Argalasti-Lefokastro-Kalamos

On the way to Lefokastro

 Distance: 8,6 km

Duration: 2.45' with stops

Altitude: from 255 m. (Argalasti) to sea level

Marked with: red marks and round signs

Drinking water on walk: yes (Lefokastro)

Download GPS track:   from Wikiloc   from Everytrail

     
     This is one of the best walks in South Pilion, descending from Argalasti to the coastal settlement of Lefokastro and from there along the coast to the settlement of Kalamos. From Kalamos we can return to Argalasti (see the route Argalasti-Kalamos), completing the circular walk within a total time of around 4 hours, or if we wish and have the reserves we can continue further along the coast towards Paou and from there return to Argalasti, which will take around 5 hours including stops (see the route Kalamos-Paou monastery-Argalasti).  

      Starting from the square in Argalasti, from the corner where there is a pharmacy, we follow the narrow concrete road in a westerly direction, go past the post office and reach a junction with the restored stone building of the old girl’s school on our left (attention). Straight ahead is the kalderimi (cobbled stone path) leading to Kalamos. We turn right and follow another kalderimi that descends in a northerly direction. After a short distance, we reach a section of about thirty metres where this has been destroyed and we descend through a gully-like path to the left over stony ground.

Looking back to Argalasti

       Reaching the kalderimi again, we continue down and cross the small stream of Pnevmatikos over a bridge and then cross an earth road. After a short distance, we reach a second earth road where we turn down to the left. The kalderimi is visible in the road and after fifty metres we follow this off to the right of the road. We pass an electricity pylon and soon reach the beautiful stone arched bridge of Rodia.

Rodia stone bridge

      After crossing Rodia stream, the kalderimi ascends and finally emerges onto the asphalt road to Lefokastro at the point where an earth road forks left towards Kalamos. At the junction there is a sign and a shrine. Since the continuation of the kalderimi has been covered over at this point, we follow the asphalt road for a kilometre. However, watching out for it on our left, we again find the kalderimi, which descends between low dry stone walls. Further down we cross the asphalt road and then meet it again after a short distance. It takes about one and a half hours (with stops) to reach this point, having covered a distance of 4,8 km. If we follow the asphalt downhill for 300 metres, we will reach the seaside front at Lefokastro, where we can find food and drink at the taverna.

Beach at Lefokastro

     To continue to Kalamos, we keep walking on the kalderimi that descends past an old spring water drinking fountain, built in 1777 according to the inscription. After a few minutes we reach an excellent sandy beach. At the other end of the beach we walk up a path for a few metres and come out onto a narrow earth road. Below us passes the underground pipe bringing fresh water from the Panagiotiko dam. Unfortunately, laying of the pipe has destroyed the nice path with small sections of kalderimi that existed here previously.

    We walk along the road to the south and soon reach a junction with a road going up to the left. We continue straight ahead parallel to the sea on our right. The road eventually ends at a T junction and we turn upwards to the left for ten metres and then turn right into a grove, climbing over a low fence at the entrance. The path, which like all the route is marked by red dots, continues for a short distance in the grove, after which we pass next to a fence on our right. We continue downhill towards the sea and soon reach the small beach of Agios Sostis. 

Agios Sostis beach (picture taken late February)

    At the other end of the beach we meet an earth road and follow it in a southerly direction (to the right). After ten minutes, where the main road curves to the left, we leave it to the right on a narrow road that descends slightly and later becomes a path. This leads us to the northern end of the beach at Kalamos.

    We walk along the beach for a short distance and, where it seems to end, we turn to the left for a few metres and then right on a narrow concrete road parallel to the sea. We cross over the Rodia stream on a pedestrian bridge and after a short distance come out at the beach again. About half way along the beach we find the kalderimi that goes up to the left to Argalasti, marked by walker signs on the electricity pole.