Tranquil Troodos (Troodos (Cyprus))

Member Name: Kukana

Product:	Troodos (Cyprus)
Date:	03/12/05 (1381 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gorgeous scenery, cool in summer, fairly inexpensive, friendly locals, some ski-ing

Disadvantages: No guaranteed snow, cold in winter, no night-life or beaches

Troodos in Cyprus can mean any of three related but different places. Firstly it's a tiny village high in the mountains. Secondly, as one guide book tells me, it's the area within about 5km encircling that village. And thirdly, as it's most often understood, it's an entire range of mountains reaching almost from Paphos in the West of the island to East of Limassol, which is about 50km away.

The village itself is easily dealt with. It contains a few tourist shops, a few food shops, a post office which is closed more often than it's open, a tourist information centre, and an outdoor market. In the past few years there have been major road works going on - nobody ever knows quite what road works are for in Cyprus, but it's probably something to do with drains. Or electricity. Or resurfacing due to sun damage. Whatever the reason, they make it rather difficult to get through Troodos village: the one-way signs direct traffic through an extremely bumpy car park, and even in the height of summer there don't seem to be many visitors.

At the other extreme, the broadest sense of Troodos - the entire mountain range - is too big a topic for a single review. There are forests, rivers, and nature trails, mostly unspoilt. See http://www.cosmosnet.net/cyprus/trails/nt4.htm for some suggestions, although the local tourist offices generally have up-to-date guides.

The Troodos mountains also, I'm told, have a unique geology. They rose from the ocean crust, and so provide vital information to those researching this topic. It would take many years to explore the entire area and to become familiar with it; suffice it to say that these mountains are an important part of Cyprus as well as being attractive, since the main water of the island is sourced there. Although in recent years de-salination plants have enabled households to have constant mains water, we still rely on spring water from the mountains, and on melting snow to fill the reservoirs during the spring.

We have, however visited several times the smaller Troodos area within a few kilometres of Troodos village. Cyprus at sea-level (where we live) becomes hot and humid during the summer months, and many of the locals will spend weekends at holiday homes or staying with relatives in the mountains. The air is clear and fresh, the humidity is much lower, and there's even a chance of some rain.

In the Winter people go there for snow. This is something we never see at sea-level, but which sometimes falls to a depth of several feet in the mountains. There are a few small ski centres, although they don't tend to attract many tourists since the amount and timing of the snow is unpredictable. In the worst years of the recent drought in the island, there was almost no snow at all. But when it's thick, some of the locals will make their way up the mountains to ski. We had visitors in February one year who found it quite startling to be able to sun-bathe near our house one day, and then after only an hour and a half's driving could build a snow-man in the mountains the following day!

Getting to Troodos is easiest by car. The roads are reasonable, and it's not a huge distance from anywhere in South Cyprus. It's about an hour's drive from Paphos, or Nicosia, or forty-five minutes from Limassol. There are buses which run once per day between each of the main cities and Troodos village, but although buses in Cyprus have a surprisingly good safety record, most visitors who use them find themselves terrified by the erratic driving, particularly up the winding mountain roads! Car rental is fairly inexpensive and for a family is probably cheaper than paying bus fares, besides being quicker and more convenient.

Although there are few towns and villages in this district, there are a smattering of restaurants and hotels offering local foods at reasonable prices. One of my teenage sons ate at a Troodos restaurant about a year ago; for a large plate of spaghetti and tomato sauce, a soft drink and a generous ice cream, he paid about CY £3.50, which is approximately £4 sterling. Don't expect a wide choice on the menu, particularly if you're a vegetarian, but most reasonable requests can be met if you ask politely. http://www.cyprushotelsguide.net/troodos.shtml is a good place to start when looking for a hotel, but it's only a rough guide. Prices vary hugely by season, and also by how prepared you are to bargain!

We don't personally know anyone living in Troodos, and the hotels are rather out of our price range as well as being crowded in the summer, so our stays have been limited to a campsite, of which there are several. The one we stay in is owned by a missionary agency, and has tents already set up and equipped with basic kitchen utensils and beds. Most of the big camp sites, however, are fairly primitive, intended for people to take their own tents or caravans. Camping tends to appeal most to foreigners like ourselves, although Cubs and Scouts make use of the camp-grounds, as do some of the schools. But to many Cypriots, camping is considered an activity for children only.

There are several official trails that can be followed in this region: again, information is readily available at the tourist office. One of the best-known is the Caledonia Falls trail, following a stream to a dramatic waterfall and then returning via a large forest. One of my sons walked that with some friends one summer, and we decided to follow it as a family a few days later; unfortunately we didn't get all the way as it was a little precarious in places and I wasn't keen on balancing my way over streams. Not that they were deep, but I preferred to sit quietly and enjoy the scenery than walk a long distance and risk getting my feet wet!

Troodos is generally recommended to tourists for a day trip, or at most a weekend. I've never heard of anybody visiting Cyprus and spending all their time in the mountains, but many people enjoy the drive and like to spend at least one or two days of their holidays in Troodos. There are several peaceful Byzantine monasteries and Greek Orthodox churches which are open to visitors; the only requirement is that you dress respectfully (no shorts, no bare arms) and talk quietly. Some of them don't allow photographs inside, particularly if there are ancient icons or other paintings, but there are plenty of postcards depicting the most attractive of the religious artefacts. Some monasteries only allow men to visit; others are more relaxed and welcome anyone. See http://www.cyprusexplorer.com/Monasteries.htm for more information.

Of course there's no point going to Troodos if you're into night-life and loud music, nor if you simply want a beach holiday. We go there to relax and unwind. Some people take lengthy hikes, but we find that with the air being thinner we have less energy for a day or two, and easily get out of breath. However it's quite possible to take gentle walks, to breathe in the scent of the pine trees, and to be refreshed by the stunning views.

For more information see:
http://www.kypros.com/Cyprus/Troodos.htm
http://www.walkingworld.com/home/index.asp?id=31& amp;nid=188

Summary: Visit the mountains in Cyprus for walking, camping, and possibly even ski-ing