Μilina-Chondri Ammos-Valtoudi

Chondri Ammos

Distance: 12,6 km
Time: 3.40' (walking time 3.20')
Altitude: from 0 m. (Milina) to 245 m. (max) to 0 m. (Valtoudi)
Total elevation gain /loss: 410 m.
Signed with: round yellow signs and red paint marks
Drinking water on walk: no
Download GPS track (gpx):   from Wikiloc  

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        This walk goes from the sea of Pagasitic gulf to the Aegean and back. It is almost circular, as start and finish are 2,8 km away on the coastal main asphalt road. It is best to walk in May-June or September-October, when the sea is warm enough (a swim at Chondri Ammos is a must do), but the sun is not too hot, as a large part of the walk lacks shade. At Valtoudi there are two tavernas for food and drink.

UPDATE May 2024: After the flooding of Sept.2023 at the Koumani stream the terrain has changed dramatically, the stream width has doubled. We elected a slightly different route in the first part, as seen here, because of a blocked path near Pighes. Also, the path that descends from the pen to Chondri Ammos is overgrown , but you can still pass with a bit of difficulty. It seems that even the shepherd doesnt bother to clean it any more. Despite these problems, we were able to do this walk, feeling a sense of satisfaction that fully compensated for any inconvenience.

          Starting from the church of Milina on the seaside, we walk on the asphalt road that goes to Lafkos. After 600 m. we see the kalderimi to Lafkos on our left side and follow it. Soon it crosses the asphalt and continues between stone walls (pezoules). There are some stretches of newly built stone path. Reaching the asphalt again, we walk on it and after about 300 m. we see on the left the continuity of the kalderimi. Attention, we do not take that but continue on the asphalt. Further on, the asphalt road takes a sharp left turn. At that point we leave it and continue straight ahead on an agricultural road. After a little while, we notice another chapel on the left bank of the road just above us, the Epano (Upper) Ai Giannis. Here comes a kalderimi from the cemetery of Lafkos, so the village of Lafkos could serve as an alternative start for our walk (see the walk Lafkos-Platanias westerly route).

Walking next to Koumani Rema stream

                                                               We continue on the road, which runs parallel to the Koumani stream bed, going past two junctions with an uphill road to the left. After the second junction, we are walking into the streambed, which after the floods has doubled its width. 
       At some point, the path  starts to climb on the right bank of the stream (attention, we now walk on proper path and NOT on streambed!) and eventually opens to an open flat area, called Pente Alonia (''five threshing floors''). Here we join an earth road to the right, and continue on a southwesterly direction. After about a kilometer we meet a junction and go left. In about 600 m. there is another junction. Here we go right and in a few meters we notice the path branching off to the left downhill.

Seeing the Aegean Sea

         Following  that path, a small stream starts to appear on our left side and soon we can see the Aegean sea at a distance. After a couple of zigzags, the path opens into an olive grove and disappears. Walking empirically in the same direction for a short distance, we come to a hut and enter an earth road. This joins another road in a T-junction. To the left, that leads to Mikro beach. We turn to the right (to the west) and follow the road until it comes to end at the pebbly beach of Chondri Ammos, in about 2,5 hours from the start of the walk. A few summer cottages line the beach. In antiquity, this was one of the two ports of the ancient city Olizon, mentioned in Homeric poems (the other port was at Valtoudi-Mavri Petra). Some ruins of Olizon may still be seen at the nearby hill ''Paliokastro''.

Chondri Ammos

        After a refreshing swim in the crystal clear sea, we put on our hiking shoes again and walk along the beach. On the other side an uphill earth road begins. At the next two junctions we take the road to the right, At the next three junctions we go left uphill, following the red marks. From certain points we enjoy really nice views over the sea.

Leaving Chondri Ammos

         At the top, there is an olive grove on our left side. Reaching a derelict hut, we take a downhill path to the right. Descending into the olive grove, we soon reach an earth road, which we follow downhill. Keeping an eye for the red marks on the right side, after a little while we find a path section, descending parallel to the road, below on the right. This opens to an earth road on a sharp turn-junction and we take the left branch, decending gently on a northerly direction. That road opens to the main coastal road, at the mooring site called Valtoudi, next to the two tavernas that operate there.

Valtoudi

       If we follow the asphalt for another 2,8 km. to the right (north), we will return to the starting point of our walk.