Monday, July 9, 2018

Milopotamos-Limnionas-Labinou

Limnionas beach
Distance: 3,15 km
Time: 1 hour
Altitude: from 0 m. to 82 m. (maximum)
Total elevation gain/loss: 154 m.
Signed with red paint marks and some metal signs
Drinking water on walk: yes (Agia Varvara chapel)
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          This is an easy, one-hour walk connecting three fine beaches in East Pelion. Most of the walk takes place on earth road, but there are also sections of kalderimi and earth path. From Labinou beach one can continue on kalderimi and path to the village of Labinou and Milies. There also exists a path from Labinou to Kalamaki beach, but it is not researched yet.
           From the end of the car parking at Milopotamos, just under the taverna, we find a kalderimi leading down to the streambed, which we cross over a wooden bridge. There are also concrete steps leading down to the chapel of Panagia (or Zoodochos Pigi) next to the streambed.
Milopotamos
         On the other bank we climb on a path, which opens to an earth road leading to the left to Faros hotel. We walk on the road uphill to the right. In a short distance we notice above us on the right the small chapel of Agios Nikolaos, from where an uphill path-kalderimi goes to Xourichti, marked also with red dots and a small sign.
Agios Nikolaos chapel
        We don`t follow that and keep walking on the earth road. Further on we come to a V-junction, where the road on the right goes uphill to Xourichti. We take the road on the left. After 400 meters we reach the chapel of Agia Varvara. On the east side of the church lies a drinking water fountain.
Agia Varvara chapel and drinking water fountain
            Just after Agia Varvara we come to another V-junction  and take again the left branch, which is paved with concrete for fifty meters. This eventually leads down to the beach of Limnionas, the opening of Varsami stream to the Aegean sea. A small cafe-restaurant operates here in the summer season.
Limnionas beach
         Leaving the beach, we walk for a few meters on the streambed, and then find a kalderimi climbing on the left bank. Higher up this becomes an earth road, on which we walk. Reaching a cottage on the left (attention) we leave the road and walk on a path passing on the side of the cottage. Walking on even ground through olive groves, we pass next to another cottage and then the path becomes earth road, which eventually leads to the parking lot of Labinou beach. A taverna operates here during the summer season as well.

Labinou beach
    
    In a short distance above the parking lies the old monastery of Panagia Lambidona (built in 1796), which in recent years after renovation operates again as a nunnery and is worthy of a visit.
Labidona monastery