Cyprus Walks: Horteri TrailDistance: 6km Walk Time: 2.5 hours High Point: 1291m Chorteri fire look out Walk Summary: This lovely walk, high up in the Pafos forest, one of the many waymarked nature trails on the island, shows a side of Cyprus that most visitors never see - breathtaking views of the richly scented pine forest that seems to stretch for endless mile after endless mile. The Stavros valley is easily accessible thanks to a fantastic alpine road which connects Polis to Stavros via the pretty village of Lysos. If you only have time to spend one day in the mountains, put a date in your diary to visit Stavros and try this relatively short yet energetic walk.
The Horteri trail starts 1km above the Stavros forest station, at a small CTO hut, and follows the eastern slope of the Stavros valley. The steps that lead beside the hut pass a spring called Platanoudkia and the path leads steeply upwards past oak and strawberry trees.
Thankfully there are several rest stops at various viewing points en route! On a clear day, especially after a fall of snow, as in our picture, you can see as far as the Akamas peninsula with its distinctive silhouette:
The path is easy to follow but if you want to get to the high point at Horteri, you need to keep climbing when youreach waymarker no. 22. There is an obvious, vehicle-width track leading to the fire look-out, but if you like scrambling, you can go"off piste" to take the more direct route, UP again (sorry) to the fire look-out, when you see it directly in front of you. But the reward at the top is well worth it as you have the whole of the eastern side of Cyprus to stare at as well as excellent views of Mount Olympus in the Troodos massif itself. The route down is straightforward once you have finished admiring the views! Terrain: Rough gravel and stone mule path with larger rocks and prickly gorse busheson the optional scramble to Horteri itself. Navigation Pointers: It is easy to miss the start of the Horteri trail walk as the CTO "hut" is a little small. The hut looks like this:
Tips: The best time to do this walk is in the Spring when the air is cooler and the views are clearer. If you are lucky enough to visit Cyprus after a fall of snow, this walk is truly spectacular...you can even build your own snowman:
Where to Eat: There is a cafe at Stavros forest station but be warned, it has a very "limited" menu! Take our advice and bring a picnic lunch or even a BBQ, a favourite amongst Cypriot families in the Summer months. Related pages: E4 long distance path in Cyprus VILLAS| HOTELS| ONLINE TAXI BOOKINGS| CHEAP FLIGHTS| CAR HIRE
 Return from Horteri Trail to Cyprus Walks
|
