Description
It is probably the king of the winter trails. The almirolivado trail will fulfill the dreams and expectations of all adventure seekers. A trail crafted by the hikers of Cyprus in a versatile terrain that leads to the secret lake. A seasonal lake that appears only during winter time after a good rainfall or snowfall.
The trail is located at the Almirolivado picnic area, which is found on the road from Karvounas to Troodos square. It is a ~11.4 km hike with the difficulty ranging from moderate to very difficult depending on the weather conditions. The trail is circular with elevation gain at ~324 meters and an estimated hike duration of 4(+) hours.
Table of Contents
Viewpoints
The trail is circular and the hiker has the option to do it either clockwise or anticlockwise, with both options having pros and cons. The secret lake is found earlier when hiking the trail anticlockwise. However both directions offer captivating views to the hiker.
If you choose to do it clockwise, then the first half of the trail is a gravel road until you reach the Amiantos area where the view looks like an extraterrestrial scenery. From there you can see from the top the seasonal secret lake. The second half is a narrow path with a few sections near the end being slippery if there is snow/ice.
If you choose the anticlockwise way, you will do the risky part first and the most enjoyable, since the trail follows a running stream most of the time until the secret lake. The second leg is mostly a gravel road as mentioned earlier. Even though it is not that interesting it provides from time to time a panoramic view of the lake.
Beside the secret lake, there is also another significant view point. A giant juniper is found 0.5 km in a route out of the trail. It is not that far and doing so will increase the total distance by 1 additional km. The giant juniper location is depicted in the map below. The sign of the giant juniper is found a few hundred meters from the starting point while doing the trail anticlockwise.
Starting points
The hike begins from the almirolivado picnic area. It can be done as circular (clockwise or anticlockwise) or even linear by simply going the trail path to the lake and coming back the same way. The almirolivado picnic area is found in the road from Karvounas towards the Troodos square on your left side.
For additional information of the GPS location check the Natural trail information table.
Personal comments
The trail is best done in winter and especially when the Troodos mountains are covered by snow. The secret lake is seasonal and appears only after heavy rainfall and the snow adds more spices to nature’s beauty.
Since this route is “designed” by various Cypriot hikers, it is better not to hike it alone and also do it with someone that did the hike before.
Almirolivado trail information table
| Description | |
| Starting points | 34.92973, 32.90201 (link) |
| Ending point | – |
| Distance | 10.4 km ( 11.4 km including the route to the giant juniper) |
| Difficulty (1 – easy, 2 – moderate, 3 – difficult) | 2 – 3+ |
| Trail type | Circular |
| ETA finish time | ~4 hours |
| Elevation Gain/Loss | 324 metres |
| Maximum Altitude | ~1607 metres |
Elevation Stats
GPS map
Gallery
5 nearby trails
- Chrysovrysi trail
- Kampos tou livadiou trail
- Mnimata Piskopwn trail
- Loummata twn Aetwn trail
- Artemis Natural Trail
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