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 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 more
narrow 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 and then look out for a yellow 10
path marker on the right.
Take this path - 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 passing some olive
trees take a track on the left [N39°10'39" E023°53'37"] which
switches back to go parallel to the way you have just come
on 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 vitrually
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 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, 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 - 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
by the front of the house on a 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 going on up into the woods
- take this path until it reaches a main dirt road.
Turn left and follow this 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
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