The Agiassos Area of Lesbos Greece.

Lesbos Holiday Hiking and Photos centered around Agiassos including a walk up Mount Olympus and visiting a Roman Aqueduct in the Greek Island of Lesvos.

We did these three Lesvos Agiassos area walks whilst on holiday on this excellent Greek Island during mid May 2005 - the walks distances vary from 14 to 25km. Due to a cool north wind and cloudy sky the walks were a lot easier than if done under 35 degrees of blue sky probably found in say in June/July - for instance the Mount Olympos walk nominated as Moderate would probably rate as Strenuous because of the climb, temperature and heat if walked in Summer.
The descriptions/instructions below are correct to our knowledge and we hope the photos help as well but if there are any errors it would be great to be informed about such. Also - as with many Greek Islands - paths and tracks are vulnerable to the dreaded bulldozers so things can change - paths wiped out, new track junctions etc. etc. so please let us know.

Outside Lambou Myli - Roman Aqueduct - Agiassos. The 17km walk starts at a parking area on the main Mytilini - Kalloni road just outside Lambou Myli. From Lambou Myli and going towards Kalloni after around 3.7 KMs look out for a gravel parking area on the left in trees - there is a sign marking the track to the aqueduct. This walk is one way - i.e. you walk to Agiassos and then need to take a taxi back to the start point.

Set off down the track which descends gently through the forest with the valley to the left getting increasingly lower - around 2.75kms along reach the remains of the Roman aqueduct visible through the trees and below on the left. There are several steep paths leaving from here which you can use to get right down to the valley floor if you wish. Continue along the track which bends round to the left and then right to finally reach a track junction. Leave the main track here and take the track on the left - this quite muddy track goes round a farm, through a gate, then passes a small white church on the left to reach another gate. Turn right and walk along this walled track which winds through olive groves until it reaches a river. Go left a few metres and then cross the river via a bridge. Once over the bridge go right and follow the path which climbs up through olive groves - near the top the path is concreted. At the top of the rise meet a track junction - straight on goes to Karini but first for a diversion.
Turn right and follow the track down through more olive trees - this then flattens out with lots of terraced walls etc. - about a kilometre from the junction the path leaves the olive groves and meets a junction by a small stone bridge on the right. don't cross the bridge but instead stay on the main track which climbs up now with the stream below on the right. Around a kilometre from the bridge reach a track junction - there are two narrow tracks almost together on the right - take the second of these - now follow this down and then along with the rocky stream very close by on the right - a really nice walk through woodland. Go across a low concrete bridge and then eventually arrive at where the stream crosses the track - this is about 1.5 KMs from the previous junction. The way ahead had been blocked with trees and since the water flow was quite high we ended our diversion here. Note the only reason we went along here was because it looked a nice area and we are anyway nosey. Walk back to the track junction and then back to the bridge and then back to the Karini track junction.

Turn right - this goes initially steeply up hill and then wanders down into Karini. Karini is a very shaded area with a taverna, a stream and also a very large but hollow tree which you can walk into and even sit down in since they have chairs inside. You may need the sit down because the next part of the walk up to Agiassos is a climb of around 345 metres or 1120 feet.
Cross the road to another much smaller taverna, go left and take a path which leaves the road a few metres along on the right going alongside the walls of the olive oil factory. The path bears slightly right and then turns into perhaps one of the best and most intact cobbled trails we have walked on - the trail has low stone walls and the flowers and fauna growing here were really good in May. The trail just keeps climbing steadily, no flat bits to speak of, until it reaches a main road just over 2kms from the taverna. Cross the road and continue on the cobbled trial opposite - keep going on still of course up for about another 2 KMs to walk into the top of Agiassos by a derelict oil factory (you can walk inside it and have a bit of snoop if you wish).

Continue in the same direction to quite soon arrive at the town square - there are seats, shops and tavernas here - quite a busy area. From the square go to the right of the church and take a cobbled street going down all the way to the bottom of the town where there is a large car park, bus stop and taxi rank. Use a taxi from here to take you back to the start point - it is useful therefore to have a map so you can show the driver where you want to be dropped off - our trip cost us 10 Euros and we were treated to a nice bumpy trip across the dirt tracks rather than the road.

Ag. Anargyri - Asomatos. In our view if we were able to only walk for one day in Lesvos then it would be around here (i.e. the Asomatos area).The walk described below is easily one of the nicest we have done on any island - lots of streams, moni-paths/kalderimi, rocky paths, levadas, nice tracks, flowers, shrubs, trees, birds, snakes and so on - and Ag. Anargyri is like an oasis. The walk described is actually a figure of 8, i.e. we walked two loops out of Ag. Anargyri - obviously anyone feeling lazy could just do one or other. Take the main Keramia to Vasilika road - around 2kms from Keramia take a left hand road signposted to Ag. Anargyri, this is a quite rubbly dirt road but can be driven using a car if you take it easy. The several track junctions are clearly marked so just carefully follow the signposts to reach Ag. Anargyri which is about 4kms from the main road - there is plenty of parking by the taverna.

Loop 1. From the car park walk back up the track and turn right to cross a concrete bridge, once across turn right now walking along a really nice path which is stone wall on the left and shrubs on the right.
Stay on this cobbled path, passing a house on the right. Ignore a path going steeply up into trees on the left and continue along to join a kalderimi about 3/4 of a kilometre from the bridge.
This beautiful and wide kalderimi winds steeply up - passes a several nice houses on the left and then winds very steeply up with several hairpins to arrive at a track - there is a small white church on the right.

