N.B. This activity will be conducted as planned, with the change of walk leader: Gunnar is based in the locked down districts; Xenophon will lead the walk in his place. Teisia lie in Nicosia district. The walk will be followed by lunch at Fountoukia taverna in the village of Saranti, which is also in Nicosia district. Every participant must be wearing a face mask, except during hiking. We further announce new driving instructions to get to the walk start, from Nicosia; please ignore the originally published route, which passes the villages of Palekhori and then Agros; there will be road blocks, given Agros lies in Limassol district. Move down this page and print the new instructions. If you prefer, meet Xenophon at the Nicosia meeting point, but be on time, and have the printout with you, we cannot drive in a convoy. If you are driving from the Larnaca area, the safest option is to leave home earlier, and get to the Nicosia meeting point.

Our walk of Sunday 15 November 2020 takes place on Madari mountain. Madari is located east of Troodos, in the Pitsilia area. The most prominent of the Pitsilia group of villages are Agros and Kyperounda. Madari is covered by a variety of pine trees, junipers, cedars and fir trees, and also presents the majestic golden oak, an endemic species to Cyprus, as well as a rich variety of bushes and wild flowers. The walk starts at 11:00 am. Gunnar is leading this walk, which will go ahead even in light rain; if you need to, call 99251329. The starting point for this walk is outside the gate of the CYTA station atop Madari.

The Teisia tis Madaris trail is a circular trail, at an altitude close to 1600 m. The walk will take about 2 ½ hours and is of medium difficulty, with several downhill and uphill sections. The total distance is about 5 km. The walk covers an area very rich in vegetation, primarily junipers and golden oaks. The walk will take us to some upright structures, resembling walls; yet these are walls not built by human hands; instead, they resulted from the molten magma which rose from deep inside the Earth, in ancient geological times! A truly rare geological sight. The Greek word for walls is ‘teisia’, hence the name of this trail.

We shall combine the Teisia tis Madaris trail with a short, albeit demanding climb, 15 minutes from start, to a Watch Tower (Pyrofylakio) used by the Forestry department. From the Watch Tower we shall enjoy some magnificent 360° panoramic views. Because we shall come back from the Watch Tower the way we climbed, this part of the hike is optional. If you prefer, you may choose to stay behind and explore the Madari scenery. The trail will offer us several more exciting views.

Depending on the government restrictions on the day, we shall follow the walk with a served lunch or a picnic. Kindly visit this page in the week prior to the activity for updated news. In the case of lunch, this will take place at the taverna of our choice in the village of Saranti.

To provide you with maximum safety vis-à-vis covid-19, and in order to have maximum traceability, we require every participant to register, irrespective of your participation at lunch or not. To facilitate arrangements, for your better service, you are required to sms the walk leader or e-mail Xenophon by end Friday, indicating whether you will be joining us for lunch or not.

You have the choice of meeting the group at the walk start, or meet at the designated meeting point in Nicosia. In either case, you need to carry copy of this set of instructions. Meeting in Nicosia offers two important advantages: we drive in full cars, leaving some cars behind; thus, we save in fuel and enjoy the trip in good company. The meeting point in Nicosia is an open field which offers ample parking space in Archangelos. The car trip starts at 9:45 am. Please ensure you observe start times, for the benefit of the group.

How to get from Nicosia to the walk start, avoiding Limassol district:

Zero your odometer at the traffic lights on Archangelos avenue, the principal road towards Troodos, with the road leading to Apolloneion Hospital on your right and the road leading to K Cineplex cinemas on your left. At the 0.5 km reading you come to traffic lights (these are the traffic lights where turning left take you to the large field where we meet on Sundays), go straight. At the 3 km reading you leave the main road, taking the side road on your left, named E903 and signposted to Palekhori.  At the 3.3 km reading you get to a roundabout; take the first exit to the left, signposted to Palekhori. Drive along this main road. At the 16 km reading turn right into the E929 road, towards Agios Ioannis and Kato Moni villages. At the 27.1 km reading you pass through a short tunnel. At the 27.3 km reading you reach a T-junction: turn left. At the 28.8 km reading turn right into the E907 road, towards Xyliato and Agia Marina. At the 34.1 km reading you pass the village of Xyliato. At the 37.2 km reading you pass a large dam on your right. The road begins to climb towards the picturesque area of Pitsilia, through a beautiful forest scenery. At the 44.2 km reading you pass a right turn to Saranti village: stay on the main road. At the 44.7 km reading you enter the village of Lagoudera. At the 45.5 km reading ignore a right turn, signposted to Panagia tou Araka. Go straight, following signs to Chandria (and Kyperounda). About 2 km further on, you reach another junction, where you turn right, following signs to Chandria (and Kyperounda). Stay on this road until the next crossroads, which comes before any village, where you turn right, towards the CYTA station. This narrow uphill road takes you after 3 km to its end, the CYTA station. Park your car on the side. We meet here.

How to get from Limassol to the walk start: Limassol is in lockdown.

How to get to the meeting point for the car trip:

From Nicosia get to the junction between Cineplex and Apolloneion Hospital. At the traffic lights where you have the Cineplex on your left hand side and Apolloneion Hospital on your right hand side, zero your odometer and go straight, along Archangelos avenue, in the direction of Troodos. At the 0.3 km reading you reach the first traffic lights; turn left into Agiou Alexiou street. At the 0.4 km reading you reach a T-junction; turn right into Agiou Gennadiou street and immediately after you observe on your left an open field used for parking; get onto it and park your car. We meet here. In front of this field there is a violet box for collecting clothes and also a water tank from where people can buy water. For additional parking spaces, while in Agiou Gennadiou street turn first right into a road with a cul-de-sac sign.

Google Maps: Here is a map taking you from the junction between Cineplex and Apolloneion Hospital to the parking field on Agiou Gennadiou street http://tinyurl.com/lg3u78q

Google Maps: Here is a map taking you from the Presidential Palace to the parking field on Agiou Gennadiou street: http://tinyurl.com/k9gabhs

Google Maps: Here is a map taking you from the main road passing outside the village of Agros, to the walk start  http://tinyurl.com/yc28ltdz

About Pitsilia: The region east of Mount Olympos (Troodos) is known as the Pitsilia area and includes about 30 villages. Its tallest peaks are Madari (1612 metres) and Papoutsa (1554 metres). The picturesque villages nestle on the mountainside amid vineyards, or are hidden in valleys, maintaining much of their traditional charm. The surrounding hills and valleys are full of vines, as well as almond, hazelnut, walnut and other fruit trees. The area is also known for its traditional products such as aromatic rosewater, ‘hiromeri’ (smoked ham), ‘loukanika’ (smoked sausages) and ‘lountza’ (smoked pork loin).

Disclaimer: If you attend a Cyprus Strollers walk you do so entirely at your own risk. The Cyprus Strollers is a social club and neither the organizers nor the leader of the walk are responsible for the health and safety of those taking part. If you do not wish to receive further e-mails, reply to this message, stating so.