Batsi Circular Walks for the Greek Island of Andros.

These Andros Greece walking guides and photos are centred around the Batsi area of the Island - walked during our May 2004 Holiday on Andros.

Andros Greece - Batsi Walks described on this page
Batsi circular (1) 6km via 3 beaches and Ipsili headland - easy walking
Batsi circular (2) 11km - to Moni Zoodochou Pigis - moni paths, track and steep
Batsi circular (3) 22km - via K. Katakilos + Katakilos. Moni-path, track/road - very steep in places
Strapouries to Batsi 15km - mostly moni-path, road+track at end. Undulating

Batsi circular (1) Ipsili headland plus beaches - easy walking   From Batsi square and facing the sea go left along the front - where the road bends sharp left continue straight on past the war memorial on a concrete road - this soon becomes tarmac. Continue along the coast on this road - passing a small untidy beach (Stivari) below you - then as you top the hill you will see two more beaches below.
Continue until the road ends (it skirts the back of the Anerousa Hotel), and take the steps down to Aga Marina beach which is a narrow sandy beach - walk across the beach and then (probably accompanied by the local duck population) cross the rocks at the end and then climb up the steps to reach a track by a pink house.

Turn right to follow this track on round the headland - at the junction [N37°50'40" E024°47'27"] continue right - a little way along you can divert to climb up on a goat track to the rocks - this is well worth doing because the views of Batsi are good and also you can do a little goat spotting too. Back down continue on to the road via grassy track and path to arrive by a small church - this area is an archaeological site but there is no access..
Take the steps down to get onto the track below the road and turn left. Keeping on this track go back round the other side of the headland to arrive back at the junction mentioned previously - turn right and go back to the steps at Aga Marina beach.
Re-cross the beach, take the steps back onto the road, but at the bend on the road continue straight on - this will take you down to Delavoyas beach.
This beach has a taverna which was being built/re-opened - Delavoyas beach is also the unofficial nudist beach. Next to the taverna by a stream take steps back up to the road. Turn left and retrace you steps back into Batsi

 

Batsi circular (2) via M. Zoodochou Pigis. Total climb around 640 metres. From Batsi square and facing the sea go right along the road, cross the bridge, pass the scooter hire and Andros Travel and take the next road on the right. At the end of the road go left and then go right onto a very rough track. Follow this track round as it goes uphill - at a T-junction go right up some steps to reach the main road - cross the road to go onto a track opposite.  Stay on this track until you reach two new white houses (the track passes to the right of these houses).
Go to the left just behind these houses where you can with a bit of difficulty climb up onto a moni path - the first few metres are in poor condition but soon the moni path becomes a really lovely path. Stay on this path climbing up to eventually rejoin the main track in front of you.

Turn left and heading towards the aerials high above you come to another white house which has really lovely new dry stone walls - just past the house turn sharp left onto a grassy track and follow this until you come to a derelict building on the right. Just after this is a small open area - turn right here and the follow the sometimes faint path as it winds down to cross a small stream and then arrives at a hidden church [ N37°52'16" E024°46'45" ]. Passing the church (but have a look inside first) take steps which lead down via quite heavy undergrowth to a spring - a very soggy area. From here -on the right - climb up a couple of steps to join a faint goats path and continue on this as it meanders around but basically heads in a northerly direction to then pick up a moni-path.

Follow this moni-path (although in places it is very overgrown and sometimes it's easier to stay right of it and walk in more open ground) - always stay in the same basic direction and do not take any paths leading downwards. The moni-path arrives at a track with the Moni Zoodochou Pigis looking quite forbidding up above on the right, turn right to walk up to the main track. Turn left to pass behind the monastery and continue along to reach a track crossroads by a concrete water cistern. Take the right track to walk on up to the aerials [N37°52'38" E024°46'53"]  and here also you will find a small church; the views around are really good and it's a great place to have a picnic.

Walk back down to the junction and this time go straight across (the first right-hand track would take you back to Batsi). Just after passing under power lines take a track on the right which heads back downwards - just before the second pylon turn right alongside a wall - this is now a case of finding a way down to another track visible below - there are various goat paths to help you do this but be careful of the scree in places. On reaching the track turn left - take note of a church slightly to the right and look out for a grassy track leading to this church. Passing in front of the church - now on a goat's track - go through a wire gate and continue down to pick up a track by a small farmhouse (watch out for the friendly dogs and killer geese). Turn right and follow the track as it winds on down passing lime-workings (?) to eventually reach the main road. Turn left and follow the road down to reach the river by a bridge - turn right to walk back into Batsi beach by the town bridge

 

Batsi circular (3) A long walk round the Katakilos area. Total climb 1100 metres.   From Batsi square and facing the sea go left along the front and continue on the road until you reach the ring road. Turn left and then take the road on the right marked Katakilos - follow this as it winds steeply up - after about half a kilometre ignore a track on the right going to a house but take the next one on a slight bend which goes off almost directly in front of you - this goes up and winds round and after the 3rd hairpin - find a somewhat hard to see moni path leaving the track on the left (it's next to a house) - there is a small cairn (we put a few more stones on it so it's a bit bigger now so perhaps stick on a stone or two on it to help others) and also a hard to see red dot on a stone.

