The Artemis Trail, a loop round the summit of Mount Olympus

In my view, the Artemis Trail is the best way to get to grips with Mount Olympus. It doesn’t climb to the summit, it goes round it, and that lets you look out over most of the island without much effort. The description below comes from the trail notes of ANETroodos, the mountain’s development company.

Where it starts and how long it is

The trailhead is about 300 metres from the point where the Chionistra road, Chionistra being the local name for the summit, joins the road from Troodos to Prodromos. From there the path makes a 7 km loop around the top at roughly 1,850 metres, so you finish where you began. The whole route lies inside Troodos National Forest Park, and the park’s information centre is 2.2 km away on the square.

Ancient pines and rare rocks

The path crosses a forest of black pine, Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana, and the company highlights two trees around 500 years old. It also points out rare plants and the rock formations typical of the area. Among the endemics you may spot it lists the Cyprus skullcap, a mountain spurge, the Cyprus germander, Troodos sage and a spiny milk-vetch known locally as pondikangathos.

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The Venetian defences of 1571

The detail I find most interesting is historical. Beside the path are the ruins of Teishia tis palaias choras, makeshift fortifications put up by a group of Venetian generals in the final years of Venetian rule, in 1571, when they were trying to resist the Ottoman advance. It is a small trace of an episode I cover in more depth in the history of Cyprus.

Views in every direction

Because it circles the summit, the trail gives, in the words of the trail notes, an excellent view in every direction. That is what sets it apart from other mountain routes, which tend to look over a single valley. For anyone after panoramas, I’d put it alongside the viewpoints in Cyprus I list separately.

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Seasons and precautions

In winter snow covers Olympus, from December to February according to the company, and the ski slopes run nearby, so the scenery changes completely. With snow about I’d ask at the centre on the square before setting off. In summer it is cooler up here than on the coast, but the fire risk stays high and fires are banned outside designated areas.

How I’d combine it

I’d walk it in the morning and in the afternoon head down to Troodos Square or read up on Mount Olympus to understand what you have just circled. If you want more, the Atalante Trail makes a longer loop, and the guide to hiking in Cyprus covers the other routes.

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Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Platres before prices climb.