up to the near-deserted village of Pangráti, and contour round to Dhára (often written ‘Daras’), a bigger village with the luxury of an indulgent guesthouse, Arkhontikó Kordhopáti (www.arhontiko-kordopati.gr/en). The going is mostly stony, over kermes-oak-covered hillsides with the occasional grassy meadow.
The E4 trail from Tourládha climbs steeply over a 1000m saddle before descending messily to Krinófita in about 1hr 45min. Given today’s time constraints, we advise instead following the pleasant dirt road which starts about 1.5km below Tourládha, at a bend with a house, heading S past a concrete trough/spring (L).
You contour S, then SE for 3.5km (50min) to join the asphalt road just below Krinófita, and head up into the village (1hr). Follow the E4 signs past two simple cafés to the highest houses and pick up a track (initially concreted) heading S. It climbs steadily past the chapel and vaulted spring of Panayía (L), after which you ignore a switchback L and continue straight along a smaller track (no sign) to a second chapel at a L bend (1hr 15min).
The E4 trail continues to the end of the track and along a stony path, climbing broadly east to cross a 1000m saddle and descend to Likoúria, then south-west to the Ládhonas springs (about 3hr 30min from the second chapel). Our more direct route rejoins the E4 just south of the Ládhonas springs in about 1hr 45min, but depends on a rickety bridge and some fiddly route-finding.
Turn R at the second chapel down a stony but clear path through Jerusalem sage bushes. After a few zigzags, it bears L (E) and then R (S) to pass below the ruined houses and porticoed chapel of Etiá (1hr 35min), where one shepherd still lives part-time with his 150 sheep and 6 dogs. Follow the fence down to the cypress trees (unreliable spring) and skirt the top of the walnut grove, following the most trodden of the many sheep trails climbing gently SW. At 2hr you crest the grassy saddle of Grávari (640m). This is idyllic in spring, with bright pink pyramid orchids, purple vetch, diligent stag beetles and shiny green rose chafers.
Behind the southernmost of three stone ruins, pick up a jeep track wiggling gently and then more steeply down to the S. After 15min you pass beneath a stone hut and then, where the track turns 90° R (W), continue straight on (S) on a tiny jeep track, past an oak tree and then a seasonal pond (R). There is no clear trail, but stay on the same bearing (210°), climbing very gently and ignoring any red dots to your R.
The path, becoming clearer, threads between kermes oak trees, descends slightly, levels out, then climbs again to cross a rocky spur (2hr 40min) above a very ruined stone hut. Here, turn R down the spur and make your way past an old threshing floor to what looks from here like a large white balcony – the monument of Khelonospiliá (2hr 45min).
When you reach the Khelonospiliá monument, you’ll see the arresting statue of a woman with broken chains and a sword pointing defiantly skywards, in commemoration of the first anti-Ottoman liberation battles in 1821.
Khelonospiliá monument
A few paces down the road, fork L down a stepped, white-edged path to the asphalt Likoúria road. Follow this L (E) for about 250 metres to a stone sheepfold on the L. Opposite this, turn R on a small path heading 190°, which after a few minutes bears L, to find a rickety wooden and metal bridge across the fledgling, gin-clear Ládhonas river (E00338367 / N04188568; 3hr). Electric-blue and green dragonflies abound here in spring; you may also spot turtles if you’re lucky.
This is where the route briefly becomes tricky; it may be worth scouting ahead. Turn L along the bank for 2–3min, then bear R (120°) towards the end pair of a row of poplars, on a faint path which continues past a twin-trunked poplar and, curving R, through a muddy cow path into a field. Here, continue 150° towards the lowest part of the cliff, across a trailless field (you may want long trousers), before bearing R to hit a good jeep track (3hr 15min).
Follow this L (E), ignoring a small fork L, and climbing gently through meadows with sparse oak and hawthorn trees. The track swings L until, bearing almost N, you reach a level meadow and join the E4 (post on L; 3hr 40min). Here, turn 90° R (SE) for a few minutes, crossing terraced fields and passing E4 plaques on spiny trees; then step up L into the oak woods. Keeping your eyes peeled for faded red ribbons hanging from branches, follow the increasingly clear and part-shaded path steadily uphill (210°). At a gully (4hr 20min), pick up a jeep track climbing R (NW). After 5min, turn L along a more level track (E4). At the top (4hr 35min), turn L into the village of Pangráti.
Follow the main road up past the playground (water tap by seesaw) and the now-closed hostel. After a couple of minutes, fork R (E4); the lane levels out. At a hairpin bend, keep straight, taking the uppermost of two tracks and climbing steadily SW on a good path to the 870m saddle (4hr 50min). You can see the forested bulk of Mt Ménalo spread out to the south.
Here, the path turns SE, descending steadily over stony ground. After 7min, you descend to cross a streambed and clamber up a few paces before resuming SE on a gentle ascent. About 20min later, you round a barren spur – keep looking for the old path’s border stones (don’t descend). After a further 20min, you descend to join a farm track (5hr 40min).
Turn L into the village of Dhára; for Arkhontikó Kordhopáti guesthouse, 100 metres before the big church, turn R down a small lane and it is on your L (6hr).
Dhára village
STAGE 5
Nimfasía (920m) to Vitína (1030m) via Kernítsa convent (850m)
| Start point | Nimfasía |
| Distance | 7km |
| Difficulty | 1 |
| Walking time | 2hr 50min |
| Height gain | 350m |
| Height loss | 240m |
| Waymarks | Green squares (Nimfasía–Kernítsa and Tzavárena–Vitína) |
The E4 route from Dhára to Nimfasía follows a road (much of it paved), which is flat, rather featureless and hot in summer. We therefore suggest taking a taxi for the 20km to Nimfasía – book it in advance, as there is only one in Dhára (Spílios, mob 694-4276544, no English spoken).
From Nimfasía, we’ve found a short but lovely and varied route, looping anticlockwise, to Vitína. It takes in the wild gorge and hilltop convent of Kernítsa (Kernítsis), an old stone bridge over a verdant valley (swimmable river pools until the end of May), and a dramatic limestone cleft. The first and last sections follow the green-waymarked Ménalon Trail (http://menalontrail.eu); try to get a copy of the 1:25,000 map produced by Lyhnia (www.lyhnia.com), although it – like the route itself – may be hard to locate as time goes on.
Vitína is a surprisingly large mountain village, bustling in summer and cool all year round, with shops, tavernas, guesthouses and even a boutique hotel. Athenians love coming here for snowy winter weekends. You could take the taxi all the way to Vitína, find a hotel and drop your bags, then walk the E4 trail back (north) to Nimfasía (3km/40min) to pick up our route.
