Andros Route 14 - Gavrio - Ammolochos - Frousei

An interesting route almost 14 kms long and with a wide range of changes. Starting from Gavrio, the route moves in a flat landscape, between fields and pastures. The track of the route, although easily identifiable, is not easily accessible and this feature concerns the first half of the route. What was once a path between the fields is now a dumping ground for branches which is also an outlet for seasonal gullies, while in many places it is filled by vegetation. The hiker needs to follow this path and ascend after a while to find himself below the settlement of Ano Gavrio, among centuries-old olive trees. Here a short detour leads to the church of Agia Sophia. The next part of the route is relatively difficult to walk on, when it does not tread on dirt roads. An ascend towards the chapel of Agios Georgios offers panoramic views of the plain of Gavrio. A little further up one comes across an intersection that gives access to route 15a. The 100 km Andros Route also follows this direction. The continuation of the route upwards now gives a panoramic view (to the rear) and is now on passable ground, between the bounding stone walls of old fields. As the maximum altitude of the route is approached, the hiker enters a dirt road which will be followed while approaching the chapel of Prophitis Ilias, and then along the ridge. Later on at a sharp turn of the road, a path leaves the ridge and brings hikers down to the settlement of Ammolochos, where the infamous Tower of Giannoulis is. Between the few inhabited and the many more abandoned houses of the settlement, the route descends for quite some time, giving hikers a view of the area that this settlement once occupied. The continuation of this descent leads to the river that will be followed from here on. A branch route, 14b, passes across the gully to approach a connection point to the island's paved road network, via first a path and then a dirt road . The main route here runs parallel to the stream which is crossed several times and comes across a number of old abandoned buildings, most of which were watermills. The existence of many watermills (over 10) in this area gives food for thought. It appears on one hand that this stream had a constant flow and the power to move the wheels of these watermills, on the other hand that there was production in the wider area sufficient to utilize so many watermills. The path next to the ravine gives a pleasant feeling to the hiking experience. This is one of the few cases where, despite the sunshine, the hiker will have the opportunity to cool off and find shade on the island of Andros. The gentle but continuous climb up the side of the river flows pleasantly despite some passability issues and leads the hiker to the end of the route through a steep incline that takes the trail away from the river and onto a dirt road. From there, the hiker has the choice to approach the small church of Ai Stathis via a short path on the one side of the road through a forest of low trees. The end of the route awaits the hiker at the other side of the aforementioned dirt road, on the asphalt road that connects Zorgos beach with Gavrio, next to the small church of Agia Irini.