Hill Resorts
Platres, 1128m (3790ft) above sea level on the southern approaches to Mount Olympus, has many hotels to choose from. It is the ideal base for picnics and excursions through the forests and villages; many mountain villages offer accommodation of different categories with around 1958 beds between them. The scenery in this region is truly spectacular. Places of interest include Pedoulas, in the Marathasa Valley, famous for its cherries (and their blossoms in spring) and other fruits; Kalopanayiotis, known for its variety of fruit; Moutoullas, renowned for its hand-carved wooden bowls and the source of mineral water bottled and exported to the Middle East; Stavros tis Psokas where there is a controlled enclosure for the preservation of the moufflon, the wild sheep of Cyprus; Prodromos, the highest village in the island, 1400m (4600ft) above sea level, and reputed to grow the best apples; Kykkos Monastery, which houses a golden icon of the Virgin Mary; Throni tis Panayias, the tomb of the late Archbishop Makarios III in a setting so superb that it is worth a visit for this reason alone; the villages of Moniatis, Saittas and Phini, centres of local pottery, wood and lace industries; Mesapotamos Monastery and the Caledonian Falls; Omodhos village and Monastery of the Holy Cross with its small Folk Art Museum; and the Trooditssa Monastery.
Kakopetria, 670m (2200ft) above sea level on the northeastern slopes of Mount Olympus and less than an hour's drive from Nicosia, is popular among those not suited to the higher altitudes. It is a village with a delightful central square shaded by plane trees where apples, pears and peaches grow, and is beautiful in the spring. Like Platres, it is a centre for excursions into the surrounding landscape of forested mountains, deep gorges and fertile valleys.
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