Milies-Panagiotiko dam-Neochori

The water reservoir  of Panagiotiko dam

Distance: 12 km

Time: 5 hours (with stops)

Altitude: from 173 m. (minimum) to 462 m. (maximum)

Total elevation gain: 454 m. Total elevation loss: 540 m.

Signing: red paint, small round signs

Drinking water on walk: no

Start: Milies square   Finish: Neochori square

Last checked: 27//11/ 2023

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    The first half of this route is the same as the route Milies-Neochori. However, as we are getting near the Panagiotiko dam and its artificial lake, we do not take the dirt road to Panagia Tourkogianni, but, descending a little lower, we walk on the path used by the inhabitants of Neochori to get to Zervochia and Boufa. This path was surveyed and cleared by volunteers in the winter and spring of 2023.

Agios Nikolaos church

         We start from Milies village square and follow the asphalt road going downhill. A hundred meters further down, after we pass a parking lot which is down to our right,as the asphalt takes a slight turn to the right, we go diagonally left onto a wide cobblestone that goes uphill. We reach an intersection and take the wide paved track on the right, which soon begins to go downhill. It becomes a cobblestone kalderimi, then a cement road and we cross the asphalt at the exit of Milies village towards Tsagarada, next to the last house of the village, at a point where the asphalt turns left and there is a traffic control mirror.

        We now walk on beautiful old kalderimi, which continues opposite, descending to a ravine 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 Milies-Volos at a sharp bend, 200 metres below the junction that leads to the train station.

Kalderimi at Pavlakia

        The kalderimi we are following, which is kept 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. Here is a kalderimi crossing and we can get to Agios Nikolaos by both ways. We prefer to cross the road and, descending gently, the kalderimi opens to another road. This leads  us after a hundred metres down to the old church of Agios Nikolaos, a remnant of the monastery that existed 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.  

Fresco from Agios Nikolaos (photo: Teo Gavardinas)

        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 abandoned 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 of Stavrodromi. We turn to the left (east) and then after a hundred metres at a fork we go to the right (southeast) onto a narrow earth road that brings us out at a flat area with a threshing floor and a row of cypress trees to the right. Just after the threshing floor, we go left and find a path that descends heading east. We cross a small stream bed, pass a derelict hut on our right and then we take the right hand path at a fork. This area was burnt in a recent fire, but is already turning green again. We cross another stream and then meet an earth road, which we follow downhill. Below us we see the Panayiotiko dam with the lake that has been formed in the valley of Platanorema river - a beautiful and peaceful picture.

        A little further down we have a crossroads with a post, where we go right. Attention, if we go left here as  indicated by the arrow on the signpost, we will get to Neochori via Panagia Tourkogianni church. We keep descending the road and approaching the dam. At the next junction we go left (Attention!) onto an abandoned road, which runs just above the water level. Paying attention to our left, we soon see the red sign that marks the entrance to the path. We are now walking on a  path, which initially goes uphill and we pass abvove a ruined hut, finding a couple of sections of kalderimi here and there.

    After a while, the kalderimi-path ends as we cross a stream, and we continue uphill on a dirt road. We avoid road intersections to the right as we are climbing. Further up, on a wide right turn that the road makes, the path goes straight ahead and after a few meters joins the Milies-Neochori route, which comes from Panagia Tourkogianni church. From this point on, we are walking on the Milies-Neochori route. The path climbs and  joins a dirt road, which joins the main asphalt, which then crosses a bridge and makes a right turn. Here we leave the asphalt at an angle to the left, walking on a paved track through the village, and keep following the red marks to the square of Neochori.

Neochori village square

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-Neochori

The kalderimi to Pavlakia

Distance: 11,4 km
Duration: 4 hours with stops (walking time 3,5 hours)
Altitude: from 380 m. (Milies) to 460 m. (Neochori)
Total ascent: 509 m.  Total descent: 428 m.
Signed with: red paint marks,  yellow signs
Drinking water on walk: no
Download GPS track:  from Everytrail    from Wikiloc

       The first half of this route is a beautiful kalderimi, while the second half uses earth roads and sections of path. We pass by two old monasteries, Agios Nikolaos and Panagia Tourkogianni, from both of which only the main church of the monastery remains today. We also walk near the artificial lake at Platanorema formed by the Panagiotiko dam. In Neochori, as in Milies, there are taverns open all year round. From Neochori, one can continue walking to Siki or to Niaou (Afetes) and Afissos. Bus timetables can be found at www.ktelvolou.gr

       The first section of the walk is the same as that for the Milies-Panayiotiko dam-Boufa route. Setting off from the square in Milies, we follow the asphalt road downhill. A hundred metres further down, at a right hand bend in the road, we branch off to the left onto a wide paved track that goes gently uphill. Reaching a crossroads, we take the  track to the right. Further on, this becomes a kalderimi, then a downhill cement road and we cross the main asphalt next to the last house of the village.            

