Netflix is now showing a series “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones”. Episode 3 highlights Ikaria Island. While the show nicely explains some of Ikaria’s special longevity qualities (herbal tea, raw honey, wine, partnership, dancing and laughing) what remains silent in the background is Ikaria’s vast network of mountain footpaths. Along the footpaths Ikaria’s hidden terrain can teach us many things about living long and well — if we take time to walk and explore it.
Ikaria’s footpaths (Gr: monopatia) have linked villages together over centuries, while also serving to connect people to fresh water resources, clean mountain air, and a daily lifestyle of heart-pumping walking and exercise.
The Fuel of life: Air and Water
Ikaria’s network of footpaths takes you way off the island’s visible landscape to what is almost like a magical ‘hidden world’ inside Ikaria’s spatial world. Exploring some familiar and unfamiliar parts of Ikaria’s footpaths this summer, we realized more than ever that there is a centuries-old local mastery here over the steep terrain and water resources. Along various footpaths we stumbled upon old watermills, snaking water conduits, thermal hot springs, and we also see many creative ways that locals directed and gathered mountain water. Practically every village still has a public (yes free!) fountain where you can gather fresh spring water for drinking.
The combination of Ikarians walking in the mountains, breathing fresh air and drinking fresh spring water must inevitably work to cleanse and rejuvenate their internal body systems.
Walking and Breathing With Steep Steps
Ikarians walk uphill, downhill, uphill more, then downhill more, and repeat in steep steps and high elevations that open up and expand the lungs. Quite a few times I stopped this summer to offer a ride to a local walking alongside a road. The response usually was that they were going only a short way and didn’t need a ride. But that short way required them walking up a steep hill or climbing an arduous higher bend in the road. Yet, walking for them was not an anomaly or a unique burden…it’s just part of their daily chores and routines.
Dive into Ikaria’s natural elements when you visit!
To get a more intimate sense of the mastery Ikarians cultivated over their land and water resources, and the amazing mountain air they enjoy, we encourage you to walk the footpaths that explore deep into the folds of the mountains where rivers, gorges, hidden seawater hot springs and old mills exist. Also, take a swim in the coastal sea waters (Ikaria’s southern coastal waters have been deemed by the EU to be of 'excellent swimming quality'!), observe locals collecting spring water in recycled bottles, taste some of the wine and eat the fruit, vegetables and herbs that have soaked up Ikaria’s water and air nutrients.
While doing so, you’ll also find that you’ve breathed in deeply Ikaria’s fresh mountain air and strengthened your agility, balance and stamina a bit too, while entering the exciting, mysterious folds of Ikaria’s hidden terrain.
