Monolithos to Kymissala Tower
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Saturday, 9 December 2023
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Monolithos to Kymissala Tower
A simple to follow route to find the medieval Kymissala Tower
Kymissala Tower is a medieval fortification constructed by the Knights of St John. This impressive well preserved tower is in a small remote bay only accessible on foot. This walk starts from the village of Monolithos and is predominantly quiet road walking with some rough track and rugged footpath.
Monolithos to Kymissala Tower - Essential Information
Walk Statistics (calculated from GPX):
- Start location: Monolithos
- End location: Kymissala Tower
- Distance: km ( miles)
- Total Gain: metre ( ft)
- Total Descent: metre ( ft)
- Min Height: metre ( ft)
- Max Height: metre ( ft)
- Walk Time:
- Walk Grade: Easy
- Terrain: Road, track, the last section is a rough path
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: 04/10/2023
- Walk Time: 08:00:00 to 16:00:00
- Walkers: Griff, Kat
- Weather Conditions: Hot, clear blue skies
Walk Notes
NOTE: The distance listed for this walk is only for one way. The journey back takes the identical route in reverse, totalling approximately 14 kilometres (8.6 miles).
The region referred to as Kymissala is situated on the western flank of Mount AkramÍtis, approximately across the mountain from the village of Siana. This wooded hillside is well known for its archaeological finds, which include a variety of antiquities and remains from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Ages, as well as the ruined remains of an ancient Acropolis and Necropolis. This is a large area and much of the history is hidden in woodland. It would require a full day of exploration to fully comprehend the scale of the site.
To the south of ancient Kymissala, located on the coast, is another piece of history known as Kymissala Tower, which dates from the 15th century. This is a shorter hike from Monolithos village and easier to find than the ruins of ancient Kymissala. The route to the tower is predominantly along a quiet and little-used road, with a rough track to negotiate that is unsuitable for vehicles. A short, rugged footpath leads down to the structure. Despite a total of over 388 meters (1250 feet) of descent and consequently the same ascent returning, there are no challenging gradients, and with a lot of woodland, there is plenty of shade.
The route starts with a walk from Christos Corner, heading through Monolithos village, following the road to the castle. After the Panorama Taverna, the road slowly climbs before descending steadily down to a junction on the right, where there is a viewing point of the castle and the coastline. At this junction, there is a small chapel on a plot of land above the road. Access to this is some 175m before the junction, where a track veers off from the road and a simple arrowed sign declares in Greek characters ΠΡΟΣ ΙΕΡΆ ΜΟΝΗ ΆΓΙΟΣ ΔΗΜΉΤΡΙΟΣ
. This roughly translates as To the Holy Monastery of Saint Demetrius. It should be noted that the translation of Monastery in this instance refers to a private chapel rather than the English interpretation of a community of monks.
Presumably, this dedication is to Demetrius of Thessaloniki, and this is borne out by the icons within the chapel that depict a young clean-shaven man astride a horse, a classic representation of the Saint. Demetrius lived during the 3rd and early 4th centuries and only survived until he was 36, when Christian persecution saw him run through with spears. During his short life, he rose to be a high-ranking officer in the Roman legion whilst retaining his Christian devotion. This is the reason why he is usually depicted in iconography wearing a military costume and riding a horse. It is said that the tomb where his body was placed subsequently gave off a scented fragrance, and because of this, he was posthumously referred to as Mirovlitis or "The Myrrh Gusher".
The chapel is of simple construction, with a pitched roof and a bell contained in an arch above the front of the building. The interior is characterised by its clean white-washed walls, plain tiled flooring, and polished woodwork of the iconostasis, which give the impression that this is not an ancient chapel.
From the viewpoint at the junction, we follow the road to the right and soon encounter another chapel by the roadside. This is accessed by a small surfaced ramp up to the building where, above the door, a small inscription in Greek characters reads The Holy Monastery of Saint Ambrosios, John the Baptist, and Holy Cross (Ιερά Μόνη Αγίου Αμβροσίου Ιωάννου Προδρόμου και Τίμιου Σταύρου
). A plaque to the right of the door offers more words that translate as this monastery is dedicated to Saint Ambrosios and was built at the expense of John and Marianthis and their children Emmanuel, Maria, Panagiotis, Evangelia, Anastasia, and their brothers George and Nickolas in memory of Emmanuel and Maria
. This is a smaller chapel than that of Saint Dimitrios but is similar in its clean, simple interior decor.
The road now slowly descends with views of the coast to the left and steep towering cliffs on the right, which mark the side of Mount Akramýtis. There are areas where these steep slopes accommodate tall trees, although many have tumbled and lie abandoned on the incline.
The road bends around to the left, and there is some kind of makeshift shack surrounded on one side by an equally makeshift fence cobbled together out of pallets and bits of wood and metal lattice fence. Around another bend, broad views of the coast are displayed, and below a flat area of land full of cultivated olive trees set out in regimented rows. The road carries on, the going easy as it continues to descend. A black pipe lays alongside the road on the right, fastened to the rocks in places and loosely hanging over the terrain in other parts. To all intents and purposes, this looks like a water main, with the occasional valve supporting this idea. A broad track then leads off on the right, its surface no more than rough dirt. This is a route that navigates around the mountainside to ancient Kymissala, running roughly parallel to the road but higher up the side of the hills. It rejoins the road some distance onward; it looks like pleasant walking, but for today we refrain from taking it, our purpose being to find the tower.
Throughout this road, the sound of goat bells can be heard, and every so often a few goats will reveal themselves, either casually wandering amongst the trees or just resting in the shade. The further we walk the more abundant these goats become, and they are all completely unperturbed by us passing by.