Follow the moni path to a t-junction, turn left and this will bring you to the spring. Continue ahead and at the next junction go right - this path now goes up between two walls - at the next junction go left (the stone wall now on your left). At the next junction go half left - in effect continuing on the same path (do not take an overgrown path joining sharply from the left) - the moni path was blocked by a tree trunk which we had to climb under - we think it was there just to support the quite high walls rather than trying to bar the path to walkers.

Carry on up the moni path which opens out quite a little and then becomes more of a grassy track - this eventually reaches a dirt track by a church [N37°51'39" E024°48'18"]. The views from here are really good and also you can see nearly all of the rest of your walk before you - it's like an amphitheatre. Take the track opposite - this winds you down through the valley to the river - great views and wildlife (and goats) - there is also a small and very old church which can be reached by a very steep down track on the left

Return back along the valley to the main junction and turn right going past the church and follow the dirt road down to the tarmac road - turn right and almost immediately right again on a concrete road then left down to the main road and then turn right into the village of Kato Katakilos and it's nice cool stream and square. Continue on the main road out of the village as it winds up to a road junction - go right along the road to Katakilos - as you get towards this village you can see a large church and it's bell tower above you. To cut walking the whole (hairpin) road look out for a moni path which leaves the road on the right by a bend - on regaining the road turn right to continue up to the church.  From the church continue up the track which winds round - with the cemetery on your left - and then comes to a track junction. Take the right-hand  track and follow it as it winds round the hill and stay on this right up to near the summit - a couple of rough tracks go to the left here (there is a wrecked bus parked and a couple of other wrecks) - the track ends and so just climb over rough scrub to reach the high point of Rachi which is at 618 metres [N37°51'26" E024°49'36"].
Return back to the main track and continue along it heading towards a small church. The track splits - take the right fork which passes on the left side of the church and follow this round the hill - stay always on this track ignoring the several joining tracks and later walking behind a huge rocky outcrop and eventually arriving back at the church.
Turn left and take the original track and then moni-path back down to the main road - turn left and look for a concrete path on the right - this takes you down to the bypass road. Cross this and take the steps back down into Batsi.

 

Strapouries to Batsi   This walk from Strapouries follows a marked route red 9 and generally is well marked throughout - the walk is not too difficult for climbs etc. and follows a very old wide moni-path which was originally made to give access across the island. On the road from Menites as you get into Strapouries look out for a small dirt parking area on the left - the walk has a red 9 on it and leaves on steps from here. [N37°49'59" E024°54'16"] (If you get to a tarmac road leading to the church or you get to the taverna on the left you have gone too far through the village. Also do not take route number 10 which starts from around here as well). Walk up the steps and follow the path round and between a couple of houses - then it goes up to shortly reach a path junction - take the left hand path (marked with a 9) which seems as if it is just going to return you back down to the road.

This now becomes a matter of staying on this lovely stone walled path as it tries to stay as level as possible (without too many climbs and descents) to go round the hills, going by several streams, and passes slightly above Menites. The flowers and general foliage is really good here - the lizards scatter as you walk along as does the occasional snake - the wet areas have small birds, butterflies, dragon flies and bees etc and above are buzzards and small hunting birds.

As you get near Pitrofos the moni-path comes to a track - the route continues by crossing the track going slightly to the left and picking up the path which takes you down into the springs in the village. Continue along the road and just past the museum take the steps by the side of it and this takes you back onto the moni-path. The path now continues along the side of the hill undulating past several springs and lovely foliage then goes up to reach a track junction with aerials visible a little way off to the left.
Turn right here and after a few metres look out for a not too obvious track on the left going out over more open ground, this can be quite hard to spot - there is a 9 marker but it is on a rock only visible from the other direction.
(If you reach a levada crossing the track then you have gone too far). The track leaves the open ground after a while and changes back into a walled moni path - on reaching a dirt road turn right and then after a few metres look for a sign on the rocks on the right hand side which points you up (there are tiny springs nearby - if you get to the really lush spring by the bend of the track you have gone too far). Clamber up the rock to the moni path just a few yards above you - you can clearly see the walls of the moni path as it goes on round the hills and this can seem a possible problem for vertigo sufferers but don't worry, the moni path is wide and high walled and should create no problems.

Follow the path as it takes you through the springs and waterfalls - you will see Paleopol far below you and should spot a quite large waterfall high above you - the path now hugs the side of the hills crossing springs and streams full of lovely flowers and shrubs as it heads towards Ano Aprovatou. On reaching a concrete road (this is the end of the number 9 markings) go left to walk down onto the tarmac road - here turn right and follow this road as it zig zags down to the main road near Ipsilli. Cross the road and take the steps down on the right to a track below the road and turn left. Stay on this track as it goes round the right-hand side of the hill ignoring any joining tracks until you come to a pink house on the left. Take the steps by the side of this house down to Aga Marina beach, cross the beach and then take the steps back onto the road - stay on this road to arrive back in Batsi or of course you can first divert to Delavoyas beach for a refreshing nude swim and sunbathe(see Batsi circular (1).

 

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