Enjoyable Beach Walks on Alonissos Greece.

Alonissos walks from Steni Vala and and Patitiri & walks visiting Gheladhia, Meghalo Chorafi, Medghali Amos, Tourkovighla and Aghi Anarghiri.

Alonissos Walks - Steni Vala to Patitiri Quite honestly we did not find Steni Vala itself that exceptional, in fact it just was a frontage along the very small harbour with just a few fishing boats and some yachts moored. There are several tavernas and a supermarket which are basically there to service the yacht flotillas and the day trippers coming for the bus ride from Patitiri. However as a start point for a very enjoyable walk back to Patitiri then Steni Vala's existence is certainly justified.

The walk starts from the harbour - facing the boats go right to the end of the quay and then continue on round passing the beach on a paved path, the walk is marked here as Walk 10. The path climbs easily out of the harbour and then along the coast - there are good views of Steni Vala from here. The path converts to more of a dirt path just before it reaches the very picturesque beach at Aghios Petros. Continue along across the beach and near the far end take a soon narrow path, lookout for and take an even morenarrow path on the right a little way along which heads up quite steeply inland to reach a dirt track. Turn right and when you reach a T-junction turn left - follow this for a few metres.

Look out for a yellow 10 path marker on the right - take this path which it climbs and winds quite steeply up into the hills - this is a well marked path. The path eventually levels out somewhat on a more open area and then reaches another dirt track - turn right and on reaching the main dirt road turn left. Continue on this main track as it goes through a small village - the area is called Isomata. After about half a kilometre and on a left bend [N39°10'47" E023°54'28"] look out for a blue sign marked Lefto Ghialos on the right - take the path down and soon bear left on rough ground - there is a yellow number 9 marker here. The path goes through olive groves and then winds very very steeply down - quite slippery in places - to emerge on a concrete track near a large house. Continue on down to the main road and turn left to walk on down to the lovely beach at Lefto Ghialos.

This is a really nice (but hot) pebbly beach and has two tavernas - the taverna on the beach front is quite spacious and is packed with tubs of flowers etc. - really picturesque. This beach is on the water taxi route and also is a stopping off place for various boat trips. To continue the walk, go back up the road but this time simply stay on it as it winds and climbs up to eventually reach the main tarmac road - you get good views of the coast on the way as well as views of the beaches of Tzortzi Ghialos and Kokinokastro quite a long way below.
On reaching the main road turn right and follow it uphill for just under a kilometre - just after some olive trees take a track on the left which then switches back parallel to the main road.

Continue on this very nice track for several kilometres - passing four tracks going off to the right - the track brings you to and through the area called Raches. When the track turns very sharply left you can cut the corner by going down through the woods and through the goat farm to rejoin the track at the bottom, turn right and then continue along the track which soon becomes tarmac. Carry on along the road, ignoring a road to the Academy of Homeopathy on the left, and keep going to finally reach the main road near Votsi. Turn right and follow the main road back into Patitiri.

Patitiri - several churches - Ghialia and Votsi beaches - Patitiri  With your back to the sea there are two main roads which go inland from Patitiri harbour - the road on the right is where the taxis and buses congregate and the one on the left (near the town beach) goes up passing the tavernas and shops - take the road on the left. The road climbs a little and passes a garage on the right and just after this look out for the start of the moni-path on the left - this is very clearly marked with a notice board and map - the path is marked 4. Follow the path as it starts climbing - stay on the main path ignoring side paths until you reach a concrete road and house directly in front of you, turn right in front of the house to continue along the moni-path - do not take any side paths and eventually you arrive on at dirt road. Cross the dirt road and continue straight ahead on the moni path until you come to the main road.

Turn right and lookout for a small concrete road on the right - just before a fence take a path again on the right which takes you to the small church of Taxiarchis - the church is quite buried in foliage - there are good views of Chora from here too. Return back to the main road and turn right - continue along now with the aerial farm visible quite high up above you and the church of Aghios Fanourios on a small hillock also in front of you. At the road junction take a small path opposite which goes over scrub up to the gates of the church.

Note we found the gates locked when we visited - if this is still the case it might be worth walking clockwise round the outside wall to see if access can be gained round the far side... Back down to the road junction, turn right and follow this initially tarmac road - marked to OTE - and then after around 300 metres the road forks, go on the right hand (now dirt) road and follow this as it winds on up to the aerial farm. There are good views from up here (altitude 245 metres) of quite a lot of Alonissos as well as it's neighbouring islands as well as a nice large shady tree to cool down under.
The aerial farm is at GPS reading N39°09'45" E023°51'30". Return back down the track - when it starts to bend to the right take a small track on the left - this brings you firstly to the small church of Aghia Sotira which is hidden in amongst trees on the right and then to the springs at Vrisi Panaghias and then finally to the church of Panaghia sto Vouno - the area around the spring and this church is particularly nice. Return back to the main road junction (where the OTE sign is marked) - now take the dirt road on the right marked to Ghialia (or Yialia), just as the dirt road starts divert to take a small track on your left which goes up to the small church of Profitis Ilias. Return back to the main dirt road and continue along it as it winds down hill. On a sharp bend take a small track on the right - it does not go to anywhere particularly but is a really pleasant track to walk along - has a nice spring and the foliage is excellent. Walk this as far as you fancy and then return back to the main dirt road, turn right and continue on down towards the sea. Further down the dirt road splits, keep right and eventually reach the beach with it's restored windmill. This beach is nothing to get excited about really and when the tide/wind is in the "wrong" direction can be rather scruffy with debris etc. - we found this to be the case and only stayed a few minutes but a couple of walkers we met said when they visited earlier in the week the sea was lovely and clean/clear so it's perhaps pot-luck.

