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

 
    

     

Siki-Xinovrisi

Distance: 6,2 km
Duration: 2.20' (walking time 1.50')
Altitude: from 291 m. (Siki) to 47 m. (Bourboulithra) to 240 m. (Xinovrisi)
Total ascent: 241 m.  Total descent: 300 m.
Signed with round yellow signs and red paint dots
Drinking water on route: no
Download GPS track:   from Wikiloc

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         This route remained blocked for many years, until it was cleared by volunteers during the winters of 2014-17.  This walk can be combined with the walks Neochori-Siki, Argalasti-Xinovrisi and Xinovrisi-Potistika. At the square of Xinovrisi the restaurant is open all year round, whereas at Siki square only during the summer season.

      Starting from the square at Siki, we walk downhill on the concrete paved road (previously a kalderimi) going southeast. At the first junction we go right on a southerly direction. We exit the village, passing above the cemetery which is down on our left (we can see the cypress trees) and then join a wider asphalt road at an angle. This goes to Potoki beach. Shortly, as the asphalt takes a left bend, we continue straight ahead southeast on an earth road, which incorporates long stretches of kalderimi. 

Long stretches of kalderimi into the earth road

          After about one kilometre, a steep downhill section of the road is paved with cement. Just after the end of the paved section (attention!!), we leave the road to the right and find the path going downhill between two olive groves. It opens to an earth road below, on which we continue left downhill. After fifty meters, at the junction we take the downhill road to the right. This comes to end in an olive grove, and we continue on the path, which initially runs on the left (higher) side of the grove. Following the path, we come eventually  down to the bed of Megalo Rema (Grand Stream). This spot is called Bourboulithra (Βubble). At this peaceful place, where water runs gently under the dense shadow of the plane trees, we can have a refreshing short stop.

Crossing the Megalo Rema stream at Bourboulithra

        Crossing to the other bank of the stream, the path keeps climbing on the slope, until it opens to a road junction on the ridge and we continue straight ahead on the road, now going downhill.

        After fifty metres there is another junction, where we go right on a westerly direction (if we go left, we will come down to Potistika beach). Walking some distance on the earth road, parallel to a stream, we pass from a drinking water fountain with some water running only in winter. After that, we notice a small concrete bridge on our left. We may continue on the road and cross the stream to the left a little further on, or  pass over the bridge and then walk parallel to the stream to come out on the road again, and go uphill. Then we easily find the kalderimi again on the right, clinbing up the slope.

Entering Xinovrisi

        On the ridge we meet the asphalt road coming from Potistika beach. We walk on this uphill entering Xinovrisi and turn left to reach the peaceful village square with the two big plane trees offering plenty of cool shadow in summer. From Xinovrisi we can continue on footpath to Argalasti or to the beach of Potistika.

Xinovrisi square