Troodos Mountains - Cyprus

 
Olympus... Home of the Gods

 

The Troodos mountain range is a must for visitors in summer or winter. In summer it is a cool haven from the heat of the plains and still retains most of the character of Cyprus village life, In fact a lot of Cypriots still follow the tradition of retreating to the mountains for the month of August.

In the winter its beautiful clear atmosphere, blue skies and crisp white snow makes it the ideal destination for winter sports and skiing,
If you are not the athletic type the apres ski is fun anyway. You will find a daily report of the snow conditions here.

      The place to stay is the Forest Park Hotel , which in summer or winter is delightful and a great base from which to explore all the charming mountain villages and enjoy the trekking.

To see other places to stay in the region, see Cyprus-Hotels.com

                                                                                               

Stay & Rest AGROS

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AGROS

45 km north of Limassol through Ayios Theodoros.

Agros is the centre of the district. A 19th Century church now stands on the site of the monastery of Panagia Elousa, founded by monks from Constantinople in the 9th Century. (See more)


LOUVARAS

28 km from Limassol on the south of the Troodos range, off the Limassol - Agros road.

In the centre of the village is the small church of Ayios Mamas built in 1455 with mural paintings signed by Philip Goul. (1495)

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LAGOUDERA

Lagoudera village is 15 km from Agros or off the Kakopetria - Troodos - Limassol road (Karvounas crossroad).

The 12th Century church of Panayia tou Arakou, situated just outside the village has frescoes which are some of the finest of the late Comnenian style (c1192) prevailing throughout Greece, the Balkans and Russia. Together the Asinou church and that of Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, it is considered to be one of the most important Byzantine churches on the island. Visitors can ask for the key and be escorted by the priest who is to be found in the premises next to the church.

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KOURDALI

7 km off the Kakopetria - Troodos road, after Spilia village.

The village’s early 16th Century church with frescoes of the same period, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Panagia).

PELENDRI

3 km below Kato Amiantos, off the Karvouna - Lemesos road, 32 km from Lemesos.

Once the property of Jean de Lusignan, son of the Lusignan King of Cyprus, Hugh IV. There are two interesting churches; the 14th Century church of Timiou Stavrou, the Holy Cross, with beautiful wall paintings and the church of Panagia Katholiki in the centre of the village which dates to the early 16th Century with paintings in the Italo-Byzantine style.

SOLEA VALLEY

On the main Lekosia - Troodos road 56 km from Lefkosia and 56 km from Lemesos (via Kato Amiantos and Saittas).

The Solea valley is famous for its apples, its Byzantine churches and its picturesque villages. Kakopetria and Galata villages, preserving much of their traditional folk architectural character, are popular hill resorts. Other charming villages in the valley are Evrychou, Flasou and Korakou.

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   KAKOPETRIA

Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis

The church of Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, ‘Saint Nicholas of the Roof’ stands about 5 km to the north of the village and once belonged to a monastery. It is completely painted with murals dating from the 11th to the 17th Century and is considered to be one of the most interesting Byzantine churches on the island. The church took its name from the steep pitched wooden roof which was built to protect it from climatological conditions. The small 16th Century church of Panagia Theotokos, off the main road, has retained about half of its murals. The church of Agios Georgios Perachoritis, on the east of the village, has some very original wall paintings belonging to the first quarter of the 16th Century. The old quarter of the village has been declared a protected area and traditional houses have been restored.

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GALATA

Panagia Podithou

There are four painted churches in and around the village. The church of Agios Sozomenos dates to the early 16th Century and retains a complete series of frescoes in the post-Byzantine style. The church of Archangelos Micheal or Panagia Theotokos is a timber-roofed chapel just below the village and is completely painted in the post-Byzantine style of the early 16th Century. Nearby is the larger church of Panagia Podithou which once belonged to a monastery. It was erected in 1502 and its paintings are of the Italo-Byzantine style. The small church of Agia Paraskevi on the old Kakopetria - Galata road has murals dating to 1514. The old inn which has been restored, the ‘Chani Kalianon’, is an nice example of rural architecture.

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KYKKOS MONASTERY

20 km west of Pedoulas village.

The most famous and richest monastery in Cyprus. Founded in 1100 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It has one of the three surviving icons ascribed to Saint Luke. The icon, covered in silver gilt and enclosed in a shrine of tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl, stands at the front of the iconostasis. The Archbishop Makarios served here as a novice. Concurrent with his wishes he is buried at Throni, 3 km west of the monastery, and not far from his native village of Panagia. Religious fairs are held at the monastery on 15th August and 8th September.

