Untitled - ente nazionale per il turismo di cipro

intro 

Short 

This guidebook has been designed to provide visitors with an extensive 

insight into the delightful world of rural Cyprus. This is a world apart from 

the beaches and tourist hotspots. Here, timeless villages, tiny remote 

painted churches, stunning scenery, forested mountain trails and a way 

of life that has hardly changed over the past centuries, are just waiting 

to be discovered. 

The first part of this book provides general information on rural Cyprus, 

its history, traditions, cultures, flora and fauna, places of interest and more. 

The second half of the book, details 15 recommended driving excursions. 

All of the routes can be accomplished easily within a day’s drive 

in a regular car, yet all have something different to offer. 

The routes highlight points-of-interest along the way and all start and finish 

on one of the main roads. These routes are also ideal for organised 

group tours with small buses. 

The routes include places to stop for walking, cycling, bird watching, 

fresh-water fishing or to simply explore the countryside 

and charming villages. All that’s needed is a good road map, 

a sunhat, plenty of water, comfortable walking shoes and 

a spirit of adventure. 

NOTE: The spellings of all place-names conform to those indicated 

on the road signs. However, in some cases, these may vary from 

those shown on your road map.

Contents 

Useful Information 

Welcome to Rural Cyprus 

Natural Environment 

Cultural Heritage 

Rural Crafts and Skills 

Food and Wine 

Rural Accommodation 

Countryside Activities 

Religious and Local Customs and Celebrations 

The Rural Year in Cyprus 

Route 1 – The Southeast Area 

(Kokkinochoria – Red Soil Villages) 

Route 2 – The Central Plain 

Route 3 – Larnaka West Coast 

Route 4 – Lefkara Area 

Route 5 – Machairas and the Southwest 

Route 6 – Lemesos (Limassol) Forest 

Route 7 – Lemesos (Limassol) West Coast 

Route 8 – The Wine Villages 

Route 9 – Troodos and the Solea Valley 

Route 10 – Troodos and the Marathasa Valley 

Route 11 – The Pitsilia and Southwest Mesaoria 

Route 12 – The Pafos Valleys 

Route 13 – Pafos and the Akamas 

Route 14 – Polis, Kato Pyrgos and Kykkos 

Route 15 – Pafos Forest 

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4 

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12 

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64 

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info Useful 

Remember the country code 

ñ Avoid the temptation to pick wildflowers and take a photograph instead. 

This way you protect the plant and still have an enduring reminder of its beauty. 

ñ Avoid disturbing natural habitats and nesting birds. 

ñ Take your litter with you. 

ñ Do not light fires, except at designated picnic sites, 

Always be particularly careful about extinguishing cigarettes. 

Learn Greek: 

English is widely spoken in Cyprus. However, it is always an advantage 

to know a few key words of Greek – you may find them very useful 

and you will certainly impress the local people. 

Hello & goodbye: 

Please: 

Thank you: 

Yes: 

No: 

Road: 

Left: 

Right: 

Straight on: 

Where is 

Up (over or above): 

Down (below or lower): 

Slowly: 

Today: 

Tomorrow: 

Water: 

Car: 

Petrol: 

Mechanic: 

Telephone: 

Doctor: 

Police: 

Pharmacy: 

Cyprus Coffee: 

YIASSOU (plural is YIASSAS) 

PARAKALO 

EFKHARISTO 

NAI 

OCHI 

DROMOS 

ARISTERA 

DHEXIA 

ISHIA 

POU INE 

PANO 

KATO 

SIGA-SIGA 

SIMERA 

AVRIO 

NERO 

AFTOKINITO 

BEZINA (local dialect) 

MICHANIKOS 

TILEFONO 

YIATROS 

ASTYNOMIA 

FARMAKIO 

KAFE - gliko (sweet), metrio (medium), 

sketo (no sugar). 

Dress Code: 

Always dress respectfully when visiting churches and monasteries.

welcome to Rural 

Cyprus 

Cyprus enjoys an enviable worldwide reputation 

as a sun and sea holiday destination, 

with year-round sunshine, blue skies and 

warm waters. However, this fascinating island 

has much more to offer. Away from the tourist 

areas, the Cyprus countryside has a diverse 

wealth of its own with traditional villages, 

vineyards and wineries, tiny fresco-painted 

churches, remote monasteries 

and cool shady forests. 

This is a nature-lovers paradise, 

where you can walk for hours without 

seeing another living soul. In springtime, 

fields of flowers stretch as far as the 

eye can see, and a ramble along 

a mountain path will suddenly reveal 

a tiny chapel or a Venetian-built 

bridge that once formed part of the 

route of an ancient camel train. 

Around every corner is another 

surprise; a magnificent view; 

a rare sighting of the Cyprus moufflon 

as it scampers up an almost 

vertical slope; or a chance encounter 

with someone who will surprise you with 

his or her knowledge of your language and 

an invitation to join the family for a coffee 

or refreshment. 

4

The island of Cyprus may be small but it has 

literally hundreds of villages, many of which are 

no more that a handful of houses clustered 

around a church, and a coffee-shop that also 

serves as the village store, post office and 

general meeting place. In the more remote parts 

of the island, these villages have remained 

virtually unchanged and although motorised 

transport has made them more accessible, 

their older inhabitants still cling to the 

traditional lifestyle which basically revolves 

around the seasons of planting and harvesting. 

For some of these people, the donkey is still the 

preferred mode of transport and these faithful 

animals can still be seen making their way home 

from the fields, laden with firewood or green 

forage for the family goats. 

Even in the larger villages, traditional values are 

still very much in evidence. Here, maybe the 

village shepherd carries a mobile phone and the 

farmer drives to his fields in a double-cabin 

pick-up truck but this is merely a sign of the 

times – a veneer that, when scratched, will 

expose the true character of the village people - 

family-orientated, warm-hearted, friendly 

and unbelievably hospitable. 

5

The main activity in rural Cyprus is arable 

and livestock farming. What is grown 

where depends on the area, the terrain and 

the climate. But the island’s range of 

produce is amazing. Just about anything will 

grow here, from tropical fruits such as 

mangoes, kiwis and bananas to produce 

more associated with that from northern 

climates. On the island’s south facing 

slopes, especially in the western part of the 

Autumn is also the time to harvest the 

olives. As in most other Mediterranean 

countries, the olive plays a significant role 

in the lives of the people. Every part of the 

tree is important: the deadwood is used to 

stoke the winter stoves; the fruit is either 

preserved in brine, or crushed for its 

precious oil. Even the leaves are dried, 

blessed and burnt as aromatic incense 

during church services. Olive trees grow 

all over the island, except high up in the 

mountains, where they are unable to 

survive the harsher winters. 

Almost all villagers in the remote areas 

own at least a small plot of land on which 

they grow their own vegetables, such as 

tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and 

aubergines, as well as pulse vegetables that 

can be dried and stored for the winter 

months. They raise chickens for eggs and 

meat, and many also keep a few goats, 

which provide them with enough milk to 

make their own yoghourt and cheeses, 

including Cyprus’ famous Halloumi cheese. 

island, are the vineyards. Cyprus is famous 

for its fine wines and a visit to one of the 

many wineries is a great way to spend 

a day. The grapes are harvested during 

autumn, when entire families, from 

grandparents to the youngest toddlers, 

work together in their vineyards to bring 

in the crop. 

Sea fishing is also an important rural 

activity and fishing shelters are dotted 

around the coast. Visit them early in the 

morning, to watch the fishermen bring 

in the catch of the day. 

Mining the island’s rich mineral deposits 

of copper, asbestos, chromium, pyrites and 

umber used to be a lucrative part of the 

rural economy but its importance has 

declined as the mines gradually become 

worked out. 

6

Away from the cultivated land, there is an 

abundant ecosystem of flora and fauna with 

many endemic species. In spring, 

the island is carpeted with wild flowers 

and orchids. Cyprus is on one of the 

north-south migratory paths and during 

spring and autumn millions of birds either 

over-fly the island or break their long 

journey here. During winter, the Larnaka 

and Akrotiri salt lakes are an extraordinary 

The Cyprus hinterland is a great place for 

botanists, artists, bird watchers, hikers, 

ramblers, anglers, cyclists, photographers 

and geologists. 

The greatest wealth of any country is its 

people and whatever your interest or 

wherever you travel in Cyprus you can 

always be sure of receiving the warmest 

of welcomes. 

sight with thousands of pink flamingos 

wading in the shallow waters. 

The moufflon, an indigenous wild sheep, 

roams the forested slopes of the Troodos 

range, and both Green and Loggerhead 

turtles breed on the island’s more secluded 

beaches. The cultural landscape of the rural 

areas is rich and varied, with archaeological 

sites, monasteries, museums and churches, 

while traditional crafts such as basketmaking, 

pottery, weaving, wood carving, 

and lace-making are still maintained 

in many villages. 

7

natural 

Environment 

Geology 

The island of Cyprus was formed around seventy 

million years ago by the collision of the 

Euro-asian and African tectonic plates. 

By the Lower Miocene era, some twenty-five 

million years ago, the Troodos mountain range 

was an island and the Mesaoria (central plain) 

and Pantadactylos range to the north were 

submerged under the sea (evidence of this 

can be found in several areas, where fossilised 

seashells can be clearly seen 

embedded in the rocks). 

The Pentadactylos Mountains began 

to emerge eleven million years ago 

at the end of the Miocene era, 

but the Mesaoria appeared much 

later, during the Pleistocene Age, 

a million years ago. 

Today, the Troodos massif, 

a bulky range with the 1951m 

Mount Olympus (Chionistra) at its peak, 

dominates the south of the island. 

It consists of igneous rock and pillow lavas 

originally formed from molten rock beneath 

the 8,000-metre deep ocean that once separated 

the continents of Eurasia and Afro-Arabia. 

Its serpentine rocks contain rich deposits 

8

of copper, asbestos, chromites and iron pyrites. 

Troodos provides a unique opportunity for 

anyone interested in geology, because it is one 

of the rare places in the world where you can 

actually stand on the earth’s mantle. 

The Pentadactylos range, which runs parallel 

to the northern coastline, is the east 

Mediterranean’s southernmost range of the 

great Alpine-Himalaya chain. It consists of thrust 

masses of limestone of the Permian, 

Carboniferous and Cretaceous periods, 

with marl, sandstone and conglomerates 

from the Miocene era on the lower slopes. 

The Mesaoria, between the two mountain 

ranges, stretches from Morfou in the west 

to Ammochostos (Famagusta) in the east, 

with the capital, Lefkosia (Nicosia), lying more 

or less in the middle. This central plain is mainly 

marl and shell-limestone, while in the eastern 

foothills of the Troodos range, chalk, limestone 

and gypsum are common. 

Natural features 

The rock formations have played a significant 

role in the development of the landscape. 

The erosion resistant dunites, serpentines, 

gabbros and diabases of the Troodos massif are 

the main reason for its height and its harsh, 

rugged scenery, while less erosion-resistant 

chalks at lower altitudes have formed the 

rounded white landscape of the vineyards. 

9

The limestone cliffs of the Akamas have 

created karsts, with subterranean streams, 

reservoirs and caves containing stalagmites 

and stalactites. There are also deep gorges 

at the west of the island. 

The rivers flowing radially from the 

Troodos have opened steep-sided river 

valleys and there are significant waterfalls 

at Kalidonia, Mesapotamos and Fini. 

The Salt Lakes at Akrotiri and Larnaka lose 

their water in summer due to evaporation 

and, until quite recently, the salt harvested 

from the dried-out lake at Larnaka was 

sold on the local market. 

Coupled with the rock types are the 

various kinds of soil, which give distinct 

colour to the landscape. Deep and fertile 

terra rosa has developed on the hard 

limestone of the Kokkinochoria 

(Red Villages) in the southeast, and rich 

brown soils have developed on the pillow 

lavas. The white limey soils, derived from 

the decomposition of limestone rocks, 

are widespread and the most suitable for 

the cultivation of vines in the districts of 

Pafos and Lemesos (Limassol), while very 

fertile alluvial soils are present in the river 

valleys. 

Flora and fauna 

The natural vegetation of Cyprus is broadly 

split into four categories: forests, maquis, 

Mediterranean garrigue and herbaceous 

plants. The main forest trees at high 

altitude are pines, including the flat-topped 

Troodos pine (Pinus nigra s.p. Palasianna). 

Cedar, plane, alder, maple and the endemic 

golden oak (Quercus alnifolia) grow on the 

lower slopes and, near the coasts, juniper 

predominates. The golden oak has been 

declared the national tree of Cyprus. 

Maquis vegetation, which thrives on poor 

quality siliceous soil, includes rockroses, 

arbutus, myrtle and rosemary. The scrub 

vegetation of the garrigue is chiefly on 

limestone soil and includes the spiny 

burnet, capers and aromatics such as 

thyme, rosemary, oregano and lavender. 

Cyprus is characterised by an extremely 

high number of indigenous plant species, 

approximately 2000, of which almost 

140 are endemic, such as the Cyclamen 

cyprium, which has been declared the 

national flower of Cyprus. For nature 

lovers, early spring is the most rewarding 

period of the year. There is a riotous 

blossoming of poppies, anemones, 

cyclamen, iris, gladioli, tulips and crown 

daisies. Approximately fifty species, 

subspecies and varieties of orchid are 

found, including several endemics. 

There are more than 70 

organised Nature Trails in 

rural Cyprus. Each is carefully 

designed to ensure hikers 

appreciate the best viewpoints 

and things of interest in the 

area. Ask for the special CTO 

booklet. 

10

Birds on the spring and autumn northsouth 

migration use Cyprus as a stopping 

point and the two Salt Lakes (Larnaka and 

Akrotiri) offer a winter home to large 

flocks of greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus 

ruber). Nightingales, golden orioles, 

hoopoes, rollers and bee-eaters are among 

the visitors and residents include several 

endemic species, such as the Cyprus 

warbler and the Cyprus Wheatear. 

The population of the Griffon Vulture 

(Gyps fulvus) has declined rapidly over 

recent years and the birds no longer visit 

many of their traditional nesting sites. 

The Game Service has set up a small 

reserve at Agios Ioannis on the Xeros 

River and action is being taken to prevent 

the loss of the species. 

The endemic moufflon (Ovis orientalis 

ophion), a type of wild sheep, considered 

by many to be Cyprus’ national animal. 

At one time, these beautiful shy animals 

were hunted almost to extinction. 

However, a captive-breeding programme 

has saved the species and today around 

10,000 live in and around the Pafos Forest. 

They are best seen in a reserve 

at the Stavros tis Psokas Forest Station, 

in the Troodos range. 

Cyprus is one of the few remaining nesting 

grounds for the endangered Green Turtle 

(Chelonia mydias) and the Loggerhead 

Turtle (Caretta caretta). Turtles lay their 

eggs in the sand on isolated beaches. 

Gradual human encroachment into their 

territory and depredation of the nests and 

hatchlings by foxes and other predators has 

severely jeopardised the survival of these 

primeval marine creatures. 

In 1978, the Cyprus Fisheries Department 

established a turtle hatchery at Lara Beach, 

one of the main nesting sites on the west 

coast. Turtle eggs are also transported 

from other beaches to hatch in safe 

conditions at Lara. 

Although not a wild animal in danger 

of extinction, the Cyprus donkey has 

always been an important feature of rural 

life. It was a form of transport, 

beast of burden and the means for drawing 

water from the wells. 

The Nubian Donkey (Equus asinus) 

is believed to be the domestic donkey’s 

ancestor and it is known that donkeys 

were domesticated before horses. 

What is not known is when the first 

donkeys arrived in Cyprus but the remains 

of an ass have been found in a tomb from 

the seventh century BC. Villagers from the 

remoter areas can still be seen riding and 

working with donkeys, and there is a 

Donkey Sanctuary at the village of Vouni, 

northwest of Lemesos (Limassol). 

11

Cultural 

Heritage 

As you wander around the island you will 

come across many prehistoric sites, 

tombs and sanctuaries depicting the long 

cultural heritage of the island. 

The ancient history of Cyprus tends to focus 

on the great city kingdoms, conquerors and 

conflict. Yet farmers and herders, artisans 

and miners played an equal role in the chronicle 

and they laid down the foundations of the 

country’s distinctive culture. 

Manmade artefacts from as far back 

as 10,000 BC show that Stone Age Man 

was present on the island when the 

pygmy hippopotamus and dwarf 

elephant were on earth. 

By 6,800 BC, Neolithic Man was 

a skilled hunter, living in stone 

and clay huts. He shaped river 

pebbles to make axe heads 

and chisels. He also created patterned 

pottery bowls, clay sculpture and jewellery 

of steatite, shell and cornelian. 

Arts and crafts started to evolve when 

the discovery of ochre and umber pigments 

enabled potters to decorate their ceramics 

12

with colour. They also started to create figures 

of fertility goddesses and cross-shaped human 

forms. Archaeological finds from this era include 

animal-shaped vases and a model of a ploughing 

scene – signifying the importance of livestock 

and arable farming. 

The discovery of copper around 3,000BC, 

changed life dramatically, as the metal became 

the source of immense wealth and triggered 

the development of trade with neighbouring 

countries. In addition, the location of many 

of the copper mines prompted previously 

agrarian communities from settlements in the 

foothills and plains to relocate to upland areas. 

Some copper ore was smelted locally in wood 

or charcoal-burning furnaces and the metal was 

exported in ingots in the shape of a sheepskin. 

By the Late Bronze Age, smiths were using 

imported tin mixed with copper to cast large 

bronze objects. 

Around 1200BC, the arrival of Greek-speaking 

settlers as part of the Sea Peoples, caused great 

disruption and led to the emergence of the first 

of the city kingdoms of the Iron Age and the 

Hellenisation of the island. 

Copper smelting started the depletion of the 

island’s thick forest cover and after Cyprus fell 

to the Persians, the forests were further 

diminished for shipbuilding. 

13

During the Hellenistic period (4th century 

BC), copper mining was generating such 

wealth that Cyprus was able to supply 

Alexander the Great, to whose empire the 

island then belonged, with a whole fleet 

of battleships. 

The value of the copper mining and export 

trade was the catalyst for the Romans 

taking possession of Cyprus in 58BC and 

their baskets, ropes, wooden props 

and other mining paraphernalia have been 

found in shafts of copper mines still in use 

in the last century. 

Tenta Prehistoric Site 

Today, agriculture, including the wine 

industry, is still a fundamental part 

of the country’s economy and Cypriot 

craftspeople continue their cultural 

traditions by creating pottery and weaving, 

lace and metalwork just as their ancestors 

did in ancient times. 

