The Greek Island of Lesvos is really good for walking and
it is easy to take too many photos whilst hiking around this extremely scenic Greek Island.
These walks were done in mid May 2005
and around around 12km. Due to a cool north wind and cloudy sky the
walks were a lot easier than if done under 35 degrees of blue sky say in
June/July - for instance the Mount Olympos walk nominated as Moderate
would rate as Strenuous because of the climb//temperature//heat if walked
in Summer. We think our hiking instructions are quite accurate but if there are any
mistakes please let us know. Also note the eternal love affair Greek Islanders
seem to have with their bulldozers - paths and tracks are
vulnerable to these dreaded bulldozers so things can change - paths wiped
out, new track junctions created and so on.
There are several walks described below but we also have lots more walks and
photos for Lesvos which you can locate via links at the bottom of this page.
Anemotia Circular We have rated this 13 km circular walk as fairly strenuous particularly in hotter weather since it involves a long climb to start with and then an equally tiring very steep descent plus a little steep ascent at the end just for luck. Also note there are no tavernas to visit on this walk so you will need to be self-sufficient in drink and snacks. Park on the track which goes to Skala Kallonis by the olive oil factory just on the outskirts of Anemotia - there is a parking area but we found it full of pick-up trucks so we went just through the factory and found plenty of room under some trees for parking on the other side.
Walk back through the factory towards the town and turn left by the church and bell tower, continue up the initially cobbled street which soon bears sharply right then left as it heads towards the cemetery which is hidden in trees. Continue past the cemetery (on your left) and stay on the track - ignore a track on the right but just keep going ever upwards into the hills - with really good views of the valley below. Eventually the track levels out and then drops slightly through pine trees to a more open area with a farm on the right and a track going off to the right. (You can go up to the church of Ag. Kosmas from here on a path which apparently leaves from behind the farm.). Continue on the main track as it descends through the pines to reach a very major track junction after about half a kilometre. Turn left for just a few metres and then left again - this track now starts to descend - going through really great foliage, trees etc. and if walking in early May you can see something really unusual and rare in the wild - yellow rhododendrons (luteum)
The track goes down quite easily to start with - still through pine and other trees and with the deep valley on the left - after about 2 KMs keep left at a junction and then from here the track is very steep as it zig zags down towards the bottom of the valley to reach another track junction after about 800m. Stay left and continue still down passing through chestnut and olive trees - ignore a small track coming in from the left - to reach a track junction with a stream below on the left. Turn left here to cross the stream and then right to go steeply up hill with the stream now on your right. The track bends around a bit on it's way up and finally reaches a t-junction about 1.5kms from crossing the stream. Go left at the t-junction and continue up to reach the crest of the hill from where you can now see the old monastery half left and below, continue ahead to walk down to it.
From the monastery go back up to the crest of the hill and now turn left on a grassy track - this appears to end by a wooden gate (in fact a wood pallet which makes a change from an old bedstead...), go through the gate and continue on a rocky path. This goes through olive groves - go right to cross a stream and then continue on a sometimes walled and often very rocky path as it climbs and winds it's way up and out of the valley to eventually reach a track. Turn left and follow this track to where it reaches another main track (the Skala Kallonis road), go left and follow this back to the olive oil factory in Anemotia.
Kalloni 3 Monastery circular This circular walk is mainly on
path/kalderimi/moni-pati with some track and is around 11 KMs. We found a
place to park our car on the Petra side of Kalloni in a side street
without difficulty.
Walk along the road towards Petra for
around 2kms - ignore a track about halfway up the road marked to Monastery
Mirsiniotis - just as the main road bends very sharply right there is a
shrine on the left and a crash barrier in front of you, go ahead between
the crash barrier onto a narrow path (you will then see the entrance to a
military base on your right). Almost immediately turn left up a marked
(blue dot) rocky path and follow this into pine woods - after a few
minutes of climbing the countryside opens out and the monastery appears
ahead - simply follow the path down to reach the rear of the monastery and
continue on to reach the front gate and parking area.
Go down through the parking area to a track junction,
turn right and follow the track, passing a small chapel up on the right, to
soon reach a small goat farm. Do not pass the goat buildings but turn left
on a faint path which winds down to and crosses a stream bed - continue on
the path opposite which goes slightly up through woods to reach a path
junction. 
Turn right and now follow this moni-path on up through woods and
rocky areas - the area becomes more open but still very rocky - there are
good views of the countryside and also you can see a large church-like
building down on the right. A road comes into view ahead but the moni-path
has been sadly destroyed near the road and you have to make your way up open
ground to reach the road by climbing across the crash barriers. Turn right
and walk along to a church, cross the road and walk down to the large
monastery of Limonas. The area seems quite commercialised with lots of
coaches, cars and a cafe - also there are lots of mini-byzantine type
chapels all over the place. You can go into the monastery grounds and visit
the cloisters and museum.
