Ikaria Island Explore and Experience Second Edition

Home , Agios Kirykos, Icaria, Karavostamo

A Travel and Walking Guide with maps by Charlene Caprio & Lefteris Tsouris

Includes Fournoi Islands Ikaria Island Explore and Experience

A Travel and Walking Guide with maps by Charlene Caprio and Lefteris Tsouris

Second Edition

Published by: Authors: Charlene Caprio and Lefteris Tsouris Wooden Hull Press 2019 Editors: Peter Wan, Selene Hellström, Katherine Tsantiris © Wooden Hull Press Cover photo: Lefteris Tsouris © Peter Wan (Indicated photos) Photos: Lefteris Tsouris, Charlene Caprio, and Peter Wan

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this Book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and/or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing, by the publisher with consent by both authors, or for a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Requests for permission should be addressed to: [email protected].

Wooden Hull Press ISBN 978-0-578-40406-6 34 Woodland Street Printed in Greece New Haven, CT 06511 USA [email protected] Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...... 8 PART I: BRIEF HISTORY OF IKARIA ...... 13 From Myth to Reality: Do not y too close to the Sun ...... 13 History up to the Present ...... 14 Ikaria’s Museums...... 19 PART II: PLANNING YOUR VISIT ...... 21 When to Visit...... 21 Getting to Ikaria ...... 22 What to Bring ...... 23 Where to Stay...... 24 How to Get Around ...... 26 Visas and Money ...... 27 Spotlight: The Ikarian Road Network Paradox ...... 28 PART III: IKARIAN LIFE, FOOD AND FUN...... 30 The Ikarian Way ...... 30 Ikarian Food ...... 31 Local Ikarian Products...... 35 Religion, Churches and Monasteries ...... 37 Spotlight: Ikaria’s Festivals (Panigiria) ...... 38 Spotlight: Ikaria’s Thermal Hot Springs ...... 39 PART IV: IKARIA’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ...... 41 Ecosystems and Microclimates ...... 41 Ikaria’s Geology ...... 42 Ikaria’s Flora ...... 42 Ikaria’s Fauna ...... 43 Life in the Seas...... 44 The Ikarian Sky...... 45 Environmental Protection ...... 45 PART V: IKARIA’S FOOTPATHS - 10 SELECTED ROUTES ...... 48 Preparing for the Walks...... 48 Hikers’ Code of Ethics ...... 50 Maps Legend and Notes ...... 51 THE ROUTES ...... 53 1. Chalari River Canyon (Christos - Nas) Walk ...... 53 2. The Spanaioi Watermill Walk with additional Walk to a Reservoir and Monastery of Mounte ...... 57 3. Pezi, Ryaka Waterfall and Selini Pond Walk ...... 60 4. Ranti Forest and Cave Walk...... 64 5. Koskinas Castle and Mt. Atheras Cli Walk ...... 68 6. Exploring Arethousa and Karavostamo ...... 72 7. Ikaria’s Western Edge and Remote Villages ...... 76 8. Ikaria’s Eastern Edge - Drakano Tower, Agios Georgios, and the WWII Bunker ...... 81 9. Ikaria’s Eastern Edge - Agia Kyriaki Hot Spring / Iero Beach...... 83 10. Ksylosyrtis (Papas) Watermill and Lefkada Hot Spring...... 86 Advertisement section...... 89 FOURNOI ISLANDS ...... 94 Fournoi Islands - A walking Route ...... 95

