Mega Nero, Megalo Chorafi, Psili Rachi and Tourkovigla

This medium-difficulty circuit on Alonissos packs a lot into roughly 6 km / 3.7 miles, with about 200 m / 656 ft of ascent. It links the spring area of Mega Nero with the upland landscapes of Megalo Chorafi, the open ground around Psili Rachi, and the viewpoint zone of Tourkovigla, creating a walk that feels varied rather than relentlessly steep. Expect a mix of old island footpaths, dirt tracks, and short rocky sections, with enough climbing to keep it interesting but not so much that it becomes a mountain slog. The route is generally well marked, with older signposts from Alonissos’s hiking network, numbered yellow signs, and some newer red waymarks. (topoguide.gr)

The hike lies in the hill country of Alonissos in the Northern Sporades, Greece. The most practical trailhead reference is Mega Nero Spring, northwest of Votsi on Alonissos, a known walking landmark reached by dirt road and used as a junction for several island routes. Mega Nero is also described as about 600 m northwest of Votsi, which helps place the start if you are navigating from the coast or from Patitiri. (exploring-greece.gr)

The walking itself is best thought of as a rolling upland traverse with a few distinct character changes. Around Mega Nero, the setting is greener and more sheltered, with pine cover and a cooler feel near the spring. As you move toward Megalo Chorafi, the terrain opens into a more rural, semi-abandoned landscape where old cultivation patterns still show through. The section between Megalo Chorafi and Psili Rachi is known for open rocky ground, evergreen oak, and traces of former agricultural use, including threshing floors. From there, the route toward Tourkovigla becomes more scenic, with broader views and a stronger sense of elevation despite the modest total ascent. (alonnisosatyourfeet.gr)

What to expect on the route

A reasonable expectation is that the first part from Mega Nero gains height gradually rather than all at once. The climb is enough to raise your heart rate, but on a 6 km / 3.7 mile outing with 200 m / 656 ft of ascent, most hikers will find the challenge comes more from footing and exposure to sun than from sustained steepness. Pine forest is a recurring feature on this side of Alonissos, and some stretches are softened by ivy and smilax winding through the trees. In drier, more open sections, the vegetation shifts toward Mediterranean scrub and evergreen oak. (topoguide.gr)

Megalo Chorafi is one of the route’s more interesting landscape transitions. The name refers to a “large field” or plain, and the area reflects that older agricultural identity. This is where the walk starts to feel more historical as well as scenic: instead of a purely wild mountain path, you are moving through a worked landscape shaped over generations by cultivation, grazing, and seasonal movement across the island. Around Psili Rachi, the route passes through open rocky ground and higher maquis, and where grazing pressure is lighter the vegetation becomes denser and taller. (alonnisosatyourfeet.gr)

Tourkovigla is one of the visual highlights. The municipality describes it as one of the best viewpoints on the island, with wide views over southern Alonissos, and Topoguide places it among the hill routes that define the island’s interior walking network. On a clear day, this is the kind of spot where you will want to pause, check bearings, and take time over the ridgelines, coves, and sea beyond. If you are using a navigation app, HiiKER is the right tool to have ready before setting out, especially because the route connects with several other paths in the area and junctions can invite wrong turns if you are moving quickly. (alonissos.gr)

Nature, terrain, and wildlife

The natural interest here comes from the contrast between pine woodland, scrubby uplands, and remnants of cultivated ground. Alonissos’s interior supports a classic eastern Mediterranean mix of pine, cistus, evergreen oak, arbutus, lentisk, and herb