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 | Turn L out of Vatopedi Monastery entrance along paved road. |
| 50 | At fork with covered well on L, bear L along walled K (signed Karyes). |
| 100 | Where wall turns L, turn L following K (signed Karyes). |
| 150 | At junction, KSO up road. |
| 100 | At junction, bear L along road. Ignore track to R. |
| 70 | At major T junction at top of small rise, bear R, uphill on main road (not straight on/L, downhill). |
| 300 | Arrive at crossroads where main road bends L uphill and level track straight on/R is signed Karyes and Pantokrator. Ignore track ahead/R which leads to the FP to Karyes and Pantokrator by the higher route. Continue on main road, uphill. |
| 700 | Shortly before the main road bends sharply to the right, at the far
end of the wall of a bridge, turn L off road to descend steep bank onto
small FP below, marked with orange tape. Caution: Difficult to spot. Difficult descent. |
| The FP soon enters woodland. In places it meets or crosses other paths which are no longer in use. | |
| 900 | FP arrives at steep drop of about 2m, caused by earth movement. Take great care. This is followed by another rocky but less difficult descent before the path begins to climb. |
| 90 | Reach dramatic cliff-top viewpoint ahead over rocks to the sea. FP turns R and makes zig-zag descent before flattening out through trees. |
| 200 | FP emerges from trees to end at track. Turn R along track with sea on L. |
| 220 | At fork, bear R (L goes to kellion). After passing kellion on L, with Kolitsou tower now visible on ridge ahead, track starts to climb and curves R, inland. |
| 700 | At junction with larger track/road, turn L, downhill. (ahead/R,
uphill, leads to the main Vatopedi - Karyes road.) Note: To visit the Kolitsou tower, turn L about 30m before reaching this junction. Then retrace steps. |
| 250 | After passing kellion on L, turn hard L onto track opposite
abandoned kellion on R. Track passes below kellion
and then above a kellion with a small bell tower. Note: Remaining on the road leads to the Kellion of Agios Georgios and the grave of Elder Dionysios at Kolitsou. |
| 300 | Track from kellion joins through gate from back R. KSO on track. |
| 150 | At fork, bear R along track which narrows and descends towards shore. |
| 1000 | Track ends at open level grassy area. KSO across grassy area towards beach. |
| 60 | With sea ahead and small building to L, turn R along beach. |
| 60 | At partially ruined buildings (boathouses, etc), turn R between
buildings to pick up FP going inland. |
| 30 | At junction of FPs just above buildings, turn L onto FP which climbs
steeply, soon through trees. (The FP straight on leads in about 1200m
up to the Kellion of Agios Georgios at
Kolitsou.) |
| 150 | FP climbs bank to emerge at start of level grassy track. Turn L along
track which roughly follows the coastline, passing quarry after about
2000m. |
| [2500] | Track passes through pole gate to join road descending from back R.
Turn L along the road. (To the R this road eventually joins the main
Vatopedi - Karyes road at a white pole gate.) |
| [1500] | Road joins larger road at T-junction, with Pantokrator ahead. Turn L onto major road which curves round to R towards Monastery, passing aqueduct on L |
| 270 | At fork in road bear R, following direction indicated by arrow. |
| 100 | Road joins K road from back R. KSO/L along K. ignoring K tracks up to L and to R down to harbour. |
| 110 | Pass kiosk to arrive at Pantokrator Monastery entrance. |