Prodromos, the island's highest village

Prodromos holds a title nobody disputes, that of the highest village in Cyprus. It’s small, all apple trees and pines, and keeps a story of tourist glory that you can still see in the shell of a grand hotel. I go through it with the Troodos Development Company’s village notes, Limassol Tourism’s listings and the World Meteorological Organization’s climate data.

The highest village

The company places it at 1,380 metres, surrounded by pines and fruit trees, and singles out the quality of its apples. At the 2021 census it had 75 residents, and it belongs to Limassol district. Its name comes from the church of Ioannis Prodromos, St John the Baptist, in the centre, and the village also has a 14th-century chapel of Agios Onoufrios and another of the Holy Trinity.

The climate says it all. The World Meteorological Organization gives its station an average January high of 6.9 °C, with 165 millimetres of rain that month, and 28.6 °C in July. In summer it’s a cool refuge, and in winter the cold is the real thing.

The Berengaria

At the top of the hill, hidden among the pines, stands the Berengaria, the hotel that made Prodromos famous. The company says it welcomed the Cypriot and Middle Eastern elite, with King Farouk of Egypt and a president of Israel among its guests. Today it’s abandoned, a stone building frozen in time with its furniture still inside. I haven’t found official word on whether it can be visited, so I’d admire it from outside.

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

Panagia Trikoukkia monastery

Two kilometres away, heading down towards Platres, is the monastery of Panagia Trikoukkia, a stone church with a wooden roof among the pines. Its founding date is unknown, and some consider it the oldest monastery in Cyprus. It was restored in 1761 and became a convent of nuns under British rule, who today sell jams, books and keepsakes they make. Phones aren’t allowed. On Easter Tuesday and 15 August the icon of the Virgin is carried in procession.

The reservoir and the trails

The Prodromos reservoir is a rectangular artificial lake from 1962, at 1,600 metres, holding 122,000 cubic metres, and in winter it becomes a makeshift ice rink. It’s about five kilometres from Troodos Square and has a picnic site beside it. Waymarked trails also leave from the village, such as Prodromos to Zoumi, which starts at the playground and gives views over the Marathasa valley, Morphou Bay and Kykkos Monastery. The Kampi tou Kalogirou campsite, at 1,540 metres, is three kilometres away, with no electricity or café. Heading down to the west, the hamlet of Treis Elies looks over the Drakontas river.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Platres and choose by the reviews.

Fitting it in

Prodromos sits between the square, Platres and the Marathasa valley, so it’s easy to slot into any loop of the Troodos Mountains. I’d pair it with Trooditissa Monastery and then head down to Platres for the night, as the choice of hotels there is far wider. If you sleep under canvas, the Kambi tou Kalogirou campsite sits at 1,540 m, with no electricity or showers, as covered in camping in Cyprus.

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