Green monday

Ancient Kourion – Pissouri Blue Loop Trail – Genesis Aphrodite´s Trail – Aphrodite´s Rock – in one day!

What is Green Monday?

The day marks the beginning of the religious season. Christians in Cyprus and Greece celebrate the day by eating special fasting food, visiting the countryside, and flying kites. It is a day that beckons Christians to start the season with a clean heart that harbors no malice against anyone.

This is a national holiday so most of the shops are closed. We choose to have our car an extra day to explore the area west of Limassol. First we went to Ancient Kourion.

Ancient Kourion

Kourion was an important ancient Greek city-state on the southwestern coast of Cyprus. In the 12th century BCE, after the collapse of the Mycenaean palaces, Greek settlers from Argos arrived on this site. In the 17th century, Kourion suffered from five heavy earthquakes, but the city was mostly rebuilt.

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Look at this work!! I guess it is not easy to see but this mosaic is so small, thinking about this has been done thousands of years ago it is amazing!

The Greco-Roman Theatre was excavated by the University Museum Expedition of the University of Pennsylvania between 1935 and 1950.

Can you imagine sitting here while someone is singing? This view is stunning!

It is easy to walk and find the way to the different places.

It`s a bit distance between the places to see, so you need a couple of hours here, maybe more.

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The baths, which surround the nymphaeum at the northwestern end of the forum, were constructed in the early to mid fourth century AD following repairs to the nymphaeum. The baths were divided into east and west wings by the nymphaeum

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This mosaic is from the House of Gladiators. The northern and eastern portico of the atrium contains two panels depicting gladiators in combat, the only such mosaics in Cyprus.

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Because of the “Green Monday” it was a lot of people on the beach this day. It is still early in the morning but the beach is fills up with families.

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You can read more about the site at Visit Cyprus

The site is open all year around and cost 4,50 Euros. There is a kiosk at the gate where you can buy tickets and then drive through the gate to the parking place. There is an visiting centre with toilets.

Here is a video from the Ancient Kourion:

Pissouri Blue Loop Trail

We drove further west to Pissouri. It was a bit fun on the way because we drive through the British zone, and then the gps told us how many miles or feet it was to the next point…

We found a place to park the car and started the walk. A little bit hard to find the startingpoint at the trail, but we found it.

So many nice flowers at this time of the year. This you will find in many different colours.

When we finally find the trail it was easy to see it all the way.

It is a beautiful view from the cliffs.

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It`s a long way down so be aware were you put your feets!

Amazing view to the southeast!

Since we plan a second hike this day, and this was the first and short one, we didn`t bring any water or food. At the end of the loop we realised that we could have walked down to the beach, but since we didn`t bring anything we only walked down to the viewpoint, right after a small farm where you can see goats (we didn`t see any)

We saw people coming up from the beach so we really wanted to go down there, but that has to be next time!

It`s a small hill to walk up again, but it`s not hard.

We took the gravel road back to the car. This was the best trail of the two we walked this day. Amazing view all the way!

Genesis Aphrodite´s Trail

After we finished the Blue Loop Trail we drove a few kilometers to Genesis Aphrodites trail. It was not hard to find the starting place because it was a big parking place and a lot of people were here together with their families and friends.

Here it was also very nice nature to walk through.

In the beginning it was a gravel road, but not much signs, so it was easy to take the wrong way when it was a crossingpoint.

Nice trail, suitable for everyone!

Beautiful view to the valley.

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You can see the trail over there

You can walk both ways, but we took a path up to the left right here. (it was a couple walking in front of us)

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Amazinng view from the cliffs. We had a lunchstop here.

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This huge stone has lie there for decades!

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After our lunch we walked further on the trail. The last part is a loop.

It was perfect to combined theese two trails this beautiful day in February. This is what I miss when I am home in Norway – nice weather for a hike all year around!

Here is a video from the Blue Loop Trail and Genesis Aphrodite`s Trail:

We ended the day by going to Aphrodite`s Rock to see the sunset. The legend says this is the site of the birth of the Goddess Aphrodite. She was the Goddess of beauty and love, and it says that if you swim around Aphrodite`s Rock you will receive eternal beauty. Swimming around the rock three times could bring fertility, true love and good luck as well.