The road finally arrives in Vretsia. However, our journey is not yet over.

Unfortunately, they were doing some maintenance work on the only road through Vretsia. So our planned route back to civilisation had to be abandoned. We had numerous options now. We could go back into the forest, and head to Pano Panagia, or retrace our route back to Ayios Ioannis. There was also another option, to take the direct route back down to the river and go back to the first Water Mill we came across. From there, we would try going left, to see if that route was now accessible again. This is what we did.

And yes, they had repaired the road further up the river, so across we went.

From this point, you can drive all the way to Nata along or near the river bed. Once you hit the track that runs past the donkey sanctuary it is actually very well maintained, and a quick way of getting from A to B, provided that A is the donkey sanctuary and B is Nata. Before that though, you will pass by Sinti Monastery.

You can drive to Sinti Monastery in any car. It is worth a visit, as it is a lovely place.

The Xeros Valley never ceases to give us a huge amount of pleasure. It can be explored at all times of the year. Just take care during the winter as some areas can flood. The golden rule is to never drive down a road you won't feel comfortable reversing back out of. Provided you stick to that you will be able to see lots of beautiful sights that few tourists bother to explore. This is a shame, but it means you will have a very peaceful trip.