Evidence of the island’s intriguing heritage 

can be seen in its many interesting 

archaeological museums. 

The Cyprus Museum in Lefkosia 

(Nicosia) houses the richest collection 

of archaeological finds in Cyprus. Prior to 

its being built in the first decade of the 

last century, antiquities were plundered 

by entrepreneurs such as Luigi Palma 

de Cesnola, an American consul whose 

collection was amassed through his 

privately organised excavations all over the 

island during the Ottoman period. Sir John 

Myres and Max Ohnefalsch-Richter were 

the first experts to carry out systematic 

archaeological work on the island and after 

the Cyprus Museum was established, 

so many finds were brought to light that 

it ran out of space in which to exhibit 

them. The museum’s exhibits traverse 

the history of Cyprus from the Neolithic 

Era (7,000 BC) to the 7th century AD. 

Amongst the highlights are an 

extraordinary display of terracotta figures 

found in 1929 at Agia Irini Sanctuary 

at Morfou, and statue of the goddess 

Aphrodite discovered at Soli. Another focal 

point is the collection of limestone lions 

and sphinxes found at Tamassos in 1997. 

1 Mouseiou Street, Lefkosia Open Mon-Sat 

09:00 – 17:00, Sunday 10:00 – 13:00. 

The museum is on the Aphrodite 

Cultural Route. 

14

The Aphrodite Cultural 

Route (Kiprida Aphrodite) 

invites you to wander through 

layers of history and 

culture in the footsteps 

of the Goddess. 

The Aphrodite cult probably 

evolved from even older 

female fertility deities and 

after eons, the Anassa, (Holy 

Queen) of Cyprus, became 

completely identified with the 

Aphrodite of the Greek 

Gods of Olympus in the 

4th century BC. Although 

best known as the Goddess of 

Love and Beauty, Aphrodite 

was also the goddess of copper 

and was worshipped at 

sanctuaries connected to 

smelting workshops. Temples, 

shrines and natural sites from 

around the island such as the 

Baths of Aphrodite near Polis 

tell the tale of the enigmatic 

goddess of love and beauty. 

The primary sites connected 

with the goddess are Paleia 

Pafos (Kouklia), Amathous 

and Kition and all are well 

worth a visit. At all sites, 

information boards detail 

various aspects of Aphrodite. 

Also, the museums on the 

Aphrodite route, highlight 

the finds connect to the 

goddess with the logo of the 


Brochures of the Aphrodite 

Route are also available from 

all CTO Information Offices. 

Larnaka District Archaeological 

Museum houses finds from Larnaka and 

the surrounding area, which was inhabited 

long before the city-kingdom of Kition was 

built in the 13th century BC by the 

Mycenaean Greeks. Among the items from 

the prehistoric settlements at Choirokoitia 

and Kalavassos are tools made from bone, 

picrolite jewellery and a tomb in which 

a heavy stone has been laid on the head 

and chest of the dead man. Bronze Age 

15

faience, ivory and alabaster objects bear 

witness to the commerce of the time. 

There is a collection of Mycenaean 

ceramics, votive terracotta figurines, 

glass objects from Roman times and 

an interesting exhibition of Cypro-Minoan 

inscriptions. The museum also contains 

stone anchors found in the area. Plateia 

Kalograion. 

Open Mon-Fri 09:00-14:30 + Thurs 

15:00-17:00 (except July & August). 

The Museum is on the Aphrodite 


Lemesos (Limassol) District 

Archaeological Museum contains finds 

from Kourion and Amathous, the two 

important city-kingdoms near Lemesos 

(Limassol), as well as from around thirty 

other archaeological sites in the district. 

Some of the exhibits date back to the era 

before Cyprus had even been settled, 

such as the skull and jawbone of a pygmy 

hippopotamus and the tusk of a dwarf 

elephant found on the Akrotiri peninsula. 

Among the finds from Kourion is a large 

storage jar that stands one and a half 

metres tall. The museum also houses an 

extensive collection of pottery, stone tools, 

gold, silver and bronze jewellery and 

Byzantine artefacts. Corner of Kaningos 

and Vyronos Streets. 

Open Mon – Fri 09:00 – 17:00, 

Sat 10:00 – 13:00. 

The museum is on the Aphrodite Cultural 

Route. 

Pafos District Archaeological Museum 

contains finds from the Pafos district that 

date from between the Neolithic and 

Venetian periods of the island’s history. 

A remarkable find from Lempa is the 

skeleton of a twenty-year old woman, 

displayed exactly as it was found. 

The oldest exhibits are from approximately 

8000BC and include stone axes, fragments 

of pots and abstract statuettes of steatite 

and clay. There are also some intriguing 

examples of medical devices from the 

Roman period. Other remarkable exhibits 

include classical funerary steles from 

ancient Marion (modern day Polis) and the 

beautiful statue of the ‘armed’ Aphrodite. 

Griva Digeni St. 

Open Mon – Fri 09:00 – 17:00, 

Sat 10:00 – 13:00. 

The museum is on the Aphrodite 


16

Rural 

Crafts and 

Skills 

Lekfaritika is the fine embroidery and drawnthread 

work that has made Lefkara, the village 

after which it is named, world famous. 

Simple embroidery, known as asproploumia 

(white work), was done in Cyprus from very 

early times. However, in the Frankish and 

Venetian periods (1191 – 1571) when Lefkara 

was a summer resort for the nobles, 

local women added to their repertoire the more 

complicated designs created by Venetian 

women. Lefkaritika patterns are mainly 

geometric with crosses and diamonds 

and the work is done on beige ‘Irish’ 

linen with white or dark brown cotton 

thread. In the 19th century, 

village men travelled to Europe, 

and later America and Australia, 

to sell the embroideries. 

Leonardo da Vinci is said to have 

come to Lefkara to buy an altar-cloth 

for Milan cathedral. Lefkaritika is also made 

at all the villages in the area as well as 

at Kornos, Lympia, Dali and Athienou. 

Pottery in Cyprus goes back to Neolithic times 

and you can see fine examples from most periods 

of the island’s history in all the island’s 

18

archaeological museums. Traditional potters still 

work in the villages of Foini and Kornos, using 

red clay from local hillsides to make cooking 

pots, storage jars, amphorae and plant pots. 

The pots are thrown on a small wheel turned by 

hand or foot. Before firing, the vessel is bound 

with string or cloth strips to prevent cracking 

and left to stand overnight. Then the potter 

scrapes off any excess clay and rubs the pot 

with a stick then with a wet cloth to make it 

shine. After being left to dry away from the 

wind and sun, the pot is finally fired in a woodburning 

kiln. Sadly, the giant onion-shaped 

earthenware storage jars called pitharia are no 

longer made but these enormous vessels are 

often used as decorative plant pots. 

Ceramic traditions continue with small potteries 

all over the island, making good quality modern 

and ethnic ware. 

Decorated gourds: The gourd is a vegetable 

of the marrow family that hangs from a climbing 

vine seen adorning the verandas of rural houses. 

Kolokia (gourds) come in a range of shapes and 

sizes and have long been decorated and used 

for practical purposes by Cypriots. 

The bottle-shaped gourd is the most useful: 

as a wine carafe, a candlestick, a container for 

salt or olives and, with its side cut off, 

as a water ladle. Decorating gourds, either 

by incising geometric patterns or motifs of 

animals or flowers into them with a knifepoint 

19

or burning the design with a poker, 

is a craft still practiced in the villages of 

Pachyammos and Tries Elies. 

Basket making dates from Neolithic 

times and today’s methods are virtually 

unchanged. Baskets were made to serve 

specific practical purposes. In the 

Kokkinochoria (Red Soil Villages), 

large strong wicker baskets were made for 

gathering and transporting potatoes. 

At Lakatameia, riverbed rushes were used 

to dress bottles to prevent leakage when 

transporting olive oil, wine or zivania. 

Donkey panniers, known as sirizes, were 

also made from rushes. Workers carried 

their lunch in small-lidded korokolios and 

bread was kept in a macramé type basket, 

called a tapatsa that hung from the ceiling. 

Tsestos, the large, often colourfully 

decorated, flat cane platters used for 

carrying bread and drying trahana, (a type 

of Cyprus porridge) now often decorate 

house walls. Talari, the small cylindrical 

baskets used for draining and pressing 

halloumi and anari cheeses are still made 

at Akrotiri village. Baskets are still made 

at Mesogi too and there is a basketry 

museum at Ineia, near Pafos. 

Copperware is an obvious traditional craft 

in a country where the metal featured 

prominently throughout history. 

The discovery of copper made Cyprus rich 

and important in the Bronze Age and 

mining was carried out throughout the 

centuries. Coppersmiths still make copper 

pots and kettles, the long-handled pots 

known as brikki (in which Cyprus coffee 

is made) and exquisite bracelets. 

Old copper cauldrons, coffee pots and 

lamps often adorn hotels and tavernas. 

Silverware is made chiefly at Lefkara, 

where the men have a long history of 

producing cobweb-like filigree work. 

Fine silver wire is bent into complex 

designs for teaspoons, bracelets and other 

jewellery, as well as intricately worked 

containers that hold jars of the traditional 

sweetmeat glyko, and are hung around with 

half a dozen small pastry forks. Also made 

is solid silverware, including trays and 

pinecone or pomegranate-shaped vessels 

for the oil and holy water used at baptisms 

and blessings. 

Weaving: It is known that weaving was 

highly developed during Byzantine times 

and, during the Venetian and Lusignan 

periods, valuable silk and woollen fabrics 

renowned for their high quality were 

exported in great quantities to Europe. 

20

Fyti weaving, which derives its name from 

Fyti village, consists of colourful geometric 

textured designs or ploumia on un-dyed 

cotton cloth. The ploumia, in strong reds, 

yellows, blues, greens and orange, 

are made by placing thick coloured thread 

or fytilia among the warp threads. Fyti 

weaving is usually made into rectangular 

napkins, tablecloths and bed covers. 

The origins of this weaving are lost in the 

past but geometric patterns similar to 

those in Fyti work can be seen on pottery 

from the Geometric period. Another style 

of weaving is the Lefkoniko weave of 

brightly coloured stripes. This strong fabric, 

which comes in a glorious array of bright 

colours, makes good tablemats, table 

runners, throws for sofas, rugs, bedcovers 

and curtains. Cyprus rag rugs are still made 

in many colour combinations, using cotton 

thread for the warp and strips of fabric for 

the weft. In the mountain villages, rugs 

were woven of a mixture of goat hair and 

wool in muted stripes. 

to crosses. Ecclesiastical woodcarving was, 

and still is, a specialised craft and elaborate 

iconostasis (altar screens) are to be found 

in countless churches around the island. 

Religious themes similar to those of the 

iconostasis often found their way onto 

household objects too and the local church 

was usually depicted on the central panel 

of the sendukia. At Mouttoullas, on the 

northern slopes of the Troodos Mountains, 

artisans used pinewood to make vournes 

(wooden troughs), which, according to 

size, were used by village women for 

kneading bread or doing the laundry. 

Also made from pine were sanidhia (long 

breadboards), on which the women carried 

their loaves to the oven for baking. 

Woodcarving: In the days when timber 

from the abundant forests of Cyprus was 

plentiful, the decorative art of woodcarving 

was widespread around the island. 

Many rural houses had doors and lintels 

with at least some carving – and sometimes 

painting as well. Inside there were carved 

chairs, wardrobes, corner cupboards, 

shelves and sendukia (dowry chests), 

in which girls gradually amassed the 

household linen needed for their marriage. 

The carved designs ranged from flowers, 

cypress trees, birds, animals and grapes, 

21

Food and 

Wine 

Hospitality is a byword in Cyprus and Kopiaste 

in Greek means, “Come and enjoy our 

hospitality”. Where better to try some local 

specialities than in rural Cyprus 

Much of the food eaten daily - olives, almonds, 

figs, beans, chickpeas, dates, bitter herbs and 

honey – was known in Biblical times. It is said 

that carobs are the ‘husks’ from the parable 

of the prodigal son and the ‘locusts’ eaten 

by John the Baptist in the wilderness. 

The traditional Cypriot diet is a healthy 

one based on vegetables, salad, pulses, 

bread, fruit, olive oil and small quantities 

of meat. Everything is freshly cooked 

and the salad is often picked straight 

from the garden. Even Cypriot fast 

food is healthy. Try an envelope 

of pitta bread filled with char-grilled 

souvlakia meat and salad; add a dash 

of salt and lemon juice and enjoy 

it with a cool local beer. 

22

Festive food 

On New Year’s Day, a special cake called 

Vassiliopitta (St Basil’s cake) is baked with a coin 

hidden in it. The person finding the coin is 

promised good luck throughout the year. 

Easter is a time of rejoicing. Many Cypriots will 

have given up meat, fish and dairy products 

during Lent and the fast is broken after midnight 

on Easter Day, with a rich lamb soup called 

Mageiritsa (originally from Greece), or the more 

popular Avgolemono (egg and lemon soup). 

Easter cakes or flaounes, are made from 

a special cheese, eggs, spices, herbs and sultanas 

wrapped in dough. The main Easter meal 

is souvla, large chunks of spit-roasted lamb, 

accompanied by roast potatoes, lots of salad 

and good wine. 

Before Christmas there is another forty-day 

fast. Turkeys and pigs are fattened up during the 

summer and slaughtered for the Christmas feast. 

Some of the pork meat is salted, cured or 

smoked to last through the winter. Everyone 

eats the icing-sugar covered shortbread called 

kourambiedes and spiced honey buns called 

melomakarona. 

Traditional Cyprus foods 

Halloumi, can be eaten fried, grilled, grated 

onto pasta or as is with a slice of watermelon. 

It is made by heating a mixture of sheep and 

23

goat milk in a hartzi (cauldron) before 

adding rennet and turning off the heat. The 

curds are scooped out, squeezed to 

extract the whey, wrapped in cheesecloth 

and pressed under a heavy weight. The 

cheese is cut into blocks and cooked in the 

whey again. When it rises to the surface, it 

is taken out, dipped in salt and dried mint, 

folded in half and left to cool before being 

stored in the whey. 

Cyprus bread is delicious 

anywhere you go, but some 

villages make their own 

specialities and these are 

exceptionally good. 

Look out for the 

sesame-covered loaves that 

have been baked in the 

traditional beehive-shaped 

ovens. The texture 

is somewhat denser than 

European style breads but the 

flavour is outstanding. 

Before the final step, the whey is returned 

to the hartzi to make Anari, a cheese 

similar to ricotta. Fresh milk is added and 

the mixture is reheated and stirred with 

a small brush called a throumbi until the 

crumbly white cheese floats to the surface. 

Some anari is salted and dried to be grated 

over pasta. The best way to eat it, though, 

is unsalted, with just a drizzle of honey 

or carob syrup. Natural yoghurt, strained 

or otherwise, is yet another dairy product 

that is an integral part of the Cypriot diet 

and one that quickly becomes a firm 

favourite with all the island’s visitors. 

The highly nutritious sugary unripe pods 

of the carob tree (ceratonia siliqua) used 

to be known as the ‘Black Gold of Cyprus’. 

charoupomelo, carob syrob, is made 

by boiling the ripe pods to a mash in a 

large cauldron of water, straining the 

mixture and reducing it to the consistency 

of honey. Pasteli is made by boiling carob 

syrup to reduce it further to a thick pulp, 

then kneading it into toffee. 

Among the sweetmeats, Glyka are 

sugar-preserved fruit and nuts traditionally 

offered to welcome guests to the home. 

It is made from green walnuts (Karidaki), 

apricots, quinces, tiny white aubergines, 

cherries, bitter oranges (citromilo), 

curls of grapefruit or bergamot peel 

24

or strips of watermelon rind, steeped 

in a thick sugar syrup. 

Palouze is made in the mountain villages at 

grape harvest time. It is a mixture of grape 

juice, flour and sugar that is boiled until it 

sets like blancmange. 

To make soudjouko, almonds are 

threaded like beads on string and dipped 

into boiling palouze and dried, repeatedly, 

until thickly coated, then hung in the sun 

to dry and cut into lengths. 

Cyprus Coffee: Strong, 

full of flavour and served 

in tiny cups together with a 

glass of cold water. Ask for: 

glyko (sweet); metrio 

(medium); or sketo (without 

sugar). Be careful not to drink 

to the bottom of the cup or 

you’ll end up with a mouthful 

of coffee grains. 

Olives and Olive oil are essential to 

Cypriot cooking and many families cultivate 

a few trees to ensure they have an 

adequate supply to last the year. 

Olive picking starts in late autumn with the 

gathering of the green olives. 

These are preserved in brine to be served 

as traditional Cypriot tsakistes. Unique to 

Cypriot cuisine, the olives are cracked and 

sprinkled with crushed coriander seeds and 

chopped garlic, and bathed in lemon and 

olive oil. At the year’s end, the black olives 

are ready to be taken to the olive press, 

there to be kneaded and pressed into thick 

green oil. A slice of freshly toasted bread 

is held under the spigot to catch the first 

drizzle of the season’s yield. Eliotes, a tasty 

olive pastry, is a firm favourite with all 

Cypriots. 

Cyprus coffee is made in long-handled 

brikkia (pots) on a copper or brass 

contraption called an outziaki, consisting 

of a cylinder of simmering water above 

a tray of very hot sand. Coffee beans are 

ground to a powder and a heaped 

teaspoon plus a demitasse of water are put 

into the brikki for each serving. Sugar is 

added to taste and you order metrios 

(medium), glykos (sweet) or sketos 

(unsweetened). The brikki is heated in the 

sand and the coffee is allowed to boil. 

When it starts to rise, the coffee is poured 

into the cup. Cyprus coffee is always 

served with a glass of cold water and 

you never drink to the bottom of the cup, 

as there is a little sediment. 

Cyprus has a very long history of wine 

production and the island has fifteen 

indigenous varieties of grape. The wines 

of Cyprus are praised in the Song of 

Solomon and in 800 BC Hesiodes 

described the making of Cyprus wine. 

Greek poet Euripides wrote of vast 

pilgrimages to the island to taste the wine, 

or Cyprus Nama, as it was then known, 

and it was considered delectable by the 

Egyptian Pharaohs. 

25

Legend tells us that the first mortal to 

learn the secret of making wine was King 

Icarios, who learned the art from Dionysus, 

the god of wine himself. The scene can be 

seen today in a mosaic at the House of 

Dionysus at Kato Pafos. The words 

‘Be happy and drink well’ were found on an 

inscription at the site and archaeological 

evidence of viticulture and winemaking can 

be seen in museums around the island. 

