Near Ágios Fanoúris to Ágios Dimítrios to Emborió
This walk starts from the end of Walks 3a, 3b or 4b, and goes north, comparatively level for much of the way, along the centre of the island, past the Ágios Dimítrios monastery, before making a final, rather vague, descent to the north end of Emborió beach. 40-45 minutes.
From the end of Walks 3a, 3b or 4b, follow the asphalt road northwestwards over the ridge, being aware that this is a No Photography area. Where the road swings left, westwards, towards Taxiárhis Mihail Roukouniótis monastery, look to the right for a water tank with a fenced roof. Take the well-waymarked path that goes off to the right of this tank. Further right of the path is a small house.
Once on the path, it is stony but clear and heads off downhill, swinging left through a burned area and heading towards a distant, brightly-painted house. About 9 minutes from the asphalt, you are on a low ridge, with a small valley to your left. The path swings right and suddenly more steeply downhill, with a fenced-in gully to your left. About 15 minutes from the asphalt, pass through a gateway and to the left of a farm enclosure. An entrance dirt track comes in from the left, from the Panagía Katholikí monastery, and a less obvious path comes in (before the gateway) from the right. Ignore them and go straight alongside the enclosure wall, to rejoin the northward path which then swings left and down into a dip. Climb to a fork in the path, where you go up and right to join a road coming in from the left.
go via the Panagía Katholikí monastery, follow the dirt track left past a If you want refurbished fruit garden (left), to a T-junction with the concrete road, where the monastery is on your left. Access is via the large black gates, then a small door on the right, just beyond a house-like building. Coming out from the monastery, turn right on the concrete road and follow it around to Ágios Dimítrios.
Go ahead, to the right, with the road and pass the small Ágios Dimítrios monastery (church usually locked) about 23 minutes after leaving the asphalt. Stay with the road as it swings around to the left then back right. Where a new dirt track comes in from the left, and there is a westward view, you could step over a pile of debris and join the Tolí beach path in Walk 10, however for Emborió stay with the main dirt track. About 9 minutes from Ágios Dimítrios, reach a four-way junction of tracks. Left goes west and down to Tolí beach, onward goes up to houses, but you should go right on the comparatively level track.
Follow this track to the end, towards a small spring (and the end of the track) on the left. Before reaching this, go back down to the right on a steep, sometimes slippery, dirt track marked with a red blob. Swing left at the bottom and then follow red paint marks (red crosses indicate where not to go) to join a path heading along the left side of the valley to Emborió. A large triangular rock with a red KAO signals the path that will take you to a junction, where left to the Ágios Geórgios Kylindriótis church (courtyard locked). Go right and the path reaches a large carob tree. Below the tree, the path zigzags down, before levelling out and heading again towards the northern end of Emborió beach. At a fork, go right and down towards and past an unfinished building. Go through the beach gate for Emborió and Yialós (see the return part of Walk 8).
Near Ágios Fanoúris to Taxiárhis Mihail Roukouniótis to Panagía Katholikí to Tolí Bay/Ágios Isídoros
This walk starts from the end of Walks 3a, 3b or 4b, and goes west then north, mostly on dirt tracks, to Tolí (40-45 min) and Ágios Isídoros (50-55 min) beaches. Tolí beach is sometimes recommended, but although the swimming is reasonable, the pebble beach itself is disappointing, with both natural and man-made washed-up debris. There are in fact three small beaches in a row, the two southernmost separated by a tiny headland.
The lesser known Ágios Isídoros beach is also small, with as much rubbish, but is on limestone so there are plenty of larger rocks to sit on. Its setting is more attractive, the views excellent, and because of its northwards aspect, the colours are often better. Unlike Tol, it is not overlooked by houses.
From the end of Walks 3 or 4b, follow the asphalt road northwestwards over the ridge, being aware that this is a No Photography area. When you reach the huge, broadly-spreading cypress tree that marks the entrance of the Taxiárhis Mihail Roukouniótis monastery, fork down to the right. The monastery is usually locked, but is the oldest on the island. Sited on a pre-Christian temple, the 5th century monastery was replaced by the current fortified building in the 14th century, under the aegis of the Knights of St. John.
Head towards the smaller monastery of Panagía Katholiki, ignoring a rough side track just after it and going off to the right. Access to the monastery courtyard is via the large black gates, then a small door on the right, just beyond a house-like building. Following the main track, swing around to the left of this monastery about 10 minutes from Mihail Roukouniótis.
Go ahead, with the road and pass the small Agios Dimítrios monastery (church usually locked). Stay with the road as it swings around to the left then back right. Where a small dirt track comes in from the left, and there is a westward view, you can step over a pile of debris, and onto a path which runs level along the hillside towards some coloured, painted houses. The path forks, with one fork going left to join an obvious westward path, the other going up, right, and towards the houses. Go left and join the end of the Tolí Beach track (about 30 minutes from Mihail Roukouniótis) and then continue on the ensuing footpath. The path sweeps around the hillside, loops into a hillside depression and down towards Tolí.
By a water tank, drinking trough and bushy clumps of Vitex shrubs (leaves cannabis-like in appearance), the path splits. A clear path goes on to the right, slightly uphill, towards Ágios Isídoros Beach.
The other path goes left, slightly downhill. It fractures again - take a descending one and it guides you just to the left of a strangely umbrella-shaped, evergreen carob tree. Go diagonally down towards the stream gully behind Tolí beach. The path deteriorates and you should head down towards the far beach, or towards the ruined building.
A path between the Toll and the Agios Isídoros paths does lead out onto the Akrotíri Tolí headland, but near the end (after about 5 minutes) it is gated and most of the further headland is fenced off.
For Ágios Isídoros Beach, continue along the hillside from the drinking trough, to cross the rocky ridge ahead. From the ridge there are attractive views across the water to Turkey and, nearer, to the Sými islets of Pláti and Hondrós. A rough stony path, past a massive, forked, windswept carob, takes you down towards the tiny beach at Ágios Isídoros.