Monolithos to Siana
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Monday 6 November 2023
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Monolithos to Siana
A fairly simple walk along dirt tracks and paths between Monolithos and Siana
Siana (Σιάνα) has a lot to offer the visitor including the magnificent church of Saint Panteleimonas (Αγίου Παντελεήμονα) and a museum in the former church building. This walk provides a rural route that connects Monolithos to Siana to provide a full days walking and sightseeing.
Monolithos to Siana - Essential Information
Walk Statistics (calculated from GPX):
- Start location: Monolithos
- End location: Siana
- 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: 03/10/2023
- Walk Time: 09:30:00 to 16:00:00
- Walkers: Griff, Kat
- Weather Conditions: Blue skies and very warm
Walk Notes
Monolithos is a small village on the south west coast of Rhodes. It is a great place to stay for the tourist seeking the quieter side of the island and a perfect place to undertake walks from. This walk takes the rural tracks and paths from Monolithos to the village of Siana, a bit of a tourist hotspot but nonetheless well worth visiting.
In this specific instance we stayed at the Thomas Hotel and as such the GPX file that is provided starts from this position. The written directions (further down this page) detail the route from Christos Corner Taverna which is the prominent taverna on the sharp bend of the main road where it skirts around the eastern end of the village.
The walk is 6.8km (4.2 miles) in total but this is only one way. Unfortunately there is no public transport so a return route is required and this can be accommodated either by following the route in reverse or alternatively walking the road which is slightly shorter at 4.9 km (2.9 miles). The road is not particularly busy although the morning does seem to have a lot of tourist excursion coaches heading to Siana. On this specific day we walked the road during the mid afternoon and saw very little traffic. Although some may not like the idea of hiking a highway, it nonetheless offers a different perspective on the route with panoramic views across the valley, something which is generally missed when cruising in a vehicle.
The walk starts off with an easy ramble down to the valley below Monolithos village. The tracks are well defined and easy to follow although regular reference to the navigation app was required to confirm the way ahead when other tracks led away. Once the route has crossed the main road, the views get even better and we are presented with the broad fertile valley with the dominating Mount Attavyros, the tallest mountain on the island at 1215m, straight ahead and the second tallest mountain at 825m, Mount Akramýtis, over to the west providing a backdrop to the walk.
There is plenty of greenery with hardy shrubs, herbs and trees scattered throughout the lush valley. There are olive groves regimentally laid out on areas of flat land. Mastic trees are also a feature of this landscape, and this time of year, early autumn, they are laden with fruit; bunches of berries clustered together like grapes. This fruit is nothing like a grape though, and consists of flesh around a central stone, botanically known as a dupe, coloured red when growing then turning black when ripe. I am led to believe that the ripened fruits are edible but rarely consumed, their flavour being like a tart raisin. The resin from this evergreen shrub is used to flavour mastika, the sweet liqueur with a subtle flavour of pine or cedar that is a great after dinner tipple that aids digestion. The resin, when cooled becomes hardened and in this state is commonly used as a chewing gum. This practice is from where the word mastic is derived, the latin being masticare which means to chew
and it is the derivation of the English word masticate.
The route soon descends into the valley then rises to meet a surfaced road on which we soon find a small chapel dedicated to Saint George (Άγιος Γεώργιος). This chapel is typical of the rural shrines encountered in the Rhodes countryside, no larger than 10m by 5m, with a whitewashed exterior and pantile tiles across a curved roof. This chapel is placed on a raised platform above a courtyard bounded by a small wall. A spreading tree stands in one corner of the courtyard, its sprawling canopy providing a shady retreat from the heat of the day, and a place to sit and contemplate the beauty of the panorama beyond. Judging by the girth of the trunk and the condition of the bark this is a considerably old tree, and a reference found on facebook states that it is 800 years old which would place it sometime around the 13th century.
I can find little information about this chapel and although its pristine condition gives the impression of being a modern construction, experience tells us that many of these humble chapels can be centuries old. The interior is full of vivid coloured icons, with numerous depictions of St George aloft a white steed and clutching a spear that is being drawn down to the throat of a dragon below. The wooden iconostasis is beautifully carved full of intricate designs and integrates icons which are somewhat faded compared to those that fill the walls and ceiling. This workmanship does give the impression that this is a really old building and taking into account the ageing tree in the courtyard, my guess is that has been a place of worship for at least a few centuries.
We leave the chapel and bear left up a track up at the end of the surfaced road to ascend up to Siana. At first it is uncertain which track to take as there are two that briefly run parallel to each other. The correct route is soon determined, after wandering a short distance on the wrong route and seeing the gps navigation slightly diverging from the expected direction. This demonstrates the advantages of using such technology, and although we would have eventually noticed our mistake without it, it nonetheless saves us from going out of our way. The correct track quickly climbs the side of the valley with broader panoramas of the landscape to digest at each turn in the track. Like all ascents this is thirsty work, and although not a mountain climb it nonetheless necessitates copious swigs from the water bottles in the unusually warm October heat.
