Agios Georgios-Kourventeli-Tsagarada

View to Pagasitic gulf

Distance: 15 km
Duration: 6 hours (walking time 4.40')
Altitude: from 610 m (Agios Georgios) to 1070 m (Kourventeli) to 490 m (Taksiarches square, Tsagarada)
Total ascent: 570 m.  Total descent: 660 m.
Signed with red marks and metal signs
Drinking water on walk: Katsakari spring near Tsagarada
Download GPS track:    from Everytrail     from Wikiloc

         This is the lower route between Agios Georgios and Tsagarada, passing from Kourventeli ridge above the village of Vizitsa at 1070 m. (the other route reaches maximum altitude of 1460 m. at the plateau of Mega Isoma). During its second and third part, we walk into cool and shady beech and chestnut forest, so it is also suitable for hot summer days, provided we start early. Having arrived to Tsagarada, we can walk for another two hours on kalderimi, to reach the tourist beach of Ai Giannis (Agios Ioannis) and Damouchari (see the walks Tsagarada (Taxiarchon square-Agia Paraskevi square) and Tsagarada-Damouchari-Ai Giannis (Agios Ioannis)).   

         Starting off from the fountain at Agios Georgios village square, we climb on the cobbled stone path (kalderimi). We pass by the church of  Agios Athanasios and continue climbing steadily on kalderimi, which becomes an earth path after exiting the village. We cross a concrete irrigation ditch to the right, noticing the handmade signs (in Greek) posted here by a volunteer hiker (now deceased), just as in many other spots along our route.

Handmade signs by Dimitris Kottalis. Go right for Tsagarada, if you don`t get it

         Further on, the path joins an earth road and we reach a triple junction, where on the right lies the restaurant-horse farm ''Paliovigla''. We take the downhill road to the left and pass the stream of Lagoussa. Immediately after this, we find the path on the left. It passes next to a grove and a hut and enters an earth road, which we follow. Reaching a junction we go left uphill. As the road takes a sharp left turn, we find the path straight ahead amongst dense shrub vegetation. We find some kalderimi parts on our way and, after crossing Kakoskali stream, our path opens out to an earth road and we continue uphill. At a V-junction we take the road to the right and reach a round water tank collecting the water from Klidonari spring. After the tank we continue on path, cross the Vassilikis stream and then join another earth road heading uphill into beech forest. Another road joins in from the left (that route is coming from the Eastern Refuge).

Crossing  Vassilikis stream

          Walking now on the ridge called Kourventeli, located above the village of Vizitsa, and watching constantly on our left, at some point we notice the red marks that sign the path heading to an easterly direction into the forest.

Walking into beech forest

 After a while we come out on a downhill earth road and walk by a kiosk. We soon notice a sign to the left and enter the path again. We cross Miliotiko stream walking on a stretch of well preserved kalderimi, wishing it would never end. From  certain spots we enjoy a beautiful view over Pagasitic gulf.

A stretch of kalderimi close to Miliotiko stream

       This long stretch of path ends as it comes out to a downhill earth road next to a kiosk. This road ultimately comes from the village of Xourichti. We pass by a shrine on our way and further down, as the main road turns right (attention), we continue straight ahead on a narrow road in a northerly direction. We soon notice  the signed path on the left, with stretches of kalderimi, that leads down to the bed of the large stream of Milopotamos. Very close to the bed lies Katsakari spring. Water is led through pipes down to Tsagarada.

Katsakari spring at Milopotamos stream

       We cross the stream and continue on earth road  into chestnut forest. Further down we join a wider earth road and follow it downhill. On a sharp right turn (attention) we leave it to the left and find the path going downhill, then walk aside a cottage`s fence and come out again on the road. In a few meters, reaching a ruined stone hut, we go right on a road-kalderimi  and then left at a V-junction next to a concrete water tank, noticing the red arrow.
        The narrow road we are walking on, eventually turns into a proper kalderimi, opening to the main asphalt of Tsagarada. We cross this diagonally to the right to find the kalderimi again and soon reach Taksiarches square, with its characteristic quadruple drinking water fountain.

 Taksiarches square in Tsagarada