Cyprus is one of the oldest 

wine producing countries 

in the world and CTO has 

designed 6 wine routes to help 

visitors discover the island’s 

fascinating wine producing 

regions. Ask for the special 

CTO booklet. 

The modern wine industry was born 

in 1844 when the House of Hagipavlou 

was founded to export wine in barrels 

to neighbouring countries. In 1893, the 

company built a winery at Zanatzia, with 

proper presses and stone fermentation 

tanks. 

A British family by the name of Chaplin 

built a winery at Pera Pedi, later to be 

bought out by Keo, a company started 

in 1927. Loel, was formed in 1943 and 

developed business links with Eastern Bloc 

countries while Sodap was created in 1947 

as a vine-growers’ cooperative. 

These companies, known as the ‘Big Four’, 

produced all the wine sold commercially 

for many years. 

In the early 1980s, the government 

encouraged small wineries to open and 

there are now over thirty, many of them 

in the vineyards themselves. 

These smaller wineries are represented 

by the Vacchus Regional Wineries’ 

Association. At the same time, the Big Four 

opened – or re-opened – regional wineries 

and created new marques to complement 

the existing classics. Many of the wineries 

welcome visitors for guided tours and 

tastings, and there is also The Cyprus 

Wine Museum at the village of Erimi. 

After thousands of years of winemaking, 

the future of the industry in Cyprus bodes 

well and the consumer has a vast choice 

of wines from the island of Aphrodite. 

Commandaria is the oldest name for a 

wine in the world. The name derives from 

26

the Grande Commanderie (feudal estate) 

of the Knights Hospitaller of St John of 

Jerusalem, an ecclesiastical military order 

headquartered at Kolossi. Commandaria is 

a dark sweet dessert wine made from 

grapes grown in an Appellation d’Origine 

Contrôlée area on the southern foothills of 

the Troodos Mountains to the northeast 

of Lemesos (Limassol). The grapes, 

a combination of the indigenous red Mavro 

and white Xinisteri, are partially dried in the 

sun to enhance their sugar content before 

pressing and fermenting. 

Zivania is a traditional spirit that has been 

drunk in Cyprus for centuries. It is distilled 

from grapes with high acidity, which are 

crushed and the whole mass, called zivana, 

is put into pitharia (large round clay pots) 

and fermented. Distillation begins with the 

zivana and some wine or water being put 

into a kazani (cauldron), made from 

tin-lined copper and the dome-shaped 

kapaki (lid), which has a hole in one side, 

hermetically sealed. Finally, the loullas, 

(copper tube), is fitted into the hole and 

its other end is passed through a tub, dani, 

of cold water. The mixture is boiled so 

that evaporation occurs and the vapour 

condenses as it cools on its way through 

the dani, thus completing the process. 

There are literally hundreds of traditional 

taverns and restaurants all over Cyprus all 

of which serve delicious local specialities 

and wines. The village coffee shops are 

great places to meet the local people and 

enjoy a Cyprus coffee or cool drink. 

The Vahkis Project 

promotes authentic traditional 

Cypriot cuisine, cooked and 

served at local tavernas housed 

in traditional buildings. 

The scheme is named after a 

famous Cypriot chef 

who lived in the city-kingdom 

of Kition around 300AD. 

Restaurants and tavernas have 

to meet all the requirements 

of the scheme’s criteria before 

they are awarded the Vahkis 

certificate. 

More information on the food 

and drink of Cyprus is 

available from the Flavours of 

Cyprus booklet and from 

The Wine Routes booklet, 

both of which are available 

from all CTO Information 

Offices. 

27

Rural 

Accommodation 

A rural holiday gives the opportunity 

to participate in traditional activities, to eat in the 

village tavernas and enjoy the genuine 

hospitality of a rural community. 

Basic foodstuffs and other supplies, including 

fresh bread, vegetables and fruit can be bought 

locally in the villages. 

Ask the friendly villagers to let you in to the 

area’s best-kept secrets and then go 

and explore them for first-hand experience. 

Traditional houses 

Anyone who prefers the charm 

of a quiet, rural environment 

to the hustle and bustle of a tourist 

resort can opt to stay at a traditional 

house in a village, accommodation 

known in Cyprus as agrotourism. 

These properties are renovated 

traditional village houses. 

All have modern kitchens and bathrooms 

and are furnished with rustic furniture and soft 

furnishings in traditional weave. Most of the 

houses have a garden, where you can enjoy such 

delights as lemons fresh from the tree, and some 

even have a swimming pool too. You can enjoy 

the comfort of a house that will soon 

feel like home. 

28

All the properties are licensed by the CTO 

and are maintained under the umbrella of the 

Cyprus Agrotourism Company, an affiliate 

company of the CTO and whose members are 

the owners of the houses. 

Most properties are open year-round, so are 

ideal for botanists, birdwatchers and hikers, 

for whom Cyprus in the early spring is a must. 

Tourist villas 

Scattered around the countryside are tourist 

villas offering high standards of accommodation. 

These are individual houses with pools, 

and many are built in local architectural style. 

Other accommodation 

There is a wide range of accommodation ranging 

from hotels to self-catering establishments, 

varying in size and capacity and offering 

everything from the very basic accommodation 

facilities to the most exclusive features. These 

are located in villages, such as Agros, Lefkara, 

Polis/Latsi, Kato Pyrgos, Drouseia, Neo Chorio, 

Lysos, Platres, Pedoulas, Kakopetria, 

Spilia and others. 

Camp sites 

The four camp sites licensed by the CTO are: 

Kalymnos Beach (Governor’s Beach), Lemesos 

(Limassol) District, and three in the Pafos 

district; Geroskipou Zenon Gardens; Feggari 

at Pegeia; and Polis Camping. However, there 

29

is another campsite operating at Troodos, 

The Troodos Campsite, which is run by 

the Cyprus Forestry Department. 

Kalymnos and Feggari are open all year 

round, the other coastal ones open March 

to October and Troodos opens from May 

to October, weather permitting. Facilities 

at each site include showers, toilets 

washing facilities, mini-market and a snack 

bar or restaurant. 

Tourist Establishments, which is available 

from the CTO Information Offices. 

Cyprus Agrotourism Company 

CTO-19 Lemesos Avenue 

Melkonian Building 

CY-1319 Lefkosia 

Tel +357 2234 0071 

The Kafenion (coffee shop) 

is a national institution. 

This is the main meeting 

place of the village and the 

place to head for if you need 

assistance of any kind. 

During daytime it is where 

the elderly men come to relax, 

play a game of tavli 

(backgammon) and put the 

world to rights. 

The younger men gather here 

after work. The kafenion 

serves coffee, soft drinks and 

few snacks. 

Further information regarding 

accommodation is available from the 

CTO Guide to Hotels and Other 

30

Countryside 

Activities 

European E4 long distance path 

It is now possible to walk the length of Europe, 

thanks to the European E4 long distance path. 

Starting in Gibraltar, the path traverses Spain, 

France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, 

Bulgaria and Greece; then it is a short air trip to 

Crete and on to Cyprus. 

The Cyprus section, which has been 

set up as a joint venture between the Forestry 

Department of the Ministry of Agriculture 

and the Cyprus Tourism Organisation, 

connects Larnaka and Pafos airports. 

Along the way, it passes through areas 

of outstanding natural beauty, 

places of ecological importance 

and historic and archaeological sites. 

All the roads and tracks on the 

route are well signposted and the 

CTO has published a booklet of the 

Cyprus section, splitting it into 

comfortable daily sections, with the distance 

and time needed to cover each one. 

It also gives useful information on the geology, 

flora, fauna and points of interest along each 

section of the route. 

32

Hiking and rambling 

The Cyprus Tourism Organisation and the 

Forestry Department have created over sixty 

nature trails to assist hikers and ramblers enjoy 

the island’s hills and vales. The trails, some linear 

and others circular, help walkers discover the 

most fascinating corners of Cyprus. 

The terrain varies from that of Cape Gkreko 

in the southeast, through the Troodos 

Mountains, the foothills and forests 

to the Akamas peninsula in the west. 

The trails, which are designed to take in areas 

of outstanding natural beauty and cultural 

importance, are on gentle gradients and are 

divided into three degrees of difficulty with two 

trails suitable for the disabled. 

Wooden signboards mark the start of each trial 

and there are pointers to interesting flora 

or geological features along each route. 

The CTO’s booklet ‘European Long Distance Path 

E4 and other Cyprus Nature Trails’ gives details 

of the European E4 Path and all the nature trials 

with the length, duration and degree of difficulty 

of each one. You can pick up a copy at the 

nearest CTO information office. 

Cycling 

If your idea of travelling is to have the wind on 

your face, the sun on your back, 

the gentle crunch of tyres on gravel, 

the scent of pines around you and a glimpse 

of the sea sparkling in the distance, 

then cycling in Cyprus is for you. 

33

Almost all the tourist resorts have bicycles 

for hire and the CTO’s guidebook Cyprus 

Cycling Routes can be picked up at the 

nearest CTO information centre. 

The guidebook covers main routes 

connecting towns or regions and 

excursions within a region. Each itinerary 

describes the route from point to point 

by altitude and the distance from the start 

point. The total distance is given, 

as well as the difficulty rating, which is 

based on the average moderately fit cyclist. 

Recommendations are also made as to the 

type of bicycle suitable for each route and 

the road surface is described. 

The book includes a map of each route. 

There is also a longer cycling route in the 

Troodos mountains. This is split into three 

sections and takes riders from Pano Platres 

to the Karvounas mountain saddle; 

then to Prodromos and finally back to 

Platres. The route is on forest, rural and 

secondary roads and it passes villages, 

historical sites, monasteries and areas 

of outstanding natural beauty. 

It is signposted and there are markers 

pointing to viewpoints etc. 

For competitive cyclists, the Cyprus 

Cycling Federation, which is a member 

of the International Cycling Union (ICU) 

organises an annual three-day international 

mountain bike competition called ’Afxentia’ 

that attracts cyclists from all over Europe. 

The CCF also runs annual road races. 

Horse riding 

Riding is a different way 

of exploring the hidden secrets of the 

Cyprus landscape. There are riding stables 

and ranches all over the island, 

so you can enjoy the Akamas peninsula, 

the Cape Gkreko National Forest Park 

or the pine-scented Troodos Mountains 

on horseback. Riding allows you to enjoy 

nature at a slower pace, to hear the 

birdsong and watch the incredible colours 

of the last rays of the setting sun over 

sea or mountain. 

Riding can be enjoyed year-round thanks 

to the island’s climate and there is trekking 

and hacking for all levels of competence. 

Riding lessons are also available at centres 

with well-trained horses and qualified 

instructors. The CTO has published 

a pamphlet Horse Riding in Cyprus and more 

information is available from the Cyprus 

Equestrian Federation. For those who are 

nervous of horses, donkey rides are also 

available. 

34

Skiing and snowboarding: 

Chionistra, the traditional name for Mount 

Olympus at the summit of the Troodos 

Mountains, means ‘the snowy one’ and 

in winter, it is covered with a good layer 

of snow. There is a brief but vigorous 

skiing and snowboarding season from 

December to March. There are four main 

runs, on the southern slopes Sun Valley 1 

(Aphrodite) is ideal for novices and Sun 

Valley 2 (Hermes) is for more practised 

skiers. North Face 1 (Dias) and North Face 

2 (Hera) are for the experienced. 

The Cyprus Ski Club (CSC) runs t-bar lifts 

at Sun Valley and the North Face, where 

there are six alpine standard runs varying 

from 100 to 500 metres. 

There are two langlauf (cross-country) 

trails at Sun Valley; one of eight kilometres 

and one of four, which go through some 

wonderful and dramatic scenery. 

Snowboarding is growing in popularity and 

plans are afoot to create a park dedicated 

solely to this up-and-coming sport. 

Visitors can hire equipment from the 

ski store at Sun Valley and individual 

and group tuition is available for skiers 

and snowboarders. 

Angling 

Angling in the dam reservoirs of Cyprus 

is a very popular pastime and twenty-one 

reservoirs provide excellent fresh-water 

fishing throughout the year. Seventeen 

species of fish are stocked, including trout, 

bass, carp, perch and roach. ‘Catch and 

keep’ is allowed at all but two sites, 

Polemedeia (Lemesos District) and Achna 

(Ammochostos District), which are ‘catch 

and release’ only. Anglers need a fishing 

licence, which can be easily obtained from 

the Department of Fisheries and Marine 

Research in Lefkosia (Nicosia) or from the 

regional offices of the Fisheries 

Department. 

Ornithology 

Cyprus lies on one of the main migratory 

paths for bird species from Europe, Asia 

and Africa and there are many endemic 

species on the island. Winter is the time to 

enjoy spectacular flocks of flamingos and 

wildfowl at the Salt Lakes. High summer is 

35

a quiet time, as the number of breeding 

species is relatively small. Autumn is 

excellent for the passage of raptors, 

especially in September and October. 

The season also sees a massive movement 

of wildfowl, gulls and herons. 

It is in spring that Cyprus is truly glorious, 

as the number of birds passing seems 

inexhaustible. The spring migration is quite 

a long one, lasting from early March right 

through to late April. 

BirdLife Cyprus (BLC) is an NGO that 

promotes the protection of birds and their 

habitats. BLC is an affiliate of BirdLife 

Europe and it runs birdwatching trips and a 

birdline, through which visitors can find out 

what is happening on the local scene. 

Botany 

In the heat of summer, visitors can be 

forgiven for thinking that Cyprus is bereft 

of flowers, as the dry rock-strewn hills 

show scant evidence that the island 

is home to an extraordinary variety of 

wildflowers and orchids, including around 

130 endemic plants. 

As an island, Cyprus became rich in 

endemic flora and home to a large number 

of varied species that are typical of the 

Mediterranean area as a whole. 

National Forest Parks 

There are seven national forest parks, 

including two within the environs of 

Lefkosia (Nicosia) - Athalassa Park and 

Paedagogical Academy Park, which have 

nature trails, picnic sites, birdwatching 

hides and volleyball and 

basketball arenas. 

The Troodos National Forest Park 

is the largest and includes four Nature 

Reserves. It has the largest number of wild 

plants, including endemics, compared to 

anywhere else on the island and has been 

designated as one of the thirteen 

Mediterranean Plant Diversity Hot Spots. 

The Park has many recreational facilities, 

including picnic sites, a campsite, nature 

trails, riding and winter sports. 

The best time to see Cyprus’ wild flowers 

is in early spring (February-March), 

when most species enjoy a short period 

of blossoming and take advantage of the 

unusually moist climate. 

The county’s floral profile is the result of 

the catastrophic ice ages when much of the 

flora of northern and central Europe was 

glacier covered, while the Mediterranean 

basin escaped unscathed, providing a haven 

for the evolution of plant life. 

The Cavo Gkreko National Forest Park 

in the southeast of the island is ideal for 

hiking, picnicking, cycling, riding, climbing, 

swimming and diving. 

36

Rizoelia National Forest Park 

on the edge of Larnaka town has a picnic 

site and nature trails. 

The Tripilos-Mavroi Gremmoi Nature 

Reserve in the middle of the Pafos Forest 

contains the only remaining natural stand 

of the endemic Cyprus Cedar 

(Cedrus brevifola). This, together with 

ancient stands of Golden Oak (Quercus 

alnifola), and the presence of the Cyprus 

moufflon (Ovis orientalis ophion), 

the Bonelli’s eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus) 

and the Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) make 

this area ecologically unique. 

If there are sheep and goats 

wandering around the area 

you can be sure the nearby 

villages make their own 

cheeses. The most popular is 

Halloumi, a very versatile 

cheese that doesn’t lose its 

shape when cooked. You can 

grill it, fry it, grate it and add 

it to cooked dishes, drop a few 

cubes into hot soup, or just 

enjoy it as it is with tomatoes 

and a few olives or a slice of 

chilled watermelon. 

The Akamas, Pegeia and Meleti Forests 

cover the Akamas peninsula, 

the last remaining area of Cyprus with 

a complete pattern of lowland vegetation, 

most of which is in a good state. 

The Lara-Toxeftra area is protected 

as a Marine Life Reserve and is of 

international importance, as the beaches 

are some of the last nesting grounds 

of the Green Turtle (Chelonian mydas) 

and Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta). 

The Cyprus Cycling Federation 

PO Box 24572, CY-1301 Lefkosia 

Tel: +357 2266 3344 

Fax: +357 2266 1150 

Cyprus Equestrian Federation 


Tel: +357 9967 3333 

Fax: +357 2233 8866 

E-mail: notorious.equ@cytanet.com.cy 

Cyprus Ski Club 


Tel: +357 2267 5340 

Fax: +357 2266 9681 

E-mail: cyprus.ski.club@cytanet.com.cy 

Website: www.cyprusski.com 

Department of Fisheries & Marine 

Research 

Aiolou 13, CY-1416 Lefkosia 

Tel: +357 2280 7862 

Fax: +357 2277 5955 

BirdLife Cyprus 


Tel: +357 2245 5072 

Fax: +357 2245 5073 

E-mail: birdlifecy@cytanet.com.cy 

Website: www.birdlifecyprus.org 

37

Religious and 

Local Customs 

and 

Celebrations 

Christianity gained an early foothold in Cyprus, 

when the Apostles Paul and Barnabas introduced 

the religion in the first century AD. To this day 

religion is fundamental to the life of almost all 

Greek Cypriots, who mainly belong to the Greek 

Orthodox Church. According to Orthodox 

belief, each day of the year is dedicated 

to a particular saint and every church celebrates 

its saint’s day with a panagiri (fair). 

These dates are also celebrated as the ‘name 

days’, more significant than birthdays, 

of those who bear the name of the 

particular saint. Every village has one 

or more churches, many of which 

contain stunning icons. 

The Catholic Lusignan dynasty, 

which took control of Cyprus 

in 1197, repressed the Orthodox 

Church and many clergy withdrew 

to the mounainous areas. 

38 

Many of the churches of the Troodos mountains 

were of similar design - about the size of a small 

barn, some with domes and some without. 

Because of the harsh winter climate, steeply 

pitched wooden overhanging roofs were added 

to protect them from heavy snowfalls. 

The churches are unique in the world. 

Inside them, fresco painters created vivid images 

in styles that reflected changing tastes and 

religious fashions.

Ten of the finest examples are designated 

as World Heritage sites by UNESCO. 

The frescoes, usually depicting events from the 

bible, are remarkable in the clarity of detail 

and colour. The later didactic-style wall paintings 

evolved because very few of the rural 

community were literate and the pictures 

enabled them to learn the rudiments 

of the gospels. 