3 1

4-5

3 Thessaloniki

TURKEY

GREECE Lesvos

Chios Izmir Athens Ikaria

Rhodes

Creta About this Guide

INTRODUCTION

Ikaria Island, also spelled ‘Icaria’ (Gr.: Iκαρία), located in Greece’s Eastern Aegean region, is a world of its own. Craggy mountains reach across its elongated spine, giving Ikaria the shape of a stretched out peanut. This rela�vely small island boasts a complex topography of high ridgelines, steep slopes, plateaus, valleys, waterfalls, canyons, rivers, ponds, sandy and rocky beaches and other natural wonders. But Ikaria has remained largely a secret. Not much can be descried when gazing up from Ikaria’s shores. For centuries Ikaria’s popula�on lived deep in the mountains, carving out homes in sca�ered hamlets, o�en to hide from pirates and other invaders. As centuries progressed, Ikaria stayed rela�vely isolated due to its lack of natural harbors and its rugged terrain. In turn, Ikaria’s natural environment flourished with rela�vely li�le interference. Today, Ikaria is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna (including some rare and endangered species), spreading over a drama�c landscape of microclimates. Hot and sunny summers give way to cold, rainy winters, suppor�ng plush vegeta�on and rich seasonal varie�es. Many flowers (orchids, larkspurs, cyclamen, oleanders, bell flowers, etc.) grow wild on the island. Ikaria’s local popula�on, depending largely on subsistence farming, communal �es and stout individualism, has adapted to the island’s condi�ons with pride. It isn’t a surprise that Ikaria’s secrets are now being discovered. Locals celebrate their 100th birthday more frequently than in most places in the world, and people want to know why. Ikaria indeed has secrets on how to live long with a simplicity that surmounts any wealth. However, they are s�ll secrets only because not many people experience Ikaria the way that Ikarians do. We believe that the best way to understand Ikaria is by exploring the island’s footpaths, called ‘monopatia’ (Gr.: μονοπάτια). Spanning over 150km in a configura�on akin to a giant spider web over the island, Ikaria’s footpaths evolved over hundreds of years. Many of them connect remote villages with rivers, watermills, forests, mountain peaks, sea areas, more natural elements and other villages. The footpaths also reach areas inaccessible by vehicles and traverse the mountains’ inner folds. By exploring the footpaths, you will start to discover Ikaria‘s unique environment and culture. You will witness locals going about their daily lives, gathering herbs, farming, shepherding, conversing at cafes, and maybe even slaughtering a goat over a tree stump. You will smell Ikaria’s air scented with fruits, spices and flowers. You will hear kids (baby goats) hurrying through the woods, honeybees buzzing around thyme bushes and rivers flowing down valleys. You will feel Ikaria’s winds, mists and shrubs wrap around your body and the climate of dry, rocky plateaus. You may also encounter abandoned villages and ‘an�-pirate’ houses. You will undoubtedly taste local food and dine alongside Ikarians.

8 About this Guide

Please also be prepared for the unexpected. Ikaria’s terrain and weather are full of contradic�ons. Condi�ons can change quickly from dry to rainy, windy to s�ll, flat to steep, and hot to cold. Mists can envelop cliffs and forests in a ma�er of minutes. Winds can ra�le your legs. But you will probably sense an astounding harmony in all of Ikaria’s contradic�ons, celebra�ng the island’s unique, renegade spirit. In Part V of this Guide, we highlight ten recommended routes for your explora- �on. They follow footpaths and also lead to other a�rac�ons. The routes range from easy to difficult, though most routes are suitable for visitors in good walking condi- �on. Bear in mind that Ikaria’s footpaths mark the original network of communica- �on across the island. Thus, footpaths have been used by locals throughout centuries. Nevertheless, the condi�ons are probably not what you are used to, no ma�er where you have walked before. Follow the guidance in Parts II and V of this Guide on how to prepare and what to expect while walking on Ikaria. . Borrowing words from an Ikarian farmer: Ikaria is very generous; it offers its nature for exploring, clean air for breathing, trees for shade and plants for food. Ikaria gives a lot to visitors without asking much in return. Thus, in exchange for all that you will experience and learn on Ikaria, we ask from you just one thing: kindly respect Ikaria by following the Hiker’s Code of Ethics in Part V. Please be gentle to this island that has survived in its rudimentary form for thousands of years. Experi- ence Ikaria, but help keep it the special place that it is.

Sincerely,

Charlene Caprio Le�eris Tsouris

Don’t be surprised if you encounter raised eyebrows when you say that you have chosen Ikaria as your des�na�on. Greeks will want to know if you made a mistake; or, if you are as wise as the choice conveys. We believe (by seeing it happen) that what you experience on Ikaria may change the way that you think about life, nature and the world around you. A wonderful rejuvena�on of life o�en happens to people who take �me to understand Ikaria.

