Note: All distances given (in metres) should be taken as approximate. The route described is liable to unpredictable change: for example, forestry work, road or track construction and plant growth may alter the route, or its appearance. Signposts may disappear or new ones appear. The Friends of Mount Athos strives to keep this description correct and up to date but cannot take responsibility for its accuracy.
| Abbreviations: |
L = Left; R = Right; KSO = Keep straight on;
FP = Footpath; K = Kalderimi (stone-paved FP or mule track) |
| Walk (m) | And then . . . | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Leave Pantokrator Monastery by main gate (facing the kiosk). Turn immediately R and R again following K road. | |
| 40 | Ignore L turn (down to harbour); KSO on level kalderimi road. | |
| 70 | Fork R off K onto non-K road just after building on R. | |
| 100 | Ignore road joining from back R. KSO, now on main road, initially with Monastery behind and soon with remains of aqueduct on R. Road makes a long curve to L until the Monastery is on L. | |
| 270 | Ignore road joining from back R, signed Vatopedi. Ignore track down to L. | |
| 200 | Where FP, signed Vatopedi, climbs steeply up bank to R, the two routes diverge. | |
| For more direct route via FP to Vatopedi: | ||
| Turn R off road, climbing steeply up bank onto rocky FP, continuing uphill across open hillside. | ||
| 350 | FP reaches trees, continuing uphill. Stretches of K appear. | |
| 700 | Ignore faint track to R (leading to road). FP continues through trees, climbing initially but later flattens out. | |
| 600 | Pass remains of circular building (possible cell) beside FP on R. Note: May be difficult to spot. |
|
| 600 | At junction with FP joining from L, turn hard L onto FP, uphill. (Straight on continues to Vatopedi.) | |
| 350 | FP emerges at rocky track, roughly at crest of ridge. Cross track to pick up FP on further side, now descending. | |
| 300 | FP descends to join another FP from below L. This is the FP from the
Skete of Profitis Ilias to Bogoroditsa and is
where the two routes recombine. Bear R and continue at 'Combined Route' below. |
|
| For longer route via FP from Skete of Profitis Ilias: | ||
| Ignore path steeply up R. KSO on main road, ignoring any further tracks to L. | ||
| 200 | At fork, bear R, uphill still on main road. (L descends to Pantokrator Arsenas and cultivated land.) | |
| 900 | Road descends and bears L to cross river. At bend, fork R onto track which climbs R side of valley. | |
| 1050 | FP from the Skete of Profitis Ilias joins track coming up bank from L. KSO.
Note: FP joining from L may be difficult to spot. |
|
| 55 | Turn R off track onto FP, uphill, signed Bogoroditsa. This soon becomes fine K. | |
| 650 | Pass rocky viewpoint back across valley to Skete of Profitis Ilias. | |
| 800 | After FP begins to level out, arrive at a junction with another FP joining from above R. This other FP connects with the FP between Vatopedi and Pantokrator, offering the most direct route back to Pantokrator. Here the two routes recombine. | |
| Combined Route: | ||
| At junction, KSO as FP curves L passing remains of water system/mill with Skete visible to L. | ||
| 200 | FP ends at track. Turn L onto track, downhill towards Skete.
(R along track leads to main Vatopedi - Karyes road.) |
|
| 90 | Arrive at the gate of Skete of Bogoroditsa. | |