At the top of the hill the path passes into some woodland and some welcome shade. Along this stretch is a narrow terrace of cultivated land and the track descends below this although the descent has been somewhat washed away by winter rains which makes a clamber down to the lower level.
The path emerges onto a broad highway that curves its way down into the valley. This is the access road to the reservoir formed by the Apolakia dam, some 5km south as the crow flies from our present position. It is considerably longer by the road that snakes through the hilly landscape. There is no traffic on this road whatsoever, certainly not during the short distance around the bend to pick up the track that leads into Siana village. I guess it is only used for maintenance vehicles for the dam and the hardy tourist seeking to explore off the beaten track by car. The dam was one destination considered when planning our Monolithos walks but as there was no direct route from Monolithos, and a viable route was considered too great a distance for the heat therefore the expedition has been put on hold for cooler times.
Siana village is no more than a community set along the main road at the foot of Mount Akramýtis. It is a thriving hub during the daytime of the tourist season with plenty of shops offering their locally made honey and the locally distilled spirit known as souma. This colourless spirit is made from brewing the pressed grape pulp left over from wine making and then distilling it to a strength that will knock the socks off the most hardened of hiker.
The local honey comes in a variety of different flavours specific to the nectar collected by the bees. Shops provide sample tastings and each honey is quite distinctive, examples being thyme with its a delicate herby flavour and orange having a quite distinct orangey tang. Despite being tempted by the many other varieties on offer, we purchased a pot of pine honey with its slightly spicy flavour. Pine honey is a type of honeydew, the name given to the sugary secretion left by scale insects that feed off of the sap of pine trees, and it is this secretion that the bees harvest to make the honey, making it somewhat different and something that I had certainly not tried before. A great accompaniment to Greek yoghurt as a breakfast treat.
The village does have a castle situated on its western side, in the craggy hillside that towers above the village. It is difficult to see this from the main road and thus far I have been unable to deduce if there is a reasonable path up to it other than climbing the rockface. Not much remains of the castle but it is certainly something that needs investigating on another visit.
The key focus of the village is the church of St Panteleimonas which is located in the centre, on the side of the village square. This is a magnificent church with a 16 sided dome and two bell towers that stand either side of the main entrance. When entering the square and facing the church it is noticeable that the clocks on the two bell towers will invariably give the incorrect time unless your visit coincides with the time being 10 minutes to 7. One may think the clocks are not working but the truth is that these are painted clocks and the time is said to represent the time when the foundation of the church was laid in 1882. It took another 10 years to complete the construction. If you walk into the square you will notice that there is a clock on the side of the southern tower that does tell the time. This clock has no numbers around its face but it is more reliable than the painted clocks for determining the time of day. It does make me wonder how many folk have arrived at the church early evening, and adjusted their watches because both front clocks show that it is 10 to 7.
After our sojourn across the valley we took time out at the Sofia's Cafe, located on the square and adjacent to the church. We spent a leisurely hour over a frappe and water, watching the world pass by. The tourists came and went. Some in cars, others in excursion coaches. They drifted into the church then swiftly out again, ticked off the sight in the sightseeing guides, returned to their cars and coaches and off they went to the next tourist destination on the list of things to see on Rhodes.
This is undoubtedly the wrong way of sightseeing. One really needs to savour the sights and sounds. This is one of the reasons we decided that the only way to see the island is to accommodate ourselves into a village. This gives the flavour of real Rhodes, and walks provide a leisurely way to discover and explore the area.
Eventually we strolled over to visit the church, passing through the archway and then entering the interior which is stunning. Glazed marble covers the floor, and every inch of wall and ceiling is richly decorated with icons and patterns. Huge decorative chandeliers hang from the ceiling and windows allow natural light to glorify these works of art. One can only stand still in silence and admire, taking it all in, letting the sights just absorb into the eye of the beholder. Then once filled with the essence of the church one can slowly wander about its confines and study all the artefacts in closer detail.
The church is said to house some of the relics of Saint Panteleimonas himself, together with an icon of the saint that is proudly presented in a decorated throne. Some sources say this icon dates back to the 10th century while others dispute that it is of 18th century origin. There are many other icons of the saint and each one depicts him as a young man with curly hair and no beard.