Easter is the main religious celebration in 

Cyprus, and it starts on Clean Monday, the first 

day of Lent, during which many people observe 

a strict six-week Pascal fast. On Good Friday, 

the women of the parish gather flowers to 

decorate the epitaphios (bier) that carries the 

symbol of Christ crucified round the streets 

after a solemn service. At midnight on Saturday, 

everyone lights his Easter lambada (candle) and 

greets his neighbour with the words, “Christos 

anesti”, (Christ is risen), to which the reply 

is “Alithos anesti”, (He is indeed risen). 

In many churchyards lambradjia (bonfires) 

are lit and an effigy of Judas is burned. 

Then the feasting starts. Whole lambs or souvla 

(large kebabs) are cooked, coloured eggs 

and flaounes (special Easter buns), are handed 

round and there is a great deal of singing, 

dancing and merrymaking. 

39

Christmas is a quieter celebration but it 

has a quaint rural custom that almost 

certainly has a pagan background. 

During the twelve days of Christmas, 

dwarf-like creatures called kalikantzari 

appear. They are said to be either the 

spirits of babies who died before baptism 

or the souls of those who had nobody to 

sit vigil with them on the night of their 

death. The aim of these phantoms is to get 

into houses and cause havoc. They disguise 

themselves as visitors but they can only 

count to two, so genuine visitors 

at Christmas always knock three times. 

Sprigs of olive leaves tied with red thread 

are nailed to doors and every room is 

sprinkled with holy water. Leading up to 

Christmas, housewives bake honey cakes, 

shortbread and special bread sprinkled with 

sesame. After church on Christmas 

morning, the Advent fast is broken with 

traditional egg and lemon soup. 

New Year sees the feast of Agios Vasilios 

(the Greek Santa Claus) and this is when 

children traditionally receive their presents. 

The centrepiece of the banquet is the 

Vasiliopitta (cake), in which a coin is always 

secreted before baking and whoever finds 

it is guaranteed good luck for the coming 

year. The enormous cake is cut after 

midnight, firstly into four so that it makes 

the sign of the Cross. It is then divided into 

smaller pieces and the first two are set 

aside, one for the poor and one for the 

house. Then the family, starting with the 

youngest child gets a slice and finally the 

guests are served. 

Keep your eyes open for the 

tiny stone-built chapels 

that dot the island. These 

pretty churches are usually 

located in very beautiful 

isolated spots. 

On Epiphany Day, January 6th, the 

celebration of ta phota (the light) takes 

place. In the morning, everyone takes 

to church a bottle or container in which to 

collect their holy water. Ta Phota marks 

Christ’s baptism by St John and during the 

service, the papas (village priest) blesses 

water in a large font and then ladles it into 

the receptacles for the congregation to 

carry away and purify their homes and 

livestock. The priest also visits each home 

to sprinkle every room to dispel any evil 

spirits. In addition, people light olive leaves 

in a kapnistiri (earthenware or silver 

40

incense burner) and make the sign of the 

Cross through the aromatic smoke. Later, 

at coastal towns, a beautiful service is held 

at which the priest casts a Cross into the 

sea and a crowd of young men and boys 

dive in to retrieve it and hand it back 

to him. 

Baptisms, weddings and funerals are 

attended by almost everyone in the village 

and surrounding area. 

The parents have no role in the baptism 

ceremony and some mothers still observe 

the custom of staying outside the church. 

The godparents recite the Pistevo (Creed) 

on the infant’s behalf, and then oil is added 

to the water in the font and blessed. 

The child is stripped, placed in the font and 

water is poured over its head. The priest 

and godparent anoint it with oil, making 

the sign of the cross. The priest then takes 

sacred miro (precious oil prepared in 

Constantinople) and makes crosses on the 

child’s forehead, cheeks, arms, legs, feet 

and palms. Three tufts of hair are cut from 

the baby’s head before it is dried and 

dressed in new clothes supplied in triplicate 

by the godfather. The godparents then hold 

the child in their arms and its first 

communion is administered. 

Music is usually provided 

by a fiddler or, when the party 

really warms up, by a less 

traditional but equally popular 

bouzouki group. Celebrations 

and dancing go on till the 

early hours. 

If you happen to be in a 

village during a traditional 

wedding or religious fair, 

do stay and enjoy the event. 

41

A wedding is a time of great feasting, 

sometimes for two or three days. 

In western Cyprus, a huge copper cauldron 

is placed over a wood fire and resi is 

prepared. This is a tasty concoction of 

cracked wheat and lots of pork and lamb, 

which are slowly cooked until the meat 

falls off the bones. These are removed and 

it is cooked and stirred again until it turns 

into a glutinous porridge-like substance in 

which a spoon will stand up. 

On the day, traditional music plays as the 

barber shaves the groom, before his 

koumbari (best men) dress him in his 

wedding suit. The bride is dressed by her 

attendants and in the meantime, the village 

women bring out the bridal mattress for 

the priest to bless before they attach small 

crosses of red ribbon to each corner. 

To ensure that the first-born child is male, 

a small boy is rolled across the mattress. 

The women then pick up the mattress and 

dance it around the courtyard, to the 

accompaniment of a fiddler. The mothers 

of the couple fold clean sheets into a cross 

over the mattress and dance it around 

again before throwing money on it. 

Orthodox monasteries, 

churches, festivals and 

customs, as well as 

ecclesiastical museums and 

religious art. You can pick up 

a copy of the CTO guidebook 

on Religious Routes at any 

CTO Information Office. 

The church bell rings as the fiddler leads 

the groom with his father and with all his 

koumbari through the village to church. 

The bride is accompanied by her 

attendants and preceded by two children 

carrying large beribboned candles and 

another carrying the two circlets that will 

be placed on the heads of the bride and 

groom during the service. 

After the ceremony the couple lines up 

with their parents to greet the guests and 

offer them traditional sweet almond cakes 

or sugared almonds. The fiddler plays as 

the bride and groom perform a swaying 

A series of carefully planned 

Religious Routes, 

which are co-funded by the 

European Union, are designed 

to portray the spiritual life 

of Cyprus through its 

42

idal dance while everyone, starting with 

the parents, pins money to their clothes. 

An evening of eating, drinking and dancing 

follows. 

Families are not shunned in death. 

The deceased is laid out in the house in a 

simple coffin with his face covered with a 

lace cloth and fragrant herbs. Friends and 

neighbours arrive to offer sympathy and sit 

and mourn with the bereaved while 

women chant the praises of the dead. 

These myrologia (dirges) are an ancient 

tradition and are always sung by women. 

After the church service, everyone goes in 

procession to the kimitirio (cemetery) and 

pariorka consisting of bread, wine, halloumi 

cheese or olives is offered at the graveside. 

Don’t be surprised if 

someone waves a small pot 

of smoking olive leaves 

around you – you are being 

blessed. 

This is ‘kapnisma’, or Holy 

smoke, a religious cleansing 

procedure, and you are greatly 

honoured. Wave your cupped 

right hand through the smoke 

and draw it towards you, then 

make the sign of the cross. 

43

THE Rural 

yearIN 

Cyprus 

Cypriots hold strongly to their traditions, 

which are manifested in religious celebrations, 

neighbourhood fairs and folk festivals and every 

village church has its own panagiri (patron saint’s 

day), which the villagers celebrate with food 

and drink, singing and dancing. 

44

January 

1 New Year. 

6 Epiphany - Celebrations in coastal towns and villages. 

24 & 25 Agios Neophytos Day fair at Agios Neophytos. 

Monastery, Pafos District. 

Agia Napa Cultural Winter. 

Paralimni Cultural Winter. 

Ski season in full swing. 

Ploughing and pruning of vineyards begins. 

February 

1 & 2 Presentation of Christ at the Temple fair, 

at Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery, Pafos District. 

Date varies Carnival in all major towns. 

Date varies Green Monday - Beginning of Lent. 

Tangerine festival at Arakapas, Lemesos District. 

Kite flying competition at Deryneia, Ammochostos District. 



Cycling Race “Sunshine Cup – VORKLINI” (UCI E1 cat). 

Troodos International FIS Annual Race. 

Almond blossom in bloom. 

March 

24 & 25 Evangelismos - Feast of the Annunciation - fairs at Klirou, 

Lefkosia District and Kalavassos, Larnaka District. 



Cycling Race “Sunshine Cup – Afxentia”. 

Cycling Race “UCI World Cup Marathon” (MTB Marathon). 

Birdwatching trips. 

International skiing competition at Troodos. 

April 

Date varies 

Cereal harvest begins. 

Easter. 

“Easter festivities” On Easter Sunday, Monday and Tuesday 

traditional games are organised in many villages. 

May 

1 Mayday celebrations islandwide. 

Festival of Cyprus customs, traditions, folk dances and 

music at Dali, Lefkosia District. 

4 & 5 Agia Irini Day fair at Pervolia, Larnaka District. 

Strawberry festival at Derynia, Ammochostos District. 

Rose Festival, Agros, Lemesos District. 

Mid May Anthestiria Flower Festival at Germasogia, Lemesos District. 

45

20 & 21 Agios Constantinos and Agia Eleni Day fairs at Deryneia, 

Ammochostos District and Tsada, Pafos District. 


June 

17 & 18 Agios Leontios Day: fair at Pervolia, Larnaka District. 

Troodos – The green heart of Cyprus, Platres, Lemesos District. 

Cultural Festival at Arsos, Lemesos District. 

Geroskipou Delight Day, Geroskipou, Pafos District. 

Cherry Festival, Platanistasa, Lefkosia District. 

Annual Shakespeare play at Kourion theatre, Lemesos District. 

“Cherry Festival” at Platanistasa village, Lefkosia District. 

Agia Napa Summer Cultural Events. 

Date varies Pentecost - Kataklysmos Fair – festival of the flood. 

July 

25 & 26 Agia Paraskevi day fair at Geroskipou, Pafos District. 

Agricultural Exhibition, Solea area, Troodos. 

Commandaria Festival at Alassa, Agios Georgios Silikou, Doros, 

Laneia, Monagri, Silikou, Agios Mamas, Apesia, Kapileio, Korfi and 

Limnatis, Lemesos District. 

Moonlight concerts at Kourion theatre. 

International Folk Dance Festival at Pissouri, Lemesos District. 

Resi Festival at Letymbou, Pafos District. 

Paralimni Cultural Summer Festival. 

Classical Car Rally, Pano Platres. 

International Folk Dances Festival, Pissouri village. 

Cultural Events at Aradippou village, Larnaka District. 

Cultural Events at Episkopi village, Lemesos District. 

Regional Cultural Week of Mountatin Resorts of Lemesos District. 

(Pano Platres, Kato Platres, Foini, Mandria, Omodos, Pera Pedi, Koilani, 

Kouka and Moniatis villages). 

August Musical Summer evenings at Polis. 

14 & 15 Assumption of the Virgin Mary fairs at Kykkos and 

Chrysorrogiatissa Monasteries and at Chrysospiliotissa Churches 

in Deftera, Lefkosia District, Liopetri, Ammochostos District and Kiti, 

Larnaka District. 

Folk Art Festival, Marathasa area, Troodos. 

46

Flavours of Cyprus, Marathasa Troodos. 

Arkadia Festival at Kallepeia, Pafos District. 

Dionysia Wine Festival at Stroumpi, Pafos District. 

Commandaria Wine Festival at Kalochorio, Lemesos District. 

Pastelaki carob toffee festival at Anogyra, Lemesos District. 

Pafia Aphrodite Festival at Kouklia, Pafos District. 

Folk Music Festival, Steni, Pafos District. 

Village festivals at Alona, Lagoudera, Platanistasa, Kourdali, Spilia 

and Polystipos, Lefkosia District; Vouni, Pachna, Arsos, 

Vasa and Agros, Lemesos District and Pegeia, Kannaviou, Drymou, 

Choulou, Kritou Marotou and Tsada, Pafos District. 

Peach festival at Kato Mylos. 

Carob harvest begins. 

Summer events at Spillia – Kourdali villge, Lefkosia. 

Cultural August – Pano Platres, Polystipos. 

“Cultural Festival of Southern Marathasa” (Troodos Mountains), 

Lemesos district, organised by the communities of Prodromos, Kaminaria, 

Treis Elies, Agios Dimitrios, Palaiomylos and Lemithou. 

“Cultural Festival” in Pelendri village, Lemesos District. 

“Pafia Aphrodite Festival”, Kouklia village, Pafos. 

Cultural Festival of Agros village, Lemesos District. 

Annual Cultural Festival at Pervolia village, Larnaka. 

Summer Nights in Polis. 

Agia Napa Summer Cultural Events. 

Food & dancing feasts in almost all villages across the island the week 

including the 15th of August (Dormition of Virgin Mary). 

September 

7 & 8 Nativity of the Virgin Mary Day fairs at Kykkos and 

Chrysorrogiatissa Monasteries and at Panagia Iamatiki Church 

at Arakapas, Lemesos District. 

Tamassia: Cultural events at Tamassos, Lefkosia District. 

Traditional food and Cyprus wine, Pitsilia Area, Troodos. 

Open day at the donkey sanctuary, Vouni, Lemesos District. 

Palouze (grape desert) festival at Vouni, Lemesos District. 

21 & 22 Agios Fokas day fair at Athienou, Larnaka District. 

Palouze (grape desert) festival at Arsos, Lemesos District. 

Wine Festival, Krassochoria villages, Lemesos District. 

47

Fairs at Mammari and Astromeritis, Lefkosia District. 

Palouze (grape desert) festival at Vasa Koilaniou, Lemesos District. 

Start of the grape harvest. 

Pastelli Festival at Anogyra village, Lemesos District. 


Palouze Fair at Vouni village, Lemesos district, tel. 25943343. 

Agia Napa Annual Festival. 

European Heritage Day. 

October 

3 & 4 Agios Ioannis Lampadistis Day festival at Kalopanagiotis, Lefkosia District. 

Afamia Grape and Wine festival at Koilani, Lemesos District. 

17 &18 Agios Loukas Day fairs at Kolossi and Koilani, Lemesos District, 

Aradippou, Larnaka District and Korakou, Lefkosia District. 

Palouze (grape desert) festival at Polystipos, Lefkosia District. 


Start of green olive harvest. 

November 

2 & 3 Festival at Agios Georgios Mavrovouno Monastery, Troulloi. 

7 & 8 Feast of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel fairs at Archangelos 

Michael Monastery at Anthoupolis, Lefkosia and Agios Michael church 

at Analiontas, Lefkosia District. 

20 & 21 Fair celebrating the Virgin Mary at Agros. 

Birdwaching trips. 

Musical Sundays, organised by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation. 


December 

25 Christmas. 

Christmas Festivities, Agia Napa. 


Christmas Celebrations, Deryneia. 

Agia Napa New Year’s Eve Celebrations. 

Harvesting of black olives and making of olive oil. 

Lambing season begins. 

Note: 

The official website of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation provides comprehensive information 

on the updated calendar of events, www.visitcyprus.com 

48

REFERENCE 

TOWN 

VILLAGE 

GERMASOGEIA 

MUNICIPALITY 

LOCALITY NAME 

LINE OF AREA UNDER 

TURK. OCCUP. SINCE 1974 

CHURCH / MONASTERY 

UNESCO SITE 

ANCIENT SITE 

MUSEUM 

ACCOMODATION IN 

RURAL AREAS 

HIKING 

CYCLING 

ANGLING 

VAHKIS TAVERN 

SALT LAKE / DAM 

THEMATIC PARK 

FLORA 1 (FLAT) 

FLORA 2 (MOUNTAINOUS)

Route1 

The Southeast 

Area 

(Kokkinochoria- 

Red Soil villages) 

Distance: approximately 100 kilometres 

ñ Mainly agricultural with tourist hot spots 

along the coast 

ñ Interesting village churches and small museums 

ñ Good, easy, cycling routes 

ñ Good bird-watching areas 

ñ Dramatic coastal scenery with splendid walks 

ñ Accommodation 

Leave the Larnaka/Agia Napa motorway 

at the exit for Xylotymvou and go left 

onto the E303. Pass Xylotymvou village 

on your right and turn left onto 

a road signposted to Agios Rafail 

and Agia Marina. Here you will find 

a cluster of eight churches, one of 

which - the little 15th century 

barrel-vaulted convent of 

Agia Marina with its cloistered 

garden - is worth a visit. 

You will find this beside the large 

modern church of Agios Rafail. 

52 

Continue on the E303. This area is the eastern 

end of the fertile central plain (Mesaoria). 

Here, wheat and barley grow in the fields 

on either side of you during winter. 

After 8.5 kilometres, turn right at a road 

signposted ‘Avgorou 1km’ and you will come 

to Akhna Dam. A popular angling and 

birdwatching spot, the dam is part of the 

Southern Conveyor Project, which brings water

to the area. The hides are on the opposite side 

(drive across the top of the dam). 

A little further on is the 16th century church 

of Agios Georgios Teratsiotis. 

Continue on this road to the small 

W 

N 

S 

E 

agricultural village of Avgorou, in the centre 

of which is a large, modern church. Opposite is 

a tiny park, behind which is a small domed 

church dedicated to the Panagia (the BV Mary). 

Close by are two fine examples of the 

stone-built houses of the region. Also of interest 

is the small domed church of Agios Georgios 

with its low belfry decorated with bas-relief. 

The Ethnographical (Folk Art) Museum, housed 

in a beautifully restored house, is a short 

distance away. 

53

Go onto the F306 for Frenaros. 

The cornfields will give way to fields of red 

soil planted with potatoes, carrots and 

kolocassi (a root vegetable akin to the 

Polynesian taro, with huge elephant-ear 

leaves) and citrus groves. 

Frenaros is at the heart of the 

Kokkinochoria. It has some attractive 

traditional houses with courtyards and 

arches. For many years, it was a centre of 

basket weaving, particularly the large deep 

baskets in which potatoes were 

transported. At the entrance to the 

village, go left onto the F305 and drive 

to the village centre. Go left to the 

mediaeval Archangelos Michael church, 

which has two domes. There are some 

interesting old houses around the narrow 

streets of this village. In the car again, drive 

back onto the main street, and head for 

Deryneia. Before you leave Frenaros, you 

can take a side trip to the tiny Agios 

Andronikos church that stands alone in the 

middle of fields. To get there, go right 

towards the cemetery. The church is about 

a kilometre down this road. 

As you enter Deryneia village centre, 

go left at the signpost ‘Deryneia 

Folkloric Museum’. After 100 metres, 

park. Walk down the road to the small 

church of the Panagia (the Virgin). 

There are some fine examples of local 

architecture in the small streets around the 

church. The Folkloric Museum is nearby. 

