Prodromos Expert Loop - Breathtaking Route - Troodos - Cyprus

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5ee1JuToFE
Expert because half of the path has no sign at all you have climb up on steep slope relay on GPS or compass. At the top you able to find a living forest finally where is birds are singing, not killed by hunters. On the top pine forest is so beautiful and a quiet well visible forestry road will guide you until reach the mountain top where you have to down on even more steep slope on rolling stone, but this part is marked pretty well. Very easy to miss the intersection when you able to return faster , even if did hike longer route just yesterday I did miss the intersection and have climb back to find the right trail. Due no marks, steep slopes I mark it to expert level and honestly perhaps my nicest hiking experience.

Advanced hiking route used my return path
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/prodromos-nature-trail-route-1-2-back-to-prodromos-loop-40424600

https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/prodromos-nature-trail-route-5-3-2-3-4-5-41578366

Prodromos is a village in the province of Limassol found in the geographic region of Southern Marathasa, at a distance of 60 kilometers northwesterly from the city of Limassol.

It is built at an altitude of 1.380 meters from the average sea level and is the only village of Cyprus having such a high altitude.

It accepts a very high average annual rainfall that reaches 922 millimeters. In its region they are cultivated various species of deciduous fruit trees (apple trees, cherry trees, plum trees, pear-trees and peach trees). The village of Prodromos is particularly famous for the exceptional quality of its apples. However the bigger extent of the village is uncultivated. Part of the government owned forest of Troodos raises in its administrative limits. The bigger water sources not only for Prodromos but also for the entire mountain range of Troodos, are the group sources of Chartzi. Due to works at the “Chromium” mine, almost all groundwater at the region of Prodromos has changed direction.Up to 1962 the deciduous fruit trees of the village, that their extent was about 24 hectares, were irrigated exclusively by the sources of Chartzi and other smaller sources. However the continuous increasing needs for the irrigation of the new plantations of fruit trees as well as the utilization of the sources Chartzi for the water supply and irrigation of the village, imposed the manufacture in 1962 of the dam of Prodromos having a capacity of 110.000 cubic meters. The dam is found near the main street of Prodromos-Troodos, in the locality "Damaskinari" and from this dam, 23 hectares, that are cultivated with deciduous fruit trees, are irrigated.

The road connection of Prodromos with the around villages is done with helical streets, due to the mountainous bas-relief of the region. In the northern side is connected with the village of Pedoulas (about 3 Km), in the north-western side with the monastery of Virgin Mary at Kykkos (about 22 Km), in the western side with the village of Lemythou (about 2,5 Km), in the south-eastern side with the village of Pano Platres (about 2 Km) and in the south-western side with the village of Paliomylos (about 1.5 Km). From the square of Troodos there is a distance of 8 kilometers to reach Prodromos and from the city of Nicosia a distance of 85 kilometers.

The village had a continuous demographic increase from 1881 up to 1946. In 1881 its residents were 200 and were increased to 240 in 1891, to 282 in 1901, to 317 in 1911, to 331 in 1921, to 436 in 1931 and to 506 in 1946. In 1960 the residents were decreased to 484 and to 416 in 1973. After the Turkish invasion in 1974 enough Greekcypriots refugees were installed at the village of Prodromos and they increased for a small time interval its population, without however staying in the village after 1976. Thus in 1976 the population of the village was increased to 505 residents, that however were decreased to 318 in 1982. In the last inventory of 2001 the residents of the village were 147.
The village of Prodromos is characterized by cold and rainy winter and cool and dry summer. During the winter months, apart from the very high rainfall, it accepts also enough snow. The snow, that its height often exceeds one meter, covers the ground for some weeks and there is too much cold with temperatures that at some cases are below 0oC. In 1973 and in 1974 it was recorded the extreme lower temperature of – 8 oC. Contrary to winter, during summertime at the village of Prodromos is very cool with hotter months being July and August. The average daily higher temperature in July is 27 oC and the average daily lower is 17 C.
http://www.prodromos.org.cy/english/history.shtm