Panteleimonas hailed from Nicomedia, originally a Greek city and capital of the Eastern Roman Empire that is now located in Turkey. Panteleimonas became renowned for his miracles in healing the sick and was condemned to death on account that the Emperor assumed his powers were due to some kind of trickery and magic. He was martyred in 305AD but according to legend this was no easy martyrdom. His persecutors tried to burn him with torches but they were all miraculously extinguished. He was then to be put into a cauldron of molten lead but the fires to heat the cauldron went out and the lead was left cold. Next he was thrown into the ocean weighted down by a heavy stone which remarkably remained afloat. Not giving up, his persecutors resorted to throwing him into a den of wild beasts, presumably lions, but they paid him no attention. This was now getting a little like a Hanna-Barbera Dick Dastardly cartoon and his persecutors were no doubt uttering drat, drat and double drat
at each failed attempt and having to come up with another novel method to extinguish his life force. The next plan they came up with was to tie him to a wheel of a wagon and take him for a ride. The ropes snapped and the wheel fractured. Drat, drat and double drat. So after much head scratching it was finally conceived that they would try a simple old fashioned beheading. What could possibly go wrong with a beheading? The sword bent! At this point Panteleimonas must have felt sorry for them because the legend tells us that he then allowed them to behead him although whether this was undertaken with the bent sword or another weapon is not stated. An interesting legend.
Adjacent to the church is a long stone building with red pantile roof. This was the original church and is now a museum housing artwork, icons, coins and ancient books amongst other things. This is normally locked but we were granted permission to view its interior. Our host told us the rear part of building dated from the 8th or 9th century whilst the latter part was 14th century. The building suffered damage after an earthquake which resulted in the construction of its more modern counterpart. The intricate carvings on the iconostasis is certainly telling of its age, their forms worn with flaking paintwork. Despite some exhaustive research for more information, especially from more reliable academic resources, I can find very little about the history other than what the curator had told us. There certainly seems to be some dispute of the centuries that the church was said to have been constructed, but without any authoritative documentation I have given the words of our host precedence. The artefacts contained in the museum are fascinating and it is worth spending time admiring these ancient wonders.
With the sights seen, there is nothing better than walking through the extent of the village to see the architecture of normal buildings, then return for lunch. Taverna Manos was the first taverna encountered when wandering back into the village and with its tempting upper story offering an open face to the valley and mountains, it took no time to find a table and relax over a chefs salad and half a carafe of barrel wine. With this we were treated to a thunder storm edging its way over mount Attavyros, first with rumbles of thunder as if Zeus himself was getting our attention and then flashes of lightning as he threw bolt after bolt to emphasize his capabilities with harnessing electric charge and throwing it to the ground. No one clapped just stared in awe.
As stated earlier, we elected to return by road. This was on two accounts, firstly it was easy and offered a different perspective on the landscape. Secondly it allowed us to determine the location of the ascent paths to Mount Akramýtis which we would undertake on another day. The walk was simple and the highlights were without doubt the panoramas together with the continuing thunderstorm now edging further east under the guidance and instruction of Zeus. We later learned that it deluged Lardos over on the East Coast.
Heading back to Monolithos, about half way between the two villages is a cemetery with a chapel which provided more interest. This together with the many goats resting in the shade of the pine trees aside of the road certainly provided entertainment. Normally goats would arise and promptly leave on the sight of an approaching human but these just sat there and allowed us the opportunity to take photos.
The walk ended at Christos Corner Taverna where a well deserved large beer which was accompanied by complementary tray of fresh almonds and walnuts together with a block of marble to bash them open with. Perfect. A rewarding circular walk without no rush or urgency. The way things should be.
Directions
Using Christos Corner Taverna as a starting point, follow the main road 30m towards Apolakia where a track on the right leads down a hill. After 80m there is a crossing of tracks and you need to bear left but not take the immediate left track, keeping to the track leading down the hill. After a further 120m there is a a bend to the right, ignore the track on the left just before the bend and take the dirt track with telegraph poles alongside it which is on the left immediately after the bend. Keep to this for a further 250m, ignoring other tracks leading off, until it junctions with another track. This is not quite a crossroads, the arms offset against each other. At this point take the first track on the left. Keep to this until it meets the road.
Cross directly over the road and continue along the track on the opposite side. After 500m keep to the main track by bearing left. This will lead down a hill into the valley, then back up the other side (just over 1km) where it junctions with another track and a surfaced road above. Take the surfaced road, heading to the right. Follow this to where Saint Georges Chapel can be seen on the left.
100m beyond the chapel is a path on the left that leads up the hill. Make sure you take the first left spur off this track, the steeper of the tracks which seem to run parallel together. This will climb fairly steeply for a further 1 km until there is a junction by the woodland. Take the right fork into the woodland. Keep to the track. At one point the track seems to have been washed away somewhat as it leads down by the side of a terrace of cultivated land. After 700m this track junctions with a broad road.
Turn left onto the road, following around the first right hand bend and after 170m where the road bears left take the track into the woodland. Keep to this until it meets the main road into Siana (375m). Turn right on the road which will take you to the centre of the village.
Summary of Document Changes
Last Updated: 2023-11-18
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