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Start Poing: |
Vines Area |
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Finish: |
Trooditissa Monastery |
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Duration: |
45 minutes |
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Difficulty: |
Relatively easy path (Difficulty Level 1). With many turns due to the dense vegetation and the overall morphology of the terrain. The whole route from Phini Village to Holy Monastery of Trooditissa and vice versa is uphill due to the altitude variation. |
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Distance: |
1 kilometre |
The nature trail is approximately 1 km in length and if somebody likes to walk it, needs 45 minutes to one hour. The starting point is located adjacent to the Diarizos river at the area called "Vines", and it is situated nearby a small Park dedicated to Stelios Pericleous from Phini, a missing person since the Turkish invasion of 1974 on the island.
At an altitude of 935 m, the nature trail follows Diarizos river banks towards to Hantara waterfall with an altitude of 1050 m.
The waterfall emerges in the middle of a wild landscape surrounded by alter trees, pine trees, golden oaks, arbutus and sumach. The visitor is enchanted by the scents of ladanies, sage and lavender, combined with the exquisite natural melodies, alongside with the water as it falls, among the distinct singing of the nightingales.
The water falls from a height of about eight meters, forming small lake in its base. The foamy water is flowing then over the hard volcanic rocks called gabro which most of them are covered with tiny velvet moss during the summer months, while ivy hugs tight the slender trunks of Plane trees.
The whole scenery fascinates every visitor by the splashes of the crystal clear waters, the singing of birds, the variety of the surrounding flora, under the dense shade of the surrounding trees.
The visitor at the same time feels the challenge throughout the course of the path, providing him/her the opportunity to carefully examine the various objects associated with the forest, flora, fauna and rocks.
Throughout the route, dominant species of the flora is the pine (Pinus brutia) with understory endemic golden oak (Quercus alnifolia), the arbutus (Arbutus adrachne) and many other shrubs and herbs. In the riverbed the plane tree (Platanus orientalis) along with other hydrophilic plants extinct all other species.
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Useful tips for hikers/day-trippers while hiking on the trail:
- It is recommended to avoid smoking or eating during your hike.
- Do not leave trash in the forest.
- Do not cut any flowers or plants and do not scratch the trunks of the trees.
- Do not disturb the animals and birds
- Lighting a fire it is strictly forbidden for any purpose.
- Do not disturb the illuminating signs.
- Do not damage the structures.
- In case of fire only, call 1407 (24 hours).
List of Plants
- Rhus coriaria (Ρούδιν)
- Dittrichia viscosa subsp. angustifolia (Κόνυζος)
- Platanus orientalis (Πλάτανος)
- Crataegus azarolus (Μοσφιλιά)
- Pinus brutia (Πεύκος)
- Cistus creticus subsp. creticus (Ξισταρκά)
- Quercus alnifolia (Λατζιά)
- Acer obtusifolium (Σφόνταμνος)
- Hypericum triquetrifolium (Ψυλλούτα)
- Cupressus sempervirens (Κυπαρίσσι)
- Pistacia terebinthus (Τρεμιθκιά)
- Robinia pseudacacia (Ακακία)
- Arbutus andrachne (Αντρουκλιά)
- Salvia fruticosa (Σπατζιά)
- Rubus sanctus (Βάτος)
- Pteridium aquilinum (Φτερίτζιν)
- Alnus orientalis (Σκλήδρος)
- Hedera pastuchovii subsp, cypria (Κισσός)
- Quercus coccifera subsp. calliprinos (Περνιά)
- Odontites linkii subsp. cyprius (Οδοντίτης)
- Teucrium kotsyanum (Αρκοσπατζιά)
- Melica minuta (Μελίκη)
- Dioscorea communis (Οβριά)
- Ptilostemon chamaepeuce subsp. cyprius
- (Αρκολασμαρίν)
