8km ~150m ascent
A walk on a little-trafficked paved road, with the initial
section on good paths after 1km on the “main” road.
Start at the road junction (N35 19.388 E23 43.343) at Plemeniana
[Πλεμενιανα]
(about 15km North of Paleochora on the main Hania road), by the
Taverna. Walk South along the road towards Paleochora. After a
hundred metres, a small rusty sign points right to the Agios
Georgios church (N35 19.366 E23 43.048), with decayed frescoes.
Continue on the road round a couple of turns, until after 1km you
see a disused stone building just below the road to the right. (You
are now just level with the southern tip of a ridge that divides
the valley to your right). Continue 20m on to the apex of the left
turn just beyond and turn off the road (N35 19.042 E23 42.631) onto
a path that descends through olive groves into the valley. The way
zig-zags down a short way to come to the pleasant, tree-lined
valley bottom. Stepping stones cross the two branches of the river
in quick succession (N35 19.111 E23 42.543. Ascend a path on the
far bank, which turns into a track and then joins a good track that
heads North-South. Turn left, soon coming to the [locked] Kalithea
church, Agios Antonio (N35 18.886 E23 42.299) . Keep on the same
road, heading south, but contouring around the West side of the
valley. It passes through Kalithea
[Καλλιθεα], with good views
across the valley to Kakodiki
[Κακοδίκι],
Figure 1: View East to Kakodiki
and comes eventually to Mahia [Μαχια]
where there are a couple of churches, and a Kafenion. Further on,
two churches are perched on cliffs above the road. A three-arched
spring lies beside the road (N35 18.005 E23 41.735)
Figure 2: Roadside spring near Mahia
The road zig-zags down to the river (N35 17.423 E23 41.824
shortly before, a dirt track continues SW along the valley). and
continues SW on the left bank, following the main road that runs
only a few metres above. Finally, it comes to Vlithias
[Βλιθιας] where there are old
and new churches (N35 16.928 E23 41.367). A few metres further on,
the road joins the main road at a sign fro Mahia (N35 16.827 E23
41.365).
All pages and photographs copyright © Andrew Senior 2005
Not to be reproduced or published without permission.