Salakos to Kalavarda
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Wednesday 1 March 2023
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Salakos to Kalavarda Beach
A straight forward walk along well defined tracks from Salakos to the coast at Kalavarda
A walk through the hills from Salakos to Kalavarda village and onto the beach. This is over a 10km hike in one direction but the views are amazing and the terrain is more rolling than climbing.
Salakos to Kalavarda Beach - Essential Information
Walk Statistics (calculated from GPX):
- Start location: Salakos
- Distance: km ( miles)
- Total Gain: metre ( ft)
- Total Descent: metre ( ft)
- Min Height: metre ( ft)
- Max Height: metre ( ft)
- Walk Time:
- Walk Grade: Moderate
- Terrain: Footpath, Track
Maps:
The following maps and services can assist in navigating this route. There are links to printed maps and links to downloadable GPX route data for importing into navigational software and apps.
- GPX Route File
Route Verification Details
- Date of Walk: 03/10/2022
- Walk Time: 08:00:00 to 16:00:00
- Walkers: Griff, Kat
- Weather Conditions: War sunny bljue skies that became hot in the afternoon
Walk Notes
It has to be said at the outset that this is just over 10km one way, that is over 20km to do the return journey, or 12.5 miles in British money. It may not sound a huge distance but in the Rhodian heat it can be telling. Take plenty of water and, if you can, add a hint of cordial to make it more palatable once it inevitably warms up along the route. A handy hint here is to place the water bottles in the freezer overnight to keep them cooler for longer on the expedition.
A note about public transport for those thinking of using a bus one way. There is a very limited bus service between the two villages and certainly during the time we were here, October 2022, there was only two journeys each day which essentially seemed to be a school bus to Rhodes and its return journey to Salakos in the late afternoon.
We had planned to walk both outward and return journeys from the outset having researched the limited availability of public transport. To any seasoned walker this distance does not seem that daunting. Having said this, returning in the heat of the afternoon was telling and several rest stops to swig the warm water had to be made. Luckily at the Salakos end there is some woodland that provides welcome shade.
The route is well defined throughout, a broad dirt track that is easy to navigate. The only caution is where the route switches tracks which is easy to miss. On our expedition we initially missed the turn both going out and returning, although the GPS navigation soon put us right. It has to be said that there is the possibility of creating a circular walk using the alternative track but this would add to the distance and when planning these walks we always use caution in unfamiliar surroundings. If we undertook this walk again then the circular route would definitely be something to consider. This alternative return route can be accessed on the coastal road just beyond the Kalavarda beach road.
The Expedition to Kalavarda
We started out around 8am to take advantage of the cool of the morning with a brief stop at the Salakos bakery for some breakfast. The outwards route follows the tracks down to the bottom of the Butterfly River valley from where there is an easy wander through the flat area on the map marked as Φώτη Λιβαδι
which seems to translate as Foti Meadows. It should be noted that the GPX route available here uses a footpath on the second bend of the road out of Salakos which provides a less intense descent down to the river that that described in the Butterfly River Valley Walk, but either access to the river va;;ey can be used.
Looking back towards Salakos from the meadows provides pleasing views of the forested hills around Profitis Illias, the peak being easily made out by the communication masts that stand upon its summit. The village of Salakos can be seen nestling in the foothills, and just behind this, a long angled line rises straight up the mountain. The line can clearly be picked out on satellite images where it is seen as one of a number of broad long clearings in the trees down the mountainside. I would suspect that this is some kind of fire break but this is pure speculation on my part.
It is a magnificent sight and images do not do the view justice. We were continually stopping to look back and admire this in the morning sunshine where the numerous areas of shade brought out the vivid contours of the hills. Returning later that afternoon the sunlight cast a different scene which was just as amazing.
The route crosses over the Dimilia road and then heads for the next range of hills, far smaller than those that tower above Salakos. These hills also have clusters of woodland, their shade a blessing for both the outward and return journeys, providing relief from the intense sun.
It is part way through this woodland where the tracks separate and we need to take the left side of the first fork, then some 150m onwards take the right at the next junction. It is easy to miss this and keep heading to the right at the first forked junction as that appears to be the most obvious way ahead. Similarly on return, it is easy to miss these turnings and I would advise the use of a gps based mobile tracking app to be used to avoid confusion. (see Maps and Navigation page)
From this point onwards the tracks have a hard greyish white surface that makes a distinctive contrast from the hardy vegetation that covers the hills. Once out of the woodland one easily can pick out the track for miles ahead as it snakes across the rolling landscape, now devoid of all but the most hardy shrubs and herbs. I am no geologist so cannot be certain of this, but I suspect this surface is of limestone, the low level hills vegetation worn away from coastal winds and the woodland, being on the leeward side, shaded from the severity of the prevalent weather. Another guess and speculation on my part.
