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| Koukourava and Makrinitsa next to Mega rema stream |
Distance: 4,1 km.
Duration: 1.40' (walking time 1.25')
Altitude: from 105 m. (Aidonofolies) to 630 m. (Makrinitsa square)
Τotal ascent: 549 m. Total descent; 1 m.
Signinig: red paint marks, some metal signs
Drinking water on walk: Makrinitsa
This
is a beautiful walk, very close to the city of Volos. Starting
off from Zafrakopoulos bridge at Aidonofolies in the outskirts of Volos,
we follow the course of Mega Rema stream upwards. At Koukourava, the lower part
of Makrinitsa, we meet the main kalderimi and follow it to the
central square. After exploring Makrinitsa, we can, if we wish,
return to the start of the walk via a different, parallel and equally
beautiful route that passes through the village of Stagiates (pronounced Stayiates) on the
eastern side of Mega Rema (see the routes Makrinitsa-Stagiates and
Aidonofolies-Stagiates). We can go to Aidonofolies taking the city bus nr.4 (get off at the end of the line) or by taxi
Going
up Iolkou Street,
we cross the Volos ring road and, when we reach the small parking area at Aidonofolies,the
main road goes to the right and continues towards Portaria and Hania. At this point, the Zafrakopoulos bridge over Mega
Rema stream is on the left and the road over it leads towards Agios Onoufrios –
Koukourava – Makrinitsa. This is an old stone arched bridge, but
sadly it has been widened using cement so that cars could pass over it.
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| Zafrakopoulos bridge at Aidonofolies |
Referring
to this bridge, Nikos Haratsis writes in his book “Stone Arched
Bridges in Pelion” (in Greek): “I am convinced that, if this old bridge had
been in the hands of another people, it would have had a different
fate. It would have been appropriately lit, the area around it would
have been designed
with great care and study, and visitors would have been shown
this monument with pride. We are
deserving
of our mentality
as a people, when we allow our historical monuments to be spoilt.”
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| Ζafrakopoulos` bridge in the old days (1930`s) |
We
go over the bridge and walk uphill on the asphalt road on the left bank of the river. A
little higher up we reach the restaurant Nea Remvi (Νέα Ρέμβη) and keep walking onto the narrower asphalt road just next to the river
bed. In a short while, we cross to the right bank over a concrete
bridge built on stone bases.
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| Passing to the right bank of the river |
In a few metres, we cross a smaller
stream on a small stone arched bridge. Immediately after this bridge, a path/kalderimi goes off to the right towards Stagiates village.
We continue on the earth road and pass next to the
large stone arched bridge of Kourdistas, which served people
going to Agios Onoufrios village that is nearby.
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| The bridge of Kourdistas |
After the bridge, we leave the earth road down to the left and crossthe river bed
next to an old stone hut, that used to be a watermill. On the left bank we continue on an uphill path, passing near to the small chapel of Agios Nicolaos, which is built on
the edge of a steep rock. This area is
a
known
place
for
climbing.
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| Agios Nikolaos chapel |
Leaving
the chapel, we continue gently uphill on a path
with signs of the old kalderimi in places. With the impressive gorge
of Mega Rema on our right, seeing the houses of Makrinitsa in front of us, we continue until we reach the asphalt
road, on which we walk for a couple of hundred metres.
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| Looking down the Mega rema gorge to Volos |
As soon as we cross the small stream of Patosia, if we look to the
left we may notice steps dug in the rock, going up steeply. These lead to
the kalderimi descending from Makrinitsa, which was cut off abruptly
when the road was built. Because climbing up the rock is dangerous (proper steps with a handrail should be constructed
here), it is preferable to continue a short distance on the road and
to take the kalderimi on the left next to a spring water drinking
fountain (without water), marked by red marks. Higher up this kalderimi passes
by another fountain (again without water) and later joins the
branch that has been cut off.
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| Makrinitsa |
Climbing
up between the houses of Koukourava district, we pass by another dry fountain
with a plane tree and after the Nanos mansion we cross the asphalt
road and continue on the kalderimi. A little higher up this comes out
on the road again. Here the kalderimi should continue next to the
house on the bank above the road, but it is cut off and impassable
(unfortunately, the officials turn a blind eye to this), so we have to
walk up the road for a hundred metres. At the sign to ''Αρχοντικό
Σταφυλοπάτη'' (Stafilopatis Mansion) we go left on a narrow concrete road
and then straight up to find the kalderimi again.
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| Makrinitsa |
From here onwards there are no further problems. The wide, well-made
kalderimi, which used to be the main route connecting the village of Makrinitsa
to the port of Volos, ascends continuously, passes next to the
churches of Agios Georgios and Agios Athanasios and finally ends at
the square in Makrinitsa in front of the church.
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| Folk dancing event at the square of Makrinitsa |
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