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Hiking route "Lithi Beach - Agiasmata"

Hiking route "Lithi Beach - Agiasmata" is a main axis of Chios hiking network, starting from Lithi beach and ending to Agiasmata. It passes through the areas of Lithi, Agii Pateres, Nea Moni, Kampos Anavatou, Apsiles, Retsinadika, Moni Moundon, Malagiotis, Volissos, Palia Potamia, Egrigoros, Kourounia, Lardato, Loutra Agiasmata. Short description of the trekking trails at the bottom of the page.

Frequently changing landscapes and habitats, coastal and semi-mountainous areas, past-eras abandoned villages and monuments, this route provides a unique interest for the local and the visiting hiker.

It is divided into 8 trails

Trail 1: Lithi Beach, Fa, Nea Moni, Avgonyma

Trail 2: Avgonyma, Diaselo Provata, Anavatos

Trail 3: Anavatos, Stream of Elinta, Agios Isidoros

Trail 4: Agios Isidoros, Apsiles, Katavasi

Trail 5: Katavasi, Moni Moundon, Volissos

Trail 6: Volissos, Palia Potamia, Chalandra

Trail 7: Chalandra, Leptopoda, Agiasmata

Trail 8: Chalandra, Kourounia, Agiasmata

Κey advantages along the route

  • Landscape uniqueness and authenticity, natural formations and man-made interventions.
  • Accessibility by car along the hiking route.
  • Possibility to visit prominent places and attractions.
  • Safety.

You can navigate through the trekking trails by means of the interactive map. Zoom using the mouse or the arrows on the top left,  select the points of interest you will meet along the way and find out more information about them! You can also see photos of these POIs and thus choose the route you like more easily!

1. Lithi Beach, Fa, Nea Moni, Avgonyma

This route ascends to the village of Lithi from its starting point at the settlement of Limenas Lithiou. Hikers can find the old stone-built path that connected Lithi with Ai-Giorgis Sykousis, a testament to late-Ottoman roadwork (19th c.), a short distance from the entrance to the settlement. The route winds through the old footpaths that lead to the Nea Moni monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its beautiful Byzantine mosaics. Hikers can take the wide path once used by the monks: it leads to the settlement of Avgonyma, a medieval castle-town with narrow stone-paved streets and picturesque stone houses, while the Monastery of Agioi Pateres can be encountered on the way. The striking views of the seas surrounding Chios and of the island's capital on this route are sure to impress.

2. Avgonyma, Diaselo, Provatas, Anavatos

Starting at Avgonyma, this route leads east and goes over the old footpaths through pine forests, where hikers will encounter the small chapel of St Isidoros. A minor section of the route after this is paved. Afterwards, the route follows the course of a stream until it encounters an old footpath which will lead hikers through a pine forest to the chapel of the Taxiarch. From there, the route follows old footpaths and dirt paths, eventually leading hikers to the medieval settlement of Anavatos.

3. Anavatos, Elinda Stream, Agios Isidoros

This route winds north from the village of Anavatos and goes through an abandoned settlement and tiered slopes to approach the Lygeri footpath. Hikers on this historic footpath can admire views of the striking natural environment on their way to the Elinda stream. Afterwards, the route follows the course or the bed of the stream, and sometimes uses an adjacent footpath. After a hike of about 6 kilometres, hikers will encounter an easy footpath that leads to the chapel of St Isidoros.

4. Agios Isidoros, Apsiles, Katavasi

The starting point for this route is the chapel of Agios (St) Isidoros. Beginning with a small section of easy dirt path, it follows the course of the old footpath that leads north-west through a pine forest. Hikers can take the old Ottoman-period stone path from St Isidoros through an easy route with mild gradation that leads to a truly unique forest environment. Arriving here, hikers can observe the tools left on the pine trees to collect their resin. In fact, it was exactly this activity that gave the area its name, retsinadika (Greek for resin production area). A roughly 7-kilometre hike over old footpaths and easy dirt trails will eventually lead hikers to a crossing with the local road and afterwards over an old but comfortably wide footpath with panoramic views of the island's western side, before ending up in Katavasi. Hikers can find shade and running water under the plane trees next to the motorway.

5. Katavasi, Monastery of Moundon, Volissos

This route starts at the local road and passes by the small chapel of St Matrona. From there, hikers will follow the old footpath that leads through the settlement of Katavasi, eventually ending up at the village of Diefcha via the old footpaths that serviced the Monastery of Moundon. At roughly the 3-kilometre mark the route passes by the church of the Panagia ton Neromylon (Virgin Mary of the Water Mills). This route is a trip back in time for hikers, who can encounter 4 old water mills as well as threshing floors and kilns on the way to the church of St Georgios at Vassilika. The route ends at the village of Volissos after taking hikers over easy dirt paths and old footpaths.

6. Volissos, Palaia Potamia, Chalandra

This route passes through the picturesque alleyways of Volissos with its stone-built houses, subsequently exiting the village and descending to and following the course of the Chalikia stream. This seasonal stream is dry in the summer months but drains water from the surrounding hills in the winter and spring. The route eventually leads to the abandoned settlement of Palaia Potamia, 7 kilometres from Volissos, where the only structure still in good condition is the old parish church. Hikers on this route will ascend from Palaia Potamia, traversing old footpaths and easy dirt paths to end up in the village of Chalandra.

7. Chalandra, Leptopoda, Agiasmata

Hikers who want to go from Chalandra to the seaside settlement of Agiasmata can choose between two different routes. The first of these heads east, over the old paths that lead to the village of Keramos and its once-thriving antimony mines. The route passes through the picturesque streets and outskirts of the village, where hikers can see the mining tunnels up close. From there, the path turns north and passes through the village of Leptopoda on the way to the settlement of Agiasmata.

8. Chalandra, Kourounia, Agiasmata

Starting at Chalandra, this route heads north-west and leads through the village of Afrodisia. Traversing the winding alleyways of the village, hikers will then follow the old footpaths to the village of Kourounia. From there, the route turns north towards the village of Egrigoros, before descending to Agiasmata.

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