UPDATE: We shall follow the walk with a meze lunch at our taverna of choice in Trimiklini. Besides meat dishes, there will be offerings for persons vegan and fasting. Kindly clarify if staying for lunch or not, when you register. Depending on the weather, participants need be prepared to extend the length of this hike by one to two km.

Our excursion of Sunday 27 March 2022 takes us to Platres, from where we take a dirt road in the direction of Mesa Potamos. The hike is linear, 11 km long (5.5 km each way), with several uphill and downhill sections; there will be more downhill going out, more uphill coming back. Reassuringly, there is little elevation change; the hike starts at an altitude of near 1200 m and reaches 1300 m at the highest elevation. Hiking will take about 3 hours, and degree of difficulty is 1 ½ – 2 (easy to medium). The area is scenic, with rich vegetation, mainly pine trees, rock roses and more strawberry trees than we usually come across.  

The hike starts at 11:15 am, setting off from the Psilo Dendro location outside Platres village. Xenophon is leading this outing, which will go ahead even in light rain; if you need to, call 97613720.

The village of Platres is one of the prettiest mountain resorts by any standard, and has inspired the famous Greek poet George Seferis. Not far from the far end of the trail lies the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist. Mesa Potamos is the name of a secondary river which flows by the Monastery, and further down connects with the main river Kourris.

Depending on the government restrictions on the day, we shall follow the walk with a meze lunch at our taverna of choice in Trimiklini. Kindly visit this page in the week prior to the activity for updated news.

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 e-mail Xenophon by end Friday, indicating whether you will be joining us for lunch or not.

The taverna is on the main road towards Limassol. Return to Nicosia or Larnaca is easier via Limassol, since you will take advantage of the principal Limassol-Nicosia highway.

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 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 some 25 m further down along the main road, at an opening on the left, signposted ‘Mesa Potamos 8 km’.

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 some 25 m further down along the main road, at an opening on the left, signposted ‘Mesa Potamos 8 km’.

How to get from Limassol to the walk start:

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 in Platres (taverna and trout farm on your right) (this is the starting point to Caledonian waterfall) park your car. We meet some 25 m before the trout farm along the main road, at an opening on the right, signposted ‘Mesa Potamos 8 km’.

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.

About Troodos: Troodos is the highest mountain of the island, with its highest peak (Hionistra) at 1950 metres altitude. Troodos 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. Troodos is also a rare geological phenomenon.

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 Troodos square to the start of the hike (Psilo Dendro outside Platres) http://tinyurl.com/kd9hryf

Google Maps: Here is a map showing the dirt road we are taking http://tinyurl.com/ybhcj5o7

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.