On the East of Aegina
Circular Route: Anitsaio - Kylindras - Portes – Anitsaio
From the village of Anitsaio with the typical windmill, we head north to the pine forest beside the small gorge which has rich vegetation and great biodiversity. In all pine forests of the island, there has been a significant economic activity in the past based on the collection of rosin. We continue by passing by the rock-cut family rainwater collection tanks called Suvalas which pre-announce the traditional settlement of Kylindra where we arrive after an hour's walk.
We cross the village offering wonderful examples of folk architecture and decoration. In the square we turn right. After about 100m we take the dirt road to our right which leads to a path that brings us to the outskirts of the coastal village of Portes after. Bypassing the village, we begin the climb to Anitsaio passing through a beautiful cobbled path, surrounded by stone walls and lush vegetation. Attention: After the cemetery, we enter the asphalt road which we leave after 100 meters turning right to find again the path that crosses the beautiful rural landscape with the old terraces.
The route offers a beautiful view of the slopes with the rocky sculptures of nature and the sea as well as a variety of biotopes that host even birds of prey. We can enjoy some of the more than 1000 species of flora that have been recorded in Aegina, trees, shrubs, shrimps and herbs. We meet pine (Pinus halepensis), Juniperus, Pistachia lentiscus and hollies. We also notice admiring and smelling nectarous aromatic and medicinal plants such as wild lavender, yolk and thyme. With a little luck and depending on the season, we can see rare and endemic plants.
The course as a whole is the hiking route 5 of the network of Paths of Culture.
The course is very well marked, while at the beginning and on key points of the route there are signs of direction and information.