It is one of the most beautiful hiking trails you can enjoy in Kavala and eastern Macedonia in general. And it gets even better with the arrival of spring, which regenerates the green landscape around it, transforming it into a small “jungle”.
The reason is the Palea Kavala trail, which of course took its name from the village it is part of. Palea Kavala is located where the ancient city of Skavala used to be and was founded in 1391, at 360 meters altitude on the edge of the mountain Symvolo.
Today Palea Kavala is officially registered as a traditional settlement and has 108 permanent residents (according to the 2011 census). It has also been known for years for the beauty of its natural landscape, its oregano and its taverns. It is very easy to access from Kavala by road, as the distance between the two is only 15 km.
The Palea Kavala trail is laid out along the stream of the village, right next to the provincial road that connects it to Zygos. The hiking trail stretches for just over 2.5 kilometres (expect to take about 1.5 hours) and is particularly enchanting during the spring and summer months, when the surrounding landscape turns green and the waters abound.
The perennial plane trees offer wonderful shade even on the hottest days, while the abundance of ivy and vines – sprawled on the trunks of the trees – create the aforementioned “jungle” impression, combined of course with the special flora of the area. The picturesque wooden bridges also ensure that even some of the most difficult parts of the route remain easy to cross and perfectly safe.
How to get there
Following the Kavala – Drama highway you will leave Kavala and, reaching the junction of the military airport, you will turn towards the mountain. In about 4 km you will meet another intersection, where you will turn right, towards Palea Kavala. Around 300 metres later, a dirt detour will take you to the old quarry, where you should turn left onto another dirt road. This will lead you to the western entrance of the trail.
There is also an eastern entrance, but you have to get to Palea Kavala to find it. It is located right at the entrance of the settlement, to the right of the tavern you will see there. It is accessed via a dirt footpath with a downhill slope.
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