Boufa (Koropi)-Panagiotiko Dam-Neochori

Just above the Panagiotiko reservoir

Distance: 9,5 km.

Time: 4,5 h    

Altitude:  from  7 m. (Boufa) to 462 m. (Neochori square)

Total climbing up:581 m. Total descent|: 128 m.

Signed with red paint and some round yellow signs

Drinking water on walk: Neochori

Start: east end of Boufa, at the point where the straight section of the asphalt road ends

End: Neochori village square

Last checked: June 2023

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      Ιn the old days, this was the road of communication between Neohori, its settlement  Zervochia and the fertile valley of Boufa. Travelers would start from Neochori walking on the northern bank of the Platanorema ravine. They would cross the stream over the stone arched bridge of Taratsa (or Malamaki) and would continue on the southern bank, until they reached their destination. Today the stone bridge is lost, buried in the bottom of the Panagiotiko Dam, so we now cross over the dam. The span of the arch of the lost  bridge was 5.80 m and the height 4.60 m, measured by Nikos Haratsis in his book ''Stone arched bridges of Pelion'' (in Greek). 

The bridge of Malamaki, now lost forever (photo: Nikos Haratsis)

      In the rest of the route, the original path is preserved for quite some distance, incorporating short sections of cobblestone. Some parts of it have become rural roads. In general, this is a very nice route, best to walk in spring or autumn. It was researched and cleaned by volunteers in the winter and spring of 2023. We can leave our car in Boufa and  return  by the bus (depending on the bus schedule, see www.ktelvolou.gr). Another option for this path, is to make a circular route Neochori-Zervochia-Niaou (Afetes)-Neochori.  If we are walking Milies-Neochori, we can use the more pleasant section from the dam to Neochori, (see the route Milies-Panagiotiko dam-Neochori ),instead of walking on the standard route that is passing by Panagia Tourkogianni church.

The artificial lake of Panagiotiko

    I will describe the route starting from Boufa. The start, marked with a red paint arrow, is at the eastern edge of Boufa, at the end of the main asphalt straight section, where the uphill turns to Afissos begin. It should be noted here that at a distance of 700 meters from this point, there is the beach "Paradisos", where in the summer there is a refreshment bar and a tavern. To walk to Neohori we first take the narrow rural road that generally runs straight northeast. In 500 meters, there is a fork where the left road is cement paved. We take the right road and in thirty meters at another fork we take the left road that goes uphill with turns. Higher up there is another intersection, where we also go left. The road ends and a path continues next to low dry stone walls. Going gently uphill, we turn right (south) for a short while and we are happy to find elements of cobblestone on our way. Following the cobblestone path, we pass through olive groves, walking generally in  a northeastern direction. 

       A little further on, the path is closed for thirty meters by fallen branches from the pruning of olive trees, and we haved to bypass the closed part from below (the owner of the olive grove has promised to remove the branches). The path continues and comes to the end of a rural road, which we follow, always in a north-easterly direction. We reach a triple junction, where the road on the right goes to Zervohia, while we continue straight ahead in the same direction. Further on, we leave the intersection to Pavlakia-Milies on our left and continue straight,  ignoring the uphill road on the right. Our road ends smoothly in an olive grove and a slightly uphill path continues  in the same direction.

    Higher up, the path is abruptly cut off by a dirt track (a rural road). We follow it uphill and in twenty meters at the intersection we go left uphill. The road soon ends and we find the path again. In front of us we see the wild northern slope of the Platanorema ravine with its large tower-like rocks and hear the water flowing below- it is advisable to stop for a few minutes to enjoy the feeling. We cross a small stream and further on the path opens to a road that serves the dam and we have to climb down the rocky slope for a few meters.

        We walk on the road uphill for a short while to  reach the dam. and we cross over to the northern slope. At the first intersection we go right on a disused road, which runs a little above the water level. Paying attention to our left as we walk, we see the red sign marking the entrance to the path. We now walk again on the restored path, which initially goes uphill and we pass above a ruined hut, finding a couple of kalderimi sections.

       Further on, we cross a stream and continue steadily uphill on a dirt road. We ignore road intersections to the right as we climb uphill. Higher up, on a wide right turn of the road, a path leaves strairht ahead, and in a few meters we join the Milies-Neochori route, which comes from Panagia Tourkogianni church. We are now walking on the Milies-Neochori route. The path higher up opens to a dirt road, which leads to the asphalt, we cross the asphalt bridge and then follow the red signs to the square of Neochori.

