In the area of Evmaeus: Rizes cave - Arethousa spring The walker’s/tourist's orientation and safety is solely their responsibility. The present report, the relevant tracks (gpx) and the rest of the informational material are just supplementary. The proper equipment is necessary, depending on the weather conditions and the nature of the route.  Route’s type: linear (the beginning and the end of the route coincide) Route’s duration: 1 hour and 40 minutes Route’s length: 4.600m Level of difficulty: difficult Suggested season: spring The route The start of the trail is well marked and distinct. There are information signs and a bench. The trail starts towards the Rizes Cave, uphill, but it is not particularly strenuous. The trail is well marked and not difficult, while a big part of it, is under the trees (shady), strawberry trees, cypresses, olives, myrtles, field flowers, etc.. The cave is excellent and there is a passable entrance to it and a place to see it from above (it needs attention, though). The walker, then, descends towards the beginning of the path and when he reaches the asphalt road he turns right and after about 300 metres he comes across a wooden kiosk with benches which marks the descent to the Arethousa fountain. The path starts with a gentle downhill which is paved but there are few shady spots. There are some chickweed, bushes, sage, thyme, field flowers, etc. Then the trail becomes sharply downhill and rough (needs attention) that lasts for quite a while. Then, the quality of the trail improves. At some points the trail needs increased attention. The view is unique towards the sea and the beaches of the island. When the walker approaches Arethousa fountain the landscape becomes evocative due to the verticality of the rocks. The access to the fountain requires caution, as the walker has to cross a bog. The fountain is located in a cave and has turquoise water. A beautiful goose is a resident of the area. In the fountain's surroundings there are meaningless barbed wire fences that simply detract from the scenery. The return is by the same road. The total duration of the hike (including the local difficulties) without counting any stops is at least two hours due to the difficulties encountered in many places and the uphill nature of the return from the spring of Arethousa. In Ithaca there are: Medical Centre in Vathi and Regional Medical office in Stavros, Police Station in Vathi and Citizen Service Centre (KEP) also in Vathi. Arethousa Spring Arethousa Fountain is mentioned in Homer as the spring where Eumaeus watered his flocks. It is located in the middle of the slope of the steep cliff below the Marathia plateau, in southern Ithaca. On the beach below, where the downhill path leads, is the beach of Pera Pigadi, while the large rock seen to the right of the Arethousa Fountain is called Petra tou Koraka. This is an unfailing well, located in the opening of the rock. According to ancient tradition, Korax was a resident of Ithaca who, while hunting, fell off a cliff and was killed. His mother, whose name was Arethusa, hung herself in grief by a spring. The spring was named after her, and was called "Arethusa's fountain," and the steep rock was called "Crow's stone" after her son. Rizes Cave It is a cave, quite spacious with a large old fig tree whose roots (rizes) are visible, giving the cave its name. We enter through a small opening in the rock. There is a large opening on the roof of the cave and from there a lot of air and light enters. The cave has a large capacity and this is the reason why in the past it was used to stable animals. There is also the opinion of some researchers that this cave is the Homeric Cave of Eumaeus, the swineherd of Odysseus. Eumaeus Eumaeus was Odysseus' faithful swineherd, who made every effort to preserve his master's property during his twenty-year absence. He is the only person in the Odyssey to whom the poet addresses himself in the second person: "di Eumae" = "you, Eumaeus". He was the son of Ctesia of Ormenides, king of the island of Sirius, which was in the Cyclades. Thus, his nurse from Phoenicia stole Eumaeus when he was a young boy, and took him with her when she ran away, on a Phoenician ship, to return home to her parents. During the trip, the nurse died, and when the ship caught up at Ithaca the merchants sold Eumaeus as a slave to Laertes, Odysseus' father, who made him a swineherd. As soon as Odysseus returned to Ithaca after his ten-year journey, on the advice of the goddess Athena, he went and met Eumaeus in his hut, and from him he learned all the events that took place during his absence. On the same days, Telemachus returned to Ithaca from Sparta and Pylos. Eumaeus welcomed him with paternal affection and let him go and announce to Penelope the joyful event. In Eumaeus' hut, with the divine intervention of Athena, the recognition of Telemachus and Odysseus took place. After this, Eumaeus led Odysseus, disguised as a poor beggar, to the palace to fool the suitors, and presented him to Penelope. In the end, Eumaeus gained his freedom from Telemachus and became the chieftain of the Coliad family in Ithaca. During the route, the walker will encounter QR information signs at the following points: a) trailhead (at the information signs), b) Rizes cave, c) kiosk to Arethousa fountain, d) halfway to the fountain (in a tree that has a kind of bench made of rocks), e) at Arethousa fountain (at the information signs)