The Salonica View team organizes a two-day excursion to the coastal village of Lower Tower.
A few words about our excursion:
1st day
Our excursion will start from Nicosia with the bus heading towards Troodos and the final station is Lower Tower. The community of the village has about 1500 inhabitants, and during the summer months, the village is also home to many vacationers. We will pass through the "cream of Pelle" in Kampos between the villages of Stavros of Psoka and Kampos in the Nicosia district, on the way to Kykkos Monastery. The entire route takes place through a winding road that passes through a wonderful green environment. In the area, the deep verdant ravines stand out. Such a deep cliff, at an altitude of 1153 meters, is called the "Cream of Pelle". At this particular spot, there is a rock and a centuries-old giant lanzia, which is protected by the Department of Forests.
According to tradition, a girl tending her goats in that area sat on the rock to rest and work on her spine. Unfortunately for her, the spinning wheel fell from her hands towards the cliff and in her attempt to grab it, she herself fell into the cliff and met her fatal death. Her move was considered by the residents of the area as something, particularly daring that bordered on madness and for this reason this particular spot, which is still considered particularly dangerous today, was called "the cream of the pelle".
First, we will stop in the village of Gerakies for coffee and then we will hike on the Ariadni nature trail that starts just outside the village. With a total length of 5 kilometers, the Ariadne Nature Trail is circular and starts from the "Tree Tops" hotel, heading towards Kykkos Monastery and then going downhill. During the route that crosses green forest, vineyards, and fruit trees, the walker enjoys an excellent view of Troodos at the highest point of the path, specifically at the location "Kavallos" (1,160 altitude). From there, you can see the Monastery of Kykkos, the Throne of Holy Mary and on the horizon the province of Paphos and Morphou, while there is also the fire station. From "Kavallos", the route descends towards Gerakies, passing abandoned vineyards. The route becomes circular, as it passes through the community, following the course of Gerakion-Kykkos road, for about 800 meters. Signs have been placed along the route with the names of the plants that are found in the area, with the most characteristic trachea pine, tremitia, lazia, mosphilia, and many others. An area rich in biodiversity, it has a multitude of birds, mammals, and reptiles, dominated by the endemic wildebeest, the fox, and the hare.
Hiking Features:
Starting point: From the Tree Tops hotel, shortly after the village of Gerakies, towards Kykko
Path length: 5 km
Estimated Time: 2.5 hours
Difficulty level: 3/5
Shape: circular
Address: Gerakies area
After the end of the hike, we will visit the Monastery of Kykkos, which is located in the mountainous area of the Marathasa Valley and is the richest Monastery on the island. It is located at the top of the mountain, at an altitude of 1,318 meters. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Monastery has one of the three icons attributed to the Apostle and Evangelist Luke. The image is plated with silver and kept in a case of tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl and is placed in front of the iconostasis. The Monastery burned several times and nothing remained of its original building. Religious festivals are held on September 8 (Birth of the Virgin Mary) and August 15 (Assumption of the Virgin Mary). There is also a museum on the grounds of the Monastery. Then we will go to the E.J. hotel. Pyrgos Bay Hotel where we will settle into our rooms and then have free time in the evening.
2nd day
The next day we will wake up and after breakfast at the hotel, we will have free time to swim in the sea and eat in the area of Lower Tower. Then we will depart for Nicosia through the Lower Tower roadblock from the occupied territories in the direction of the Astromeriti roadblock where in between we will stop for coffee in the village of Karavostasi.
Cost of participation (per person):
75 euros/person includes: accommodation in a double room at the E.J Pyrgos Bay Hotel along with breakfast and transportation by bus.
CAUTION!!! Payment of the full amount is made to the bank accounts below within 4 days of your booking. Otherwise, the booking is canceled.
• BANK OF CYPRUS: CY95 0020 0195 0000 3570 3249 2261 or via the quick pay bank of Cyprus service at 99251074 (Beneficiary: Andreas Tsangaris)
• HELLENIC BANK LTD: CY44 0050 0347 0003 4710 F293 4801 (Beneficiary: Andreas Tsangaris)
Note 1. When you press to book, state in the message where you will take the bus from.
Note 2. For the best functioning of the event and for safety reasons, participants must comply with the instructions of the attendants.
Note 3. In case of cancellation of the event due to bad weather conditions, the excursion is moved to another date. Participants unable to participate on that date will be refunded. However, if again the weather conditions do not allow the event to take place, the event is permanently canceled and everyone is refunded. In case of cancellation by the participants, 7 days or less before the date of the event, the money is not returned.
Note 4. Photo material is shared on our page and social media after each event. By participating in a Salonica View event, you also accept the sharing of photos. Otherwise, as you inform us.
