Evaluation: This is a unique hike, going from the monastery of the Zoödóchos Pigí (the Life giving Source), built on and with the remains of a temple of Apollo, to the monastery of Panagía Kalamiótissa, situated on one of the summits of the 461-m high Kálamos. The mountainous landscape is really remarkably impressive, which turns this hike into a unique experience. The panoramic view and the peacefulness on top of the Kálamos in itself are already a good enough reason to make the trip to Anáfi. This hike gets the maximum evaluation of ****.
Perhaps this hike is not recommended for people who are afraid of heights.
(Update by Raymond on April the 25^th, 2011 and on the 1^st of May 2017.]
[The translation of this walk is made with some help of Google translate - so, please, do not mind the mistakes...]

Estimated time: The hike from the lower to the higher monastery takes about 65 minutes and the return route a little less – so an actual walking time of 2 hours. We took the bus in Chóra at 11.30am and with a long picnic break on top of the mountain, we hiked from 12.30pm to 4pm. It is of course also possible to go by car to the lower monastery… The total distance of the hike there and back is only 4,39 km.

Route description: [The bus from Chóra stops a little away from the monastery, which is built on a desolate spot – there used to be a temple in honour of Apollo on this spot.]

The monastery of Zoödóchos Pigí with the old temple wall.

According to the legend, the god Apollo had rescued the ship of the Argonauts from a heavy storm, on their way back from Kolchis, and this by letting the island of Anáfi emerge from the sea. By way of thanks, the Argonauts started to build what later would become a temple. According to some inscriptions, also Zeus, Asklepios (the god of medicine) and Afrodite were worshiped over here. A "sacred road" connected the temple with the ancient capital of Anáfe, on the slopes of the Kastélli.
The “low monastery” was built two centuries ago, on top of the remains of the temple. The monastery is now restored: one can admire the templo or ikonostási dating from 1830, the large dining hall and especially the old icons from the "high monastery", now kept in a room of the lower monastery – they would date from the 12^th century! On the 8th of September, a large religious celebration takes place over here, the "panigýri".

The ikonostási or templo in the church of Zoödóchos Pigí.

A beautiful Christós-icon.

0h00) After visiting the "low monastery" you find your trail on the left, underneath the monastery, between the old temple wall and a small building and some trees (hiking sign Upper Monastery 1u15 + [2]).

The beginning of the hike to the Kálamos.

You go down for a short while, in the direction of the sea, and further on you can see the trail continuing, going up on the right. You veer to the right and pass between big rocks.

The path passes between big rocks...

The path is rather a pale, a rocky track that follows the hill crest in the direction of the tall, left-hand summit – you should thus avoid walking on the lower goat tracks. The trail gradually gets larger and after 13 minutes, it runs more to the right of the hill crest, with a nice view on the lower monastery.

(0h14) You get in this way to a bifurcation: to the left, the path leads to the Drakontóspylo (The dragons cave), you should keep to the right (sign), on an obvious rocky trail that becomes pale and that further on climbs to the left on a sloping plateau (cairns).

(0h19) You keep more to the right and after another 4 minutes, the rocky path begins to meander; higher and higher. The highest summit of the Kálamos disappears behind a nearer ridge. You describe an endless number of curves and you thus zigzag higher and higher, still on the same hill crest and guided by cairns. Chóra emerges in the west, and on the left you keep seeing more and more islands. Finally, also Santoríni appears behind Chóra - the monastery lies already deep beneath you.

(0h38) At curve 32, there is a well, and after curve 41 your trail turns resolutely to the left, in a straight line in the direction of the left summit. Another 4 minutes later you arrive at a kind of balcony, fenced off with a rail – you have a marvellous panoramic view on the two tops and on the remainder of the trail.

The trail goes up to the top of the Kálamos.

Six more minutes later, you get to a second spot that is fenced off with a rail and you keep going higher and higher – from close by the granite top of the mountain looks even more frightful. You then reach the final zigzagging climb and after exactly 65 minutes you are on top of the mountain. The monastery is rather big, which is surprising at this remarkable spot. (1h05)  

The monastery of the Panagía Kalamiótissa.

Raymond next to the trig point on top of the Kálamos...

The monastery is about 400 years old, but it was completely rebuilt after the total destruction at the earthquake of 1956. Now, it is deserted and even the "panigýri" does not get here anymore, after a heavy stroke of lightening at a religious festival many years ago.
The view from here or from the little pillar indicating the trig point at an altitude of 461 m, is absolutely unique. First of all, there is the island itself, from up here looking strikingly barren and uninhabited. Then there is the view towards Chóra, with on the left the beach of Roúkounas and in front the brown ridge with the piles of stones on top of it. And of course, there is also the fantastic depth towards the sea, between the 2-3 impressive rocks.
But it is especially the view on the endless sea and the islands in the neighbourhood: to the west, beyond Chóra, you see Santoríni, with the Profítis Ilías, the ancient Théra, Períssa and Kamári – more to the right, you see Ios, then further to the north Náxos with the Small Cyclades in front, the elongated Amorgós and the white dot of the monastery – even more to the right, in the east, the island of Astypálea is situated and to the south you see nothing but sea and sea, and sometimes, it appears, you can distinguish the faraway island of Crete!