Return all the way back up to the main road (the OTE junction) ((but remember that spring mentioned earlier if you want a quick splash on the possibly very hot way back up)). At the road junction take the dirt road virtually opposite then further along take the second track on the left - this is another really lovely track which is bordered with flowers, blackberry bushes, shrubs and perhaps surprisingly lush ferns. When the track splits by a water cistern stay left and ignore any further side tracks until you reach a tarmac road. Turn right and then right again at the next small track - this will take you to the Megha Nero spring - watch out for the wasps - follow the path left passing the spring to rejoin the tarmac road.

Go right and follow this to shortly reach the main road - go right here and then on the bend take the road into Votsi with it's small harbour, beach and several tavernas. Leave by taking the steps up through the tavernas to the tarmac road - go left and then shortly left again along a dirt road - as you reach a house on the left (maybe still being built/refurbished) go left to follow a path round the headland to reach some steps which take you into Rousoum Ghialos.

We liked this Alonissos beach - there are a few tavernas - however this beach seemed to be a great favorite with local islanders and gets quite busy in late afternoon - in fact very busy. To return to Patitiri take the steps at the far end of the beach which go up past apartments and through houses to reach the road then turn left to soon reach a main road junction. A nice way to get to Patitiri harbour is to turn left and follow this road down to where it ends then walk down the steps on the right. There are so many pots filled with flowers etc. here it's quite amazing - the walkway is covered with them - this way brings you down to the road just outside the harbour which you soon reach by turning left.

Patitiri - Megha Nero - Aghi Anarghiri - Meghali Amos - Patitiri. With your back to the sea there are two main roads which go inland from Patitiri harbour - take the road on the right where the taxis and buses congregate - follow this uphill out of the town - stay left at the first main road junction and then go right at the next road junction. Shortly along this road splits - (the left fork goes to Chora) - take the right fork which is the main road heading to Steni Vala and the top of the island. Continue along the main road - passing a petrol station and then the Votsi turn - until you come to a tarmac road on the left. Follow this tarmac road - after a short distance take a track going off to the left which will bring you to the Megha Nero Springs. Watch out here because there are lots of flying bugs around including many wasps - we passed it quite quickly for that reason without even trying to get a photo. From the springs the path bears right and rejoins the now gravelly tarmac road. Turn left and ignore the next small track on the left and then at a main track junction turn left (there is a small farm on the corner) on the track which goes to Tsoukalia. However about a third of a kilometre along the track splits - take the right hand fork and follow this down through pine forests - this is in fact Path 5 but there are not many markers. Stay on this main track - ignore a small cross track - then look out for a small track on the left which on the map shows as going to Aghios Andreas. There is not actually very much of this church left - in fact it is simply a pile of stones - but if you walk on through the trees a little way you do get good views of the coastline.

Return back to the main track and turn left and continue along until the track ends at a house (but a few 100 metres before this have a look at a very old ruined dry spring buried in the undergrowth on the right). Pass the house and the track now becomes a narrow path which follows the cliff edge - when the path splits take the left fork to walk down to the two churches of Aghi Anarghiri. Continue on the path as it goes in front of both churches and then back into woodlands - the path goes down to arrive by a house just above the beach at Tourkeneri. Go past the front of the house on the track - passing the small beach - and continue on up into the woods to eventually reach a T-junction. Turn right and just by a concrete spring on the left lookout for a red marker which marks a narrow path heading on up into the woods.

Follow this path until it reaches a main dirt road then turn left and continue along to the next junction, go left again and follow this for .7 of a kilometre; to arrive at a small track on a sharp bend which goes off to the left.
Take this really nice track as it winds down through the valley to eventually end just in front of a gate - just before the gate a footpath leads off on the right - crosses scrubland and some trees - passes a small beach on the left and then drops down by a wall. Keep straight on here going along the coast to arrive at Meghali Amos beach - a great beach with beautiful clear water but sometimes really busy - one time there were at least 2 other people on it. Return to the track by the gate, turn left and after a few metres turn right up a footpath which winds through olive groves and then along the low cliffs to reach a dirt track (by a brocken fence).

Turn right along the track and continue on this eventually passing the spring and then a little further on look out for a more open area in the pine trees and a footpath sign on the right pointing to Aghi Anarghiri. Take this path which goes through pine trees and then olive groves - look out for a very small path on the left which takes you down to the house and track near the old ruined spring. Turn left and follow the original route back to Patitiri.

Our Alonissos Holiday Guides has more Topics about this Greek Holiday Island.