The abandoned village of Apolychnos is located a few kilometers north of Mires town, at an altitude of 220 m, inside the Apolychnos Gorge, a green valley running along a river. The square below the village hosts the beautiful old church of Agios Panteleimon and a spring. You will also find the small taverna „Apolychnos“ (not always open) with delicious food. The owner is the only inhabitant of the deserted village.
Enjoy the view and the silence, you will hear nothing but the wind and some sheep and goat bells.
How to reach the cache: From the center of Mires you take the road leading to the Health Center (ΚΕΝΤΡΟ ΥΓΕΙΑΣ) and follow the signs to Agios Antonios (Vreli) and Apolychnos (written Breli Apolixnos on the sign). You pass the village of Vreli and follow the road until you reach the parking P1. Now you have three options:
- You leave your car at parking P1 and walk the dirt road that leads to the village of Apolychnos (sign: Pros Panagia Myrtidiotissa – ΠΡΟΣ ΠΑΝΑΓΙΑ ΜΥΡΤΙΔΙΩΤΙΣΣΑ) or
- you take this dirt road by car (no problem for any car), drive through the village and leave your car on the other side of the village or
- you follow the asphalt road and park your car at the square below the village. There you can have a look at the church of Agios Panteleimon and the spring. From the square you have to take the staircase on the right side of the taverna and follow the path up to the abandoned village.
The cache is located a couple of meters outside the village. It is a small plastic container wrapped in a plastic bag. It contains a log book, a pen, the geocaching note in English and Greek and some goodies to trade. Please hide it well again.
Happy hunting! :-)