Get one of the northeast looking rooms on the Rodon at Argos, and you can enjoy arguably one of the best panoramas in Cyprus. Deep in the vole below, the village sprawls across spurs that project from the serrated skyline of the Platis Ridge. Outside house martins put on a display of aerobatics, like tiny spitfires, diving and gliding, hurtling into their nest-hamlets built under the eaves of the hotel.

Perhaps you arrive in the evening, when slanting shadows pick out the valleys, the rock outcrops and the screes, and, as night comes on, the lights of the village appear like glow worms, illuminating the black mass of Platis. Roads, tracks and ridges invite the walker to explore the heights, and Papoutsa’s twin peaks, lying on the far eastern end of the ridge, beyond the Palekhori road might almost escape notice.

It would be a great pity though, if this were the cast for, apart from the Adelphi ridge, Papoutsa at 1554m. is the highest peak in this part of the massif. Moves are afoot to persuade the Forest Department to improve and develop the track that leads to its summit, so now perhaps is the time for the more adventurous to get up there before it becomes a tourist route.

The way described here is short, but rugged and involves some steep climbing and even scrambling to reach the outlying spurs. If you want a longer walk the map shows a good walking track leading into the pass from the village.

It starts just beyond the village on the road leading to Limassol via Ayios Ioannis, passing through vineyards and fragrant rose gardens that produce raw materials for Agros’ famous Rose Water. Nor is it all-uphill but unless you want to try the tar-sealed road on the return it will also be your way back. Parties can arrange transport through the hotel to the start of the climb and use the track to the village for the return journey.

But let us keep it simple and leave our car at the top of the pass where the Agros – Palekhori road joins the main road south to Limassol. A rough track ascends the spur to the right of the pass, giving views of the Palekhori road serpenting down the valley. This track is generally well defined and, though steep, is easy to follow.

Someone has even tidied it up in places by chopping off intrusive branches from the miniature oaks that abound. It does meander and bifurcate in places, but there are no real sidetracks until you are high on the mountain. After about twenty minutes to half an hour’s climbing a weak track leads off towards the second peak, already below you.

Keep left here across a scree where peonies bloom, and after a few zigzags you will emerge onto a rocky ridge leading to a summit marked by a wooden cross. The views in all directions are stupendous. A number of villages can be seen to the north, Argos to the west and Makheras Range to the east, while southward you can see down to Akrotiri.

A second rocky peak looks higher and a rough scramble will take you over this and down onto the south shoulder No easy route contouring back around the summit exists at the moment, so if you explore these tops, the best way back is the way you came, following the track right back to the junction mentioned earlier. From this point, if you were a skier, you would be effectively ‘off piste’.

There is a track leading down to a deep col between tow peaks, but it is badly overgrown in places. The col is clearly visible below however, and it is by no means difficult to make one’s way down. The temptation then is to continue onto the peak ahead and look for a way down to the zigzag track that serves some vineyards on the right. The way is very rocky though, and where there are no rocks, thick bushes impeded progress. There is a way up but it is not for the faint hearted.

Instead from the part of the col nearest to the main summit you will notice a sort of way leading into the scrub to the right; one hesitates to call it a track, though it almost certainly was one at one time. Everywhere down this slope there is evidence of former terraces and even in places, hoary and neglected vines struggle to survive the return of the native vegetation.

The track keeps losing itself in tangles of bushes and further down its course is difficult to follow with precision. Fortunately the terrain becomes more open. There are patches of scree with scattered pines inhabited by a pair of turtledoves. This makes the descent to the road relatively easy.

On the lower terraces the purple wild lentil is a fine sight in May time. Later is will be harvested to make fodder for the animals. This route down should bring you bake into the pass, where either your car or a pleasant stroll down to the track to Agros awaits you.