This small museum gives a very good 

picture of rural domestic life of times past 

but for a look at the more recent history 

of the island, a visit to the Cultural Centre 

of Occupied Famagusta is a must. Also 

worth visiting is the old church of Agios 

Georgios, which is nearby. As Deryneia is 

on a main tourist route, there are plenty 

of restaurants and coffee shops. 

To leave, drive past the church of the 

Panagia and take the first left turn. 

Go left again, then right at the signpost 

for Sotira, onto the F316. 

Sotira is a large agricultural village with 

fine examples of rural architecture. 

Go left onto a narrow road about 350 

metres after you pass the 50kph sign 

at the village entrance. 

Ahead are several windmills for which the 

area is renowned. Go left at the fork in the 

road and you will come to the elegant little 

church of Agios Mamas, which is possibly 

12th century but rebuilt in the 15th 

century. Several examples of mud-brick 

dwellings are nearby. Head for the 

Metamorphosis (Transfiguration) Church. 

54

The age of the church is unknown but 

reconstruction took place in 1553. 

Large trees almost hide the building. 

There is also a small ecclesiastical museum 

nearby. 

To leave Sotira, go onto the E304 just 

after a right bend in the road. Pass the 

dried bed of Paralimni Lake on your left 

and go straight ahead. Follow the signs for 

the town centre and town hall, and park by 

the big church. 

Paralimni means ‘beside the lake’. 

In the early part of the last century, the 

lake was drained as part of an anti-malaria 

project and a dam was built in 1964. 

Paralimni is the administrative centre of the 

Kokkinochoria, with a police headquarters, 

hospital, hypermarket and a good shopping 

area. There are cafés and restaurants 

around the paved square. 

Next to the large Agios Georgios church 

is an old church dedicated to the same 

saint and dating from the 19th century. 

Beside that is the tiny domed Church of 

the Panagia Agia Anna. An unusual feature 

of this church is the vaulting, which is 

decorated with porcelain plates, mostly 

from the 18th century. 

To leave, go right at the end of the 

paved area and follow the one-way 

system, going left at the sign for the 

E305 and B3. This will bring you back 

to the traffic lights. Go left and then 

left again at the roundabout, 

signposted to Protaras. Go right at the 

next roundabout, signposted to Profitis 

Ilias. Down the hill you will see the tiny 

church of Profitis Ilias standing on a rocky 

outcrop. The church is modern but built 

on the foundations of an old one. The view 

from the top is wonderful, if you feel like 

climbing 100 steps! 

Go right onto the E306. You are now 

at the beach resort of Protaras. 

Go left at the sign for Cavo Gkreko. 

Head up the hill and, turn left at a 

small sign directing you to the beach. 

The winding road takes you down to a 

lovely cove known as Konnos. You are 

now in the Cavo Gkreko (Cape Greco) 

National Forest Park, which covers 

an area of 385 hectares and includes car 

parks, cycling lanes and nine nature trails. 

At Konnos Bay, huge limestone rocks 

lend a peculiar wildness to the scenery. 

Pine, acacia and cypresses cover the almost 

vertical slope leading down to the sea. 

There are seats where you can sit in the 

shade and a small café is nearby. 

55

The windmills that can still 

be seen dotting the countryside 

in this area were once used 

to draw water from the ground 

for agricultural irrigation. 

Most of them are no longer 

in use. 

Go back to the main road. Turn left at 

the signpost ‘F314 Cavo Gkreko’. 

Approximately 300 metres along this road 

you can take a side trip to the small chapel 

of Agioi Anargyroi and an impressive 

sea-cave beneath it. It is not possible to 

drive all the way to the promontory, as the 

land is fenced off, so drive as far as the 

fence, park your car and enjoy the beauty 

of the area with its towering vertical cliffs 

and rock shelves. The crystal clear water 

is a paradise for scuba diving and 

snorkelling. There is always a fresh cool 

breeze blowing along the cape, no matter 

how hot the weather. 

Drive back to the main road, follow the 

sign for Agia Napa and after a few 

metres, take the second road to the 

left (the dirt road), signposted ‘Parking 

Place, View Point’. This takes you to a 

car park, from which you can walk up onto 

the top of the crag. There is an impressive 

modern statue of sea birds in flight at the 

viewpoint, and you can look down to the 

lighthouse to your left and sea caves to 

your right. Cape Greco is renowned for 

wild flowers in the spring; irises, gladioli, 

wild garlic, mallow, anemones and 

ranunculus carpet the hillside. Kotschy’s 

bee orchid (Ophrys kotschyi) can also be 

found here. 

Rejoin the main road to Agia Napa and 

go left at the signpost ‘Thalassa Agia 

Napa Museum’. Stay on this road, and 

you will see the museum on your left at 

a crossroads. The museum, which is open 

7-days a week, houses an impressive 

collection of maritime and sea-faring life. 

Walk two hundred metres along the main 

street from the museum to get to the Agia 

Napa Monastery. 

56

The local authorities in this 

area are extremely active in 

organising both winter and 

summer events for visitors 

and local people. 

Back in your car, drive to the 

Monastery junction and go left. 

To visit the picturesque harbour, with its 

fishing boats and cafés, go straight at the 

traffic lights. From the harbour area, a 

paved footpath runs all the way to Agia 

Thekla to the west and almost to Cavo 

Gkreko to the east. If you give the 

harbour a miss, go right at the traffic 

lights onto the E309, signposted to 

Xylofagou. 

Dedicated walkers and nature lovers can 

take a side trip to an unspoiled area on the 

outskirts of the town. After 2.5 kilometres, 

turn right at the sign for Xylofagou, go 

over the motorway bridge and join the 

motorway, heading towards Paralimni. 

After approximately 1 kilometre, leave the 

motorway at an exit that has no signposts, 

just the word ‘Exit’. This brings you into an 

uncultivated area, through which part of 

the European Path E4 passes (See Section 

1, Chapter 7, Countryside Activities). 

There are no designated routes here, 

you can just wander at will. In the spring, 

the area is renowned for its profusion of 

wild flowers. 

To get back on the route, re-join the 

motorway and follow the signs for Agia 

Napa, then the signs for the Thalassa 

Museum, going left at the ‘Stop’ sign. When 

you get to the bottom of the hill the 

Museum will be opposite you. Go right and 

you are now back on the route. 

For those who don’t want to take 

the side trip, drive for approximately 

6.5 kilometres from the traffic lights, 

and turn left at the signpost to Agia 

Thekla Church. This little white church 

perched on a small hill by the seashore is a 

former monastery that was built on a much 

earlier Byzantine site. A few metres south 

of the chapel is the saint’s shrine, which 

is cut out of the solid rock. Local legend 

says that it is the foundation of a Christian 

basilica from around the 6th century AD 

but no evidence supports this claim. 

Back on the main road, go left at the 

sign ‘Potamos Liopetriou’. 

Potamos (Liopetriou) is the only creek 

in Cyprus. There is a beach of fine white 

sand near the picturesque small fishermen’s 

church and the remains of a Venetian 

watchtower. Along the length of the creek, 

which is a fishing haven with several 

restaurants, you will come across many 

small boats laden with brightly coloured 

baskets and nets. 

Return to the main road, go over the 

motorway to Liopetri. The village car 

park is opposite a restored stone building 

known as the ‘Akhyronas Barn’, a national 

memorial to four heroes of the island’s 

struggle for liberation. 

Liopetri is famous for its potatoes. In the 

village square, there are several coffee 

57

shops (kafenion) and the mediaeval church 

of Panagia Eleousa, built in Byzantine style. 

This large domed building has two belfries, 

arches and a vaulted ceiling. The streets in 

this area afford some good examples of 

rural architecture. 

Leave the village and head for 

Xylofagou. Stay on this road until you 

come to a T-junction. Turn right onto 

the B3, signposted ‘Dekelia’. At the 

small roundabout, go left and beside a large 

new church, you will see the 16th century 

domed church of Agios Georgios. 

Near the village of Xylofagou, in a vertical 

cliff east of Cape Pyla, is a labyrinthine cave 

known as ‘The Cave of the Forty Martyrs’. 

Here, according to local legend, forty 

martyrs of Orthodoxy were buried. The 

Forty Martyrs of Sebasteia were Christian 

soldiers in the Roman army who chose 

to die rather than renounce their faith. 

Fossilised bones from a much earlier 

period have also been found in the cave 

and these are believed to be those of 

animals long extinct. The cliff is about forty 

metres high, and the cave entrance is 

twelve metres above sea level. Any attempt 

to enter the cave is dangerous and 

therefore not recommended. Nevertheless, 

it’s a nice story on which to end a tour 

of the Kokkinochoria. 

To rejoin the motorway, go back to the 

village roundabout and go left. Then go 

left at the sign for Larnaka and Agia 

Napa. This road will take you back to the 

motorway. 

Agia Napa Monastery dates from the 

Venetian rule in Cyprus (1489 -1571) and 

is dedicated to Our Lady of the Forests. 

The monastery was built around a church, 

possibly from the 8th or 9th century, 

whose sanctuary was a rock-cut chamber, 

inside which there is still a well containing 

water. To the right of the imposing 

gateway is a two-storey gatehouse, whose 

boar’s head fountain is thought to be 

Roman. The gatehouse and the octagonal 

marble fountain-house in the courtyard 

may have been part of a private house. 

The monastery fell into disuse in 1790 and 

it now houses the Agia Napa Conference 

Centre, serving various churches in the 

Middle East and the local Anglican and 

German communities worship at the small 

chapel in the gatehouse. The two 

magnificent trees in front of the monastery 

are the sycamore figs (Ficus sycamorus) 

of the Bible and are reputed to be more 

than six hundred years old. These trees 

were included in a famous poem by the 

Nobel Prize winner, George Seferis. 

“Thalassa” Agia Napa Municipal Museum 

of the Sea 

Monday 9:00-13:00, 

Tuesday - Saturday 9:00-17:00 

(October - May) 

Tuesday - Saturday 9:00-13:00, 18:00-22:00 

(June - September) 

Deyneia Folkroric Museum 

Monday - Saturday 9:00-17:00 

Avgorou Ethographic Museum 

Monday - Friday 08:30-13:30, 

Wednesday - Thursday 16:00-18:00 

(June - October) 

15:00-17:00 (November - May) 

58

Thalassa Agia Napa Municipal Museum of the Sea 

59

Route 2 The 

Central Plain 


ñ Arable and livestock farmlands with small 

agricultural towns and villages 

ñ Interesting geological features and terrain 

ñ Excellent easy walking and cycling 

ñ Monasteries and ancient churches 

ñ Traditional architecture and village crafts 

Leave the Agia Napa motorway at exit 57, 

go right onto the E301 to Kellia, 

and take the left fork at the signpost 

to Agios Antonios. ‘Kellia’ means cells, 

indicating that the 9th century 

Agios Antonios church may be 

on the site of an older monastery, 

or that this was an area favoured 

by hermits. Go back to the 

main road and as you drive 

through the village, you will pass 

an old stone water tank 

on your right. 

As you drive towards Troulloi the surrounding 

countryside is completely barren, however it is 

interesting as the changing colours of the rocks 

show the various mineral deposits. There is the 

cleft of an old mine in the hillside to the right of 

the road about 3.5 kms after Kellia. Go right at 

the signpost to Agios Georgios Monastery, 

which is in a palm grove to your left. Originally 

built in the 9th century, the recently restored 

60

monastery gets the name Mavrovouni (Black 

Mountain) from the dark hillsides surrounding it. 

It is open seven-days a week and the friendly 

monks welcome visitors. 

W 

N 

S 

E 

Signs suggest that the extraction of copper ore 

in this area began in pre-Christian times and 

between 1935 and 1939 many tons of 

gold-bearing ore were extracted. 

Copper is no longer exploited here but umber 

is still processed at the village and you will see 

the umber works on your left as you leave the 

monastery to re-join the main road and 

go right. 

61

As you enter Troulloi village square, you 

will see the 16th century church of Agios 

Mamas to your right. The key is kept at the 

priest’s house behind the church. A walk 

round the streets of the village will reveal 

many fine examples of architecture typical 

of southeast Cyprus. 

Leave the village on the road to the 

left of the square, signpost ‘Avdellero 

E4’. This takes you through olive groves 

and cornfields. At the end of this road, 

birdwatchers keen to see goldfinches, 

can take a side trip by going left at the 

signpost to a Monastery. 

The main route goes right to 

Avdellero, a tiny village full of old 

mud-brick and stone houses. To leave, 

take the road that you passed on your 

way into the village (the signpost to 

Athienou is in Greek). As you climb 

through the stark landscape, there are 

open views back towards the coast. As you 

descend, the terrain changes to fertile fields 

in which fodder crops of grain and alfalfa 

grow for the livestock that produces the 

milk for which Athienou is famed. 

Athienou is a small township, notable for 

its interesting houses. It is renowned for its 

yoghurt, halloumi and roasted peanuts. 

There are several modern bakeries 

producing the famous ‘Athienitiko’ bread, 

cooked on stones. The patron saint of 

Athienou is Agios Fokas and the village has 

the only church to his name in Cyprus. 

To reach it, go right behind Agios Georgios 

church and you will find it on your right, 

opposite the old market building. 

The ancient city kingdom of Golgoi is to 

the northwest of the village. 

To leave, follow the signs for Lefkosia 

(Nicosia) and, a hundred metres after 

the t-junction, you can take a side trip 

by going left and driving to the 

abandoned village of Petrofani. 

Sheep and goats now occupy the old 

mud-brick houses but you can see how 

these buildings were built hundreds 

of years ago. A further two kilometres 

will take you to a place called Malloura, 

where remnants of the late Roman and 

the Frankish periods, including a head 

of Apollo, who was worshipped here, 

have been unearthed. 

Back on the main road, go left and, 

after 8.5 kilometres, go right onto 

the A2 and drive to Dali, passing the 

village of Lympia on your right. 

At the roundabout at the entrance to 

Dali, go left and left again to the site 

of Ancient Idalion once an important citykingdom. 

The site is still under excavation, 

you can see much of the dig, including 

an ancient olive press, from the track 

surrounding it. Local legend associates 

Idalion with Aphrodite and her lover, 

Adonis, who is said to have been killed by a 

boar nearby as he awaited a tryst with the 

goddess. 

Go back to the main road and go right. 

At the roundabout go straight ahead 

to the small Byzantine church of Agios 

Demetrianos. This charming little church 

62

is a delightful place to visit. On the west 

wall, there is an interesting ‘donor’ picture 

which is dated 1317 and shows the donor 

of the church and his wife kneeling 

in prayer. 

Note: Although not listed on this route, 

the area around Dhali has many interesting 

churches, such as the one at Agios 

Sozomenos, which is a rock cave that was 

once inhabited by a hermit called 

Sozomenos. Just below the cave, 

amid the ruins of an abandoned village, 

is an impressive Gothic structure. Built 

during mediaeval times, this church was 

dedicated to St, Mammas, but was never 

completed. 

Go back to the roundabout, go straight 

along the Dali bypass and at the end 

of the road, go left, and immediately 

right at the sign to Agioi Apostoloi. 

Stay on the main road through the 

village of Pera Chorio, following signs 

to the church. The church of the Holy 

Apostles dates from the 12th century and 

contains some of the best frescoes from 

that period. The key can be obtained at the 

last house on the left. 

Return to the main road and go right 

on the B1. A side trip can be taken to the 

Monastery of Agia Thekla by taking a small 

road to the left just after the crossroads 

at Mosfiloti. On the main route, go left 

at the sign for Pyrga. To your right is 

Kornos, where, during the summer 

months, women make flowerpots, water 

jugs and other items with clay from the 

surrounding area. 

Pyrga is in a valley overshadowed by 

Stavrovouni mountain. The tiny royal 

chapel of Agia Ekaterina is on your right 

as you enter the village. The church is a 

Franco-Byzantine building of 1421, 

embodying a fragment of Lusignan history. 

It contains portraits of the Lusignan King 

Janus and Queen Charlotte, which have 

inscriptions in the French languages. 

On leaving the village, you will see a good 

example of terraced forestation on your 

left. The landscape is lowland forest with 

pine and thickets of tall shrubs. 

Go right onto the E104 at the end 

of the road and follow the signs for 

Larnaka. Drive along the Psevdas 

bypass to Agia Anna. This tiny village has 

attractive houses built in traditional style, 

many of which are restored. There is also 

a Vakhis Project taverna serving authentic 

local cuisine. 

The main agricultural products of this area 

are olives and carobs. As you drive 

towards the next village, the valley of the 

river Tremithos is on your right. 

As you near Kalo Chorio, you will see 

livestock farms and a chain of wells either 

side of the road. 

The road to the motorway for 

travellers from Lefkosia (Nicosia), 

Agia Napa and the Larnaka tourist 

area is to the left after the large 

church. Travellers from Lemesos 

(Limassol), Pafos and Larnaka town 

should stay on the E104 to the 

roundabout. 

63

Route 3 

Larnaka 

West Coast 


ñ A quiet area, famous for its market garden 

produce, melons and citrus fruit 

ñ Delightful well-kept villages and fascinating 

ancient sites 

ñ Famous Byzantine mosaic 

ñ Excellent easy walking and cycling along gentle 

hills and farm roads 

ñ Mainly undeveloped pebble beaches 

with some tiny sandy bays 

ñ Good bird-watching areas 


Drive towards Larnaka airport 

from the roundabout at the 

junction of the 

Larnaka-Lemesos (Limassol) 

and Larnaka-Agia Napa 

motorways and go left at the 

sign to Hala Sultan Tekke. 

64 

The Hala Sultan Tekke stands surrounded 

by palms and cedars overlooking the Salt Lake. 

It is one of the most important shrines in Islam 

and is reputed to be the burial place of Umm 

Haram, a relative of the Prophet Mohammed, 

who was killed in a fall from her horse during an 

Arab raid in the 7th century AD. The octagonal 

mosque, built in 1816, is considered the finest 

example of Ottoman architecture in Cyprus. 

The Tekke and its grounds have been 

completely renovated.

In winter, the Salt Lake, which is one of the 

two main wetlands in Cyprus, is home to 

colonies of flamingos and other migratory birds. 

The lake is below sea level and seawater seeping 

in through the porous lime rocks leaves a thick 

W 

deposit of salt as it dries out. The Salt Lake is 

on the Ramsar list as a wetland of international 

importance. 

Leave the Tekke, double back round the 

airport roundabout and follow the signs 

for Kiti. Birdwatchers can take a side trip to an 

extension of the Salt Lake known as Spiros’ Pool 

and the hide at the Water Treatment plant by 

going left in Meneou village at the sign for 

Meneou Beach. 

N 

S 

E 

65

In Kiti, go right at the sign to 

Angeloktisi Church and then first left. 

