Like everyone else, I have always done the stretch between Athens and Delphi taking the shortest route, overlooking the coast of the Gulf of Corinth. This time, starting from the classic stopover at Heraion and not being in a hurry, I decided to give it a chance and go and see what it has to offer…
[sam id=”7″]
Skalosia [N 38.065587, E 22.941142]
I started in the afternoon from Heraion with the idea to stop for the night at the first decent beach I would see. I soon realized that along this stretch of road, access to the sea is virtually impossible without a 4×4. After a couple of failed attempts, I finally got on the road, even if a little tight, leading to Skalosià beach. You get to a clearing where you can park and then you can continue on foot for another steep 200 meters to the beautiful beach. The sea is great, few people during the weekdays, I would say that, although it is not a place I would recommend as a destination by itself, if you’re on the road it makes a good stop, even for overnight.
Proceeding in the direction of Alepohori, the road is quite narrow, but it offers nice views of the sea, even if it remains impossible to find access to it. When the road finally reaches the sea, you can find a couple of nice spots to stop for a swim (above) but I think it is better to continue until
Psatha [N 38.11295, E 23.218397] a big beach, beautiful and plenty of parking space (below).
After Psatha we went by Porto Germeno, very cute, but hard to find a place to stop. So we took the road to the mountains in the direction of Thebes, turning however, at the height of Erithres with destination Aliki (Saline). Along the way, in the middle of nowhere we came across this ‘alien’ building, which happens to be a trophy for the battle of Leuctra, thus signaling that we find ourselves in the place where one of the most important battles in ancient Greece was fought.
Alikì [N 38.200452, E 23.043542] is an interesting place, the salt and mud baths that you can have attract many tourists, mostly Greek aged over 50. The sea is not bad at all.
On the other side of the village, the beach [N 38.193504, E 23.051536], at the end of which there are some Mycenaean remains, is a succession of bars and cafes and the average age go down to the twenties! In short it is a place for the whole family 😉
Above a panoramic view of the beach of Agios Nikolaos [N 38.212461, E 23.02571] and behind the bay of Aliki, which is less than three kilometers away. Much quieter and less populated, Agios Nikolaos (below) is an interesting alternative for a stopover.
Agios Yiannis [N 38.2146, E 22.959702]
A small fishing village with a tavern, without tourists, apart from one Frenchman, owner of the RV on the right, who told us that for years now He spends at least a week of his vacations here, isolated from the world. Agios Yannis is a piece of ancient Greece, very quiet and welcoming.
On the dock, next to the shower, there is a water tap for filling the tank.
We continue to Paralia Saranti
[N 38.237135, E 22.887297] where we intend to spend the night. On the road we see these remains of an ancient aqueduct, good opportunity for a photo!
Once in Paralia we easily park in the open space near the beach. The sea view is blocked by the fishermen houses, but the distance is minimal. A little ‘more lively than Agios Yiannis and with a couple of mini-markets for supplies, it is a great stop for the night and perfect for a nice morning swim. Last stop on the sea, next target the monastery of Hosios Loukas.
[sam id=”7″]