Trekking in Alonissos

Alonissos Island, the most remote of the Sporades Archipelago, is a real paradise for trekking lovers.

Every year many enthusiasts decide to visit the island on foot and there are really many paths passing through completely different landscapes with unique features that will make you stay in contact with Mother Nature and discover places hidden from mass tourism.

Among pines, inlets, gorges carved by streams, canyons, small churches perched and camouflaged in the greenery or among the rocks to then end up in splendid bays with dream beaches and a sea of unforgettable colors, this is what Alonissos is.

There is something for all tastes, from the most 'professionals, for beginners to the curious. If you want, you can take these healthy and fantastic walks alone by recovering the maps of the island that are found everywhere or with specialized teams. Here are some examples of routes so that you can begin to get an idea of which one to take or which one attracts your interest the most.

We start from the surroundings of the Chora, the old capital, there is a pleasant walk from the paved road passing from the old city to the orchards of Patitiri the new capital directly on the port. Journey time about one hour and twenty minutes round trip. Also from the Chora in about thirty minutes following the downward slope a small path with a crazy panoramic view of the sea from both sides. Be careful because the section after San Giovanni is a bit steep. We continue with another path of about forty-five minutes that will take you to the point where you can enjoy an unforgettable sunset through a walk from a dirt road that goes around the mountain.

Near Patitiri, on the other hand, a tour of about an hour and a half through the village between an ups and downs of stairs and bumps that separate three inlets, that of Patitiri, that of Votsi and finally that of Roussoum. And again in about an hour a journey through the countryside of the hills behind the capital between pine forests and olive groves with asphalted and sometimes dirt roads.

For something more challenging always around Old Alonissos of about two and a half hours, starting from the Chora along paths and dirt roads in the middle of cultivated areas and fresh pine forests to the beach where you can cool off and eat something in the tavern. Another two-hour walk is the one that reaches an old windmill that dominates of Gialia beach through easy paths and dirt and asphalted sections.

Passing on the western side of Alonissos, with a walk of about three hours you reach the lighthouse which is located right on the slopes of Kalovoulos, a promontory of 325 meters above sea level with slopes covered by olive groves, the classic Mediterranean scrub of low, shaded bushes pine forests and with the west side overlooking the sea. Most of the journey is made of stones among the brambles (suitable clothing is recommended) and you can also take a bath of Mikros Mourtias beach before the ascent to the Chora. Suitable for walkers who like to explore off the canonical paths.

To enjoy an exceptional view of Old Alonissos, here is another tour of about two and a half hours passing by three churches, each more beautiful than the other up to the telephone antenna where you have a view of the Chora on the steep slopes and on the majestic Aegean Sea.

For a different scenario, the Kastronorema canyon is located in the north east of Alonissos. A gorge that starts from Kastania and a stream bed turns into a spectacular canyon of crevasses and rocks with shrubs scattered here and there like the maples of Montpellier that in the autumn the leaves turn orange making the landscape amazing.

A longer and heavier ride (we are talking about four hours of walking), is among the picturesque areas of Alonissos. Towards the church of Santi Anargiri near the sea on the rocks embraced by a fairytale pine forest and then arrive at the small beach of Torukoneri in an inlet with other wild coves where you can take a dip and relax. The trails are easy on a dirt road through the woods, a real pleasure for those who love being in close contact with nature.

We continue with longer excursions starting from the one that goes up to Tourkovigla (located at 348 meters above sea level) and which lasts about six hours. We are in the southern part of Alonissos and walking through the narrow valley to the bay of Megali Ammos with its small primitive beaches and its paths that are lost in the woods. And here is the most difficult, we are talking about seven and a half hours of pure trekking that will take you from Patitiri to the fishing village of Steni Vala through woods and Mediterranean vegetation in the southern part of the island and then rest in one of the delicious taverns they serve. fresh fish from the fishermen of the bay and take a refreshing bath in the town's beach.

Here, they are just some of the walks available to you on the Alonissos island, as they said before choosing there is so much and varied through a fertile, green area full of corners to discover. It should also be noted that in the various periods of the year the vegetation offers many varieties of flowers and plants that change with the seasons, always giving a different aspect to this little Eden.

http://alonissosholidays.com/activities/walking-and-hiking/