The Byzantine church of Panagia 

Angeloktisi (Built by the Angels) was built 

around 1,000 AD on 5th century ruins. 

It was rebuilt in the 12th century and has 

later additions. It contains a rare and very 

impressive 6th century mosaic of the Virgin 

and Child, flanked by the Archangels 

Michael and Gabriel with peacock-feather 

wings. The church is open daily, closing 

between noon and 14:00 hrs. 

Back at the main road, go left and 

head for Mazotos. At Mazotos you 

can visit the museum of the self-taught 

contemporary artist Costas Argyrou. 

On the way the road is bordered by flat 

farmland with the sea in the distance to 

your left. A camel park and petrol station 

are on your left at the junction of the road 

to Mazotos. Go straight ahead on the 

road towards Zygi. This is a market 

gardening area, with fields of tomatoes, 

artichokes and cucumbers growing in the 

rich alluvial soil of the valleys of the rivers 

Xeropotamos, Pentaschoinos and Maroni. 

This is a great area for 

leisure cyclists. The terrain 

is relatively flat and the 

roads and farm tracks are 

uncongested. 

After about four kilometres, go right at 

the sign for Alaminos. Look carefully 

because the sign is not clear. From this 

road, you get an excellent view of 

Stavrovouni Monastery on its solitary peak 

to your right. As you approach Alaminos, 

behind a modern house on your left is a 

good example of a rural two-storey 

farmhouse with upper and lower arches. 

On your right is the recently reconstructed 

Alaminos tower. Alaminos was the fief 

of Philip of Ibelin during the Frankish or 

Lusignan Period (1192 – 1489AD) and this 

and similar keeps at Xylofagou, Pyla and 

Kiti are thought to have been watchtowers 

from that period or the later Venetian one. 

The sheep pens on the approach road 

to Kofinou indicate its dairy industry. 

Drive through the village, go left at the 

main B1 road and take the left turn 

for Agios Theodoros at the bridge 

in the valley. The north side of Agios 

Theodoros is abandoned but the remains 

of the stone houses are picturesque. 

After bypassing the village, go left at the 

t-junction and drive to the coast through 

the rugged Pentaschoinos valley, where 

dark cliffs overhang the road and orange 

groves fill the river valley. At the coast, 

go right and drive to Zygi. 

These days Zygi is famous for its fish 

taverns but in the past it was a busy little 

port and camel trains used to bring carobs 

for storage in the large stone warehouses 

to await export. The pier is derelict but 

the village and warehouses are undergoing 

considerable restoration. 

Leave by taking the road beside the 

white church, signposted to Maroni 

66

and go right before two large concrete 

water cisterns on a hill. 

As you approach the village, go right, 

cross the dry bed of the river Maroni 

and go left. Go right after the old 

church and left at the end of the road. 

Go left at the old stone house and into 

the village centre. 

Archaeological Museum (See Section 1, 

Chapter 3, Cultural Heritage). 

To leave, follow the signs for Nicosia 

(Lefkosia) and go right to 

Psematismenos, a compact little 

settlement with traditional architecture. 

At the main road go left, and then 

go right onto the F116 at the signpost 

to Tochni. 

Tochni is a picturesque village straddling a 

gully. On the bridge in the centre is the 

19th century Timios Stavros church that 

stands on the site of a 4th century once 

said to have been founded by St Helena to 

house a piece of the True Cross. Tochni is 

a very popular area with hikers and cyclists 

and has rural accommodation. Cross the 

bridge, go right and at the end of the 

road go left onto the E133 to 

Choirokoitia. 

Hala Sultan Tekkesi 

The narrow streets of Maroni give you 

a glimpse of some impressive traditional 

architecture. There is an archaeological dig 

on the southern outskirts of the village, 

where traces of a settlement from the 16th 

century BC and an ancient olive press have 

been unearthed. Forty-five stone anchors 

were recovered from the sea near the site, 

some of which are now in the Larnaka 

Turn right into the village at the sign 

for Agios Iakovos church. The postal 

agency and grocery store in the square 

opposite the church are in traditional 

buildings. To leave, go to the left of the 

church back down to the E133, 

signposted to Vavla. After 200 metres 

go left at the sign for Panagia tou 

Kampou and go right at the fork. 

This will take you to the site of the castle, 

where on 7 July 1426 the Marmelukes 

defeated the army of King Janus, the 

Frankish king of Cyprus. All that is left are 

the remains of a barrel-vaulted room. 

The left fork takes you to the small church 

of Panagia tou Kampou (our Lady of the 

Field), which is usually open. Go back to 

67

the E133 and go right to the Neolithic 

site of Choirokoitia. 

Leave the settlement, go to the main 

B1 road and join the Larnaka - Lemesos 

(Limassol) motorway at junction 14. 

Stavrovouni Monastery (Mountain of the 

Holy Cross, mediaeval Santa Croc) sits 

atop a steep 750m peak that was called 

Olympus in ancient times and where a 

temple to Aphrodite stood. The monastery 

dates back to 327 when, legend tells us, the 

ship carrying St Helena, mother of 

Constantine the Great, home from 

Jerusalem with the True Cross and the 

Cross of the Penitent Thief, ran before a 

storm to the coast of Cyprus. 

The holy woman dreamt that a young man 

instructed her to build many churches on 

the island. On waking, she discovered that 

the Cross of the Penitent Thief had 

miraculously transported itself to the top 

of the mountain, so she built Stavrovouni 

church in which to house it. 

The monastery contains a large wooden 

15th century cross minutely carved with 

scenes from the life of Christ. It is encased 

in a silver reliquary that also contains what 

is believed to be a sliver of the True Cross. 

Stavrovouni is a working religious 

community of monks who follow the 

ascetic principles of Mount Athos. 

Although women are not allowed to enter, 

the views from the monastery are 

spectacular. 

September-March: 08:00-12:00 

and 14:00-17:00 

April - March: 08:00-12:00 and 15:00-18:00 

Choirokoitia, a Neolithic settlement 

surrounded by a stone wall, is one of the 

oldest excavated settlements in Cyprus. 

Remains show that by 6,800 BC, it’s two 

thousand or so inhabitants lived in 

beehive-shaped huts of stone and clay. 

Many of the houses had under-floor graves 

where the dead were laid to rest in the 

foetal position surrounded by gifts and 

personal effects. The settlement was built 

on an easily defensible hillside and 

surrounded by a wall. The Choirokoitians 

were well-organised goat breeders, who 

cultivated the land and there is evidence 

of spinning, weaving and pottery. 

Flint sickle blades, figurines of fertility gods 

and stone vases have been excavated, as 

well as necklaces of shells and cornelian. 

Houses have been constructed near the 

site as a pointer to how the people lived. 

Steps and a series of walkways enable 

visitors to see main points of the 

settlement and signs describe the key 

features of each area. Many of the finds are 

exhibited in the Cyprus Museum in 

Lefkosia (Nicosia) and the Larnaka District 

Archaeological Museum. The site is a 

UNESCO World Cultural and Natural 

Heritage Site. 

Open daily 09:00-17:00 Nov-Feb; 

0900-1800 Mar, Apr, Sept, Oct; 

09:00-19:30 May - August 

68

Choirokoitia Neolithic Site 

69

Route 4 

Lefkara Area 


ñ Traditional hill villages famous 

for lace-making and silverware 

ñ Many olive and citrus groves, 

as well as almond and fruit orchards 

ñ Good walking and cycling country 

with stunning views down to the coast 

ñ Interesting churches, 

monasteries and an ancient site 

ñ Plenty of accommodation 

Leave the Larnaka – Lemesos motorway 

at exit 13 and go onto the E105, 

signposted to Skarinou. 

This village, which has rural 

accommodation in renovated village 

houses, is to your left before you 

climb the chalky ridge to Lefkara. 

Go right at the signpost 

to Kato Lefkara and drive to the 

village centre. Wandering the 

meandering streets of the tiny village reveals 

good examples of the area’s architecture: houses 

built with horizontal layers of limestone 

interspersed with pebbles. There is a wonderful 

view from the tiny church of Archangelos in the 

field below the square. The church houses some 

superb 12th century frescoes. 

70 

Leave by following the sign for 

Pano Lefkara. A side trip to Dipotamos Dam, 

which is a popular angling site and where

irdwatchers can often see black storks 

and pelicans, goes from this road. 

The main route follows the one-way system 

through the narrow streets of Pano Lefkara 

to the car park near the schools. 

W 

Pano Lefkara today is a small township with a 

couple of hotels, restaurants, banks and a petrol 

station. The village is famed for lace and filigree 

silverwork and in years gone by, the women 

made the lace and their husbands travelled the 

world to sell it. See Section 1, Chapter 4, 

Rural crafts and skills. The houses here are 

not those of farmers but the homes 

of merchants and artisans. The houses are 

stone-built, some with doorways providing 

glimpses of flower-filled and vine-covered 

N 

S 

E 

71

courtyards, while others are two-storey 

colour washed residences with balconies 

and intricately patterned tiled floors. 

The women still sit in the street to do 

their needlework and the silversmiths’ 

workshop doors are open to view. 

A beautiful stone building houses the Lace 

and Silverware Museum. There is also 

an interesting waxwork museum. 

The panoramic view from the churchyard 

at the bottom end of the village is 

exceptional in early spring when the valley 

is full of blossoming almond trees. 

Apart from its famous lace 

and silver work, Lefkara 

village is also well known for 

its architecture. It is one of 

the few villages in Cyprus 

where the houses are built 

almost entirely of local white 

stone, which contrasts 

beautifully with the terra cotta 

roofs. 

To leave, follow the exit signs through 

the upper village and, at the crossroads, 

go ahead onto the main road. 

Before going right to Kato Drys, stop and 

look back across the roofs of Pano Lefkara. 

Kato Drys, another lace-making village 

is tiny and appears to have more churches 

than houses. These again are merchants’ 

mansions, of which the first house on the 

left is a very fine example. The village also 

has its own rural museum. 

As you continue on the road to Vavla, 

you will come to Agios Minas, a small 

monastery founded in the 15th century. 

Today the nuns paint icons, grow flowers 

and keep bees and the delicious honey they 

harvest is on sale. Across the road from 

the monastery is the eye-catching garden 

of the tiny church of Agioi Damian and 

Cosmas. 

The nearby village of Vavla has lovely 

stone houses, some of which have been 

renovated for use by visitors. On entering 

Vavla, go right and follow the signs 

for Lagia (Layia). 

Lagia sits in a picturesque landscape of 

olives, low forest and scrub. Its population 

has steadily declined over the years and 

many of the houses are now holiday 

homes. Go left at the signpost to Ora. 

Ora is best known for its excellent water, 

which is bottled and sold commercially. 

At the church, go left, signposted 

‘Melini’, go left again at the main road 

and drive to Odou. 

The village of Odou is one of the most 

attractive villages in Cyprus. Olive and 

peach trees surround it and fill the valley 

below. There is an area called 

Chelidonomoutti that is the home 

of swallows during part of the year and 

nightingales sing in the valley near 

an old well. 

72

Drive back the way you came and go 

right onto the F123 at the signpost to 

Melini. This tiny village still has a tradition 

of lace-making and is also mentioned in the 

life of Agios Irakleidios, which suggests that 

it was a settlement during the 1st century 

AD. At Melini, go left and head for 

Eptagonia. 

The farmers at Eptagonia (or Eftagonia) 

cultivate citrus fruits, particularly 

mandarins. The name of the village means 

‘seven corners’ - so here goes! 

Go right at the first junction, then go 

left after 50 metres; after a further 

100 metres go right (opposite the 

church) and go left after a further 20 

metres. Go left at the ‘Stop’ sign and 

follow the signs for Lemesos (Limassol). 

No, you didn’t go round all seven. 

On your way to Kellaki, you will travel 

through an area of citrus, almond and olive 

groves with tall eucalyptus trees in the 

riverbed to your left. Although seen all 

over the island, eucalyptus trees are not 

endemic. They were brought here from 

Australia during British colonial rule to help 

drain marshland in the drive to eradicate 

malaria. 

At the entrance to Kellaki, go left 

(signposted to Parekklisia). The hilltop 

church of Agios Georgios is up a steep 

path to your left. Follow the signs for 

Lemesos and go left at the sign to 

Sanida. The viewpoint 250 metres along 

is well worth a stop, as from it the 

panoramic serrated skyline stretches from 

Troodos to the Machairas mountains. 

Go left again at the signpost to Sanida. 

The monastery of Zoodochou Pighis is to 

your left. Pass the hamlet of Vasa on 

your left and head for Asgata. 

Carobs used to be the chief crop at 

Asgata but its main wealth came from 

the surrounding copper mines. Go right 

at the crossroads in the village, 

signposted to Monagrouli, and then go 

left onto the F137. As you approach 

Kalavasos, there is a very deep valley to 

your left. 

At the ‘Stop’ sign at the entrance to 

Kalavasos, you can take a side trip to 

Kalavasos Dam by taking the road to your 

left. The beautiful dam is very popular with 

anglers, while the surrounding area is good 

hiking and riding country. 

On the main route, go through the very 

narrow streets with the overhanging 

balconies of the mine managers’ houses. 

Some of the traditional houses in the 

village are now holiday accommodation. 

The square has some well-preserved old 

73

uildings, one of which houses a small 

archaeological and mining museum. 

As you leave Kalavasos, you will come to a 

small park to your right, behind which are 

a small train and carriage on a metal bridge. 

These are relics from the mine railway. 

Go down the small road beside the 

park to Tenta with its dramatic tented 

roof. This is the excavation of a Neolithic 

settlement, smaller than that at nearby 

Choirokoitia. It features the remains 

of ancient clay and stone dwelling-places 

and gives an indication of the way Cypriots 

lived 9000 years ago. 

Continue down the road, under the 

motorway and go left on the B1 to join 

the Larnaka – Lemesos (Limassol) 

motorway at junction 15. 

Lefkara Lace and Silverware Museum open 

Mon-Thur 09:30-16:00, Fri-Sat 10:00-16:00, 

Sunday closed. 

Tenta open Mon-Fri 09:00-16:00 

75

Route 5 

and the 

Machairas 

South West 


ñ From the flat central plain, up through 

the foothills of the western Troodos mountains 

ñ Interesting and impressive monasteries 

and churches 

ñ River valleys and pine-clad mountain slopes 

ñ Pretty traditional villages and panoramic views 

ñ Excellent cycling and walking on specially 

prepared forest routes 


Leave the Lemesos (Limassol) – Lefkosia 

(Nicosia) motorway at exit 6 and 

take the road to Tseri. 

At the village, go right onto the 

E901, signposted to Lefkosia, 

then go left at the sign 

for Deftera. Go right at the end 

of this road and go left after 

150 metres at the signpost 

‘Panagia Chrysospiliotissa’. 

Take the first left and then go right 

at the t-junction down to the church. 

Panagia Crysospiliotissa church (Our Lady of 

the Golden Grotto) is in a sandstone cave on the 

east bank of the Pedieos River. The church 

contains a rain-inducing icon of the Virgin that 

farmers from the surrounding villagers call upon 

in times of drought. The unusual site may have 

been a series of catacombs before becoming an 

76

early Christian refuge and later a retreat for 

hermits, as a drawbridge could cut off access. 

Go back the way you came and go right at 

the main road, following the signs for Pera. 

At Psimolofou, to your right, are well 

W 

N 

S 

E 

maintained mud-brick houses with overhanging 

balconies and carved doors. Go right at the 

sign for Agios Irakleidios and drive through 

Episkopeio, once the seat of the ancient 

bishopric at Tamassos, and at the entrance 

to Politiko, go left to Tamassos. 

Leave and go left into Politiko and as you 

drive to Agios Irakleidios Monastery, ahead 

of you is the Kionia mountaintop radar station 

that is a landmark visible from Lefkosia (Nicosia) 

77

and Larnaka. Go back the way you came 

and, after the bridge, go right and then 

left onto the E902. On your right is 

Pera, another attractive village of 

well-preserved two-storey mud-brick 

houses and interesting churches. 

On your left after Kambia is the Machairas 

Forest and the Pediaios river valley is on 

your right. Go right at Kapedes and 

head for Machairas Monastery. 

On this narrow, twisting road is Mandra 

tou Kambiou picnic site with barbecue 

facilities, tables and toilets. Further up the 

hill is a tiny chapel dedicated to Agios 

Onoufrios, an Egyptian hermit whose life 

story is recorded in the porch. Continuing 

up the hill, Machairas Monastery comes 

into view. 

The surrounding terrain is typical maquis 

with rockroses and myrtle among the 

pines. Lazanias, encircled by the almond 

trees from which it derived its income, 

has distinctive houses of mud brick and 

stone with tiled roofs, a good view of 

which is from above as you head for 

Gourri. Go right and drive to Fikardou. 

As you leave on the road to Klirou 

(preferably on the E904), you will see 

the Mesaoria plain and Pentadactylos 

mountains ahead. Drive down the valley 

between cornfields and peach orchards, 

follow the sign for Nicosia at the village 

entrance and go left at the main road. 

The dark red rocks near the river are 

exposed pillow lava. Go left onto the 

E903 signposted to Apliki and 

Palaichori and drive up the river valley. 

A short distance along is a ruined arched 

building, all that remains of an ancient hani 

(inn), a stopping place on the two-day trip 

from Lefkosia to Palaichori where 

travellers could rest and their animals – 

donkeys or camels - could be fed and 

watered. Further along are large 

restaurants and holiday homes, as this is a 

favourite weekend getaway spot for the 

residents of Lefkosia. The main produce 

of this valley are vegetables, grapes, 

almonds and olives. 

Go right into Palaichori, a village dating 

from Byzantine times with steep cobbled 

alleys and stone houses, many of which 

have grape vines growing up to drape over 

a rooftop trellis to help keep the house 

cool in summer. The stream through the 

village centre dries up in the summer 

but is a cascading torrent in winter. 

The most significant church is that 

of Metamorphosis tou Sotiros 

(Transfiguration), which is on UNESCO’s 

World Heritage List. Also worth a visit is 

the nearby Byzantine Museum. There are 

strawberries, potatoes, vegetables and fruit 

78

trees growing on the fertile surrounding 

land. 

Rejoin E903 and go right, heading for 

Agros. On the steep climb, the deep valley 

to your left is full of vegetable gardens and 

plane trees and there are vines on the 

steep mountainside to the right. 

The summit is Papoutsia – one of the 

highest peaks in Cyprus at 1,584 metres. 

Stay on the E903 and, as you near the 

left turn into Agros, there is a panoramic 

view of Troodos and Mount Olympus. 

