"Loumata ton Aeton" nature trail

Description The route traverses a beautiful hillside of dense forest, ending in Loumata ton Aeton River , which has significant water flow even in the summer. From there the trail follows a course along the riverbank and ends up at a village road, near the Amiantos community park . The largest part of the trail was an older route that the Amiantos asbestos mine workers used to use. The route is linear, but could become circular if you follow the road through the village, toward the SEK camping site. The trail is part of Troodos National Forest Park, which is a Natura 2000 site. Along the route, you will find information points with the names of plants and rock formations. At the beginning of the trail the vegetation is comprised of a natural forest of Calabrian pine with a low layer of rockroses. There is also an important presence of terebinth, storax, strawberry tree and the endemic golden oak. Near the riverbank, you will be able to see laurel, myrtle, barberry, oleander, honeysuckle, the common smilax and sage. The beginning of the trail offers impressive views toward the Kyperounta area and toward the inactive Amiantos asbestos mine , where you can see the reforestation works that are underway for the site’s environmental restoration. About halfway through the trail, you can visit the hideout of the 1955 – 1959 liberation struggle fighters, located very near the route. The trail follows a relatively smooth path, but caution is required where it crosses the river, especially in spring, as the water level can rise. During the winter period and in early spring, the section of the trail along the river can become impassable. Services The village of Amiantos has community parks, a playground with a kiosk, restaurants and other services. Troodos NFP offers a rich network of forest recreation services consisting primarily of 10 picnic areas, 3 campsites, 15 nature trails, an environmental information centre , (near the square), the A.G. Leventis Botanical Garden of Troodos and the Troodos Geopark Visitor Centre within the asbestos mine. You may find further information on forest recreation infrastructure on the Department of Forests website http://www.moa.gov.cy/forest . Loumata ton Aeton trail