Mount Olympus (Chionistra)
The highest peak in Cyprus, found in exam preparation questions
The story
Olympus, or Chionistra, is the highest peak in Cyprus: 1,952 meters above sea level. It stands in the center of the Troodos range, in Limassol District, about 2 kilometers from the Troodos resort. The second name is linked to the Greek word for “snow”, and in winter the island’s only ski center operates on its slopes. Around the summit, rocks from the Earth’s mantle come to the surface. They are part of the Troodos ophiolite, a piece of ancient ocean crust that later rose above the sea. Since 2015 the central part of the mountains has been a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Olympus (Chionistra) in the Troodos Mountains is the highest peak in Cyprus, 1,952 m. The island’s only ski center is here too.
Visiting
The closest you can get to the summit is the Zeus chairlift on the north slope and the circular Artemis geotrail (about 7 km, 2.5–3 h, easy). The ski season usually runs from early January to late March; the lifts are run by the Cyprus Ski Club.
On the way
Photos
Sources
- Geological Survey Department of Cyprus: Troodos Geopark — Chionistra peak 1,952 m, geopark in the UNESCO network since 2015
- Geological Survey Department of Cyprus: Troodos Ophiolite — a piece of ancient ocean crust, mantle rocks near the summit of Olympus
- Cyprus Ski Federation & Club: the only ski center in Cyprus, 2 km from the Troodos resort, season January–March, four lifts, the Zeus chairlift
- Troodos UNESCO Global Geopark: table of trails — Artemis geotrail 7 km, 2.5–3 h; Atalanti 14 km
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