A stream at Pavlakia

              We now walk on beautiful old kalderimi, which continues opposite, descending to a ravine 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 Milies-Volos at a sharp bend, 200 metres below the junction that leads to the train station. 

Agios Nikolaos church at Pavlakia

            The kalderimi we are following, which is kept 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. Here is a kalderimi crossing and we can get to Agios Nikolaos by both ways. We prefer to cross the road and, descending gently, the kalderimi opens to another road. This leads us after a hundred metres 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. 

Fresco at Agios Nikolaos

Interior view of the narthex of 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.

Kalderimi at Pavlakia

           Further up, we come out onto the earth road that comes from the settlement of Stavrodromi. We turn to the left (east) and then after a hundred metres at a fork we go to the right (southeast) onto a narrow earth road that brings us out at a flat area with a threshing floor and a row of cypress trees to the right. Just after the threshing floor, we turn left and find a path that descends heading east. We cross a small stream bed, pass a derelict hut on our right and then we take the right hand path at a fork. This area was burnt in a recent fire, but is already turning green again. We cross another stream bed and then meet an earth road, which we follow downhill. Below us we see the Panayiotiko dam with the lake that has been formed in the valley of Platanorema - a beautiful and peaceful picture.

The lake at Panayiotiko dam

        A little further down there is a crossroads, where we turn left and walk above the lake to the east. After walking for about two kilometers (half an hour) on the road, at a point where there is a grove to our left, we come to a junction. The downhill road to the right brings us to the old monastery of Panagia Tourkogianni. The only part that remains of this is the humble renovated main church. The old icon of Panagia (Virgin Mary) is kept at Neochori and is brought here only during the feast on the church’s saint day on the 15th of August.

Panagia Tourkogianni church

                                     We continue on the road, which goes down towards a stream. In the past, two rows of cypress trees lined the path, but now they have been lost in a fire. We reach a concrete building of the water system, where we turn left into dense vegetation, noticing the red arrow on the electricity meter pole (attention-the signposts we put there are sadly missing because someone has removed them). 

Turn left in vegetation, noticing the red arrow

          We walk parallel to the stream for a short distance, after which we cross it and climb up the other bank on a path in a southeasterly direction. This path was cleared and signed in January 2015 by volunteers from the Friends of the Kalderimi of South Pelion and Volos Alpine Club.

Climbing on the path after crossing the stream

             Eventually, we come out at an angle onto an earth road, which we follow and soon see Neochori in front of us. We come out to the main asphalt road, pass over the bridge entering the village and then take an uphill paved track, following the red paint marks, which finally becomes a kalderimi opening to the square, next to the old drinking water fountain.      

The square of  Neochori

 

Niaou (Afetes)-Neochori

Approaching Neochori

Distance: 6,1 km
Duration: 2 hours (walking time 1.45')
Altitude: from 235 m. (Niaou square) to 470 m. (Neochori square)
Total ascent: 281 m.  Total descent: 52 m.
Signed with round yellow signs and red paint marks
Drinking water on walk: no
Start: Niaou (Afetes) square
Finish: Neochori square
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         In this walk, we follow the course of the old kalderimi, a significant part of which still exists. Its best part is near Neochori, at the old stone bridge. We also enjoy nice views over the sea near the village of Niaou. Only problem is, we have to walk on the main asphalt for half a kilometer. Neochori is also connected with hiking routes to Milies and Siki, and Niaou (Afetes) to Afissos (see respective walks). At the square of Neochori there is a restaurant open all year round, at Niaou during the summer season and weekends in winter. See bus timetables at www.ktelvolou.gr

        Niaou is a slavic toponym meaning ''pen'', and has been the original name of the village from its beginning in the Middle Ages until 1955, when it was unwisely decided to rename it ''Afetai'', after the ancient seaside settlement which, however, is unrelated to that area (it is considered to be situated at modern-day Platanias). The original name is still in use by the locals and should, in my view, be reinstated.

Niaou (Afetes)

          Starting from the square and the main church of Timiou Prodromou (St. John the Baptist), we climb on kalderimi for a few meters and then turn right on the cement road going uphill on an easterly direction. After crossing a stream and passing by a drinking water fountain, we notice the sign to the left and start climbing on a wide earth path which becomes kalderimi and then earth path again. It opens to a narrow asphalt road, which we follow to the right for thirty meters to find the continuity. We climb now on kalderimi on the slope, having a mansion on our left. This section was built in the early 50`s and remains in good condition.

