Kala Nera – Milies
Distance: 4,8 km
Duration: 1.30΄
Maximum altitude: 378 m. (Mileon Square)
Marking: red signs
Drinking water on the route: no
The Kala Nera-Miles route is one of the most well-trodden in Pelion, and rightly so. It is an easy one and a half hour walk on a wonderful cobbled path between olive groves, passing through a gully that always has water, ending up in a beautiful historic village of Pelion. A route suitable for everyone, for families with children, school trips etc. Perhaps the best introduction to the beauties of Pelion.
To return to Kala Nera on foot, if we do not want to get off the same road, one option is to follow the train tracks from the station of Miles and, reaching the stop of Vizitsa, go downhill to the cobbled road Vyzitsa-Kala Nera. Another option is to first go down the cobbled road to Boufa and then, following the course of the Milios stream, end up at the bridge of Belegrinos near Kala Nera, one kilometre east of our starting point (see Milies-Belegrinos route). Of course we can also return by bus from Milies. If we want, we can still continue from Milies walking towards Tsagarada or Panagiotiko dam and Boufa.
The starting point of the route is on the main road opposite the Tsitsileanio hospital, where there is a sign on the left for “Argyraika”. At the crossroads there are a few cypress trees. In a few meters we have a new junction, where we do not go left up to Argyraika, but right on a narrow concrete road, parallel to the asphalt road, which leads us to the cemetery of Kalona Nera. After the cemetery, a dirt road continues, which in a hundred meters turns slightly to the left, entering an olive grove. After a few meters, as the road turns slightly left again, we go straight ahead into the olive grove and immediately find the cobbled road, which is maintained in good condition and climbs smoothly up the ridge.
Above, we enter a dirt road on the right, which we follow for a hundred meters and then we find the continuation of the cobbled road on the left. Walking continuously between olive trees, we see the Milies on the ridge opposite. On our right we have the Milos stream and we start to hear the sound of the water flowing, winter and summer. We cross the stream by a concrete bridge and zigzag up the slope to a wonderful cobbled street, meeting the first houses of the village in the district of Giftacaiika.
A little further up we come out on the asphalt road, which leads to the train station in a hundred meters on the left. We cross it and climb up, with the church of Agios Georgios on our right. Going uphill continuously, we pass by the ruined house of the gladiator Kostas Garephi and go right, crossing a small bridge. After passing by the house of Daniel Filippidis, one of the teachers of the school of Miles, together with Anthimos Gazis and Gregory Constantas, we finally arrive at the village square, with the very remarkable church of Taxiarches.
