The Andriotic art of dry stone masonry through repairs along the section of route 6 Vourkoti–Achla Bridge

The Andriotic art of dry stone masonry through repairs along the section of route 6 Vourkoti–Achla Bridge – Watch the video!

With great pleasure, we share with you a video showcasing the repair of dry stone masonry along Route 6, while also highlighting the importance of dry stone walls for the landscape, biodiversity, and climate of our island.

As we mentioned in our previous article, the section of Route no 6 from Vourkoti to the stone bridge of the Achla River was in poor condition, with many fallen stones from the surrounding dry stone walls and an unstable walking surface.

Following the submission of a proposal by our organization and thanks to the support of the Dutch non-profit “Giving Back to Nature,” which organizes hiking trips on Andros and consistently supports the Andros Routes project, we managed to restore the dry stone walls and the walking surface of this emblematic path to a satisfactory condition.

From autumn 2024 through winter 2025, extensive restoration work was carried out along the section below Vourkoti and up to the Achla arched bridge, including significant repairs of the adjacent dry stone walls and improvements to the walking terrain.

The video captures the arduous repair work carried out using the methods of the traditional art of dry stone masonry, ensuring the route is once again safe, enjoyable to walk, and more resilient to erosion.

It is important to reflect on the art of dry stone walling as a practice that harmoniously unites human craftsmanship with the natural landscape of Andros.

Watch the video below and let yourself be immersed in the beauty of this restored path.

Even better, walk Route 6 yourself and experience the nature, history, and living heritage of the rural culture of the Cyclades!

We warmly thank the non-profit organization “Giving Back to Nature” for its trust and support!

👉 We continue our activities and efforts for the rural landscape of Andros. We invite you to join our initiatives by choosing one or more of the available ways to get involved!

The action “Biodiversity hubs: Restoring severe dry stone wall damages in a Natura area on the Greek Cycladic island of Andros” was supported by the non-profit organization “Giving Back to Nature” of the Dutch tour operator SNP Natuurreizen. The objective of the Foundation is to manage the funds collected by travellers and touroperators in a transparent manner, to select the local projects through a careful process that have the conservation and management of biodiversity as their (co-)goal and to ensure that the financial support ends up in the right place with accountability for the spending of the funds.