You thought it would be impossible to hike around Platres, without passing Caledonian waterfall. Join us for Aedonian, a new trail off the beaten track and experience aspects of Platres that stretch the mind and expand the imagination. Our excursion of Saturday 27 April 2024 is led by Angelos. The hike starts at 10:30 am, setting off from the Psilo Dendro location outside Platres village, and will go ahead even in light rain; if you need to, call 99308436.

The hike is linear, it starts at an altitude of about 1200 m and is mostly uphill on the way out, downhill on the way back. Duration is three hours return, and degree of difficulty is 2 (medium difficulty). Total distance of the hike is about ten km. There will be enough short stops on the way to admire the scenery.

The village of Platres is one of the prettiest mountain resorts by any standard, and has inspired the famous Greek poet George Seferis (1900-1971), who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1963. Seferis stayed in Platres, was mesmerized by the singing of the nightingales (in Greek aedonia), and wrote a poem about Helen of Troy in 1953, from which the following verses:

Αηδόνι ντροπαλό, μες στον ανασασμό των φύλλων,

συ που δωρίζεις τη μουσική δροσιά του δάσους

στα χωρισμένα σώματα και στις ψυχές

αυτών που ξέρουν πως δε θα γυρίσουν.

Τ’ αηδόνια δε σ’ αφήνουνε να κοιμηθείς στις Πλάτρες.

Ποιες είναι οι Πλάτρες; Ποιος το γνωρίζει τούτο το νησί;

Έζησα τη ζωή μου ακούγοντας ονόματα πρωτάκουστα:

καινούριους τόπους, καινούριες τρέλες των ανθρώπων

ή των θεών·

……………………………………………………………………………………

Αηδόνι αηδόνι αηδόνι,

τ’ είναι θεός; τι μη θεός; και τι τ΄ανάμεσό τους;

Here follows a translation:

Shy nightingale, in the rustling of the leaves,

you who give the musical coolness of the forest

in the separated bodies and souls

of those who know they will not return.

The nightingales won’t let you sleep in Platres.

What are Platres? Who knows this island?

I lived my life hearing names never heard before:

new places, new craziness of people

or of the gods;

……………………………………………………………………………………

nightingale nightingale nightingale

what is god, what not god and what lies between them?

nightingale in Platres, singing

We shall follow the walk with a served meze lunch at a choice restaurant nearby. Registered participants will receive full details via e-mail the day before.

To provide you with maximum safety, 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 Thursday, 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 the very large church named tis Theou Sophias (also referred to as Agia Sophia) in Strovolos, which offers ample parking space on its side street. The car trip starts at 9:00 am. Please ensure you observe start times, for the benefit of the group.

How to get to the walk start:

From Nicosia take the A9 motorway towards Troodos. The A9 smoothly becomes the B9 highway towards Troodos, when the motorway ends, near Kokkinotrimithia. Up on Troodos, turn left into Troodos square and drive past the square, downhill, in the direction of Platres. Once you reach Platres, look out for the location named Psilo Dendro on your left, before the entrance to the village. Park your car on either side of the main road at Psilo Dendro. We meet here, on the left.

How to get to the walk start (a more detailed instruction):

From Nicosia take the A9 motorway towards Troodos. The A9 smoothly becomes the B9 highway towards Troodos, when the motorway ends, near Kokkinotrimithia. On the B9 you drive past the villages of Akaki, then Peristerona and then you reach the village of Astromeritis. At the Astromeritis traffic lights, where most cars turn left towards Troodos, zero your odometer and turn left. Drive along the main road. After 25 km you pass the village of Kakopetria. Continue to drive along the main road, in the direction of Troodos. At the 33 km reading, you reach a crossroads (no traffic lights), named Karvounas. Do not turn left (this takes you to Kyperounda village and Madari mountain). Do not go straight. Turn right towards Troodos square. At the 41.6 km reading turn left into Troodos square, past the car park on your left. At the 41.9 km reading you reach the end of Troodos square, with a roundabout; take the second exit of the roundabout and drive downhill, in the direction of Platres. At the 47.3 km reading you pass a right turn leading to Trooditissa monastery; stay on the main road. At the 49.4 km reading you reach the junction of Platres/ Psilo Dendro. Psilo Dendro is on your left. Park your car on either side of the main road at Psilo Dendro. We meet here, on the left.

How to get to the walk start from Limassol:

Take the main road towards Trimiklini, then Saittas (exit number 28 on the Limassol-Nicosia motorway). Get to the principal junction at Saittas, where you have the options of going straight to Platres or left to Pera Pedi, or right to Amiantos. Continue straight to Platres. At the junction of Psilo Dendro (taverna and trout farm on your right) park your car on either side of the main road. We meet here, on the right.

Here is a map of the trail

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 turn left. At the 0.3 km reading you see Lidl supermarket on your right. At the 0.8 km reading you reach traffic lights. Turn left into Elaionon street. Immediately after you observe the very large church of tis Theou Sophias, with its green dome, on your right. Just past the church (1.0 km reading) take the first turning to the right into Kastellas street. This side street offers ample parking space. Park here.

About the nightingale:

Small, melodious and a proud bird, since it cannot live in captivity. It comes to Platres in the Spring and leaves in early Autumn. It lives in rivers, ravines and orchards. The nightingales may chirp during the day, but especially at night (what’s in a name), from mid-April to mid-June.

Google Maps: Here is a map taking you from the junction between Cineplex and Apolloneion Hospital to the church of tis Theou Sophias http://tinyurl.com/ll9fefj  

Google Maps: Here is a map taking you from the Presidential Palace to the church of tis Theou Sophias: https://tinyurl.com/ybnc84q7    

Google Maps: Here is a map taking you from Troodos square to the start of the hike (Psilo Dendro outside Platres) http://tinyurl.com/kd9hryf

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.