ORIENTACTION - Orienteering in Cyprus

05/08/2026

FROM RAILWAY LINE TO COOPERATION AVENUE

Cyprus once had a train railway that started form the east coast and ended up on the foothills of Troodos mountains. With the advent of cars and the improvement of the road network, the rail way was abolished in 1952. Part of the railway line in the suburb of Kaimakli east of Nicosia, was maintained for historic purposes and the space next to it was widened to form an avenue which was given by the local authorities the name “Cooperation avenue”.

Every year a group of organizing enthusiasts called “Urban Gorillas” organize a two day festival in Kaimakli. This year in October, the festival will be call “Cooperation Festival” and apart from the Greek Cypriot community, Turkish Cypriots will take part. In Kaimakli there is a sizeable Arab community mainly from Syria and they were invited too. The festival will take place along Cooperation Avenue and there will be food preparation, children activities, dancing, local artefacts etc.

Our club ORIENTACTION, was invited to take part, to map part of Kaimakli area and organize an orienteering event. Pictures show the railway line and avenue, a meeting with dear friend Teresa Tourvas, member of the organizing committee discussing matters, and a door of the train!

09/07/2026

Γνωριμία με τον Αγωνιστικό Προσανατολισμό στο Τρόοδος
Το Δίκτυο Κοινωνικής Στήριξης Ορεινών Περιοχών, σε συνεργασία με τον σύλλογο ORIENTACTION - Orienteering in Cyprus, πραγματοποίησε στις 25 Ιουνίου 2026 μια ξεχωριστή δραστηριότητα Αγωνιστικού Προσανατολισμού για τα παιδιά της κατασκήνωσης του Κυπριακού Ερυθρού Σταυρού στην Πλατεία Τροόδους.
Η δράση ξεκίνησε με ένα παιχνίδι ανάπτυξης ομαδικού πνεύματος (team building), μέσα από το οποίο τα παιδιά είχαν την ευκαιρία να συνεργαστούν, να αναπτύξουν στρατηγικές και να ενισχύσουν την επικοινωνία μεταξύ τους.
Στη συνέχεια, μέσα από μια βιωματική εμπειρία πλοήγησης με τη χρήση χάρτη, οι συμμετέχοντες γνώρισαν τις βασικές αρχές του Αγωνιστικού Προσανατολισμού, ανακάλυψαν την περιοχή και εργάστηκαν ομαδικά για την επίτευξη των στόχων της δραστηριότητας.
Μέσα από τη δράση αυτή, τα παιδιά ανέπτυξαν δεξιότητες προσανατολισμού, παρατηρητικότητας, επίλυσης προβλημάτων και συνεργασίας, συνδυάζοντας τη μάθηση, την άθληση και την επαφή με τη φύση.
Ευχαριστούμε θερμά τον Κυπριακό Ερυθρό Σταυρό για την εμπιστοσύνη και τη συνεργασία, καθώς και τον σύλλογο ORIENTACTION - Orienteering in Cyprusγια την πολύτιμη συμβολή του στην υλοποίηση της δράσης.

08/07/2026

Event 7 in the Mountain Sports & Rescue CY Cyprus Orienteering League for 2026 will be organised by ORIENTACTION - Orienteering in Cyprus in the cool at the top of the mountains at Mt Olympus, on Sunday 26th July 2026, with summer start times available between 0930 and 1030hrs only. The event is open to all, however all participants must pre-register on line by 23rd July 2026.
To register please click on the link here: https://forms.gle/aK9JJNp5AdAgDwH49
Further details are as follows:
Registration, start and finish will take place near the Sun Valley ski area car park.
Directions: From Troodos Square take the F935 road to Mount Olympus, past the Jubilee Hotel. At the fork 1.5km along, take the left road and head up towards Mount Olympus. Sun Valley is on your left by the Ski Federation huts, with car parking on the right.
What3words: https://what3words.com/shortage.showy.remotely
Or Google maps 34.932027, 32.868577
Registration will be available from 0915 hrs and the course will be open from 0930 hrs. Last start will be at 1030 hrs and the course will close at 1200 hrs. No starts will be available after 1030 hrs.
Please note the earlier start times.
Three courses will be available:
A Championship A Course for KOA Card holders only - A technical course of approx 4.9 km & 280m climb.
An Introductory B Course - A less technical course of approximately 3.2 km with 170m climb.
An Introductory C Course - A simpler beginner’s course of approximately 2.5 km with 75m climb.
Terrain: Rough, rocky, open forest with some roads, tracks and paths to contour along. The area can be very steep and rocky in places and care should be taken at all times.
Map: The 1:7,500 ‘Mount Olympus’ Map, extensively updated in 2025 by Peter Smith. Maps will be pre-marked and loose control descriptions will be available.
Equipment: Runners are to provide their own compass and whistle. A whistle check will be made before the start for your own safety! Full leg coverage is highly recommended. Sport-ident electronic timing will be used. Own Sport-ident cards may be used. Hire of Sport-ident card is charged at €2 but please note that loss of hired Sport-ident card will be charged at €40 each.
Facilities: There are no toilets available except at nearby restaurants/cafes in Troodos. Refreshments may be purchased from nearby restaurants/cafes. Please bring your own water.
Entries: An entry fee of €4.00 per person will be charged for local club members (not including SI card hire which is €2.00) payable on the day at registration. Children under twelve are half price. Children under five are FREE! For non local Club members the entry fee is €6 per person (not including SI card hire which is €2.00). NB - ALL LATE ENTRIES AFTER 23 JULY WILL BE CHARGED DOUBLE ENTRY FEES.
The event is open to all, however all participants must pre-register on line by 23rd July 2026.
To register please click on the link here: https://forms.gle/aK9JJNp5AdAgDwH49
This event will count towards The Petzl Mountain Sports & Rescue Cyprus Orienteering League 2025 points. All members of local Orienteering Clubs in Cyprus will receive points as per the 2025 format rules. For a copy of the rules, please contact the organisers.
Prizes will be awarded to the first individual male and female runners on the A and B Courses only.
For further information please contact the event organiser:
Diana Bridger: Tel: 97775414, Email: [email protected] See less

