NAXOS HIKING

PATH 1 PORT-CHORA-AGGIDIA-MELANES (TIME: 3-4 hours,  DISTANCE: 9.3 k.m.)	PATH 2 MELANES - KOUROUNOCHORI - MYLOI - ANO POTAMIA -TSIKALARIO-CHALKI. (TIME: 4-5 hours, DISTANCE: 10,7 km.)
PATH 3 CHALKI-KALOXYLOS-FILOTI-AGIA MARINA-MONI FOTODOTI-APEIRANTHOS (TIME : 5 hours, DISTANCE: 9 km.).	PATH 4 APEIRANTHOS-SKADO (TIME: 4,5 hours, DISTANCE: 8,9 km.)
PATH 5 SKADO-MESI-APOLLONAS (TIME: 4 hours, DISTANCE: 9,1 km)

Go from the port to the beach up to “Alpha Bank”. Here you have to turn left to Papavasileiou road so as to go to the market-place of the City.
After the high-school, the health centre and the big church of Christ the roadmeet the one that lead on your left to Aggidia.
Follow this road up to the entry road-sign of the village. After the bus stop you follow the narrow up-grade path.
You follow this path up to the small church that you meet on your right. On your left there is also a courtyard directly across from a tavern. A little after this courtyard you turn left and you will find yourselves in the begging of a dirt-road. You will continue walking up-grade and after a few bends you will reach the back of the mountain range. From there the view is breathtaking.
You go forward to the interior of the island and you can see the marble quarries in the mountains of Kynidaros. In front of you spreads the valley Melanes-Kourounochori.
On your right, are located the villages of Potamia and the region of Tragaia with huge green olive groves.
You can distinguish far away Za mountain (1004 metres). On the crossroad of chains you must remain in the left side of the path.
After about half an hour you will reach a road made from armoured concrete and then you will cross the asphalt roadway and follow the path of Melanes, that passes through a river and continues up-grade for about 20 minutes until you reach, on your way down the hill, the stone bus-stop of the village!
If you go to the village you will find restaurants with nice viewand good food! Then you can take the bus to go back to Chora.

In case you do not want to walk the dell of Melanes - Kourounochori, you can go by taxi or bus to the small square of Kourounochori village and start walking from the end of the village. You will pass the whole village and follow the path to Myloi.
During the hiking, you will enjoy the remarkable fertile land, full of lemon trees, orange trees, basins with water and a lot olive trees.
After 15 minutes you will reach the square of village Myloi with the platan tree and a small marble chapel (“tama”).
Follow the steps in front while you can see a small waterfall in front of the old water mills. After a small uphill path, in 20 minutes you will find the asphalt parking of Kouros.
On your right there is armoured concrete road, which you follow. Then on your left after around 150 metres, is situated the unfinished Kouros of the 6th  B.C. Next to Kouros is a private garden and a cafe.
After a brief refreshing stop move on  to the right through the exit to the road.
After 150 meters turn right and go towards the almost dried river walking up-grade to the path with the marble steps, which leads to Korasidaof the 6th  century BC.
Then, you can follow the paths through the pastures until you meet a stone wall, locally called “trafos”. You have to turn right in this point and then left so as to be directed to the Ano Potamia. (As is shown on the sign).
After 35 minutes of walking in the beautiful marble path, a preserved cobblestone pavement you will arrive in Ano Potamia! Across the asphalt road is situated the only tavern of the village, with excellent food, near the central church.
Consultative is proposed a rest break, after here is served good food, fresh salads and natural juices!
After the break, passing through the village, before you pass to the Mesi Potamia, turn on your left to the steps, leading up to the main roads.
Once you have gone up the small armoured concrete road and meet the asphalt one, you have to follow the other armoured concrete road, in the opposite direction to the castle.
After 1 km of walking you leave behind the dirt road and you go straight upwards to find the path, beside the parallel stone wall.
You follow the path to the point you meet a restored stone church. From there on your right in front of you stands the castle up the hill. Continue to the left path along the stone wall or “trafos”, until you reach a second church, just below the hill with the castle.
From there if you want, you can visit the castle. The view of the landscape with the various rocks is fantastic!
From there you can see Tsikalario between the mountains. Follow the path to there, for about 10 minutes. Get through the village to the end of it, where is the parking  and then follow the left path.
After you walk 300 meters you will meet the central asphalt road of  Tsikalario to Halki.
Walk another 800 meters on your left the roads between groves and you will reachthe small square of Chalkeio.
There near the cafe is located the famous gallery with ceramics designed with olive branches. Directly across is the old traditional distillery of Citrus.
Leaving the traditional Halki with the neo-classical buildings in  about 50 meters you will reach the bus stop next to the kiosk in central road, passing by the village.

