in Paleópolis. (3h15)

[You can return to Chóra by bus - so do not forget to ask for the bus schedules before leaving.]

[It may be possible to continue the descent until the – not so nice - pebble beach of  Paleópolis, a descent of 700 steps! See the short walk Paleópolis - Agia Eleoúsa – beach of Paleópolis and back.]

Gpx-files:


https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/andros-strapouries-ano-pitrofos-paleopolis-161705850


https://www.routeyou.com/en/route/view/14108458/hiking-route/andros-strapouries-ano-pitrofos-paleopolis