Milies-Boufa

Distance: 5,6 km
Time: 2 hours (walking time 1.50')
Altitude: from 380 m. (Milies square) to 0 m. (beach of Boufa)
Total elevation gain: 93 m.  Total elevation loss: 448 m.
Signed with metal signs and red paint dots

Start: Milies square  End: beach of Boufa  (Koropi)
Drinking water on walk: yes (Agii Anargiri chapel)
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         An excellent 2-hour walk, mostly on kalderimi (cobblestone path) through olive groves. The fertile valley of Boufa, where the stream of Platanorema opens out to the sea, was a major destination for the people of Milies, along with Kala Nera. The official name Koropi, introduced some 50 years ago, was given due to the οracle of Koropaius Apollo that existed in the area in ancient times.

           Starting off from the square, we initially walk down on the main kalderimi towards the train station and Kala Nera. After 50 m. there is a signed junction where we go left. A sign (in Greek) on the house at the corner informs us that this belonged to Daniel Filippides, one of the teachers of the higher school that operated in Milies during the 19th century.

Μilies, descending on the kalderimi to Agios Konstantinos

          Descending on the kalderimi in a straight line, we reach the church of Agios Konstantinos. Just below is the asphalt leading to the train station.

Agios Konstantinos church at Milies

           Leaving the church yard, we cross the asphalt and continue on the kalderimi, which is paved here with flat stones. This passes next to the last house of the village, turning gently to the right. Another kalderimi joins in from the left, coming from the bus stop on the main asphalt a few meters above.  A little further down we cross a road leading to the graveyard and continue on the kalderimi, wide and clear, passing through a virtual tunnel of vegetation. To the left is a complex of newly built mansions. On the opposite slope we can see the course of the main kalderimi to Kala Nera.

          We come to a junction (attention!) where one branch turns right, passes by the chapel of Agios Ioannis Prodromos (St. John the Baptist) and comes to an end down at the asphalt. We take the other (left) branch, which continues on a straight line. This section used to be completely blocked by vegetation in the past, but now is cleared.

            After crossing the main asphalt twice, further down we come to another signed junction. One branch continues descending straight ahead, crosses the stream and then follows its course to the sea, ultimately leading to Kala Nera. We take the other branch to the left, and soon reach the stone bridge ''Tsipokalamos''. Constructed at time unknown, it still remains in good condition and is now easily accessible for all to enjoy, after the recent cleaning of the kalderimi.

''Tsipokalamos'' arched stone bridge

           After the bridge, the kalderimi climbs on the other bank, then gets covered by soil and opens to the main asphalt. We continue climbing on the other side and come to an earth road. Here we elect not to walk on the road, but noticing the red marks on the left, we climb to an old threshing floor and continue in the same direction through an olive grove. We soon join an earth road, which in turn joins an asphalt road and we reach the chapel of Agii Anargiri. This is a good place to have a stop. At the chapel`s yard there is a drinking water fountain to quench our thirst.

View to Milies from Agii Anargiri chapel

            Continuing on the asphalt in the same southerly direction, in 50 m. just after the tree (attention!) we leave the road at an angle to the left and climb on the slope. The path is hard to notice initially (there is a sign and red marks), but later widens and becomes kalderimi again. This joins the asphalt road a little higher up, on which we walk to the right, entering the settlement called ''Stavrodromi'' (''Crossroads'').
         After walking past a derelict old olive press, we exit the settlement and the road becomes unpaved. After about 500 m. (attention!) we come to a V-junction and take the left branch downhill. The road incorporates a fair stretch of kalderimi. This area is called ''Palatia''. We reach another junction, where we don`t go straight ahead, but to the right, noticing the arrow.

View to the sea at ''Belegrinos'' (between Boufa and Kala Nera)

             At the next junction, we continue straight ahead. The narrow earth road descends in a southerly direction and we have nice views to the sea from certain spots. We go past a couple of cottages, then the road ends crossing an irrigation ditch and continues as an earth path, soon becoming a kalderimi as we walk through an olive grove.
           The kalderimi ends for good as we join an earth road, which then takes a right turn heading west downhill. Keeping on that road (the last section is paved with cement), we descend down to the main asphalt, next to the church of Agios Ioannis Theologos (St. John the Theologian) and to a cafe-restaurant (open all seasons). Here is also a small parking lot and the bus stop. Crossing the asphalt, the road passes by hotel Saily and a complex of summer cottages, and finally opens down to the sandy beach of Boufa, where two cafe-restaurants operate during the summer season.

