Another Saturday road trip.
I have visited Kampos and the Forest Heritage Museum once before, many years ago. I felt like it has been ages, so I decided to go back there with my friends Costas and George. On the way to Kampos Village, I planned a few more stops to make the road trip more interesting. So in this post I decided to let my photographs do most of the talking for the destinations.
Kalopanayiotis Dam
Kalopanayiotis Dam has been operating since 1966 and has a capacity of 391,000 cubic meters. The dam irrigates areas in the villages of Kalopanagiotis and Oikos and it overflows almost every year. The view of the dam is classic mountainous Cyprus.
Milikouri Village
Milikouri is built in the mountainous area of Troodos and is the closest village to ‘’Kykkos Monastery’’, at an altitude of about 800 meters. It's a small village with very few inhabitants, as I unfortunately keep mentioning in my posts. In the village there are two churches, ‘’Agios Georgios’’ and ‘’Agiou Andronikos & Athanasias’’. You can also enjoy the small ‘’lovers pathway’’ which is actually a small hiking route along the village. You can also walk on the hiking trail "Kattouthkia" which is about 3 km long.
Tip: On your way to Milikouri, after Gerakies village, make a stop and enjoy the view of Northern Cyprus at ‘’Agia Petra’’ (=holly stone), which is a spot that the locals think is Holly. No worries, you will see the signs.
Forest Heritage Museum in Kampos
I can’t begin explaining the importance of this museum and how much I loved it. This island has so much history behind its seas and forests. The forests of Cyprus played a huge role in the history of our island in so many aspects. The museum is located 1km on the east of the Kampos and Mr. Ioannis Papadopoulos - the man in charge - is very polite and always willing to answer any questions.
The museum is closed during the weekend but you can give Mr. Ioannis a call at
+357 99 645400 and if he is available, he will gladly open the museum for you. :)
Kampos village & Kalonomati Picnic area
Did you know that Kampos is a village that Mouflons visit frequently? Well, it is. And if you are lucky enough you might see one! :)
Kampos and Tsakistra Villages have a unique beauty and culture, being on the northwest side of mount Troodos, within the valley of Kykkos forest and Morfou bay and secluded from other villages. The story of the village goes back to 1754.
You will definitely enjoy a walk around the streets and alleys of Kampos, where you can see the biggest wooden roof church of Cyprus ‘’Saint Kyriakos’’, Kampos river flowing through the river, old olive mills, have a coffee at the local coffee shops and eat something in Prasinos Kampos traditional restaurant.
Drive to Kalonomati Picnic area, if you want to have a picnic or a rest near the village. The driving there takes about 15 minutes on the Kato Pyrgos - Kykkos Street and you can check the location here. Just to be sure, use the old school method and ask the locals for directions. The images you witness along the way are amazing and guess what?? We saw a mouflon crossing the street for 5 seconds and then it vanished deep in the forest. Five beautiful seconds :)
Tip: If you have extra time and you are up to it, you can also visit along the way, Gerakies Village, Kykkos Monastery and Tsakistra Village.
Also, after leaving Kalonomati picnic site, continue straight on, until you reach a cross point with signs that will lead you to west to Nicosia or East to Kato Pyrgos and Paphos.
If you are returning to Nicosia make sure you follow that direction to the west (that means your right hand) instead of returning back. You can thank me later :) . The views of Morfou Bay and the seaside villages of the North part of Cyprus are thrilling. Make sure there is enough sunlight, so organize your schedule accordingly.
That's it guys. Hope you liked it. Make sure to subscribe if you haven’t done already.
Until the next time….Cheers!
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