oldest olive tree and lake mavrobara (turtle lake)

This suggested trip offers you two beautiful spots for sightseeing. The first is one of the two oldest olive trees in the Cassandra peninsula, which happens to be in an olive grove that belongs to my family. You will be amazed by the olive tree’s size – it has been reported to be more than 400 years old. The second spot is Lake Mavrobara, a small lake full of turtles in the hills above the village of Polichrono. If you have some bread with you, try to feed the turtles so they will come closer to you. There are tables and benches for the visitors and a small water source. Come here to take a break from the bustle of the beach and trade the odour of sun cream for the scent of pine wood.

There is a route for mountain bikes that passes by both the spots mentioned above, with details and photographs of the route available on Every Trail. Starting from Villa Despina, take the road to Polichrono. Once in the village go through the traffic lights, cross the main road and follow the road up the hill. The olive tree is very close and you will find it on your left as you ascend the hill. Follow the signs for Mavrobara and you will reach the hill top. From there you can enjoy amazing views of the sea and the village of Polichrono from one side, and the mainland  from the other. The difficult part of the journey is over since it’s all downhill from here, with the route descending to the lake and back into the village. From there the way back to Villa Despina is relatively easy, as the rest of the way is on flat roads.