Lori from distant Nevada was fascinated by the footpaths of Andros and sent us the following text and photos. We thank her very much and expect her to visit Andros and its footpaths again.

My name is Lori Berry Rathsack, I’m sixty-one years young and I’m from the “Biggest Little City in the World” Reno, Nevada. Reno is near the California border and the beautiful mountain Lake Tahoe where I spent most of my childhood outside: skiing, swimming, sailing, biking, fishing, golfing and of course hiking. Lake Tahoe great weather and all four seasons, so my husband and I raised our son and daughter there because of the quality of life the area offered. Also I was fortunate that my parents enjoyed traveling and I saw a good portion of the United States before I turned thirteen.

I chose to explore the Greek Islands to because of the wide variety of hiking trails. When I was researching the best places to hike, the Androsroutes.com was most interesting because of the European certification and the assortment of trails that made it possible to travel from one end of the large island to the other. Since it was easy to return to Athens, I planned to spend my last five nights on Andros.

While on the diverse island, I walked the 11a including part of the 9 for the panoramic sea views; the 4 for the ruins of water mills (where wheat was milled) and bee aviaries plus scenic river and mountain village views; and the 10 from Menites to Chora where the wild flowers were approaching full bloom and the mountainside was lush green from the mountain springs – BEAUTIFUL!

On my last full day I had banking to do in Gavrio, so I returned to my base town Batsi by walking on the 15 and 16. I passed through goat and sheep farms as well as a majestic mountain top monastery making for another memorable day. Finally I made a trip to the beach for a splash just before leaving Andros.

As for the condition of the trails, I thought they were all well marked and maintained. However, due to many steep sections, boulders and loose rocks, I’m glad I took my hiking poles with me every day. I would highly recommend a hiking adventure in Andros: the variety of the trail choices, majestic views and easy ferry access from Athens make Andros a perfect island getaway for families and devoted hiking enthusiasts.