Santorini Trail 07 - Megalochori - Plaka

Starting at the beautiful settlement of Megalochori, right ny the bus station on the main road, the hiker walks towards the sea - towards the west - to reach the cemetery of the settlement. A quiet dirt road that turns into cobblestone trail later on leads past an impressive windmill to the infamous "Heart of Santorini" viewing spot, where crowds of cars are usually parked so their drivers can see the viewof the Caldera via the heart-shaped hole. The route from this point turns into a downhill path with an impressive view and relatively loose ground, without however raising the issue of safety in crossing. The descent gives the hiker a view of the inside of the Caldera and reveals at every turn more elements of this impressive geological structure. Soon the hiker encounters the "heart-shaped" hole in the rock that gives a view to the northern shores of the Caldera. Then comes across the beautiful church of Agios Nikolaos. The descent continues with interesting balconies and viewpoints every now and then until the hiker approaches the church of Panagia "i Plaka", a little higher from the abandoned thermal baths. the route ends at the baths, a few meters above the sea level in the turquoise waters of which the hiker can find coolness if need be. The route stops here, so the hiker will have to return back to civilization with his own powers, covering an elevation difference of about 200 meters.