PLATRES , a favourite with Limassolians , is active almost all the year round and contains a number of hotels , shops and restaurants . Partially hidden on a wooded hillside it is about 45 minutes by car from Limassol . Platres is at its busiest in the Summer when an annual Festival is held there .

When travelling from Limassol to Platres it is worth leaving the main road to visit the pretty village of LANIA . On the road itself stands the ROYAL Oak , a tree which is reputed to be over 1,000 years old . Turning left off the Limassol - Platres road immediately before the Lania turnoff one comes to the village of MONAGRI . It was once celebrated for the now deserted monastery of ARCHANGELOS MICHAEL .

TROODOS is not a village , but a collection of cafes , shops and one or two hotels which are used in Winter when skiers flock to the mountains to enjoy the snow . It lies just below the island's highest peak , Mount Olympus (1,950 m. above sea level) and an annual tennis tournament attracts visitors in Summer . All the year round Troodos is a pleasant spot for walks . Five miles to the south , on the way to Platres , is Government Lodge , the President's Summer home . It is notable for the fact that the celebrated French poet Arthur Rimbaud worked on its construction and there is a plaque to commemorate this .

KAKOPETRIA , like Platres , is a favourite resort . Usually it is populated in the Summer by visitors from Nicosia who appreciate its shady corners . There are plenty of picturesque old houses , an ancient flour mill and some excellent restaurants .

Some 5km. from Platres is PHINI , a charming little village famous for its red clay pottery . It is also the location of a privately-run Folk Art Museum . The owner , Mr. Pilavakis , and his wife are always delighted to show visitors around .

A mile from Phini stands the MONASTERY OF AYII ANARGYRI . The church , which is probably of the 15th. century , is said to be haunted .

The village of OMODHOS lies 6km. From Platres and is famous for its vineyards , its lace and an annual Wine Festival . The Byzantine church of the MONASTERY OF STAVROS which used to stand in the middle of the village was replaced and then rebuilt in the 1930s . The key to the monastery door is reputed to be the largest in Cyprus .

PANAYIA in the Paphos district is famous as the birthplace of Archbishop Makarios III , the first President of Cyprus . The house where he lived as a boy is now a small museum .

STAVROS TIS PSOKAS is a forest station which was established in 1884 . It has a rest-house and a restaurant , and several mouflon , the wild sheep of Cyprus , may be seen here in protected confinement .