Troodos Mountains
Troodos is the largest mountain massif of Cyprus, which occupies about a third of the island and lies in its very center. The highest peak is Mount Olympus (Hionistra in Greek), 1,952 meters high.
In the summer, people flee here from the suffocation of the coast, because it is noticeably cooler in the mountains, and in winter, snow falls on the peaks, so the season here is actually year-round. The main attraction is nine Byzantine churches and a monastery on the UNESCO list, including the most famous on the island, the Kikkos monastery, plus more than thirty mountain villages.
Local mines have supplied copper to the entire Mediterranean since antiquity, and geologists travel here for the undisturbed ophiolite sequence - a rare piece of the ancient ocean floor. A rare Cypriot mouflon lives in the forests, but you should not get to know the local vipers.
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is Troodos and what is the highest point here?
This is the largest mountain massif of Cyprus, occupying about a third of the island and lying in its center. The highest peak is Mount Olympus (Greek: Chionistra) with a height of 1,952 meters.
When to go here?
In summer, they escape the heat of the coast here: in July, it is about 23 degrees, against the hell below. And in winter, there is snow on the peaks - in Prodromos in January, the average temperature is only 4 degrees, so the season in the mountains here is quite year-round.
What to see?
Nine Byzantine churches and monasteries have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985 - among them the Kikkos Monastery, the richest and most famous on the island. Plus more than thirty mountain villages like Omodos, Platres and Kakopetria, cedar forests and waterfalls of Millomeris and Caledonia.
What is interesting about Troodos, apart from churches?
Local mines have supplied copper to the entire Mediterranean since ancient times. And geologists travel here for the intact ophiolite sequence - this is the rare piece of the ancient ocean floor that helped prove the theory of seafloor drift.
Who can you meet in the mountains?
The Cypriot mouflon lives here, which is in danger of disappearing, so seeing it is already an event. But it is better not to insist on getting acquainted with vipers - they are poisonous.