Continue on a road which passes under a concrete bridge and with the main monastery on the right and a fence on the left - when the fence ends by a gate go left through this gate and take the track which goes via olive groves heading towards a clearly visible red-roofed and large goat station up on a hill ahead. When the olive trees end go through a gate and continue up a cobbled trail - ignore the rough track which leads to the goat station now on your right, look for a marked trail on the left and follow this cobbled kalderimi which is level for a while but then descends through very heavy rocks - the kalderimi is made from huge flat rocks and is quite easy to walk on. However the path eventually starts to drop down quite steeply and becomes fairly narrow and is more cobbly underfoot with the quite unusually shaped rocks either side. The path winds down to reach the gates of the second monastery - Moni Metochi - there are some seats just inside the entrance and you can also walk on into the courtyard. From the monastery entrance go through some green gates opposite - this is now a narrow rocky path - pass a church up on the left after several minutes - stay on the sometimes really narrow path to eventually pass a farm and arrive at a track. Turn left on this track soon passing a pumping station on the left, ignore a track coming in from the right but at the next junction turn right. Cross a concrete bridge and then at a t-junction turn left to walk back into Kalloni.
Ag. Paraskevi - Kremasti Bridge - Ag. Paraskevi We really enjoyed this 12 km walk which
apart from nice track and path walking had the added bonus that not only
did we have our own collie dog with us (well the dog adopted us for this
walk and walked all 8 miles with us)
but we also spent an hour at the
Taxiarchis monastery where the resident monk showed us round the inside of
the monastery and also round his extensive herb and fruit gardens. Note
there are no tavernas etc. available on this walk so take drinks etc..
Also you do have to cross two rivers - if there has been heavy rain then
possibly be prepared to get your little toes wet.
This circular walk starts at Ag.
Paraskevi - from about halfway along the Kalloni saltpans road take the
small road which goes across to Ag. Paraskevi. Just as you enter the small
town note a yellow church on the right - park as near to this as possible.
For guidance just as the road bends sharp right heading into the town we
found it easy to park by going straight across onto a small road at the bend
and left our car in a parking area a little way up on the right.
Start the walk from the small yellow church and take the small road opposite which is signposted to "Klopedi" - this road goes between houses for several 100 metres and then climbs up to a crest where it becomes a dirt track. Continue on the track - great views all around - pass a small church on the left and then the track drops down to a t-junction with a farm seemingly in the middle. Go right and follow the track round and at the next junction go right again. Continue along the track to reach another track junction - turn left here on a concrete bridge to go over the river.
Turn left again and stay on the track, now with the river on the left, the track soon climbs up through olive groves and turns itself into a grassy track. Go through a gate and quite shortly afterwards come to a small church slightly below you on the left. From the church take a very narrow rocky path on the right which goes up to a high wire fence and a building - this is the Klopedi Temple building and presumably the entrance to the site, but the gate was locked. We found the way to continue was to follow the site's high wire fence clockwise until we spotted a track - by this time another smaller fence had joined in the fun so we climbed over this and continued to follow the site's high fence on round now walking on a track. A little way along we came to a gate in the fence which we were able to open and thus go into the site for a look round.
From the gate turn right and continue on the track which
bends to the left as it passes through a small parking area, turn right at the
next track junction and keep going to quite soon get a view and then shortly
after reach the Moni Taxiarchis. With the monastery gate behind you take a path
on the right which goes down immediately alongside the monastery wall - i.e. do
not continue on track. This stony path is walled at times and winds down into
the bottom of the valley to meet a river - follow the river for a while and then
at a wide and very stony area look for stepping stones and cross over to the
other side. Go left, initially alongside the river (which is now on your left),
the very stony path gradually leaves the stream and eventually becomes a walled
track - in May this was really great to walk along with flowers and shrubs as
well as the birds and butterflies etc..
The track starts to descend and then the Kremasti Bridge
comes into view, at the track junction turn right and just over half a kilometre
from the bridge turn right on a track - there is a farm on the left and up on a
rise to the right lots of smaller buildings - also about 2 million yapping dogs.
Fortunately OUR sheepdog sorted them all out so we were well protected from the
vicious beasties - joking since the dogs were all little yappy things. The
track now continues through farm land - bends to the right and then at a
t-junction by a stone wall turn left - this was quite a smelly, muddy and rutted
track for a while, cross a stream bed and turn left at the next junction to go
onto a nice walled moni-path. Pass farm buildings on the left and then turn
right at a t-junction - this path then takes you back to the river.
Do not cross here to a visible path
opposite instead go left
alongside the river and after about 100 metres then cross over on stepping stones -
this crossing is way-marked. Walk up the steep rough track - once up to the top
of the rise this changes into a walled path and soon reaches the main dirt road..
Turn left and follow this road - there are good views of
the countryside and Napi along here - on reaching the tarmac road turn right
and follow this back into Ag. Paraskevi. Make you way back through the small
town to your original start point - there are plenty of tavernas and cafes
available if it has become time for a drink.
Lesvos related Pages on Our Site
Main Lesbos Page
Agiassos Walks
Petra Walks
Beach Photos
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