Hello everybody,
As the days get hotter and hotter we are less interested to
go to the beach and we are trying to find places to stay in the shade as high
as we can, up in to the Troodos mountains.
Going with the kids to this kind of trips is always a new
experience for us. We ask ourselves what we are going to find over there, what
we are going to do. Surprisingly they always found something to do.
Kelefos Bridge
Roudia Bridge
The pleasure to see these bridges stays in the beauty of
time and nature. Even now in August there was a river under each of these bridges
and amazingly all sorts of people finding all sorts of activities to do there.
Imagination and the wheel of doing something relaxing is sometimes better then
anything else.
Kelefos Bridge
Elia Bridge
People just sitting on their chairs on the shade, people
gathered together around tables having a nice late afternoon lunch or just
sipping a cup of home made coffee, people walking, people reading books, people
watching other people around them, people eating a nice ice cream, people like
us looking for a nice photo, people with kids just throwing some stones in to
the water.
Kelefos Bridge
Roudia Bridge
Roudia Bridge
It seams like each of the bridges appears out of nowhere,
hidden well between the tall trees they are like paths in our wish to make our
dreams come true. We are looking at the peaceful waters being there then and
today running. Imagining the people they build the bridges then… the new people
of today… us looking to the future.
Kelefos Bridge
Elia Bridge
I am not going to write a lesson of history about them I am
just telling you that it’s worth visit them and depending of the age of the
participants you can do by car or walking on trail in one or two days. Even if
we drive to see them I believe that walking could be the most interesting way.
The road takes you trough one of the most shaded areas of Cyprus so it is a
very nice experience also for the summer as long as you have enough water with
you.
Directions:
To Elia bridge:
From Limassol, take the road to Troodos. After Trimiklini there
is a Lukoil petrol station. Turn left immediately after it, towards Mandria,
Kato Platres.
Pass Mandria and enter Kato Platres.
Turn left towards Foini, Agios Dimitios. After few km you
have to turn left and follow signs to Agios Dimitios.
From Agios Dimitrios village follow the road to Tris Elies
and then to the last village Kaminaria.
At the end of Kaminaria the road continues on asphalted road
toward Elia Bridge .
From Elia Bridge the road continues to Kelefos Bridge
and Agios Nikolaos.
To Kelefos bridge:
You can reach Kelefos
Bridge from Elia Bridge
or from Agios Nikolaos village.
To reach to Agios Nikolaos village from Limassol, take the
road to Troodos. After Trimiklini there is a Lukoil petrol station. Turn left
immediately after it towards Mandria.
When you reach Mandria turn left over a bridge towards,
Agios Nikolaos.
As soon as you enter Ayios Nikolaos, you will see a brown
board pointing towards the right for Kelefos
Bridge .
From here there are about 6km on earthen road to reach the
bridge.
To Roudia bridge:
The road to Roudia Bridge starts from Kelefos Bridge .
Take the road across the river through the water and follow the earthen road
for about 10 km. In about 3 km you will reach to Pera Vasa picnic place. You
will see a tree trunk on display, just near the place where it grew. I believe
this supposed to be the oldest and biggest tree in the area.
Continue the road, pass Pera Vasa Picnic site and you will
come to a T-junction, where you have to turn right, towards Mylikouri.
Keep going on and, as a rule of the thumb, at any small
junction just follow the road that has more tire marks on it. You will come to
a big fork in the road with a bench and a sign that marks the Venetian bridges
trail. Take the road going right (and downwards).
You will reach to another junction with pointing sign toward
Pano Panagia (25km). Take this road.
Later you find sign for Agios Ioannis, take this road. The road will start to go down.
When you see the
brown sign “Gefyri tou Roudia”, you just reach to the bridge.
From the bridge
there are 2 ways out. The one you came on and another one that crosses a new bridge
climbs up and continues toward Pano Panagia (about 17 km). Only there you will
find asphalted roads again.
Kelefos Bridge
GPS coordinates:
N 34° 53.378 E 32°
44.827
36S E 476893 N
3860833
N 34° 53.500 E 32° 41.250
36S E 471446 N 3861074
Coordinates:
Latitude: 34.891667
Longitude: 32.6875
Coordinates DMS:
DMS Lat: 345330
DMS Long: 324115
N 34° 53.753 E 32°
46.446
36S E 479360 N
3861520
Coordinates:
Latitude: 34.895833
Longitude: 32.775
Coordinates DMS:
DMS Lat: 345345
DMS Long: 324630
Lots of sunny days
from Izzy the Cypriot Lizard!