Agros, at an altitude of 1,150 metres, 

is the regional centre of the Pitsillia. 

A sheltered position and plentiful water 

from perennial springs result in its having 

some of the prettiest gardens in Cyprus. 

Agros is a popular resort and a great base 

for walkers and cyclists. The villagers 

produce wine, bottled spring water, cash 

crops such as almonds, walnuts, and rosewater, 

which is made by distilling the petals 

of sugar-pink Damask roses that have been 

picked before the sun evaporates the oil. 

Apart from being a useful cosmetic 

cleanser and moisturiser, rosewater is a 

culinary ingredient. If you can’t smell roses 

in Agros, you can usually smell smoked 

meat, for it is here that hiromeri, smoked 

ham, and lountza, smoked pork loin, are 

produced by salting the meat and steeping 

it in red wine before smoking it over slowburning 

wood. Other meat specialities are 

loukanika, Cyprus sausage made from pork, 

herbs and red wine and pastourmas, beef 

rubbed with garlic and dried in the sun. 

The village also caters for the sweet tooth 

with glyka, (See Section 1, Chapter 5, 

Food & wine). It has also recently opened 

an interesting art gallery/museum which 

displays the work of a well-known icon 

painter. 

There is plenty of accommodation 

in several small hotels and a large one, 

and there are restaurants and tavernas, 

a petrol station and a cottage hospital. 

Leave on the road signposted to 

Limassol and around Agios Ioannis, 

you will see tall poplars masking terraces of 

fruit trees. At the start of the descent after 

the neat little Commandaria village of 

Zoopigi, (See Section 1, Chapter 5, 

Food & Wine) you will see the Akrotiri 

Salt Lake and the Mediterranean 

shimmering in the distance. Next is Kalo 

Chorio, surrounded by vineyards from 

which Commandaria is made. You pass 

through the western edge of Kakomallis 

Forest on the way to Gerasa, a hamlet 

of traditional stone houses, surrounded 

by fruit trees and oleanders on the banks 

of the Garyllis River to your right. 

The route then goes through an impressive 

steep-sided valley with caves high in the 

cliffside to your left. 

One of the most popular uses 

for rosewater is to flavour 

the traditional sweet 

‘Mahalepi’, which 

is absolutely delicious on a hot 

summer’s day. 

79

On your right at Paramytha is the hani 

(inn) which has been restored and turned 

into a restaurant. Nearby is a fragment of 

the old cobbled road from Lemesos to the 

Pitsillia. 

Palodia and Agia Filaxi are now part of 

suburban Lemesos (Limassol) but the latter 

still has excellent examples of traditional 

limestone houses clustered round the old 

church on your right, from where it is less 

than a kilometre to junction 27 of the 

motorway. 

Tamassos was a city-kingdom, founded 

around 4,000BC, but its wealth and 

prosperity came later, when its prolific 

supply of copper was discovered. 

Homer mentions the city as Temesa in his 

Odyssey, when Athena says to Telemachos, 

“We are bound for the foreign port of Temese 

with a cargo of gleaming iron, which we intend 

to trade for copper.” In around 800BC, 

the town was occupied by the Phoenicians. 

Later, Alexander the Great gave the 

copper mines to King Protagoras of Salamis 

as a gesture of thanks for his aid during 

the Siege of Tyre, and in 12AD, King 

Herod the Great of Judea leased the mines. 

Excavations commenced in 1889 and 

continue to this day. Among the 

discoveries are two subterranean royal 

tombs dating from the 6th century BC, 

with walls carved to imitate wood. 

Also excavated are a citadel, the copper 

processing site and the Temple of Astarte 

(Aphrodite). Four Egyptian-style stone lions 

and two sphinxes found at the Royal 

Necropolis in 1997 are on display at the 

Cyprus Archaeological Museum in Lefkosia 

(Nicosia). Tamassos is open Mon - Sun 

09:30 - 15:30. 

The site is on the Aphrodite Cultural 

Route. 

Agios Irakleidios Monastery is named 

after the first Christian bishop of 

Tamassos. The son of a priest of Apollo, 

he was converted by the Apostles Paul and 

Barnabas, the first missionaries in Cyprus, 

after he guided them through the Troodos 

Mountains. Irakleidios, to whom many 

miracles and exorcisms were attributed, 

was murdered by pagans and buried at the 

site of the present-day monastery. 

The monastery church, built in the 5th 

century was destroyed and the present 

buildings date from the late 18th century. 

The tomb of the saint can be seen under 

the altar of the church. The skull of the 

80

Saint is preserved in a silver-gilt reliquary. 

The monastery is currently inhabited 

by nuns. Although open to visitors, 

the monastery is only open to group visits, 

on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 

from 9:00am to 12:00 midday. 

Machairas Monastery (Monastery of the 

Knife) was founded by two hermits from 

Syria who made a retreat by a well in the 

mid-12th century. After the death of the 

elder, the young hermit went to 

Constantinople to plead for funds to found 

a monastery. Emperor Manual Komnenos 

granted a charter of independence, 

an annual financial grant and ownership 

of much of the surrounding land, enabling 

the monastery to be completed in 1190. 

It burnt down in 1530 and again 1892 

and the present buildings date from 1902. 

The strange name is said to come from 

a holy icon of the Virgin found in a cave 

guarded by a sword. The icon hangs on the 

iconostasis symbolically guarded by a tiny 

knife and it is the first thing to be saved 

if forest fire threatens. Another theory 

is that the name comes from the biting 

winds that blow on these hillsides in the 

winter. The vows taken by the monks here 

are as strict as those of Mount Athos and 

although open to visitors, the monastery 

is open daily, 08:30-17:30. 

Fikardou village is a protected monument, 

as its houses are authentic specimens 

of 19th century folk architecture. Most are 

two-storied structures built with sieropetra 

(rough local ironstone), pebbles and 

limestone slabs, which support a mudbrick 

superstructure and slanted tiled roof. 

The ground floor has a flat doma (roof) 

accessible from the upper floor and which 

was used for drying grapes. Wine jars with 

a hole knocked in the bottom were used 

as chimney pots. The upper floor was for 

habitation and the ground floor served 

as a storeroom and stable. In many houses, 

a corner of the ground floor was occupied 

by a linos (wine press) and there are the 

remains of a communal linos (wine press) 

close to the village square. Several houses 

also had a large room to accommodate 

a loom. The houses of Katsinoros and 

Achilleas Dimitri have been turned into 

a rural museum, which is open 

Tues - Fri 09:30 to 16:00, Sat 09:30 -15:30, 

Sun 10:30 -13:30. 

81

Route 6 

Lemesos (Limassol) 

Forest 


ñ River valleys, citrus groves and vineyards 

ñ Interesting churches 

ñ Excellent walking and angling 

ñ Spectacular panoramic views 


Leave the Lemesos - Lefkosia (Limassol - 

Nicosia) motorway at exit 24 and go onto 

the E128 to Germasogia. Tucked between 

a cliff face and a riverbed, this village’s narrow 

streets contain some fine old houses, several 

tavernas, and a country club. 

Follow the signs for Germasogia 

Dam and, as you drive up, you will 

see market gardens and citrus 

groves in the riverbed to your 

right, Note the distinctive rock-face 

atop a crag on the opposite bank 

because you will see this from 

a different angle later. 

Anglers and walkers can take the road across 

the dam wall, signposted to Foinikaria, for some 

good fishing locations and nature trails. 

82 

Continue on the E128 through Akrounta, 

a rapidly expanding village on a tributary of the 

Germasogia River. The road now climbs steeply 

with a deep valley to your left and a rock face to 

your right. As you get higher, the valley is to 

your left and there is a wonderful view back 

towards Lemesos (Limassol) and the coast.

When you reach the saddle, you enter the 

edges of the Kakomallis and Lemesos (Limassol) 

forests. Several holiday homes have been built 

in this area, as it picks up cool breezes from the 

north and south. 

W 

N 

S 

E 

Driving down towards Dieronia, the village 

of Kellaki is on the hillside opposite and Prastio 

is in the valley below. Dieronia lies on the west 

bank of the Germasogia River and its chief 

products are citrus fruits, especially mandarins. 

Follow the signs for Arakapas, a village lying 

in a natural amphitheatre and one that has given 

its name to part of the unique geology of 

Cyprus. The Arakapas Sequence runs along the 

southern edge of the Troodos Ophiolite and 

83

some of the pillow lavas in this area are on 

brown-red iron-rich mudstone. 

Go left at the signpost to the village 

centre and cross the narrow bridge. 

The enormous eucalyptus trees to the 

right indicate plentiful water. Go right at 

both forks in the village and go right 

again into the square. 

At the far end, on the corner of the road 

to Sykopetra is the very beautiful early 

16th century church of Panagia Iamatiki. 

The church is renowned for its 

Italo-Byzantine frescoes. Also look for the 

two well-preserved 16th century paintings 

of Saint Mamas and of Saints Mary of Egypt 

and Zosimos. 

The road to Sykopetra goes through 

a wooded valley before climbing very 

steeply. The village, which clings almost 

precariously to the hillside, originally 

belonged to the Knights Templar. On the 

hillside below the houses are huge prickly 

pear cacti (Opuntia ficus-indica) with large 

racquet-shaped ‘leaves’ bristling with very 

sharp spines. In summer the delicious 

brick-red oval fruits, the size of a hen’s egg, 

are peeled and chilled before eating. The 

fruits are covered with tiny prickles that 

pierce the skin, so don’t touch them with 

bare hands. 

Leave the village on the road 

signposted to Prophitis Elias and then 

take left fork at the top of the hill, 

onto the road to Agios Konstantinos. 

You can take a side trip to the hamlet 

of Profitis Elias, which sits like an eyrie 

on a hilltop, offering expansive views of the 

surrounding hills and deep valley below. 

The main route goes onto a good gravel 

road after about a kilometre as it drops 

down steeply to the valley bottom and 

climbs the other side. On the way, you go 

through terraces of citrus trees, a small 

forest, an area of Mediterranean maquis, 

vegetables plots and finally, as you re-join 

the asphalt, grapevines. 

Agios Konstantinos, which has some 

well-preserved traditional buildings, is one 

of the Commandaria wine villages and 

is a typical Pitsillia village surrounded 

by vineyards. The tiny church of Agios 

Konstantinos and Agia Eleni in the village 

centre is characteristic of the region. 

Drive through the village and go right 

at the signpost to Agios Pavlos. 

This little village on the southern slopes 

of the Papoutsa peak has abundant water, 

some of which gushes out of the rocks at a 

place called Styrakas, which is surrounded 

by large walnut and plane trees. 

Drive through the village, following the 

signs for Kalo Chorio, and then go left 

at the signpost for Lemesos (Limasol). 

You are now in the heart of the 

Commandaria wine country (See Section 

1, Chapter 5, Food & Wine). 

Go left at the t-junction and follow the 

signs for Louvaras. Drive through the 

village until you come to the very old part 

84

where the streets are made of concrete 

and are extremely narrow. Park your car 

and walk along Agiou Mama Street, 

following the signs ‘Agios Mamantos 

15th Century Church’. The church 

is below road level and all you can see 

as you approach is part of the sloping red 

roof. The church houses some of the 

island’s best preserved 15th century 

frescoes. In the churchyard is a restored 

olive press. 

A walk round this part of the village will 

give you glimpses of old stone-built houses, 

some of which are restored, large bread 

ovens, and massive pitharia wine jars. 

To leave, drive back through the village 

and go left at the small green signpost 

to Kakomallis Forest Station. After 200 

metres, go right at the crossroads onto 

K. Evagorou Street. 

As you descend, you will be driving 

through the western edges of Kakomallis 

Forest. Go left at the main road and go 

left again at the signpost to Apsiou. 

The map at the village entrance points 

you to the paved village centre, a winery, 

traditional houses and an old water mill. 

Leave on the road signposted to 

Mathikoloni and go right, following 

the blue road sign at the fork after the 

village. 

Commanderie of the Knights of St John. 

The old part of the village is on the slopes 

below and legend says that it was made up 

of seven ‘quarters’ and had seven churches. 

There are the remains of two watermills 

by the stream that bisects the village. 

As you continue, the view opens up and 

you can see the village of Akrounta in the 

valley below and the road along which you 

drove earlier snakes up the hillside 

opposite. Just before the road turns away 

from this valley, there is a glimpse of 

Germasogia dam below and opposite, at 

eye level is the rock-face on top of a crag 

that you passed on the way to Germasogia 

Dam. 

After driving through a small gully, 

an amazing panorama awaits you. 

The vista sweeps from Amathous to your 

left, through to the Akrotiri peninsula and 

beyond. 

Many Limassolians have built houses in this 

area, as the newly improved road allows 

them to commute daily from homes 

on a cool hillside with an extraordinary 

view. 

Go left at the roundabout onto the 

motorway. 

As you drive down the mountain, there is a 

deep river valley to your left. Mathikoloni, 

the modern part of which lines the main 

road, once belonged to the Grand 

85

Route 7 


West Coast 


ñ West from Lemesos (Limassol) along the 

Pafos coastline 

ñ A mediaeval castle and impressive 

Graeco-Roman ancient sites 

ñ Wetlands and wildlife 

ñ Charming rural villages with vineyards 

and olive groves 

ñ Panoramic views, great walking and cycling 


Leave the Pafos – Lemesos (Limassol) 

motorway at the exit for Erimi 

and Kolossi, go left on the B6, 

turn right at the sign to Trachoni 

and go to Kolossi Castle, 

which is in the middle of the fertile 

Lemesos plain, where sugarcane, 

cotton and the grapes 

for Commandaria grew 

in mediaeval times. (See Section 1, 

Chapter 5, Food & wine) In 1210, 

the Knights of St John of Jerusalem built the 

castle as their headquarters and the present 

three-storey square ‘keep’ dates from 1454. 

Beside the castle are the remains of a vaulted 

sugar refinery and the aqueduct that brought 

the water for working the mill. The small 12th 

century church of Agios Efstathios is well 

worth visiting. 

86

Go right and drive between tall rows of 

eucalyptus, cedar and pine trees shading 

lush citrus groves and vineyards. This area 

was reclaimed from marshland in the 1930s. 

Birdwatchers can make a side trip to the 

W 

N 

S 

E 

Phasouri (Fasouri) reed-beds by going right onto 

a tarmac road after about four kilometres and 

going right again into a dead-end road. The main 

route goes straight to Akrotiri village. 

Kolossi Castle 

The Akrotiri Environmental Education and 

Information Centre informs visitors of the 

unusual nature and ecological importance 

of the Akrotiri peninsula. The centre, which 

is very child-friendly with interactive displays 

and computer programmes in English, 

87

is open seven-days a week and entrance 

is free. 

The Akrotiri Salt Lake is a unique corner 

of Cyprus. It has over 20 types of habitat 

and around 70 per cent of the island’s bird 

species, migratory and resident, are found 

there. Also, the endangered Green turtle 

and Loggerhead turtle nest on its beaches. 

It is a Ramsar listed site. The earliest traces 

of Man, dating back over 10,000 years, 

were discovered on the Akrotiri cliffs, 

along with fossils of pygmy hippopotami 

and dwarf elephants. 

then go left at the sign for Kourion 

Museum. Take the left fork and the 

museum is up this road on your left. 

It is housed in an attractive two-storey 

building and contains findings from Kourion 

and surrounding sites. 

The name of Episkopi village means ‘home 

of the Bishop’ and comes from the fact that 

when the nearby site of Kourion was 

abandoned in the 7th century, the Bishop 

moved his Seat here. Today’s village 

has rural accommodation and several 

restaurants. 

To leave, go left at the museum and 

follow the signs for Kourion, going right 

at the main road. Go left at the sign at 

the sign for “St Ermogenis” and you 

will come to a good bathing beach beneath 

vertical limestone cliffs. There are several 

restaurants here and the area is a good 

birdwatching location. 

Go back the way you came and, after 

Kolossi castle, go left onto the B6 and 

head for Erimi, which was a settlement 

in the Chalcolithic era, between the Stone 

and Bronze ages. On the left as you leave 

the village is the Cyprus Wine Museum, 

where you can learn about Cyprus wine 

and taste a glass too. 

Continue on the main road to Episkopi 

and go right at the sign for the Police 

Station. Go left opposite the mosque 

(signpost Kourion Museum) and drive 

through the old part of the village, 

To continue, go left to the Kourion 

Archaeological Site. 

Leave Kourion and go to the Stadium, 

which is on your right. This was built 

during the Roman period in the 2nd 

century AD. The horseshoe shaped arena 

is surrounded by three tiers of seats to 

accommodate 6,000 spectators. 

This is an enjoyable walking area with 

cistus and aromatics growing among 

low pines. 

Back at the main road, go right to the 

Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates. 

Toppled columns and stone fragments 

88

mark the sanctuary as a 7th century BC 

shrine to the sun-god Apollo in his role as 

‘Hylates’ or god of the woods. Most of the 

ruins are early Roman. On leaving, birders 

can take a side trip by taking the track 

opposite the road to the Sanctuary. 

Back on the main road, drive through 

the residential British base at Episkopi 

and go right onto the F606 to 

Avdimou. Go left onto the F607 in the 

village and follow the signs to Anogyra. 

On the way, you pass the semi-restored 

monastery of the Holy Cross and a winery 

at the village entrance. Anogyra has good 

examples of the limestone dwellings typical 

of this region, some of which have been 

converted into rural accommodation. Cool 

water used to come to the village through 

a stone-built channel. The village is 

renowned for producing carob syrup and 

carob toffee known as pastelaki. 

There is a small pastelaki museum, 

and a pastelaki festival takes place each 

August. (See Section 1, Chapter 5, Food 

& Wine). Before leaving, take a side trip 

to ‘Oleastro’, an ecological olive press and 

museum about three kilometres after the 

village on the road to Pachna. 

Leave by the road on which you came 

and take the right turn to Agios 

Thomas, which is probably of Byzantine 

origin. Go right to Platanisteia 

(Plataniskia), a hamlet engaged in carob, 

olive and vine cultivation. The village is also 

home to an art school, run by a very well 

known local artist and engraver. Head for 

Alektora, where you will see vineyards of 

table and sultana grapes. Go left after the 

tunnel of trees and go right onto the 

main B6. After 100 metres, go left to 

Pissouri. Drive through the narrow streets 

of this hilltop village, following the signs 

to the beach. 

The fertile lime soil around Pissouri yields 

abundant crops of sweet table grapes. 

The rugged cliffs of Cape Aspro, the 

highest point along the coast between 

Kourion and Pafos, overlook Pissouri 

Beach, where stone buildings, now 

restaurants, were carob stores when this 

was a thriving port. Go right at the mini 

roundabout and drive up the valley. 

