Hiking Elati-Vytina in Mainalo

Hiking Elati-Vytina in Mainalo, Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece
December March 18

Our destination is the picturesque Elati & Vytina !!! One of the most passable and impressive routes of Arcadia and Mainalo is the path that connects Elati with Vytina. Start from the Mylaontas riverbed, and follow the path that runs parallel to the river.

Among the beauties of the Arcadian landscape are the eternal inhabitants of the Arcadian land, the kids who carelessly graze the grass and the flowers on the slopes and in the small clearings. We will pass by Pigaki Pyrgaki, which supplies Vytina, the stone-built fountain of Makrinos, the place Ellinika On our way flowers, pots, tall plane trees, mushrooms, wild goats and the water does not stop keeping us company. We will find ruins of watermills, wooden bridges, fountains tied with legends.

The route descends from Elati to the bed of Mylaontas, where it meets the riparian path. A very beautiful piece. Following the well-marked trail (sometimes a cobblestone path and sometimes a simple path) we pass next to the large water supply in Piges Pyrgaki (which supplies Vytina) and after the stone-built Vrisi Makrinou. We move for a very short time on a dirt road to the place Ellinika, down the hill where the ancient Methydrion. A short path brings us to the asphalt that we leave to pass under the provincial road Vytina - Dimitsana, and to catch the nice, old mule road of Vytina.



This section is the richest of the route: we move upstream of Mylaontas in a tall riparian vegetation of plane trees and we will meet the ruins of three watermills in succession. After the wooden bridge in the stream Barba, we ascend to a nice carved path that brings us to Vrisi Artotsi. From here with various streets we enter Vytina and end up in the main square. Vytina is the main village of the area and offers all the infrastructure and services.