UPDATES
The Booklet presently being sold is actually the 10th.2006 Edition, continuing in use because I had so many printed! Now it is retitled Edition 10a. via the stick-on label on the front cover. Thus it may not always relate strictly to the present Map which is a new one re-drawn in 2008. If in doubt, obviously the Map, being later, should prevail.
Changes since then have not, unfortunately, ceased – due in part to the active programme of building new villas and other visitor related developments.
Those that occurred between the date of the Booklet and that of the Map are, ion general, detailed on the Map. These notes cover the later occurances.
The following notes are presented, firstly with alterations affecting the Paths in their numbered order, and then with the more general alterations at specific Locations. Note: on some of the Inset Maps, the alterations to footpaths are shown in blue for clarity.
FOOTPATHS
FP3.On the return leg of this walk, the path branching R (west) up the narrow valley does, as I suspected, proceed to the villa just above the 50 contour line. From there you can follow their driveway to the boat-park. Whether this is ‘public’ or not, I am unsure.
FP4 Monodentri. The development here is hugely extensive and rather brash. Huge car-parks, loungers all along the beach which is divided into 3 ownerships, starting with GBV at the SE end. There are water sports and extensive terraced bars at the NW end. A central Restaurant belonging to Bastas, with umbrellas etc. all around it, functions as a large taverna. We understand coach-parties are encouraged!
The NW end is definitely the most well landscaped.
FP10b The dotted branches of this path system has been re-walked and some slight alignment differences have been noted. The attached map extract shows the revisions.
The northern branch, which connects to FP12, is considerably overgrown and prickly. Interestingly it crosses the stream-bed at what appears to be a winter-time spring where the watercourse starts. A sort of circle of paths is noted and this occupies a notable flat, almost circular, depression. Whether this is purely natural or has some historic or archaeological significance, remains to be discovered.
FP10c A large, flat-roofed, industrial-looking building has been sited N of this path about where the ‘k’ of Houdatika lies on the Map. The concrete roadway will, no doubt have been extended accordingly. This is reputed to be a (desalinated?) water Pumping Station. (Seems an odd siting) Pumps are usually best at ‘pushing’ water up-hill, not sucking it from below? Perhaps it’s a submersible pump down a borehole? In that case it won’t be desalinated.)
Also, below this path a considerable area of olives has been partly cleared for something – vineyards?
FP17 is very difficult and quite strenuous. Short but not for the faint-hearted!
On page 43 of the Booklet, discussing FP18d, reference is made to an old path linking V.Violetta to Vasilatika. Peter Greaves tried it last year (2008) but found it difficult. Kevin & I tried it in 2009 walking from NW to SE but it still has its problems – worse than 18d.
It strikes uphill R back on itself from the driveway just after and below house on R, seemingly after 1st. retaining wall and in banked verge before next wall and bend.
It then heads SE but is hard to follow, running unconvincingly along the olive terracing. It gets a bit clearer as one progresses, conforming with the Paxos Path syndrome of being faint at each end but clearer in the middle!
Stone steps come into view and one needs to climb the first set or two, but not all the way. If you get to the level of a sunken ruin with cupboard recesses (or bee boles?) you have gone too high. You need to turn left along a terrace where the faint path enters pines.
A (dry) watercourse is crossed. A house can be seen below L. Struggle-on and V.Dendrio will appear below L and then soon V.Violetta ahead R. Aim for the SW angle of their fence. Go L if you want to descend back to civilization by their drive, or keep R if you are brave enough to continue along 18d. To do this properly and arrive easily at the BLUE marked tree, you need to be up a terrace or two. Either way, head slightly E of S along the terracing.
At the blue marked tree (an essential waypoint) you enter the forest and the path is reasonably apparent. Keep L at the fork, cross the stream-bed and battle through some growth and you should emerge onto olive terracing above the house at the top of Aronatika steps on FP18c. You can go either above or below this house; below brings you onto the surfaced road, above onto the walled, stepped, path.
FP18. The house u/c in the quarry NW of Ypapaniti Cove now, in its half-finished state, has the appearance of a Greek Temple.
FP18a. Going SE from the Manor House Archway, if one ignores the green path going E down to cross the valley and then northwards towards Loggös, the orange track continues SE, merging later into a yellow one which I assumed to be a private driveway. Apparently this is really a public footpath which originally went right through to Mastorátika School. At the moment it is only passible as far as the second stream-bed crossing where it apparently dies out. If one battles-on, however, following a wall up-stream, one can, with difficulty, reach the Lime Kiln which Kevin discovered last year. A map extract shows the situation
Please check this page from time to time to get the latest updates and errata in the map book.