Pano Platres

Pano Platres is a village in the district of Limassol in Cyprus and is situated approximately 35 kilometers northwest of the capital city, 70 km from Paphos, 90 kilometers from Nicosia and 120 km from Larnaca. It is actually located only a few kilometers south of Troodos Square and very close to the settlement Kato Platres.

Being one of the most famous mountain resorts of the island (built at an altitude of 1200 meters), Pano Platres is ideally located and immersed into a forest of tall trees and centuries old oaks where perch an infinite number of melodious nightingales, with the lower and upper part of the village presenting a significant height difference. Today the village counts 150 residents, most of whom maintain cafes and restaurants that are open all year round, but with the advent of the tourist season its population may surpass the 10,000 visitors.

The origin of the name of the village is open to various interpretations. On one hand, Pano Platres borrowed its name from the word Platres or pratria, meaning the woman who weaves cloths for farmers, and the settlement had this name when it was part of a Frankish fief. On the other hand, in French the word translates to white gypsum, which refers the researchers back to the Frankish period again, when above the current Platres settlement functioned a monastery, whose monks because they were dressed in white, were called “Platrai”. Finally, the story of the name of Platres comes to the word platsa, a corruption of which became Platra and then plural Platres.

Though the village of Pano Platres is considered as relatively newly established, it is one of the villages of Cyprus that already existed from the times of the Frankish rule and the time of the Lusignans (1192-1489 AD), but also during the Venetian rule (1489-1571 AD ). Specifically, its long history begins in 1878, when the British first stepped on the soil of the area, hitherto inhabited only by a few shepherds. Then comes the difficult period of the EOKA struggle (1955- 1959), and so the village became the provincial administrative center of the English army, all the hotels were requisitioned by the British soldiers while in detention center of Platres were detained and tortured hundreds of local residents. From the 60s onwards, this small village is evolving into the ultimate resort of Cyprus, hosting expatriates from Egypt, exotic Kings, socialites from all over the world and known authors, with the Greek poet George Seferis devoting Platres the famous verse “the nightingales will not to let you sleep in Platres”, as it was included in his poem “Helena”. Actually, wealthy Egyptians have been buying land for two decades from the locals, subsequently handing back their homes to them. Thus, after two decades, in the region were built luxury villas and big hotels that contributed significantly to the development of tourism in Cyprus. The ballroom of the hotel “Monte Carlo” has seen great glory and the hotel Forest Park, which operates to this day, organized dances and Pancyprian beauty contests. After the Turkish invasion in 1974, the island began to be upgraded touristically, but mainly on the beach front, and thus the village loses its former glory for a while, followed by a booming new wave of alternative tourism in the area with camping and supporting a more naturalistic type of holiday.

In Pano Platres, with architectural monuments of various periods, like the rustic houses, such as the old municipal market building, now a cultural center with its central room dedicated to the poet George Seferis, but also the endless natural beauty surrounding the village, make sure that the visitor will have a lot to do and see in the village. Passing through the monuments of the heroes of Platres, Stelios Mavros and Andreas Paraskevas, making a stop at the famous fountain of Roxanne Koudounari, from which runs cool water, and the village church, Panagia Faneromeni, the many chapels (Panagia Iamatiki, Agios Nikolaos) to the waterfalls Millomeri and Kaledonia, and the bridge of Milia, which are crossed by three nature trails hidden inside dense vegetation, as well as a cycling route. Furthermore, next to the Krios River (northeastern part of the community), there is a trout farm, the traveler can reach the location Psilo Dentro from where one can enjoy the view of the village from above, while in the Chariton valley you can lose yourself among the high trees and enjoy the great beauty of the scenery.

Apart from the natural interest presented by Pano Platres, one can indulge in a plethora of activities, as in the area above the hospital there is an ecological park for rock climbing. With a huge range of options to stay, including the prestigious Hotel Forest Park, where was discovered the drink of the King of Egypt Farouk, brandy Sour, and food, such as the Chocolate Workshop – the only of its kind nationwide. The village also offers several services such as taxis, Post office, banks, fire brigade, organized sports center, and various sports fields. Finally, in the area many events are held throughout the year with the most famous festivals dedicated to chocolate, and literature.