The route
A classic, well known and beautiful Pelion trail. A big part of it takes place in forested kalderimi and by the end we cross along the magnificent old stone bridge at the Milopotamos stream. We can reach Milies and return from Tsagarada through Ktel Bus. This walk can combined with others (Kala Nera-Milies and Tsagarada-Damouchari-Agios Ioannis) and create a 7-8 hour trail that crosses Pelion starting from the Pagasetic and ending in the Aegean Sea.
At the upper side of the Milies Square is the Milies public library with its distinctive sign “ΨΥΧΗΣ ΑΚΟΣ” meaning soul therapy. Next to it, on the right side starts a kalderimi towards Labinou- Xorychti -Tsagarada that we follow. Immediately on our left is a settled fountain and we walk straight east, between the village houses. The kalderimi makes a sudden twist and ascents next to a plane tree and then crosses side ways a concrete road and continues with the same heading upwards. We ignore all crossroads with descending kalderimis or roads and we are guided by the red marks.
After it, we enter a concrete road as we leave the last houses of the village and walk through apple fields. In the second left turn the road makes, we leave it and head right towards the kalderimi next to a concrete ditch and a water pipe. On our right, we have a line of cypress trees.
We pass a stream through a small concrete bridge that stands in stone bases and continue in a nice kalderimi-path. Short after, there is a crossroad where the sign tells us to go upward left towards a wide path, which again turns into kalderimi. We come across sideways a kalderimi-road and head straight uphill. After a while we face another wider road, we cross it and continue with the same heading through chestnut trees. We leave a crossroad with a road on the right and head towards the north and reach a wooden kiosk at the area of Kefalas. Here, at the right side of the kiosk there is a path heading down towards Lampinou.
We continue walking on the road that ends and continues as kalderimi that enters a forest of beech, plane and chestnut trees. Heading generally towards north, we pass Kerasorema and steadily go uphill for a bit more until we reach the maximum altitude of 790m. This part of the forest is so imposing and majestic that you wish it never ended.
The Kalderimi now begins to descent (we ignore two uphill paths on our right) and reach the wooden bridge at Varsami stream. After the bridge, we exit the forest and enter an uphill forest road that has some parts of kalderimi visible. After a while, the kalderimi goes right, away from the road. We now walk into low vegetation, pass through 1-2 fields and finally end in a triple junction of village roads. Here the right road descents towards Xorychti that is fairly close, while the left roads goes uphill and meets in a higher location the trail coming from Kourventli-Agios Georgios and Hania. See the trail. We continue on the middle road and after a few meters, we have on our right the humble chapel of Agios Dimitrios.
We continue on the road for two hundred meters and on a left turn (caution) we leave it and go right, going slightly downhill on a path with kalderimi parts. Following the red marks and a north heading, after a while we face again the road that descents and find the remaining kalderimi slightly to the left. We pass through a kiosk and a water tank and afterwards the kalderimi that has a slight downhill incline goes to the main asphalt road. After 100 meters, watching our right side we find a narrow stone path that goes downhill towards the Milopotamos stream, where there’s always the old stone bridge with it characteristic arc standing proud against time abuse.
Without the weight of the loaded mules that once we continuously passing above it, it rests quite this old bridge keeping the memories of the time passed and having only the plane trees and the flowing waters as his only company. We, the visitors feel always welcomed to walk on its back wishing to stay there for many more centuries as a representation of human skill and craftsmanship.
After the bridge, we go uphill through kalderimi and end up in the main road where we walk for fifteen minutes to reach the Taxiarchon square of Tsagardada with its distinctive four-sided fountain.
Route data kindly provided by walking-pelion.blogspot.gr in association with Volos Alpine Club and The Friends of the Kalderimi of South Pelion.
