Only half an hour drive away from home, there is a quite unique hiking trail called Biliovo. I first visited it 6 years ago and since then I have been there numerous times. Let’s see if I can convince you do the same…
Impressive made U-turns
Biliovo
Biliovo is considered as one of the most well preserved traditional cobblestone paths of Greece, unique in its kind and it is classified as a folk architectural monument. It was created by local artisans in the early 20th century in a collaborative effort, which lasted 25 years! It has been a vital boost for the local social & economic growth of the area since it used to link not only the villages Sotirianika and Altomira, but also, in broaden terms, the higher with the lower villages of western Mani.
Even if you are not an expert on civil engineering or architecture, I guarantee that you will be captivated by the construction method; carved on steep slope, only rocks with no connective material used at all. Another impressive thing to be noted, the total 83 turns,- almost all of them are U-turns!
The hike
We passed through Sotirianika following the road signs and we parked the car just before the trail. The path till Altomira has a total length of 3km uphill but it doesn’t present any particular difficulty since inclination comes relatively easy on a paved ground. Duration is roughly 2 hours long.
As we moved on, we enjoyed the panoramic view of the Messenian gulf. We came across -as usual- with some goats on the way but the young goatherd controlled the escort dogs. Some other times you might meet, also, hunters. Talk to them, they are really friendly!
Just before entering the village, we altered our route, – to make it circular- following a dirt road to the chapel of St Georgios. Then, we followed the path till being back to the parking spot.
And some sight seeing in Sotirianika
We had some time of daylight ahead so we grasped the opportunity to visit the Byzantine chapel of Agia Kyriaki, in the settlement Mavrinitsa in Sotirianika. Dated back to the late 13th century and it has been recently renovated. Moreover, we did visit and St Nicolas and stroll around the ruins on the surroundings.
Buddy for my last hike there was Stratos, a former colleague of mine and obsessed photographer. I ‘d like to thank him for letting me to include his drone shot on this post!