24/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1LdUUPz4sW/

18/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Djw9L2nC2/

Nicosia Street Quest - Παιχνίδι Οι «Γρίφοι Της Λευκωσίας» is happening next week! Join us for Event 4 for 2026.

🗓️ Tuesday 23rd of June 2026
⏰ 18:30 - 21:00
📍 CVAR - Severis Foundation

Prizes from Φαρμακείο Κλειώ Χατζηγιάννη Cliopharmacy.

Info:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1337014625058758/

09/06/2026

🧭 Local Success Story | Nicosia, Cyprus

OrientWalking is not only about nature and physical activity. It is also about discovering the stories, cultures, and communities that shape our territories.

On June 3rd, our partner OrientAction organized a special OrientWalking activity for senior citizens in the historic city of Nicosia.

After a short introduction to the history of the divided capital, 20 participants navigated approximately 6 km through both sides of the city using orienteering maps, exploring cultural landmarks and places they had never visited before.

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Participants were enthusiastic about the experience, and many asked for similar activities to be organized again in the future.

This is exactly the kind of impact we hoped to create through OrientWalking: helping people connect with places, history, and each other through exploration.

ORIENTACTION - Orienteering in Cyprus

06/06/2026

Μια ξεχωριστή μέρα σήμερα!
Με φίλους από τον σύλλογο 55+ μέσα από το ευρωπαικό πρόγραμμα OriUnite Erasmus+, τους ξενάγησα σε άγνωστες γωνιές της παλιάς Λευκωσία χρησιμοποιώντας τον λεπτομερέστατο χάρτη που ετοίμασε ο σύλλογος μας Orientaction.
Τους μίλησα για το ιστορικό της πόλης και πως χωρίστηκε μέσα από τους αιώνες και μετα αργά αργά περπατήσαμε σε γνωστά και άγνωστα μνημεία. Εκκλησιες, σπίτια των φράγκων, παλιές οθωμανικές βρύσες, τον μεντρεσσέ των περιδινούμενων δερβίσηδων, τάφους και φράγκικες εκκλησιες που μετατράπηκαν σε τεμένη όπως αυτή των Καρμελιτών και Αυγουστίνων, την εκκλησία του Αγίου Λουκά και καταλήξαμε στο κονάκι του Κιόρογλου.

Ο Κιόρογλου ήταν ένας εύπορος και προοδευτικός Τούρκος προύχοντας της Κύπρου. Κατά τα τραγικά γεγονότα του 1821, προσπάθησε να βοηθήσει τον Αρχιεπίσκοπο Κυπριανό προειδοποιώντας τον για τις προθέσεις των Οθωμανών και προτρέποντάς τον να διαφύγει για να σωθεί. Αυτός αρνήθηκε, συνελήφθει και κρεμάστηκε, όπως περιγράφει το ιστορικό ο ποιητής μας Βασίλης Μιχαηλίδης στο ποίημα του 9η Ιουλίου 1821.
Και μπροστά από το κονάκι του Κιόρογλου, διάβασα στους φίλους το κομμάτι του ποιήματος που αναφέρετε στο γεγονός.

26/05/2026

Nelson Mandela, that colossus of peace, said in a speech in 2000.

“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope, where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.”

Our club ORIENTACTION, believes in the power of sport in uniting people separated by conflict. With 5 other countries, Italy, Germany, Croatia, Hungary and Bosnia Herzegovina joined the European Union Erasmus+ project ORIUNITE, with the aim of using the Sport of Orienteering in bringing people together in areas that there was conflict in the past. In Cyprus we worked hard to create the first most accurate unified map of the who within the walls capital of Cyprus. The capital on the map is not divided but unified.

And on the 23rd of May, we organized the first orienteering event with one route encompassing the whole of the capital. More than 50 people of all ages took part, amateurs, professional sportsmen and families. We will continue in this route, to use sport to bring people together!