   KRASOCHORIA

The area of Krasochoria, meaning 'wine villages', is found on the south side of the Troodos range. Traditions are kept alive in these villages where the cultivation of the vineyards and wine making are still the main occupation of the inhabitants. This is the area which produces the famous local dry red wine. The area is reached from the Limassol - Paphos road turning right after Erimi village.

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NIKITARI

Asinou Church, 5 km from Nikitari village, off the main Nicosia - Troodos road, around 20 km north of Kakopetria.

An early 12th Century church dedicated to the Virgin Mary with frescoes of the 12th Century and later periods, considered to be amongst the finest examples of Byzantine mural paintings on the island. Visitors should ask for the priest of Nikitari village to escort them.

MARATHASA VALLEY

This fertile valley, well known for its cherries, yum, lies on the north side of the Troodos range. It offers an alternative route to Troodos through the lovely mountain villages of Kalopanagiotis, Moutoullas, Pedoulas and Prodromos. The road to Kykkos Monastery is signposted and turns off the main Lefkosia - Troodos road just below Evrychou. Marathasa is also reached for the Limassol - Platres - Prodromos road (around 65 km from Limassol).

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KALOPANAGIOTIS

Agios Ioannis Lampadistis

 

The village is famous for its sulphur springs and the church of Ayios Ioannis Lampadistis, with excellent frescoes of the 13th and 15th century. Originally a monastery, it is a complex of two churches and a chapel of various dates. One of the biggest religious fairs in the valley is held here on St. John’s day, 4th October. In Cyprus name days are more important than birthdays.

                                               
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MOUTOULLAS

     Panagia tou Moutoulla

Less than a kilometre further up is Moutoullas village with its tiny 13th Century chapel of Panagia tou Moutoulla, one of the earliest dated examples of the steep-pitched wooden roof type with frescoes dating to 1280. Visitors can obtain the key from the adjacent house. The traditional craft of wooden carved basins has been preserved in Moutoullas.

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PEDOULAS

Archangelos Micheal

The third village up the mountain is Pedoulas, a summer resort famous for its cherries. The painted church of Archangelos Michael in the lower part of the village dates from 1474. Visitors can obtain the key from the adjacent house.

 

PITSYLIA

The Pitsylia area lies on the eastern slopes of the Troodos mountain range. Picturesque villages cling to the mountainside amid vineyards, orchards of almond and hazelnut trees and an astonishing array of wild flowers. The Pitsylia area can be reached either from Lefkosia (Nicosia) or Lemesos (Limassol). From Nicosia one passes through Palaichori - Agros, or through Kakopetria - Karvounas - Kyperounta. From Lemesos one takes the Lemesos - Agios Theodoros - Agros road, or Lemesos - Kato Amiantos - Karvounas - Kyperounta road.

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  PALAICHORI

45 km south of Lefkosia (Nicosia) of the Lefkosia - Agros - Lemesos road, and 15 km from Agros.

The church of Metamorphosis tou Sotiros, the Transfiguration of the Saviour, is an early 16th Century chapel on the hill, overlooking the old village. Its interior is painted with one of the most accomplished series of murals of the post-Byzantine period in Cyprus. The church of Panagia Chrysopantanassa built in the 16th Century contains wall paintings. It is the main church of the upper village.

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   PLATANISTASA

Platanistasa village, 15 km from Agros, 30 km off the Lefkosia - Astromeritis road, turning left before Peristerona village.

A 15th century church, Church of the Holy Cross of Ayiasmati lies about 3 km outside this charming old village, it retains the most complete cycles of mural paintings of the second half of the 15th Century in Cyprus. Visitors can ask for the key from the village priest.

OMODOS

A wine producing village, once the property of Sir John De Brie, Prince of Galilee, with the Monastery of Stavros, 'Holy Cross', standing by the stone paved square. Embroidery is a specialty of this village especially quilts and tablecloths.

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FOINI

4 km west of Pafos

Famous for its pottery and its loukoumi sweet. Visitors can see the Pilavakeion private pottery collection and suck at the same time.

KOILANI

1,5 km southwest of Pera Pedi, off the Limassol - Troodos road.

Another attractive wine producing village, with the single aisled vaulted church of Agia Mavri,typical of 12th Century architecture with murals of the late 15th Century. The village also has its own local ecclesiastical museum.

                                  
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                          of Troodos

                                           Below are popular trekking routes  


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