Hania -Profitis Elias chapel-Plakotoura waterfall (circular)

 

Distance: 7,3 km.

Time: walking time 3.10', total time 4 h. with stops

Altitude: from 1200 m. (max) to 754 m. (min)

Total altitude gain/loss: 437 m.

Signing: small yellow signs and red paint

Drinking water on walk: no

Start/end: 1st parking lot of Hania ski center

Download GPS file: from Wikiloc

Powered by Wikiloc

        This walk uses two new path sections, which give the opportunity to create a circular walk. One path connects the Plakotoura waterfall with the main road, at the level of Prophitis Elias chapel. The other one was used by those going from Zagora or Makrirrachi to Agios Lavrentios, making the route shorter, as they didn`t have to pass unnecessarily through the center of Hania.

        Starting from the lower left side of the first parking lot of the Hania ski Center, we walk on a downhill path with red markings, which at the beginning has twenty meters of cobblestone (kalderimi). On our left (attention!) another path marked with red markings on  a white background branches off. It  belongs to a mountain running race (UTP-we don`t take that). 

            Our path descends, crosses two small streams and comes a bit awkwardly to cross the main asphalt road. Climbing on the other bank, we soon come across the Zagora-Chania cobblestone kalderimi, at a point where there is a vandalized metal signpost. The cobblestone is in good condition and descends smoothly through the beech forest. 

On the old kalderimi to Zagora

        We cross the asphalt 9 times consecutively, always to the left, finding the continuity of the kalderimi, and on the tenth time we arrive at the chapel of Profitis Elias, which is a suitable place to have a stop. 

Arriving at Profitis Elias

        We continue our walk by returning to the main road and follow it downhill (to the left). Further down, at a sharp turn of the road, we leave it and go straight ahead on a dirt road, following the signs. At the first V-junction we take the left branch and at the second, where there is a signpost, the right one. Soon the road ends and continues as a downhill path, which brings us to the waterfall of Plakotoura. A place of intense natural beauty, with running water all year round from its two streams, which converge here. One forms a small pond, while the other falls from a high rock, creating a slim waterfall that you can't get enough of looking at. The magic of Pelion touches all the senses and the feeling is hard to describe with words.

The waterfall at Plakotoura in early September

         Leaving Plakotoura, we follow uphill the path of the Waterfalls and reach the Hunters' refuge hut at the location called Nisaki. 

Hunters hut at Nisaki

        Continuing to climb steeply on the path of the Waterfalls through a beautiful beech forest, we finally come out on the asphalt and in a few meters further down, we return to the 1st parking lot, from where our walk began.