9 Part I

The Greek Crisis, Creativity and Cultivation

In August 2018 Greece officially emerged from a devasta�ng economic crisis that lasted almost a decade and involved mul�ple bailout programs. Millions of Greeks s�ll struggle today to make ends meet with lower wages, smaller pensions and higher taxes. Ikarians also felt the crisis, but their subsistence way of living has some advantages. Ikaria is not a place where one needs a lot of money to live. Mountain stamina and community sharing hold more value. Small-scale farming is common. Much of Ikaria’s infrastructure remains poor, makeshi�, incomplete and undevel- oped. And in winter locals huddle around fireplaces to save on fuel costs. But even without a crisis, Ikarians would keep to their own ways of doing things. . . Out of the crisis also came crea�vity and cul�va�on. Ikarians opened shops, cul�vated fields and found innova�ve ways to share their food and culture with visitors. The island has many ac�vi�es to explore. There are yoga and medita�on centers, surfing, bouldering, horseback riding, ceramics and jewelry making, scuba diving and live music performances. You can also visit honey shops, wineries and a microbrewery. A theater group called Aegean Theatrical Exodus is located in Armenis�s, with a stunning theater made of stone overlooking the sea. . . Ikaria also con�nues to a�ract visitors as a place of wonder and longevity. Local centenarians are being interviewed by people from all over the world, in hopes of discovering what keeps them �cking. Indeed, Ikaria’s mountain culture (and low-stress lifestyle) does many things right. During these complex �mes, not only in Greece but all over the world, Ikaria offers alterna�ve ways of thinking about economic rela�on- ships and also human ones. At the center of Ikaria’s secrets may be the harmony Ikarians created and con�nue to cul�vate with the island’s natural environment.

11: Local sweets made by local ingredients in local facilities

18 Part II

Spotlight: The Ikarian Road Network Paradox

Ikarian roads are a messy paradox. Some s�ll look to be an experiment. You will quickly no�ce their rudimentary state, and how they are shared with trucks, farming vehicles, carts, scooters and goats. At �mes traffic slows down to a halt to share a lane with oncoming traffic or livestock. Also, roads twist into the mountains without guardrails and test the nerves of ver�go-prone passengers. There are no traffic lights on the island. It is Ikarian e�que�e to let other vehicles, carts and goats pass first. The mountainous terrain is prone to landslides and erosion. A landslide has blocked the main road from Karkinagri to Maggani�s for years now, and locals don’t seem to be crying over the hassle this causes for travel �me. During fall and winter, mists and storms can decrease visibility. Check the weather beforehand and gauge any fast-moving clouds; try not to get caught in dangerous driving condi�ons. If you see a petrol sta�on, fill up! They are sparsely situated around the island and may be open at inconvenient �mes for your schedule. Check the Ikaria map on pages 6-7 and make note of the petrol sta�ons. Road signs indicate names of villages (in Greek) and the number of kilometers to them. Please drive slowly and s�ck to the primary roads colored red and thick orange on the maps in this Guide. A wrong road can also lead 21: A typical Ikarian road you astray for hours, and might splinter off to impenetrable chunks of earth. If you do venture onto the secondary road network (colored in thin orange and white on the maps), be prepared for a scary, bumpy journey. On the secondary roads, you will no�ce rough patches of concrete because locals just fix things up themselves. Also, curves in the roads o�en get re-blasted a�er the winter. Fallen boulders and loose rocks can scrape the bo�om of your car and cause shaking or �re punctures. At any �me, if a road feels too steep or unsafe for driving, or a large cliff beside the road is making you dizzy, find a place to stop, park, con�nue on foot, or turn around and accept that nature dictates the condi�ons on Ikaria.

22: Road construction close to Proespera

28 Part IV PART IV: IKARIA’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Ikaria’s natural environment is being praised interna�onally for good reason. This rela�vely small island is home to an incredible amount of biodiversity and microclimates, rare and endangered species, and astounding topography. A complete overview of Ikaria’s natural environment is beyond our short Guide. However, the informa�on below will help guide you, poin�ng out important species to take note of, and references to routes in Part V, as you explore Ikaria’s natural wealth.

Ecosystems and Microclimates

On Ikaria you can ﬁnd a variety of beaches, rocky inlets, wetlands, dunes, fresh- water ponds, rivers, canyons, slopes, forests, peaks and plateaus, ridgelines, cliﬀs, and other natural features. Rich varia�ons are tucked into the folds of Ikaria’s eleva- �on changes. Craggy mountains dominate the island’s east-to-west orienta�on. The Mt. Atheras ridgeline and Mt. Melissa at the western side together bend Ikaria into northern and southern halves angling down to the sea. .

Quickly altering in terrain, eleva�on and microclimates, and further changing with the seasons, Ikaria’s environment essen�ally oﬀers a life�me course in natural discovery.

Ikaria’s anima can best be described by its weather. The Greek gods could not conjure up more capricious and crazy condi�ons. Diﬀerences in air temperatures (from sea level to the ridgelines) generate fast moving clouds, thick mists and intense storms (especially in winter). The meltemi winds turn Ikaria’s seas choppy (late summer and winter) and push forward surﬁng waves. Rainfalls (during late fall and winter) create waterfalls, fresh water ecosystems and plush vegeta�on – much more than what would be expected on a 41: Meltemi winds pushing waves toward Ikaria Greek island. Winter storms are intense and o�en take down trees, as you will see if you explore Pezi’s mountain area. (See Route 3)

By the �me summer comes around, Ikaria relaxes under tranquil blue skies and an incredible abundance of sunshine. Summer visitors will experience none of the winter’s forces, though the eﬀects can be seen in the varie�es of vegeta�on, ﬂowing rivers and weather beaten terrain.