Go straight across the track and regain the kalderimi which continues to climb, now often with a small wall on the right - to reach the edge of Asomatos by a junction - there is a brown church perched up on a terrace on the right. Continue down the wide cobbled road with the church on your left - ignore a road on the right and carry on down to reach a t-junction where there is a local cafe and a very small shop. Turn right at this t-junction - go past the church (which is on the left) and carry straight on - ignore a road on the left - to regain the kalderimi which starts between houses. On reaching the main road cross over and continue on down the kalderimi - there is a spring on the left and often walls to the sides. The kalderimi keeps slowly dropping - passes another spring and also goes through olive groves and fields - to finally arrive on the main road again.

Turn left and follow the main road as it winds round and passes an old olive oil factory which seemed to be full of gas cylinders. Just after passing the factory there is a large building with brown doors on the left - look for and take a path directly opposite this building. Follow this initially sunken and quite narrow path up hill, there are quite a few side paths in this area which should be ignored. About 200 metres from the road look out for a water pipe which comes out of the hill literally in front of you - the path swings round to the right by a gate ( do not take a path which goes on uphill on the left). The path slowly descends to soon reach two small churches and then continues along the side of the valley - this path undulates and is sometimes very stony with even a little bit of rock climbing required especially as you get nearer to Ag. Anargyri. The path ends up by a small bridge, cross this bridge and continue on to reach your original outgoing path. (If you have had enough walking you can simply turn left and follow the path back to the car park.)

Loop 2. Turn right and re-walk the kalderimi as far as the dirt road by the church. Turn left and follow this dirt track for around 2kms as it wanders along sometimes through woods and with the valley below to the left ignoring any side tracks to reach a small church on the left. There is a small seat by the church which makes a good place for a stop and maybe lunch. Continue along the track as it undulates along the valley side for about another 1.5kms where a track goes steeply off to the left on a hairpin, ignore that track but continue round the hairpin and climb steeply up to soon reach another track on the next hairpin coming in from the right. Ignore this track too, just carry on round the hairpin to the left and continue on up. The track continues going up to reach a slow right bend at which point it then starts to descend and then continues to undulate along the hill side and eventually meets a concrete junction.

Turn left here, cross the stream bed and then go left again at the next junction, now the track winds round with a huge set of limestone rock face above you. Keep along the track quite soon passing a small scruffy looking church up on the hillside on the right. The track now commences to bend round the top of the valley in a big U shape - you can see all the way back down the valley and also some pretty good looking and colourful rock formations ahead.
When a really wide track comes in and joins from the right and two tracks go off to the left, take the first left hand track which drops down for a while then climbs up through pine trees. Stay on the main track with views of the valley to the left and continue until a track comes up and in from the right - you can see the Gulf of Gera in the distance slightly to the right.

Go left and commence heading downwards, ignore the track on the left but soon take a cobbled path on the left which has staggered stone walls on one side and olive trees on the other. This is a nice path which gradually drops down to cross a stream bed - after which the stone walls are on the right and great looking terraces holding in the olive trees on the hill side. Eventually the path meets a track which has a fast stream on the left - stay on this track to get back to the concrete bridge at Ag. Anargyri.

Agiassos - Mt. Olympos - Agiassos We did this 14km walk mainly because we wanted as usual to get to a "highest point" - the walk is mostly on track on the way up and comes back mostly via a great kalderimi. The top is very populated with the aerials and buildings etc. but you are rewarded with great views of the island, a small church to look at plus several bench seats to collapse on for your picnic. There are no problems at all with vertigo on this walk unless you try very hard to find such.

Start in Agiassos in the car park (which is also the bus stop and taxi area) - walk slightly up and through the end of the car park into the village passing several tavernas, turn right just past the library (which is only a few metres from the end of the car park). Pass to the right of Zoodochou Pigis church and bell tower, then turn left along a small road between houses to arrive at a junction by garages, turn sharp right and then right again up the signed cobbled path - this very quickly becomes a dirt track. Pass a small concrete/breeze block building on the left and continue on the dirt track as it swings left and steeply up - stay on the track as it winds mostly up but sometimes down passing through really lovely woodland.
Eventually the track climbs quite steeply to reach a dirt road [N39°03'55" E026°22'51"], turn right and continue steadily up - now with good views of Mount Olympos away to the right. At a track junction (around 1km along) keep left then descend very steeply to reach another wide t-junction. Turn right at this signposted junction and go even further down to reach another track junction - go left (i.e. stay on the main track). The track now starts to climb and winds it's way round the hill - on a bend pass a concrete water tank and trough - just keep going up as the track goes away from the mountain but then bends sharply to head directly back towards it. Ignore a track coming in from the left - after levelling out the track then descends to meet a dirt road and then shortly afterwards another road joins - but just keep going on your track to arrive by a large building on the left. The track then winds steeply up to the summit.

Return back down to pass the large building - go left up the track and after a short distance look for a footpath on the left [N39°04'08" E026°21'11"] - this is by some rocks and is marked. Just continue on down this really nice stony path to eventually come out on the track by the previously passed concrete water tank and trough.
Turn left and walk back down the track for about a kilometre, when the track levels out look out for red markings on a pine tree and a path leaving downwards on the left [N39°04'11" E026°22'05"]. This stony path starts off between trees and bushes, ignore any side paths and just stay on this main path to reach a dirt track. Go right and after a few metres climb down on the left (this area has been heavily bulldozed) via a gate and fence to reach the kalderimi. Generally this kalderimi is in really good condition - simply stay on this all the way back to a track where you turn left and retrace your steps back into Agiassos.

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