Kalderimi climbing on the slope

        Higher up, we cross the stream to the left and walk on earth road, which opens to the main asphalt. We walk on this for twenty meters to the right and then take an earth track, parallel to the asphalt on its right side, going gently downhill to the east. There is a mansion at a distance of 50 meters to the right. On our way, we can make out bits of the old cobblestone.
        After a while, we cross the asphalt at an angle and continue on the other side. In front of us, we can see the road signs of the main asphalt junction (Delta) to Argalasti and we head on to that. Eventually, we join the asphalt and walk on this for 50 metres. Reaching the junction, we take the old road which runs parallel to the main asphalt on the left. If we look carefully, we will notice some traces of the old kalderimi at some point.
       The old road eventually joins again the main asphalt, which  has covered the kalderimi for more than a kilometer. We will avoid a significant section of asphalt, by taking after 20 meters the narrow earth road on the right, which opens out to the main road again at Agrigiannis winery after about 700 m. After the winery, we have to walk about 500 meters on the asphalt (no way to avoid that) and then we leave it to the right, taking a narrow earth road (at the junction there is a sign with a picture of a stone bridge).

Kalderimi in pinewood

         After twenty meters we leave the road to the left and walk downhill on a path which soon becomes a kalderimi crossing pinewood. We soon come to cross a stream over an old arched stone bridge. According to the inscription on the eastern keystone, it was built in 23 April 1895 on donation by Konstantinos Topalis, an eminent lawyer and politician from Volos.

The bridge of Topalis near Neochori

     Leaving the old bridge in quiet, we climb on kalderimi. Reaching the graveyard, it becomes concrete road. At the junction we go left and soon come to a parking lot. Climbing the stairs we finally arrive at the square of Neochori.

The square of Neochori

Neochori-Siki

Distance: 6,8 km
Duration: 2,5 hours (walking time 2 hours)
Altitude: from 460 m. (Neochori) to 210 m. (Granitsa stream) to 310 m. (Siki)
Total ascent: 373 m.  Total descent: 401 m.
Signed with round yellow signs and red paint marks
Drinking water on walk: no
Download GPS track:  from Everytrail   from Wikiloc

                 This route, passing from the ruined chapel of Agios Efstathios,  was blocked for many years, until it was cleared by volunteers in 2013-2014. There is also another southerly route passing from Agios Georgios chapel at Lai, but this remains currently blocked.

             We can go to Neochori by bus (www.ktelvolou.gr) or walking from Milies or Niaou (Afetes). There is also a walking route from Siki to Xinovrisi. At the square of Neochori the restaurant is open all year round, whereas at Siki only during the summer season.

             Starting from the upper corner of the square of Neochori, we take the uphill stone paved track going east and walk between a church, which is on our right side, and the school on our left. A little further up at a junction we take the wide uphill kalderimi to the right, watching for the red marks. We join a paved road at an angle and head east, exiting the village. After crossing a stream, we notice the sign on the left and enter a section of the path that has been restored.

A restored section of the original path

           This opens to an earth road junction, where we head straight on to the east. Immediately there is a V-junction, where we take the road to the right, which has a section of kalderimi.
          A little further on, we have a grove on our left. Just as we reach its corner (attention to the left), we climb for a few metres on a path just next to the grove and then turn right to the east.  As we climb, we enjoy excellent views over Granitsa ravine, Siki village and the Aegean sea. That area was burnt a few years ago but is overgrown again.

          At the ridge, we pass by some pine trees that managed to escape the fire and  join a descending earth road. We reach a crossroads and continue in the same southeasterly direction on a seemingly abandoned uphill track. Reaching the ridge, as the track turns gently left, we  go right and find the path, descending for a while until it joins an earth road again. We soon reach the chapel of Agios Efstathios, the roof of which unfortunately has collapsed and lays in ruins.

Reaching Agios Efstathios chapel

         A little further down, we leave the road and go straight ahead onto the path, which descends on the north slope of Granitsa ravine. This word means ''border'' in slavic languages, and indeed used to be the border between the  land jurisdictions of Neochori and Siki. It opens to the sea at the beach called Pantazi Ammos.

Going down to cross Granitsa stream

       The path opens down to an earth road, which we follow to the right and pass next to a building of the water system. We cross the stream and continue on the concrete road uphill. At the first left bend, there is a section of the path climbing next to the road on the right, and joins it again higher up, so we can avoid a section of the cement road.
      On the ridge, we join the asphalt road going to Pantazi Ammos beach, and we follow it to the south (to the right) entering Siki. Watching for the round yellow sign at an electricity pole, we go left downhill on a stone paved track and pass by a parking lot and the main church οf Agios Georgios, ending up to the cosy square of Siki.

Siki village square