Duration: total time 7 h, walking time 5,5 h
Altitude: from 100 m. (Kanalia) to 695 m. (max)
Total ascent/descent: 754 m.
Signing: red paint marks, a few signs
Drinking water on walk: no
This long circular route, centred around the village of Kanalia, gives us the opportunity to visit the impressive vertical cave called Drakopigado. The walk starts with an
uphill stretch to the north on the path-kalderimi towards Keramidi.
When we reach the asphalt road, we continue in an easterly direction
on a path that leads us to the Kanalia-Veneto route, which we follow downhill
to return back to Kanalia. The most suitable season for this walk
is early spring or late autumn, when the sun is not too hot, since the
walk is mainly over stony ground with holm oaks and rather little shade.
Starting
off from the square in Kanalia, initially there are two alternative routes that
we can follow. For the first, we go straight uphill on the right hand
side of the square on a road that ends at the last houses of the
village but continues as a wide path that leads us to the village’s
underground water storage tank. There we pass through an opening in
the wire mesh fence slightly to the right of the locked door and find
the path opposite the left hand (western) corner on the boundary
fence.
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| Kanalia |
The
other possible route, which we follow here, starts on the road to the
left of the square from the bus terminal. We walk in a westerly
direction (go left at a junction) through the village until we reach the Hadzidimi drinking
water fountain. People that used to
come down from Keramidi with their mules would have passed by here on their way to Volos. The
inscription on the fountain gives the date 1870.
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| Hadzidimi fountain |
We continue on the
road, which ascends for a few metres in the same westerly direction,
then immediately turn right onto a narrow track (we may have to cross a wooden fence) and continue uphill. We pass
by a pen, which we leave on our right as we join an earth road.
After a bend to the right a few metres further on, we leave this road
and find the wide path indicated by red dots, which ascends in a
northerly direction and in a short while converges with the other
path from the right leading from the water tank.
 |
| View of Kanalia and lake Karla |
Walking
steadily uphill, we pass a metallic shrine and begin to notice the
remains of the kalderimi, which steadily increase. Eventually, we come
out onto the asphalt road. Opposite, the kalderimi continues towards
Keramidi, but we don`t follow that. We take the road to the right and after 100 metres we reach a hairpin bend. At this point there is a
sign, a bench and
a few metres of stone paved path,
built in 2006 as part of a program
to mark
out the
paths of North Pelion. The sign points to ''Ano Kerasia''.
 |
| Stone paved path at the asphalt road hairpin |
We
walk over the paving
to the east and continue on a
path, which leads us to a clearing with a pen and a stone hut.
Ignoring a descending path on our right, we continue on the level on
a path passing from the upper side of the hut. Our route takes
us through several other clearings, where cows graze. We move in an easterly
direction, through vegetation that mostly consists of mature holm
oaks, though with some impressive large oak trees. Looking down, we
have a view of Kanalia and Lake Karla, while ahead in the distance
the peaks of Pourianos Stavros (1624 m) and Pliasidi (1547 m) can be
seen.
 |
| Pourianos Stavros peak far at the distance |
After
about 6 km from the start of the walk, we come to the junction to Drakopigado, marked with red paint on a rock.
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| At the jubction to Drakopigado |
Here we take the downhill path to the right and in ten minutes we reach the large vertical cave, its bottom accessible only by rope (attention, danger of falling!). Its maximum visible depth is 59 meters and opening width 17 m. Stalactites adorn its walls.
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| Drakopigado cave |
The name Drakopigado means ''Dragon`s Well''. According to the local tradition, it was formed by the Dragon`s foot, as he took a long leap to the opposite ridge.
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| Stalactites on the cave`s walls |
Returning back to the jubction, we continue walking eastwards. After a little while,
we begin to ascend steadily over stony ground, following the red
marks, until we reach an abandoned goat pen at an elevation of 695
metres. This is the highest point of our route. We continue eastwards
gently downhill, cross a small stream and reach a large water pond (called Souvala Manoli)
next to an earth road.
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| Water pond (Souvala Manoli) |
Here we meet the Kanalia-Veneto route. If we walk on the road
towards the left (east) we can continue to Veneto or to Ano Kerasia.
We choose to turn right (west) and continue downhill. Further on we
can make out thirty metres of kalderimi in the road. As we descend, we have an impressive view of Lake
Karla ahead of us.
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| Descending towards Kanalia |
In a short while, we follow the marks to the path off to the right of
the road. Further down, we come out onto a deserted
road, which descends coming to an end at a clearing
(an old field), and we continue on the marked path
with sections of kalderimi. On our right is a large stream. We pass by an abandoned
pen and further down come to a large clearing. Now we walk on an earth road, which we
follow towards the west. On our right we see a pond
and then Aghios Nikolaos chapel, which belongs to the Flamouri
monastery.
The
earth road finally comes out onto the Kato Kerasia-Kanalia asphalt
road next to an old lime make. We follow this road to the right in
order to return to the square in Kanalia, which is about eight
hundred metres from this point.
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| Large oak tree on the route |
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