The hidden side of Cyprus
Cyprus is a popular summer destination but it has so much more to offer besides its beaches and resorts. Travel Writer Elina Michaelidou shares her first-hand hiking experience in this beautiful country.
Last month, I found myself at Troodos square in the mountainous part of Cyprus. It wasn’t my first time there (I usually go twice a year) but this time was different. Whilst walking in a small park there, I noticed a sign to the Atalanti Nature Trail, which reminded me that I wanted to visit the Kalidonia (or Calidonia) Nature Trail last year but its starting point was closed. And so it sparked my spontaneous decision to hike there now!
Some background
The Kalidonia Waterfall, at the height of 12m, is one the highest waterfalls in Cyprus. The name originates from the time the British settled to the island, in 1878. When Scottish people found the waterfall, they gave it the Latin name of their homeland, Caledonia (today’s Scotland).
Kalidonia Nature Trail
The Cypriot Tourism Organisation has many sign-posted natural trails in Cyprus, and the Kalidonia Trail is one of them. It’s a linear trail of 3km that starts from an old road between Troodos and Platres, and ends at Psilo Dentro in Pano Platres. You can also hike the other way round if you want, but the signs will show the opposite direction. Since it’s a linear path, the distance of completing the trail and coming back is around 6km, which takes about 3 hours in total. The Kalidonia Waterfall is two-thirds of the way along the trail – that’s 2km from the starting point (or 1km if you start from the other side). The complete trail descends about 350m in total, which means that you will need to ascend it at the end. In general, the path is considered difficult to follow, especially its ascending part, since the surface can be slippery. For me, a beginner hiker, visiting on a late afternoon in September, it was just about manageable.
Impressions
The thing that impressed me the most was the fantastic natural beauty of the place. I didn’t expect it to be so breath-taking. It was terrific walking along the Cold River (Krios Potamos) the entire time. I wanted to photograph everything, and for this reason, it took me more time to descend than to ascend. The only thing that I wished I had done earlier was to plan the whole excursion to have more time there. But since I hadn’t done that, I didn’t manage to finish the trail: I continued my walk only until I found the Kalidonia Waterfall and then started coming back because I was afraid that I wouldn’t have time to return before sunset. The whole walk took me almost 2 hours: 1 hour to reach the Falls and then 45-50 minutes to go back.
Ed: For more travel stories and tips, visit Elina’s blog at https://empnefsysandtravel.com/.
