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. Bear R onto level track signed Karyes and Pantokrator. |
| 200 | Fork L off track onto FP, uphill, signed Karyes and Pantokrator. |
| 800 | FP emerges at track. Turn L along track. |
| 40 | At T-junction of track with road, KSO on FP which continues on far side of the road, signed Karyes and Pantokrator. |
| 1300 | Climb steeply up bank to road with installation with solar panels on R. KSO on FP which continues on far side of road. |
| 150 | FP emerges at main road. |
| 110 | Turn R, through white pole gate onto forest road, downhill. (Approx time to this point: 1½ hours.) |
| 750 | After bend to L, turn R onto level grassy track (signed). (Straight on leads to Pantokrator by road, rejoining at ‡ below.) |
| 250 | Track becomes FP. Pass stone fountain (dry) on R. |
| 1000 | At fork, bear L on main FP (R leads to sketes of Bogoroditsa and Profitis Ilias). |
| 600 | Pass remains of circular building (possible cell) beside FP on L. Note: May be difficult to spot. |
| 600 | KSO, ignoring faint level track to L. KSO downhill on remains of K. Fine views to Pantokrator, Stavronikita, Mount Athos and the coast. |
| 700 | FP emerges from trees and continues to descend across rocky hillside. |
| 350 | FP descends steeply onto main road with
Pantokrator ahead (care needed). Turn L
along road. Note: The historic route goes straight ahead here. To follow it, cross road and scramble down very steep bank to reach open area. Cross open area to pick up K track to R of building ahead and continue along K in direction of the Monastery, ignoring paths or tracks joining from L or R. |
| ‡ 200 | Ignore road joining from L. (This is the road from Vatopedi noted above.) KSO/R on 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. |