The road then bends around to the right with a dirt track leading straight ahead, which is the route to the tower. Initially, this is easy going, with evidence of vehicles having been driven down the track. After 600m, a track branches off to the left, this being the route to Kerameni Beach, a secluded rocky beach within a sheltered bay. This appears to be the way vehicles follow, as the route is broad and unencumbered by ruts. It is uncertain whether this is the case throughout the route to the beach. The route ahead, although looking like a good surface to start with, soon deteriorates and becomes gouged and rutted by winter rain waters, particularly on the steeper descents. Care is required to negotiate some of this, as there is a lot of loose rubble, making it easy to slip underfoot. The track eventually levels off where a couple of other minor tracks lead off into the woodland, and the going becomes a lot easier.
At the end of the woodland, the track makes a sharp right turn. Straight ahead is a makeshift gate composed of two halves of metal lattice that stand between a rusty old chain link fence. There is a sign on the left of the gate where faded Greek characters can just be made out on the bleach-white background. It appears to declare Kymissala Tower
. This is probably nothing more than a measure to keep the wild animals off the land, and it seems commonplace around this area. The two halves of the metal gate are held together with rope and secured at the top with a piece of twisted metal wire. Looking at this contraption, one hesitates to untie it in case the whole thing just collapses into a heap on the ground. Nonetheless, the rope is untied, and then pinching the gate halves together releases the top catch. The gate is easily pushed open, and we walk through and replace the gate fixings.
The path ahead is quite distinct, its sandy hue standing out from the surrounding rocks and vegetation. Initially, although a little rough, it is easy going, but this once again deteriorates. Firstly, it becomes littered with rocky debris and then becomes more of a clamber across large stones and rocks. The path follows a deep gorge on the right that can be seen behind the vegetation. The track then slowly bears around to the left, and the gorge is replaced by a small coastal bay below.
It is at this point that the first glimpse of the tower comes into view, its castellated top poking above the vegetation on the cliffside. Even at this distance, it looks impressive and provides a sense of both achievement and arrival. The path leads around the back of the tower and then turns back on itself to steeply descend down to the foot of the tower, which reveals the structure in its full glory.
The tower occupies a place at the head of a small bay, no more than 150 metres across. On the far side, the cliffs of a headland jut out into the ocean, hiding the view of the coast beyond. In the bay itself, there is a small beach area opposite the tower, although this is probably inaccessible to all but a determined hiker or climber. It would nonetheless be a good place to land a boat. Turning back to the open ocean, the islands of Halki and Alimia stand out on the horizon, their unvegetated contours giving a grey and lifeless feel about them.
The tower is remarkably intact, and the stone walls are neatly constructed as if they were only built decades ago rather than centuries in the past. In some places, no mortar holds the stones together, and this really does provide a sense that this is truly historic. I would guess it is about 15 metres tall, and by comparison with similarly aged ruins encountered all across the island, this is very well preserved; its walls are complete, although the castellated top appears a little decayed. My guess is that this sheltered location has prevented deterioration from the weather, and its remote location has resulted in few tourists seeking it out.
On the three landward faces of the tower, there are no openings, windows, or doors. On the seaward side, there is a door-like opening some 3 metres above the base. The only method of gaining entry would presumably have been by boat docking alongside, and a ramp into the opening. The rocky base to the tower certainly seems to steeply descend into the water which would provide a deep birth for visiting ships. Certainly, during our visit, it was difficult to get around to the front as the tide was high and restricted access on the craggy slope in front of the structure. Images publicly available do show that at low tide it is possible to access the frontage (see wikiloc image).
This tower is one of several such structures along the southwest coast of Rhodes. These were built as watchtowers in the late 1400s by the Knights of St. John as part of a reinforcement of defences to counter the threat from the Ottoman Empire after the fall of Constantinople. It is said that the towers could signal each other via intermediary castles on the islands of Halki and Alimia.
Other west coast towers include Kritikou Tower, north of Glyfada Beach, which is just north of Ancient Kymissala; the Tower of Glyfada alongside Glyfada Beach itself; Cape Kasaro, which was on the coast below Monolithos Castle; and Cape Fournoi on the rocky outcrop at Fouri Beach, south of Monolithos. All of these are in varying states of decay, with the worst being no more than a mound of rubble. Kymisala Tower is probably the best and most complete example of all of these towers. See Kastrologos Website which contains a map of the locations of these towers as well as other historic features.
All in all, this was a fairly simple and easy walk, and it was rewarding to see the tower. The return is more arduous in the fact that it is all uphill. However, there is nothing particularly challenging, and despite the heat, there are plenty of opportunities to take a rest on a boulder and refresh oneself with water from the backpack.
On our return journey, once back on the surfaced road, we were passed by a battered pickup truck, one of the few vehicles we encountered that day. The back was full of hay. The driver, a weathered old Greek man, acknowledged us as he passed, then some distance behind us, he slowed to a stop. There was a cacophony of goat bells to be heard all around the forest as he offloaded the hay onto the tarmac. Then, from each and every direction goats appeared to group in a large herd across the road and feast on the hay.
We returned via Monolithos Castle, but maybe we should have taken the track down to Kerameni Beach for more exploration. Never mind; that will be another adventure for another day.
Directions
Starting at Christos Corner, follow the road through Monolithos toward the castle. After 1km, there is a road on the right. Take this for 3km to where the road slightly bears around to the right. At this point, there is a track that leads straight ahead. Follow this for another 2.5km. This is not suitable for hire cars. Ignore all turnings and keep to the main track until it makes a sharp right turn where there is a gate and a path leading straight ahead. The gate is secured with rope and this has to be untied to gain access. This is just to keep the goats out, so make sure it is retied once through. Follow the rough path that leads alongside a gorge and down to the coast. The tower cannot be missed.
Summary of Document Changes
Last Updated: 2023-12-09
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