Day 9: Koufonisia Hike and Ed Leaves – Hilltop Views, Mellow Wine & a Solo Sunset

A Slow Start and Breakfast Next Door

Ed and I agreed to meet a little later this morning since we’d stayed up watching football the night before. I met him around 9 a.m. near Opsianos, and we ended up having breakfast right next door at a place called Laggona. I kept it light with a coffee and some yoghurt topped with honey and granola.

After breakfast, Ed returned to his hotel to check out and brought his bags over to my room so he could store them there until his ferry departure. While he sorted that, I popped to the local shop for some essentials – suntan lotion, water, and orange juice – then got myself ready for a morning hike.

Hiking to Profitis Ilias

We planned to explore the southwest coast of Koufonisia and hike up to Profitis Ilias, the highest point on the island–a whopping 113 metres above sea level! The route started easily enough along a paved road, but after we passed the waste management centre, things got interesting. We struggled to find the marked trail on Ed’s hiking map and ended up freestyling it up the hillside until we rejoined a dirt road not far from the summit.

The views from near the top were well worth the scramble, and the descent was a bit more straightforward, following a dirt track that eventually joined back up with the paved road. In total, the hike was just under 5.7 km and took about 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Drinks, Lunch, and a Very Mellow Afternoon

After freshening up at the hotel (a clean T-shirt never felt so good), we headed out in search of a drink and some food. We first stopped at Lefteris Seaside Restaurant, just behind the beach, and enjoyed a large bottle of Mamos beer each while soaking in the view.

They’d only just opened for the season, so the lunch menu was limited. We ended up back at Fos Fanari, where we had one of the more unusual pies I’ve eaten — a mushroom and cheese pie shaped like a sausage — along with bread, chips, and tzatziki. I had a half-litre of rosé and Ed went for another beer.

We then made our way back to Lefteris, where I had another half-litre of white wine and Ed had yet another beer. Needless to say, by this point, I was definitely feeling the effects!

We’d stopped at the hotel on the way to collect Ed’s bags and for me to grab my drone so I could film his departure. We sat sipping our drinks while I took occasional dips in the sea to cool off. Despite tracking the ferry, Ed almost missed it when it appeared on the horizon out of nowhere. He caught a lift across the beach in a passing minibus while I followed on foot, and we arrived at the port just in time. We said our goodbyes, he boarded the ferry, and I captured some great drone shots as it pulled away.

Back to Solo Mode and a Missed Sunset

Now back on my own, I returned to the hotel for what can only be described as a wine-fuelled nap. I woke up around 7:30 p.m. feeling groggy but eventually dragged myself out around 8, hoping to catch the sunset and get some photos with my main camera.

Unfortunately, I’d missed the sunset, but I still wandered around for a while and managed to get a few decent shots. I wasn’t hungry enough for a full meal, so I just picked up a protein drink from the shop next to Fos Fanari and headed back to my room.

The rest of the evening was spent updating these blog notes and editing footage for the Koufonisia YouTube video. A fairly low-key end to the day, but after the hiking, beer and sun, I was ready for some quiet time.