The way ahead makes for fairly easy walking. The route generally follows the 150m contour although there are plenty of dips and climbs in doing so. The high ground provides some great panoramic views of the surrounding area and not a soul in sight other than the obligatory goats that roam this landscape. It is not until the final peak of a hill is crossed that the track starts to descend to Kalavarda that the Aegean sea can clearly be seen, with the mountains of Turkey providing a distant backdrop. The deep aqua marine blue of the waters make a distinct contrast against the white of the track and the darkened hues of the vegetation. Once that sea is in sight one knows that the end of this leg of the journey is near, and this view is the best welcome any traveller can be rewarded with when entering the village.
The descent down into Kalavarda is fairly steep in places and although it may seem daunting to return this way, the ascent over the same track is not too bad. I would say going down is worse than climbing up, but that is a generalisation that is true of any hill walking in my opinion. The track turns to a paved road as it enters the village, soon leading to the village square which is bordered by a taverna on either side, the village shop and a fountain of running water that is most likely supplied by a local spring.
We arrived at the square at 11am and only the shop was open with hardly a soul about. Therefore, it seemed a good policy to carry on and find the beach. This was only to sightsee as we had no intention of lazing in the sun. This would provide a little bit of time wasting until the village tavernas would be open for lunch. A great plan in all respects.
The walk to the beach is fairly non-descript in comparison of the hike across the hills. It is some 1.5km from the village square, along the main coast road then down a smaller road that leads directly to the beach itself. The scenery is of broad flat agricultural fields. A Rhodian scene that is somewhat unexpected, fields full of freshly baled hay, grapes drying on their vines, presumably to be used as raisins.
The beach presents itself at the end of the road which terminates on the sand. At the border of the sand is a line of trees stretching in both directions. There are some wooden benches but no sunbeds and the beach is devoid of people. The sand is mostly coarse with some pebbles. A strong breeze was whipping up a choppy sea making some good surfing waves. A sight of crashing waves is always captivating. It was certainly not a day for lying on the beach and relaxing or reading a book, the pages would be flying in all directions in such a wind and is probably the reason for the lack of tourists. A rocky quay juts out into the waters providing shelter for various small craft. This quay is located at the tip of a the small promontory that makes up the beach which is no more than 200m in length, beyond which is a rocky coastline in both directions. A few large rocks lay sunken in the sand covered in wet seaweed with the tide occasionally cascading over them. The beach is such a contrast to the beaches of the eastern side of the island which are more sheltered and cordial to the sun dweller, but we tend to like the wildness of beaches such as this.
From various online sources it appears this beach is very popular with kite surfers which makes me think there are constant breezes to be had here. Whilst admiring the scenery, a lone kite surfer practised his pastime. A view that the eye couldn't help but follow. He drifted high up into the air and descended back down to the waters, over and over again.
A large taverna is located above the beach called the Kalavarda Sea House, an inviting prospect but it was not yet open and the lure of a traditional village taverna was more tempting. Therefore, after snapping photos, taking in the sea air and feeling we had achieved the days objective we slowly made our way back to the village.
Kalavarda village Square, like most Greek village square is a tranquil place where there is nothing better to do other than watch life go by. To one side of the square is a large tree and just behind it rests a stone bust atop an inscribed plinth. An inscription upon it is in upper case Greek letters with no English translation. This inscription even confuses translation apps as the character sigma (Σ) used here is the simplified version known as lunate sigma, which is a C shape that is widely used in decorative typefaces, especially in religious texts. The bust itself depicts a bearded figure with headgear and cross on a chain around his neck. Medals adorn the left hand side of his chest. Clearly, this depicts a religious figure, but who?
After some research we find that this is a monument is a dedication to the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Panormitis, Archimandrite Chrysanthos Maroulakis, who was born in Kalavarda and ended up being executed by the German army on February 11th 1944 on the island of Symi on charges of espionage. It is worth taking some time to understand this tragic piece of WWII history as there is little information on English websites and therefore we need to consult Greek language sites to get the full story.
We shall refer to the Abbott by his Christian name of Chrysanthos throughout. Chrysanthos was born in Kalavarda in 1890, and during his youth he departed to join the Monastery of Panormitis on the island of Symi. By the time he was 36, he became the Abbot of the Monastery and remained so up until his premature death.
Now we should set the stage for this tale that was played out during the latter stages of WWII. At the time the Italians held the Dodecanese islands, having taken them during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911. Winston Churchill, the British prime minister had expressed his desire for the Allied forces to capture the Dodecanese islands in order to create bases from where they could launch attacks against the German occupied Balkan states. However, the Americans were sceptical of such an operation and pulled out to leave the British to go it alone.
During this time many of the Italian forces had become disillusioned with their leader, Mussolini, and wanted to either change sides and fight with the Allies or go home. This wasn't a complete turnaround, however, as there were still many fascist Italians loyal to their leader and who would continue to fight alongside their German counterparts. Nonetheless the British managed to agree an Armistice between the British and Italians on 8th September 1943 with the expectation that the British forces would subsequently take the Dodecanese islands. Unfortunately a swift retaliation was mounted by the German forces whose offensive resulted in the taking, among others, the islands of Rhodes and Symi. The British forces were forced to retreat to the Turkish mainland, Turkey then being neutral in the war, where they regrouped and immediately set about plans to retake the islands.
