|
Fakistra beach |
Distance: 7,9 km
Duration: 3.15' (walking time 2.30')
Altitude: from 500 m. (start) to sea level (Fakistra, Damouchari)
Signing: red marks, a few round signs
Drinking water on walk: fountain after Agios Georgios chapel, Agios Nikolaos chapel
Download GPS track:
from Everytrail from Wikiloc
On this route, we descend from Agia Paraskevi church, Tsagarada to the beach of Fakistra and then follow the coastline until
we reach Damouchari. From here, if we wish, we can return to
Tsagarada on the kalderimi (see the route Tsagarada – Damouchari
– Ai Giannis) or we can continue to the nearby coastal settlement
of Ai Giannis (Agios Ioannis). Fakistra is an isolated beach, but at Damouchari
and Ai Giannis we can find tavernas and hotels.
Update September 2017: two path sections below Agios Georgios church are blocked by vegetation, and we have to walk on the asphalt.
From the
main road through Tsagarada, at the junction towards Agia
Paraskevi, there is a café-bar. We set off from here and follow the
kalderimi that descends and brings us out onto the asphalt road at a
bend. We turn to the right here and after a short distance come out
into Agia Paraskevi square with its famous old huge plane tree next to the
church.
|
Agia Paraskevi square with the big plane tree |
The
kalderimi descends from the square and we pass
a spring water drinking fountain at its lower edge. We immediately
enter a beautiful chestnut forest and pass next to a small bridge on the right on
our way down (don`t walk over the bridge).
|
Walking in chestnut forest |
Lower
down, the kalderimi comes out on a road and we go down and then
immediately left at a junction, to reach the church of
Agios Georgios.
We continue on the asphalt road downhill for
300 metres. Looking out for red dots and a small round yellow sign on
our right, we find a kalderimi which goes straight down through thick
vegetation and leads us past a spring water drinking fountain.
We come out onto the asphalt road again and walk to the left for
twenty metres, before we find the continuation of the kalderimi on our
right. Walking down this, we cross the road twice more before the
path comes out on the road again.
|
Approaching Fakistra beach at the Aegean |
At this
point the path should continue straight downwards on the other side
of the road. However, at present it is impassable, so we have to
walk down the road with hairpin bends towards the sea. Lower down is
the church of Agios Nikolaos, after which the asphalt ends. There is a
wooden kiosk here, next to which a kalderimi descends and in five
minutes leads us to the beach at Fakistra.
|
Fakistra beach |
Returning
to the kiosk, we take the narrow earth road to the right in a
northerly direction. Within a few metres there is a kalderimi
to the right, which leads us down to the chapel-retreat of Krifo Scholio (Hidden School) in a cave
close to the waves. A visit to this evocative place, which is ideal
for quiet reflection, is thoroughly recommended.
|
Krifo Scholio |
We
continue on the road which runs parallel to the coast and soon see a
rocky spit of land, Makrolitharo, jutting out into the sea. Here
there is a path/kalderimi coming from the left that used to lead to
Agia Kyriaki in Tsagarada.
We continue on the road, which further on ends and
becomes a path. After passing by the locked chapel of Agios Antonios, the
path comes out on an earth road and we walk uphill to reach a kiosk.
|
Damouchari |
Here
we meet the main kalderimi that comes from Agia Paraskevi in
Tsanarada and we follow this downhill. Ahead we see Damouchari.
After some zig-zags the kalderimi brings us to a wooden bridge across the Chalorema.
Justifying of its name (Chalorema=destroying stream), the stream has partially destroyed the cement
path which we walk across to its other bank.
|
The bridge over Chalorema stream at Damouchari |
Here
we find ourselves on the pebbly beach of Damouchari, just beneath
the ruins of the old medieval castle. If we walk a
little further along the paved road, we reach a small harbor with the
deserted building of the old customs and two tavernas. Some scenes
from the Hollywood film ''Mamma Mia!" starring Meryl Streep were shot
here in 2006.
|
Damouchari port |
Continuing a short distance on the paving, there is a
kalderimi on the left that leads to the asphalt road. From here,
walking for another 15 minutes, we can get to the beach of Papa
Nero at Ai Giannis.
This final section is
described in the Tsagarada-Damouchari-Ai Giannis route.
No comments:
Post a Comment