Andros The Valley of Dipotamata

Location: Kochilos

The Valley of Dipotamata on Andros: Dipotamata is a beautiful natural area on the southeastern coast of Andros. It is actually a river-basin that extends for 7 km between the villages of Syneti, Paleokastro, and Kochylou. This area has lush green and rare vegetation. Among the plants found, there are oaks, fig trees, blackberries, ivies, oleanders and different kinds of bushes, while regarding the animals that live there, there are badgers, snakes, and species of birds.

Dipotamata is crossed by an old, cobbled road that connected Korthi village to Chora till the 1960s. When the road meets the river, there is a lovely, arched, stone bridge. There are also many narrow paths that connect the area to close by villages. Many old constructions are also found in the area, such as small chapels, stables, threshing floors and the famous windmills of Dipotamata.

In fact, there are 22 watermills there, some in ruins and others in a good state. They were used until some decades ago to grind the wheat using the power of water, which is abundant in the area. A few of these mills had auxiliary buildings, such as storerooms or a room for the miller to spend the night. These rooms are still preserved today.

In order for the watermills to function, the residents had constructed dams to collect the water from the river and form lakes. There were canals guiding the water from there to the millpond and eventually into the hole of the mill machinery. The water that passed through the rotating wheel came out of the mill and was guided to the canal of the next watermill. Dipotamata today has been declared an official ecological site by the E.U. and can be crossed only on foot since cars are prohibited there.