Beach of Boufa late in August

The beach of Boufa (off-season)

Milies-Panagiotiko dam-Boufa

The kalderimi to Pavlakia

Distance: 12,8 km
Time: 5,5 h (with stops)
Altitude: from 380 m. (Milies) to 0 m. (Boufa)
Total ascent: 264 m.  Total descent: 642 m.
Signed with red paint marks and various signs
Drinking water on walk: no
Start: Milies square   End: Boufa (Koropi) beach
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       This route begins from Milies on a beautiful kalderimi and continues in the direction of Neochori until we reach the Panagiotiko dam. Then we follow the course of Platanorema stream, until the beach of Boufa (Koropi). There we can have a swim and then return to our starting point via the Boufa-Milies route thus completing the circle, or we can take the bus to Volos from the main asphalt road (timetables at www.ktelvolou.gr). 

        The first part of the walk is the same as in the route Milies-Neochori. Setting off from the square in Milies, we follow the asphalt road downhill towards Volos. Eighty metres further down at a right hand bend in the road, just past a parking area down to our right, we branch off to the left onto a wide paved road that goes gently uphill. Reaching a crossroads, we take the paved road to the right and soon start to descend. This becomes a cement road and it comes out onto the asphalt road to Tsagarada at the last house of Milies, at a point where there is a mirror at a left hand bend in the road.

Leaving Milies

              We descend on a beautiful kalderimi, which continues opposite, towards a stream bed with lush vegetation. Further down, at a bend in the kalderimi to the left, there is a branch to our right that used to serve people using the train station. For information, this branch leads to the main road to Milies at a sharp bend, 100 metres below the road junction that leads to the train station. 

Kalderimi near Agios Nikolaos

 Τhe kalderimi we are following, clear and in good condition, crosses the stream bed (Kakorema) and climbs up the opposite side with an olive grove to its right. When we reach the top of the ridge we meet an earth road. We cross this diagonally and follow the kalderimi towards Neochori, descending gently. Eventually we find another road which leads us a hundred metres further down to the old church of Agios Nikolaos, a remnant of the monastery that used to exist here. Here is a good place to have a stop. Unfortunately, we are not able to admire the notable frescos inside the church, as its doors remain locked.

Agios Nikolaos church

Retracing our steps back, we easily find the continuity of the kalderimi on the other side of the road and follow it to the east. We cross two small stream beds, pass by an old hut and eventually the kalderimi ends, where it comes out onto an earth road, along which we walk uphill. The wider  area  is called Pavlakia. 

Further up, we come out onto the earth road that comes from the settlement Stavrodromi. We go left (eastwards) and after a hundred metres we take the narrow earth road to the right (southeast), which brings us out at a flat area with a threshing floor to the left and a row of cypress trees to the right.

Reaching the plateau with the threshing floor and cypresses

 The path to Neochori, which we follow, goes off to the left after the threshing floor (there is a signpost), initially going downhill in an easterly direction, passes two small stream beds and comes out onto an earth road. Walking down on that  road, we will get to the dam (at the signed road junction below we don`t go left to Neochori, but take the unsigned right branch). 

The ''Panagiotiko'' dam

The dam is providing water to South Pelion from the small artificial lake that was formed, but at the cost of destroying the old stone arched bridge that existed here (the bridge of Malamaki), of which only photographs are left now. You can see them in the photo book ''ΠΕΤΡΙΝΑ ΤΟΞΩΤΑ ΓΕΦΥΡΙΑ ΣΤΟ ΠΗΛΙΟ'' (“Stone arched bridges in Pelion” by Nikos Haratsis, in Greek).

The bridge of Malamakis, now gone forever (photo by Nikos Haratsis)

After the dam, we continue walking down the road, descending parallel to the stream, which is called Platanorema.

After about a kilometer, we come to a right hand bend in the road crossing a small stream. Here a path branches to the left towards Zervochia-Niaou (Afetes)-Afissos and to the right towards Milies. At  that junction we go right downhill.  The path descends, becomes a kalderimi for a short distance, and comes down to the streambed. We don`t cross it, but walk on the stones on left bank near to the water (there is no path on that section). Soon we find a path with an old water tube and follow it. The tube used to bring water to an old watermill, which is now renovated. We can visit the watermill taking the second path junction to the right. 

Platanorema stream near the watermill

Returning back to the path, this soon opens to an earth road, which we follow.  In a short while, we reach a point, marked with red paint, where we can easily cross to the right bank of the stream. Walking on the earth road on the right bank, this opens to the main asphalt next to a bus stop. 

Olive grove near Boufa (in spring)

 We cross the asphalt and continue straight ahead on earth road to get finally to the beach of Boufa (officially Koropi).