“3 grassy meadows”
Thalames-Langada-Thalames
Timings
- Around 5 hours in total including a stop for a packed lunch
- to first meadow: 1hr 45mins
- to second meadow: 30mins
- to third meadow: 1 hr
- to Thalames: 1hr 15 mins
- map of walk
Nature of walk
A real escape into the mountains giving an insight into what happens up there. Walnut and apple orchards, shepherd’s huts, water cisterns and feeding troughs suggest how the land is used though it is very unlikely you will actually meet a living soul- you are far more likely to come across livestock of varying kinds. The views are stunning and the walk is utterly peaceful.
Long trousers and good boots are recommended as the predominantly rocky paths are overgrown in places.
It is quite a tough, long walk, climbing from 400m to over 1000m above sea level. A packed lunch is required and plenty of water.
Places of interest
The walk begins in Thalames. If you have driven from Stoupa, this takes about 20 mins or half an hour in the bus. From the main square with the ‘Platanos’ taverna, head south on the main road and turn left by the traffic mirror up an unsigned concrete road to the hamlet of Somatiana. The road becomes a dirt track, drops down a little and then starts to climb. 10 minutes after the hamlet, at a sharp right hand bend, head off the road, up the left side of a clearly definable streambed. The path soon becomes a kalderimi. The hill to your right is what you are walking around.
Keep to the left side of this small gulley. After you have passed a dry stone wall running parallel to the path, the path drops down into the streambed and steeply up the other side. Soon you pass a stone enclosure used for keeping livestock and you may notice a lot of engravings on rocks around here- bored shepherds, entertaining themselves. The path becomes a little clearer as you come to another stone hut and reach the dirt track. Keep beneath the road following the path round, passing a large animal enclosure with feeding troughs. Where the path forks, keep right as the left fork heads back down. There are a number of goat paths on this right hand bank – choose any, keeping approximately half way up the bank between the streambed and the road, aiming for a solitary tree ahead of you. Rejoin the dirt road at the tree and snake your way upwards. A small church, Agios Vasilios is the next landmark (not very interesting- built in 1959 with no wall paintings inside). 150m after the church, the road bends sharply left- you need to keep going in the same direction you approached the bend by finding a path on the left side of another streambed, ignoring the fork that drops immediately across it.
20 minutes along the path you will emerge into Grassy Meadow One. Head straight across towards a group of walnut trees. The path begins again by the largest tree (there are more feeding troughs here and a large underground water cistern). The path heads up and after another 20 minutes or so you will come to the much larger Grassy Meadow Two. Once on the plateau, bear right and head towards the hut at the far end, which makes a perfect place to stop for lunch. From the hut keep going in the same direction locating the path that takes you up to the saddle which is the highest point of the walk. Pass to the right of a rocky outcrop and then another group of walnut trees. Keep to the left of the next outcrop and head towards a circular stone animal enclosure. Just beyond this the descent begins, initially down the right side of the valley- Grassy Meadow Three is soon visible below you and to get your bearings, from the centre of the meadow you will turn right down the final valley. The path, which is a little overgrown here, winds down to the apple orchard below, keeping to the right of the trees. Once past the orchard, identify the circular concrete lid of another cavernous water cistern (and take peek inside). To the right of this is a low wall in a break in the tree line. Hop over this and the path down starts on the left and then swings over to the right.
This path takes about 45 minutes to get onto a dirt road on the outskirts of Langada. The dirt road across the valley stops at the church of Panagia Yiatrissa where a celebration is held every September. Once you reach the dirt road, turn left and then almost immediately right to pass the ruined tower. At the T-junction turn right onto what is now a concrete road and follow it all the way into the village. As you enter the village, ignore the right turn by the house with the green door and carry on down. At the next junction with blue doors turn right and after 20m, left down some steps, turning right at the bottom down an alley. Soon you will come to some steps that take you down to the main road. Turn right into the village square, pass the church and follow the green walkers sign along a great (though overgrown) kalderimi all the way to Thalames, passing Agia Sophia en route.