41 26°3'20"E 26°3'40"E 26°4'0"E 26°4'20"E 26°4'40"E N

1. CHALARI CANYON " To Armenistis 0 2 To Armenistis ' 3.5-4.5hrs 7 ° 3 7 6.1km 3

Nas Beach Nas 318 artemis tavropolos sanctuary N

0.9 " 0 ' N km 7 " ° 3 0 ' 7 7 3 ° 3 7 3

0.4

1km N " 0 4 N ' " 6 0 ° 3 4

' Ksinta 7 6 3 3 ° 7 3

26o04’37’’ E 0.5 37o36’24’’ N To Kato km Proespera Litani N " 0 2 N ' " 6 0 3 ° 2 '

Agios 7 6 3 ° 3 7

3 Dimitrios N

501 O

Y 26o04’38’’ E N km

o N

37 35’57’’ N " 0

A 1.4 ' N 6 " 3 ° 0 '

C 7 6 0.6km 3 ° 3

7 0.6km Christos 3 km

0.7

I R

A N

L " 0 4 N ' " A 5 0 ° 3 4 ' 7 5

H 3 ° 3 7 3 C Anemomylos 0 250 500 Meters Pourgezato

Scale 1:20.000 Pro tis Elias Raksounia N "

Ratsos Agia Marina 0 2 N ' " 5

0 A anes ° 3 2 ' 7

5 Winery 3 ° 3 7 3 26°3'20"E 26°3'40"E 26°4'0"E 26°4'20"E 26°4'40"E Part V

79: Just beyond this patch of Holm Oaks is the most western point of this trail

80: An o -peeling strawberry tree branch

66 Fournoi Islands Fournoi Islands - A Walking Route

Fournoi (also called “Fourni” and “Fournoi Korseon”) is an archipelago comprising of about 22 islands and islets. The three largest islands, Fournoi, Thymaina and Agios Minas are inhabited. The archipelago has an extremely large coastline compared to its land area, is rich in biodiversity, rare plant species, rep�les and amphibians, and is protected by Natura 2000 for species such as migra�ng falcons (Falco eleonorae; Falco naumanni), a shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan), gulls, and other species. . Fournoi’s history is full of pirate lore. The island was a depot for pirates during the Middle Ages. The archipelago’s total popula�on hovers around 1,500 with about 1,000 people living on Fournoi island. Many are fisherman, as indicated by all the small tradi�onal boats (Gr.:καϊκια) bobbing at port. Locals keep small gardens but don’t make a living by agriculture. Thyme honey, goat cheese and lobster spaghe� are favorites here. Tourism is a recent development. During siesta hours doors shut and the only sound to be heard is the koo-Kook-koo of the collared dove. . The archipelago is geologically remarkable along with some of the island names, such as Anthropofas, which means ‘man-eater’. Fournoi’s beaches offer tremendous variety. The must-see Petrokopio beach sparkles from white pebbles and an ancient quarry. Fournoi’s seas are home to protected sea turtles (Care�a care�a) and monk seals (Monachus monachus), as well as over fi�y shipwrecks that span from ancient to recent centuries. Archaeologists were s�ll diving in 2018; it may turn out to be the largest concentra�on of shipwrecks in the Mediterranean. . Stunning views from Fournoi’s ridgeline span across the archipelago and Aegean Sea. We have included this walking path excursion because the beauty is sublime.

111: The serene view from high above, at Agia Marina Planning your trip: Travel Fournoi by ferry from Agios Kirykos, Ikaria (1hr). Travel agencies are listed on page 27. Many hotel lis�ngs are online. Archipelagos Hotel is located at Fournoi’s main harbor: www.archipelagoshotel.gr. Clean basic studios are oﬀered by Studios ‘E�ichia’ at: www.studio-rena.com. For car/scooter rentals see Escape Car and Bike Rentals: www.fourni-rentals.com. Try to book your room and car/scooter in advance since there are limited rooms and vehicles on Fournoi. .

94 Fournoi Islands

113: View of Fournoi village from the walking path.

114: Traditional Fishing boats of Fournoi.

115: Pebbles and secluded bay of Petrokopio beach.