HOW TO VISIT CALEDONIA WATERFALL & PLATRES VILLAGE IN CYPRUS.
During our recent stay in Limassol City, we decided to take a day trip to Platres Village in the Troodos Mountains to see what Cypriot adventures we could find.
We started with a hike to the majestic Caledonia Waterfall, explored quaint Platres village before tucking into a divine wine tasting experience. I’m not sure if it was just the wine talking, but we felt we had been treated to two great wonders in one day, almost as if the Greek Gods were shining down on us. Suffice to say, we knew that we had to write about our experience.
In this blog post we will explain how to visit Platres village from Limassol and all you need to know to enjoy a day of hiking and wine tasting.
Where is Caledonia Waterfall?
Caledonia Waterfall is found on the outskirts of Pano Platres (google map coords here) in the Troodos Mountain region of Cyprus. It is possible to reach it from a trail head above the waterfall, or below. We opted to hike from Pano Platres up to the waterfall, but if you were coming from Troodos, you would walk down to it.
Hike to the Caledonia Waterfall
There is a moderately challenging and fairly rugged hiking trail which passes by Caledonia Waterfall in two directions. The entire length of the trail is 3.5kms, with Pano Platres to the South and Potamossias Waterfall to the North.
We opted to hike from Pano Platres – this hike is a brisk 1km stretch uphill to the waterfall. Personally, I’d prefer to walk uphill on the way out, then return via a more relaxing downhill stretch.
The hike to Caledonia Waterfall is quite popular, we crossed paths with around 12 people, but had the waterfall mostly to ourselves for a few minutes. You’ll follow shaded paths, crossing small brooks with little waterfalls, before reaching Caledonia Waterfall. There are a few seats up the hill, allowing for rest.
Things to know before visiting Caledonia Waterfall?
Here are a few helpful pointers & things to know before you visit Caledonia Waterfall.
An uphill hike with rugged terrain
The hike to Caledonia Waterfall from Platres is short, around 1km, but steep. In fact, it is mostly ascending until you reach the waterfall.
You will need to be prepared for an uphill hike, in potentially high temperatures. Although some of the trail is in shade and the mountains tend to be cooler than the coast in Cyprus, it can still be hot. I’d recommend taking lots of water with you, wearing comfortable shoes and applying sunscreen.
The hike is a little way out of Platres
The hike to the waterfall is found around 20 minutes to the North of Platres. It can be reached on foot via quiet roads, or of course, you can drive and park next to the trail head.
You can stand under the waterfall
We would recommend taking or wearing your swimmers if you want to get amongst it and stand under the waterfall. The pool isn’t big enough to swim, but the waterfall offers a bracing experience to those willing. In our case, Emma dared but John did not.
Things to do in Platres Village
Platres village is small and it is more of a place to visit to for a bit of gentle exploration, rather than to see a long list of sights. Here are a few featured things to do in Platres.
Enjoy a coffee or bite to eat
Visiting Platres is a very welcome respite from the heat of the coastal areas in Cyprus. Around the village you’ll find terraces shaded by magnificent trees which offer the chance to unwind and take in the mountain air.
Pick a quiet veranda of your choosing and enjoy an ice cold frappe with some local cake, or a few meze.
Visit the Chocolate workshop
Chocolate lovers will be pleased to discover this tiny chocolate shop. It almost eluded us as we walked by. You can pop in for a chat about the history of Cacao, some free samples, or to buy some chocolates flavoured with Cypriot delicacies.
Wine tasting in Platres
It would have been remiss of us to visit the Troodos Mountain area and not sample some wine. Platres is part of the Limassol Wine Route, the centre of all things wine growing in Cyprus.
There are two wineries in Kato Platres, Lambouri and Antoniades Winery. Our plans to visit both were scuppered when we realized that Lambouri offered a wine tasting inclusive of seven drinks – needless to say, we didn’t need to visit the second winery!
We can’t confirm for sure, but based on the website, we believe that you must make an appointment to visit Antoniades Winery.
Lambouri however, allows walk-ins. Do note, it is quite a popular winery with tour groups, so if you accidentally time your visit with a tour group arriving (as we did) you may have to wait to be served. That said, tours are normally fairly quick, so if you hang around for 10 minutes or so, you’ll soon have the winery to yourself.
We settled in for an incredible wine tasting experience with a very knowledgeable host, who explained all we needed to know about the history of the winery and it’s enchanting drinks. The wine tasting experience is only 10 Euros and it is well worth taking the time for. Enjoy the shady terrace out the back of the winery for the most romantic experience.
To get to Lambouri on foot, simply follow the main road down to Kato Platres (around 20 minutes down the road). Or, if you’re unlucky enough to be driving, you can park up easily at Lambouri Winery.
Rope park
If you’re looking for something to entertain children in Platres, there is a Rope Park. I will admit that we didn’t visit the park and it was closed when we passed (it only opens on the weekend), but it did look quite fun. Find out more information here.
Getting from Limassol to Platres
Platres makes an excellent day trip from Limassol as it is easy to get to by car and public transport alike.
Do note, Platres is divided into two distinct areas – Pano Platres (upper Platres) and Kato Platres (lower Platres.) For Caledonia Waterfall and the main village, you’ll want to head to Pano Platres, for Lambouri Winery go to Kato Platres.
Limassol to Platres by car
From Limassol, driving to Platres will take around 45 minutes in good traffic. The distance is 39km. The roads are decent, mainly following the B8 which is a main road.
Limassol to Platres by bus
You can travel to Platres for the day by bus with relative ease.
Buses depart from the Old Hospital in Limassol – found here – around 20 minutes walk from the marina or 10 minutes from Hercules Square. Timetables for the buses in Cyprus change regularly, so your best bet is to check them at the bus stop using the printed timetables on the walls. A bit old fashioned, but the system does work.
At time of writing, the bus routes operating from Limassol to Platres are the number 60 and number 64. We opted for the 64, which leaves Limassol at 09:30 daily and returns in the late afternoon (15:45 or 17:30). The image above shows the current timetable for these bus lines.
You can embark or disembark this bus in either Kato or Pano Platres. We took the bus to Pano, then returned from Kato just outside the winery.
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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3 responses to “How to visit Caledonia Waterfall & Platres Village”
[…] of my greatest memories form our visit to Cyprus, is the wine tasting we did at Lambouri Winery. It was so good, that we visited twice. A contemporary winery, set overlooking a forest, they make […]
[…] vineyard offering an excellent 10 Euro tasting and one of the easiest to get to by bus – more information here. You can also tie in a hike to the Caledonia Waterfall […]
[…] LUXURY: There are a handful of gorgeous rural villas available in and around the Troodos Mountains. Like this 6 person house with an incredible veranda in Platres village. […]