Start from the bus stop to Halki.
Go with the bus line to Halki.
When you arrive in Halki, step out to church opposite the bus stop, and walk to the right to the tower of Gratsia with the mark.
Continue to the right to meet the asphalt road. In some metres, go to the left to the armoured concrete road of Kaloxylos. Then continue to a narrower armoured concrete road and later follow the dirt road on left that is full of trees until you reach the end of the road.
From there, you go to the right, after you have passed the two houses, and continue to the right on the dirt road. Continue all stretch to the path with the half-dejected windmills in your way to Filoti. Once you see the first houses of the village descend to the central asphalt.
Move on to the left and shortly you will be found in the central square of Filoti with the stand, the cafes and taverns. (Time and place for a stop).
Walk 30 meters from the square and turn left to the oven and immediately right to the steps of the village.
In 10 minutes you have reached the upper part of the Filoti where there is a parking place.
From there follow the only path that leads up-grade to the upper part of the asphalt road.
You have to follow the steps all straight to reach the asphalt road.
From there you move on to Danakos, for 20 minutes. Ascend and when you have reached the church of Agia Marina in your right, follow the left and towards dirt road for another 20 minutes to the Monastery of Fotodoti.
Once you are in the monastery, you see a new building tavern with fences around.
Go left and straight the up-grade path.
When you reach the iron fence at the end of the path, open it and move on. From there the view to Apeiranthos is very nice.
Go straight to the path and a little left up-grade, passing through grazing land and housing estates, with fig trees, walnut and mullberries.
When you reach the church of St. Eleftherios pass to the left and continue straight in the armoured concrete road. Pass from the newly built houses outside the village and you are leaded to the central asphalt road.
Then follow the asphalt-road to the right and then straight. When you find the stone bus stop of the village, pass across to the front steps.
Follow steps to the village after you have passed through Apiranthos, you are in the other part and parking area of the village.

BEFORE START THE HIKING ASK FOR THE DEPARTURE HOURS OF THE BUSES FROM THE COACH APOLLONA TO CHORA. THE LAST BUS FROM APOLLONAS IS IN 15:30.
At 9:30 in the morning you can take the bus from Chora and after passing through the villages Galanado, Sangri, Halki, Filoti, and Apiranthosyou will reach Skado.
From Skado you will start hiking. After the last stop in the village move on to the asphalt road on your left and straight to Koronida. After 800 meters, follow the first dirt road on your right.
Continue straight passing from a Cheese Dairy and go straight until the end of dirt road. You can enjoy the view of Apollonas and of the church of St. George on a hill on your right.
From there you turn left, by opening a baluster door, to get to the old stone path. You follow the path and after a few bend you reach a dirt road.
Turn right at the dirt road where therein the point that is the vineyards and move on to the north and straight until you meet a particular colourful church.
If you are lucky enough and will meet the monk who built and painted the church,in the Byzantine Colours red, yellow and orange.
Then you continue straight in the dirt road, until you reach the asphalt road.
Turn left to the asphalt road and in around 700 meters you will find a big left turn at a crossroads that meet with a dirt road in your right merges.
Across this turn, follow the road on your right. You walk for around 45 minutes to known fishing village of Apollo.
The fences that you will find in your way there please close them after passing! If you do not, the goats and sheep of shepherds of the region will leave.
When you reach Apollonas you can relax or eat in one of the many taverns of the village.
If you want you can visit the largest Kouros in the region.
It is situated just outside the village laid from the 6th BC in the ancient rocks of a marble open mine of the period.
After that turn back to the port from where you can take the bus for the Chora.
The time of departure is 15:30. The time of road journey, including the stops is approximately 1.5 hours.