As part of the plan, an intelligence operation was set up on the island of Symi when a Greek army radio operator landed on the island on 10th October 1943 under the pretence of being the nephew of the Abbott, our hero in this tale, Chrysanthos Maroulakis. Radio equipment was discreetly installed within the monastery, and, with the assistance of engineer Georgios Hatjistavrios, an espionage operation was put in place. To allay any suspicion with the Germans, Chrysanthos treated the visiting officers with dignity and hospitality, regularly providing them with meals. This hospitality was so convincing that many of his Greek counterparts thought he was betraying them, but all the time this was a ploy to garner information and inform the Allied forces who were ready to pounce on the intelligence received.
This information soon gave rich rewards when information about a German guard boat leaving the island early one morning was radioed to the Allies. The boat successfully launched but was soon taken out by a British submarine. Another leaked piece of information revealed a secret mission by the Italians, who were now once again allied with the Germans, and were due to dock a boat at the Symi port of Gialos. Once again, the boat was pursued by the British and sunk. Later, the monastery's Italian guards attempted to discover what had happened to the boat when it had not arrived and they themselves were gunned down by British commandos.
It wasn't long before the Germans became suspicious of Chrysanthos leaking information and they set up a trap to substantiate their suspicions. The plan was for two Italian fascists to convince Chrysanthos that they wanted to swap sides. They needed a written and signed recommendation to present to the Allied forces that they were swapping sides under their own volition. Chrysanthos at first refused but constant begging resulted in him writing the signed document. The Italian miscreants then made it look real by slipping off the island in a fishing boat in the dead of night, but obviously this was all part of the German plan.
In the subsequent days the German officers had pretended that all was still well in their relationship with Chrysanthos and nothing was said to spark any alarm. It was well known at the time that the island was short of food and when a German officer made an offer to supply Chrysanthos with more food in return for the hospitality he had given them, Chrysanthos requested to be supplied with potatoes. In order for this favour to be performed, the Germans required a written direction that needed his signature. Not suspecting it was a trap, Chrysanthos signed the document which matched the signature on the recommendation to the Allies which the Germans had already retrieved. They had their evidence that the Chrysanthos was in collusion with the allies and the plan had worked, thus sealing the Abbotts fate.
On 11th February 1944, at some time around 08:00 a guard of six Italian soldiers escorted Chrysanthos, a 19 year old monk named Michael Lambrou who was forced to confess, and the monastery steward Floros Zouganellis out of the monastery under charges of espionage. They took the track up the hill away from the monastery with the intention of heading to the town of Symi on the north side of the island. As they went, the soldiers inflicted a barrage of verbal abuse and physical beatings upon their prisoners. This carried on until they reached a ridge on the Kourkouniotis mountain where a scuffle erupted between the captors and their guard but this was soon quelled. A little further on they stopped for a rest. This would have been a tiring journey which starts at sea level and ascends to over 500m as the route passes over the central mountains of the island, so one can understand why the soldiers would need a rest. At that point, whilst the soldiers were off guard lighting up cigarettes, the captors manage to grab an automatic rifle but could not unlock its mechanism and before they knew it a grenade was thrown at which stunned them to the ground. As they got back to their feet the soldiers let rip with automatic fire of their rifles, cutting them to the ground, and leaving their bodies there.
After the war the bones of the victims were removed from the mountainside to be given an honourable place in the monastery.
It is a moving story and the Greek websites reveal a fully detailed account if the reader is interested. These can be found on Panormitis Website where google can translate the words to English.
Back to the village square
We sat under tree that by the monument for some time, well past midday, but neither of the tavernas looked like they were going to open. Eventually we popped into the shop, and the little old lady serving attempted to answer our questions which, with bits of English and bits of Greek, soon came to the conclusion that the tavernas were only open in the evening. A most unfortunate scenario, probably because October was considered to be out of the tourist season. We therefore stocked up on snacks and Greek biscuits and ice cold lemonade which we then consumed under the shade of the tree.
As we sat their taking in the village life it was obvious that the fountain opposite was a local source of water used by all the locals. People came with all sorts of containers to fill up from the ever flowing water. Simple half litre plastic drink bottles. Large two litre bottles. Huge plastic barrels that sat between the legs on moped riders. Cars whose passengers would alight with a varying array of containers. Everyone seemed to treat this as a primary water source. Either there was no mains water or this water was too good to be without. Therefore, before we departed, we restocked our water bottles with this fresh cool spring water ready for the return journey.
As stated at the start of this travelogue, the return is a retrace of steps back to Salakos, therefore I end this accoiunt with some images to whet your appetite to try this adventure for yourselves..
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Last Updated: 2023-03-01
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