Phytoko – Hounds – Puri

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Distance: 22 km

Duration: approximately 9 hours (with stops)

Marking: red signs

Starting point: Monastery of Panagia Gorgoepikoou Phytokou

Maximum altitude: 1290 m. (Hound dog)
Drinking water on the route: no

This is one of the longest marches in Pelion, following the footsteps of the potters (conductors) and loggers who moved along its wooded hillsides.

Whoever arrived in Lagonia coming from the northeastern Pelion, had the following main possibilities: a. Proceed southwest towards Hamorigani, from there turn left passing Elatorema and then via Karya bridge to exit at Trano Isoma towards Makrinitsa-Volo. β. To follow the northwestern path to Andovito and from there he could either continue north to Kokkinogeia-Ano Kerasia-Flabouri, or via Moni Survia and Leschiani to go south to the bridge of Alevisou-Fytoko-Volo or west to Kato Kerasia and Lake Karla. γ. Halfway to Antovito, he could turn southwest, taking another path to the chapel of Agios Nikolaos and, passing the gully of Kaliakouda a little higher than the bridge of Leschiani, he could reach the clearing of Loutsa and from there to Phytoko and Volos. We will describe this last route here, moving from Volos to Puri.

We arrive from Volos to Fytoko by car and just before the parking lot at the church we follow the concrete asphalt road on the left up to the monastery of Panagia Gorgoepikoou (there are signs). To the left of the entrance of the monastery, a narrow dirt road (only for jeeps) climbs uphill. We follow it and after 1300 meters we meet a corral on the left of the road. Here we leave the road and walk next to and to the right of the corral on a clear path in a north-northwest direction. The soil is stony smooth with sparse vegetation.

After a while, the path starts to descend towards a shallow gully. After crossing it and climbing up the opposite ridge, we enter an elongated field on the right and cross it lengthwise. At the other end we easily find the continuation of the path, which climbs smoothly to the northeast and ends up at the large clearing of Loutsa, at the point where the Army Geographical Service’s bollard is located (692 m.). Next to the bollard there is a threshing floor. In front of us we see the characteristic tree, the only one in the surrounding area, and next to it a waterhole (souvala) and a pen. Karla is visible on the horizon to the west. From here also passes the route Makrinitsa-Leschiani-Kato Kerasia.

From the souvala we descend the clearing in a north-northeastern direction, having the boundary of the bushy vegetation next to us on our right. The path soon turns right, entering the vegetation and after a straight path, it starts to descend more steeply, with successive zigzags, towards the large ravine of Kaliakouda. We cross the ravine at a point higher than the bridge of Leschiani and ascend to the opposite bank. At a junction of paths we go left, pass a small stream and a little further up we reach the chapel of Agios Nikolaos.

In front of the church we see a dirt road and we follow it for a few meters uphill. Immediately we find the path on our left, which climbs smoothly up the ridge and which after a while forks. The left branch begins to descend straight and smoothly towards the north and leads to the monastery of Survia. We follow the right branch, which continues to climb with open bends to the northeast and we come out in a clearing. On the upper side we find the continuation of the path, which is narrower and less clear here. Soon a blue water pipe comes from our left and enters our course. Thus, guided by the pipe, our course becomes almost easterly on the ridge, then we walk for a while on flat ground and then climb again smoothly northeast on a straight and clearer path on the right slope of a ravine.

Finishing the ravine, we reach an elongated grassy valley. A little higher up we see the dirt road that goes to Xirakia-Antovito along with a power line. We continue to follow the water pipe going slightly uphill. Soon we meet a small square low terrace with a dry stone wall. Here we cross the route with the route Makrinitsa-Gefiri Karya-Gemory Karya-Chamorigani-Monii Survia. Straight ahead (be careful) a path with red signs goes downhill towards the monastery of Sourovias, while we turn right along the pipe, climbing up the slope to the northeast and reach a long clearing with a few apple trees. A little further up, the path to Hamorigani turns to the right (be careful, it also has red signs) and climbs up to the road, while we continue, without the pipe, straight ahead, smoothly in the clearing, descend to a gully, cross it and climb up to the opposite bank between beech trees, always heading northeast. Finally, reaching a plateau, we meet the road, at a point where another road leaves that goes uphill towards Hamorigani and has a sign for “West Shelter”. But we follow the road to the left, which goes to Xirakia-Antovito and in a short while we reach a point where the road crosses a shallow stream.

Here we can follow a vague path, which climbs eastwards on ground with sparse vegetation and meets a crossroads of paths above. We can also reach this junction alternatively and more surely if we continue walking for a while on the road, until we reach a road junction, where the road to Antovito climbs uphill on the left. On our right there is again a sign for “West Shelter”. At this point we climb up to the right bank of the road we were following and find a path with red marks that climbs uphill in the beech forest. As soon as the path leaves the forest and enters the sparse vegetation, we meet the junction I mentioned before. Here one path continues level southwest towards Hamorigani, while the other, which we follow, climbs uphill towards the southeast.

Further up we have a gully on our left, where the ground slides, narrowing the path. From the neck of the ridge we re-enter the forest for a while, climbing uphill and reach a small clearing (be careful), where we turn left following the signs and descend to the gully I mentioned before, cross it and continue uphill southeast, among low beech trees. Finally, we reach immediately below the peak of Lagonika (1295 m), where the path from Hamorigani (route Makrinitsa-Lagonika-Puri) comes obliquely from the right. Here is the highest point of our route.

Our path finally starts to go downhill. In front of us we see the peak of Pourianos Stavros, the highest of Pelion (1624 m.). Wherever we turn to look, dense beech forests cover the landscape. From one point we have a magnificent distant view of the end of the large gully of Lagonika in the Aegean Sea. We cross the gully a little higher than the homonymous spring, and the distinct wide path, climbing slightly, soon reaches a hunting hut. The area here is called Kanalakia.

Here we now meet the route coming from the Western shelter – Makrinitsa to Puri and we descend on a narrower path, heading initially north and then northeast, until we meet the cement mill that drains the water from the spring of Lagonika. If we follow it to the left, we will soon come out at the spring of Lagonika. For Puri we go to the right, walking continuously on a rural road parallel and next to the cement mill for about an hour and finally reach the chapel of Agia Marina at an altitude of 1005 meters, next to a large open cistern. The church was built more than a century ago on the occasion of the concession of the use of the spring to the community of Puri in 1891, a very important event for the village, which saw the first water arrive at the designated point on the day of the feast of Agia Marina on 17 July.

We continue following the cement road, which descends to the right of the church, we reach a second cistern and we enter a dirt road. A little further on, the path leaves to the left towards Puri. But it is worth taking an alternative route passing by the chapel of Ai-lia a little further south. Thus, we continue on the road and further on we turn right at a junction. The road finally reaches a farm and turns left, crosses a small stream and after a while it ends and continues on a narrow but obvious path, which descends between chestnut trees. The path eventually comes out on a farm with apple trees and becomes a narrow rural road. Here we meet again a concrete block. At a crossroads go right (if we go left here we will find the main path to Puri in a few meters) and then left downhill and soon we reach Profitis Ilias, where there is a wooden kiosk. The location offers an impressive view of Zagora, Chorefto, Anilio and Mouresi, from the Aegean Sea to the lush peak of Kotroni (1550 m).

We continue downhill, pass another farm and then we find on our right the continuation of the path, which further on comes back to a road. We pass by an aqueduct reservoir and, where the road ends on the left, we go right to find the cobbled road that takes us into the village. Our route ends at the upper side of the square of Pourion, where the church of Agios Dimitrios is located.