Just over halfway up, look for a 

concrete road to the right, which has a 

brown road sign with its back to you. 

This takes you to an old water cistern and 

well, both of which are restored. You can 

walk into the cistern – but beware of low 

flying swallows! Go right at the end 

of the road and left onto the B6, 

signposted to Pafos, and drive to Petra 

tou Romiou. 

At Petra tou Romiou, the three huge 

limestone rocks are known collectively 

89

as Aphrodite’s Rock. Mythology says it was 

here that Aphrodite, goddess of love and 

fertility, emerged from the sea foam. The 

location is one of the most beautiful on the 

island and images of this spot, with its clear 

blue water and pebble beach, have become 

synonymous with Cyprus. The name Petra 

tou Romiou commemorates the Byzantine 

Greek hero Digenis Akritas, also known 

as Romios. Legend says that when 

marauding Saracen corsairs attacked the 

Pafos coast, Romios, a mythical giant, 

rested his hand on the Kyrenia mountain 

range and hurled huge boulders into the 

sea at Pafos to destroy the ships. The place 

where he rested his hand on the Kyrenia 

range is called Pentadactylos (five fingers), 

and the rocks he threw are Petra tou 

Romiou. 

To join the motorway, travellers from 

Pafos should go west and all other 

travellers should go east. 

Kourion has existed as a focal 

point of cultural, political and 

religious life for several 

millennia. A settlement was 

built here in Neolithic times, 

probably because of its 

strategic position and the 

city-kingdom was founded 

in the 12th century BC by 

Mycenaean Greeks. It was an 

important and prosperous 

centre under the Ptolemies 

and the Romans, when the 

city numbered around 20,000 

inhabitants. The nearby 

stadium was built during the 

Roman period. Here, 6,000 

spectators would watch 

pentathlons consisting 

of running, the long jump, 

wrestling, discus and javelin 

throwing. The Sanctuary 

of Apollo Ylatis was a centre 

of worship until Christianity 

supplanted the cult. By the 

5th century AD, Kourion was 

the seat of a Christian bishop. 

Its defensive position atop a 

coastal cliff and the power it 

wielded over the surrounding 

area were its greatest assets. 

Earthquakes and raids finally 

destroyed Kourion and it was 

90

not rediscovered until 1876. 

Many of the finds from the 

various archaeological digs are 

at the Kourion Museum in 

Episkopi village and the 

Lemesos (Limassol) District 

Archaeological Museum, both 

of which are well worth 

a visit. Kourion is open daily. 

Kolossi castle open 09:00-17:00 

Nov-Mar; 09:00-18:00 Apr, May, Sept, Oct; 

09:00-19:30 June-Aug. 

Akrotiri Info centre open daily 08:30-15:00 

Cyprus Wine museum open Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00 

Kourion Museum open Mon-Fri 09:00-14:30 + 

Thurs 15:00-17:00 except July & Aug 

Kourion Archaeological site open 08:00-17:00 

Nov-Mar; 08:00-18:00 Apr, May, Sept, Oct; 

18:00-19:30 June - Aug. 

Sanctuary of Apollo as Kourion site. 

Akrotiri Salt Lake 

91

Route 8 

The Wine 

Villages 


ñ Through the major wine producing region 

to the foothills of the Troodos 

ñ Vine-covered hillsides with small regional 

wineries 

ñ Interesting old churches and monasteries 

ñ Lovely villages with traditional architecture 


Leave the Lemesos (Limassol) - Pafos 

motorway at the exit for Avdimou, 

go onto the F606 and head 

for Pachna. On the way, the slopes 

are covered with carobs 

(ceratonia siliqua) the characteristic 

trees of the eastern Mediterranean 

that shade flocks grazing the sparse 

vegetation of summer. 

Pachna, a large village 

of two-storey houses of rectangular 

limestone blocks, sits picturesquely 

amid vineyards. In addition to its winery, 

the village has a couple of tavernas and cafés. 

Back on the F606; go left at the sign for 

Agios Amvrosios and as you drive down the hill, 

there is a panoramic view of terraced vineyards 

covering the south-west flank of Troodos and 

Mount Olympus towering above. 

92

Go left onto the E601, signposted to 

Omodos, and then take E612 to Malia. 

This is a village with a long history 

of wine-production, whose old winery was 

re-opened in 1996. Many of the well-preserved 

W 

N 

S 

E 

stone houses have stills for making zivania, 

a local spirit distilled from grape must 

(See Section 1, Chapter 5, Food & wine). 

Leave the village and continue on the E612 

to Arsos. 

Arsos is scenically perched on a steep chalky 

hillside and some of its fine traditional houses 

are now holiday accommodation. A walk 

through the narrow lanes will take you to an 

olive press, mineral water springs and a folk art 

93

museum, while the wineries are on the 

outskirts. 

Go back the way you came and just 

before Mallia, go straight ahead at the 

signpost ‘Vasa, Omodos old road’. 

Wander through quaint streets among 

whitewashed houses to the mediaeval linos 

(wine press), which is still in working 

order, or visit a rural life museum in one of 

the traditional houses, or you can even 

watch village women making intricate cobwebby 

papilla lace, fine exhibits of which 

can be seen at the Centre for the 

Conservation of Pipilla lace within the 

monastery. Around the square are cafés 

and small shops selling wine, honey and the 

speciality arketena bread, baked with 

chickpea leaven instead of yeast. 

Away from the square are several good 

restaurants. 

Along here, the dry stone walls that retain 

the hillside terracing are home to the large 

endemic Agama lizard (agama stelio 

cypriaca), which you may be lucky enough 

to see basking in the sun. 

Vasa was, and still is, a major wine 

producing village and many of the 

red-roofed white houses have pitharia 

(large wine jars) and zivania stills in their 

yards. The compact village has a spring 

of pure mineral water, a Byzantine museum 

and several good restaurants. You will pass 

a winery built in the traditional 

architectural style of the village as you 

depart for Omodos. 

Omodos is the capital of the Krasochoria 

(wine villages). The village centre is closed 

to traffic, so go right into the large free car 

park at the entrance. The village huddles 

round Timios Stavrou Monastery, at the 

end of the attractive cobbled square. 

To leave, go right and follow the signs 

for Mandria and Platres. Along the 

narrow old road, are more wineries in 

vineyards, after which the vines give way to 

hawthorn, poplar and apple trees. Go right 

at the main road and head for Platres. 

Kato Platres is a small community in a 

picturesque setting among fruit trees with 

a village winery and several good tavernas 

on the main road. An altitude of 1,128 

metres, surrounding forests and the Kryos 

94

Potamos (Cold River) all help give Pano 

Platres its excellent climate. 

This is a popular holiday resort and a 

regional centre with several good hotels, 

a cottage hospital, petrol station, a tourist 

information office and shops. 

Leave by either of the two exits for the 

B8 and Lemesos (Limassol) and go 

right. Driving down the steep, twisty road, 

the Troodos Forest looms to your left. 

Stay on the B8 at the major crossroads. 

Trimiklini is a good place to stop 

for coffee en-route - look out for the 

unusual double bridge that spans the river 

nearby. After Trimiklini, you will be on the 

eastern escarpment of the Kouris River, 

with a panorama of vine-clad terraces 

across the valley. 

Pass Laneia police station and go left 

at the signpost to Laneia. Set among 

vineyards and almond, walnut and fig trees, 

Laneia is a well-preserved village of 

narrow cobbled lanes of tile-roofed 

elongated houses with beautiful gardens 

and courtyards, where pitharia wine jars 

store the house wine. The old linos, 

a wooden contraption in which grapes are 

pressed, is still there. Laneia is one of the 

Commandaria villages, in which the sweet 

dessert wine is made. (See Section 1, 

Chapter 5, Food & wine). It is also home 

to several artists who welcome visitors to 

their studios. 

Go left at the main road and, after 100 

metres, go right at the signpost to 

Doros. This village has traditional 

architecture with two-storey houses with 

arches and balconies overhanging the 

winding alleyways. Walk into the dead-end 

streets at the bottom of the village for a 

breathtaking view across the Kouris valley. 

At the village exit, go right to Monagri 

along a narrow lane that used to be part 

of the road from Lemesos to Platres. 

At the village entrance, the centre with 

two small wineries and a very old olive 

press are ahead of you. Standing above 

the river valley to your right is the 

Archangelos Michail Monastery, 

now a contemporary art centre and 

nearby, down a road to the left is the 

Monastery of Panagia Amasgou, which 

houses some impressive 12th century 

frescoes. To leave, follow the signs for 

Lemesos and go right on the B8. 

Down the hill, take the F817 signed to 

Agios Therapon and head for Lofou. 

There is a good view of the Kouris 

Reservoir and near the village is open 

pastureland with dry-stone walls. Follow 

the signs for Agios Therapon to the 

exit of Lofou and go right to park. 

This attractive Commandaria village spread 

95

atop a limestone hill (Lofos means hill 

in Greek) has an abundance of water from 

the Kouris and Kryos rivers. The houses 

are of typical stone-and-timber architecture 

and there are Vahkis scheme tavernas 

serving authentic Cypriot food, a small 

Byzantine museum and an olive mill. 

Continue through the vineyards to 

Agios Therapon, going right at the 

church and taking the right fork into 

the village. Here are twelve preserved 

vaulted houses (vota) with ground-floor 

arched rooms used as storerooms for 

pitharia wine jars or donkey stables. 

Drive across the valley to the junction 

with the E601 and into Agios 

Amvrosios. In this small village of treeshaded 

whitewashed houses, is a winery, 

an old olive press and an agiasma (Holy 

well). Go back to the E601 and head 

for Erimi and the motorway. 

Timios Stavros (Holy Cross) 

Monastery at Omodos dates 

back to the 4th century. 

Folklore says that it was built 

over a cave that became a 

small chapel for housing holy 

relics given by St Helena. 

They are believed to be a 

piece of the True Cross and 

a portion of the rope that 

bound Christ to the Cross. 

The place soon became a 

shrine and then an important 

monastery, around which the 

village of Omodos grew. 

The monastery, which is now 

disused, was built in the 12th 

century with wooden roofed 

monastic buildings standing 

on three sides of the church. 

The present 19th century 

church contains an intricately 

carved iconostasis. The holy 

relics are in cross-shaped 

silver-gilt reliquaries in the 

church and the skull of the 

Apostle Philip is in a reliquary 

with the seals of four 

Byzantine emperors to vouch 

for its authenticity. 

Do not miss the beautiful 

reception hall (archontariki) 

of the monastery with 

it carved wooden ceiling. 

97

Route 9 

Troodos 

and the 

Solea Valley 


ñ Unique, UNESCO World Heritage Site 

churches, with outstanding frescoed interiors 

ñ Charming mountain villages, 

with traditional architecture 

ñ Good hill walking and cycling 

ñ Pine forests and moufflon sanctuary 



motorway at the exit for Ypsonas 

and Kouris Dam and head for the dam. 

Mount Olympus is ahead as you drive 

through wild olives and Aleppo pines 

to the west of the reservoir, following 

signs for Alassa. Go left onto 

the B8 to Trimiklini, 

a village thriving on the production 

of almonds and fruit. 

At the major crossroads, 

go right onto the E801(B9). 

98 

Saittas is a settlement built around 

a government-run experimental fruit nursery. 

Its setting among tall pines on the left bank of the 

Kouris River attracts many visitors and there 

is rural accommodation at a small hotel. 

The houses in tiny Filagra are now mainly 

summer homes. You can take a detour off this 

road to Mesa Potamos, where there 

is a delightful monastery and waterfalls. 

Back on the main road, on your left

at Kato Amiantos are some unusual old 

dwellings with overhanging balconies. 

Near the top of the steep gradient, mavrahero, 

wild lentils colour the hillsides mauve in spring. 

Stay on the B9 at the crossroads and follow 

the signs for Kakopetria. Karvounas is the 

W 

N 

S 

E 

saddle between Troodos and the Madari range 

and the watershed between the Kouris and 

Kargotis rivers. 

The terrain now changes to immense pines 

(Pinus brutia). As you go down, a hundred 

metres after the turning to Platania picnic site, 

there is a moufflon reserve on the right. 

99

Further down the road are several trout 

farms, some with their own restaurants. 

Go left at the sign for Agios Nikolaos 

tis Stegis and continue to the church. 

St Nicholas of the Roof, built and painted 

in the early 11th century, is one of the ten 

mountain churches on the UNESCO 

World Heritage List. A steeply pitched 

outer roof protects the original dome from 

rain and snow. 

Go back and go left at the sign for 

Kakopetria. Clinging to both banks of the 

Kargoris to your left as you enter, is the 

old village of stone and mudbrick houses 

with pitched roofs, many of them restored. 

Kakopetria is a holiday resort with banks, 

petrol stations, hotels and restaurants, 

including a Vahkis scheme tavern. It was a 

silk producing centre and there are still 

many mulberry trees around. As you leave 

on the road to Galata, there is a restored 

18th century watermill to your left. 

Huge trees shade the square at Galata and 

nearby are fine examples of its distinctive 

terraced buildings with wooden balconies 

and staircases. Some of them have been 

restored and one is a Folk Art museum. 

Across the river is the UNESCO World 

Heritage listed church of Panagia tis 

Poditou, an early 16th century building with 

its outer roof extending almost to the 

ground to cover the portico. 

The Solea villages run into each other and 

next up is Kaliana with its preserved hani, 

inn, with arches, mudbrick walls and 

sloping roof. The 18th century building is a 

Folk Art Architectural site and you can 

see examples of pitharia wine jars and a 

traditional bread oven in the yard. 

Driving to Temvria, you continue through 

a metaphorical fruit salad. After apples, 

pears, plums and cherries, you now come 

to mespila, loquats, citrus and 

pomegranates among gardens awash 

with colour. 

Fresh herbs are an integral 

part of Cypriot cuisine, 

and many herbs such as 

thyme and sage grow wild in 

the countryside. Because of 

the island’s dry climate the 

herbs contain a higher than 

normal quantity of natural 

oils, which makes them very 

pungent. 

Follow the signs for Korakou, where figs 

and prickly pears are added to the fruit 

bowl. Go left at the fork and round the 

church; then go right at the street sign 

‘Eleftheria Avenue’. Follow this road 

until you come to an old watermill 

and ruined bridge opposite the 

signpost for Evrychou, then go left 

after first building, a modern olive mill, 

onto a cobbled road, which was part of the 

old camel road from Lefkosia (Nicosia) to 

Troodos. It ends at a railway station - the 

100

terminus of the old Cyprus Government 

Railway, completed in 1915 and which 

went from Ammochostos (Famagusta), 

via Lefkosia (Nicosia) to Evrychou. 

Go back to the main road, go left and 

left again at the t-junction. 

a village of almond trees and traditional 

houses, and follow the road signposted 

Evrychou is a large village where cotton 

used to grow. Today it is a regional centre 

and the seat of the Bishopric of Morfou, 

Fork right at the church, drive up to 

the B9 and go left at the signpost for 

Lefkosia. 

As you drive north, the pines give way 

to olives and cereals and you can see 

Morfou Bay on your left. 

Go right onto the road to Koutrafas 

and follow the signs for Asinou Church. 

Kato Koutrafas, with its stone and 

mudbrick houses, is on the edge of the 

Mesaoria, central plain and the cornfields 

are parched and barren in summer. 

At one time, you had to hire a donkey 

at Nikitari to take you to Asinou, 

but now it is just a short drive. 

Panagia Asinou, one of the most well 

known of the UNESCO listed churches, 

sits in a tiny isolated meadow among dense 

forests. It was built and painted in 1105 and 

contains fascinating frescos. Go back and 

go left at the small green sign to Agios 

Theodoros. This all-weather forest road 

is bumpy at the start but smoothes out at 

the top of the hill, from where there is a 

panoramic view of Morfou Bay, the central 

plain and the Pentadactylos (Kyrenia) 

Mountains. Go left at Agios Theodoros, 

to Spilia. The beautiful Atsas River valley 

winds up through well-irrigated terraces 

of almonds, olives and vines. At Kourdali, 

stands the mediaeval church of the Panagia. 

The belfry of the village church dominates 

the skyline at Spilia, a village popular with 

hikers and which has rural accommodation. 

Leave on the F929 signposted to 

Kannaviou and go right at the top, 

heading for Kyperounta. On the way 

down are wide views of terraced vines and 

the Madari hills. Go left onto the E909 

and go right at the sign for 

Kyperounta. Then take the left fork 

and on your right is the Rural Life and 

Natural History Museum in a restored 

building. The village also has a winery and 

a hospital. 

As you drive to the apple growing village of 

Dymes, there is a deep wooded valley to 

101

your left. In Potamissa, many people grow 

their vines on frames across the road as 

there is no room on the steep hillsides. 

Take the F806 to Pelendri and go into 

the village to the UNESCO World 

Continuing, on the hillside to your left 

are the ruins of old Korfi, which was 

abandoned after landslides, and after new 

Korfi, there is a vista of the Kouris Dam, 

Lemesos (Limassol) and the Akrotiri 

Salt Lake. 

Go right into Apesia, and behind the 

church and restored olive press is a small 

area where time seems to have stood still. 

Old houses and villagers inhabiting them 

just as their forefathers did. 

Go back to the main road and go 

left for Lemesos (Limassol) and the 

motorway. 

Asinou Church: open 09:30-17:00 May - Aug, 

09:30-16:00 Sept - Apr. 

Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis: Tue-Sat: 09:00-16:00 

Sun: 11:00-16:00. 

Heritage listed 13th century church 

of Timios Stavros. Also, do not miss the 

Panagia Catholiki church with its 

Byzantine/Italian frescoes. 

As you head for Trimiklini, you will pass 

a winery on your right. 

Go left onto the B8 and go left again 

onto the F812, signposted to Agios 

Mamas. Drive through the centre of this 

village of whitewashed stone houses, 

then go right and head for Kapileio. 

This village, which is known for early 

peaches, stands on a hillock and has 

extensive views all around. 

102

103

Troodos 

Route 10 

and the 

Marathasa Valley 

Distance: approximately 160kms 

ñ Vineyards, wineries and pine forests 

ñ Fascinating geology 

ñ Fertile valley famous for its cherry 

and fruit orchards 

ñ Delightful mountain villages 

and interesting museums 

ñ Unique, UNESCO World Heritage Site 

churches, with outstanding frescoed interiors 

ñ Good hill walking and cycling 

on specially prepared routes 



motorway, Lemesos (Limassol) 

bypass at the exit for 

Polemidia and Troodos and 

go onto the B8, signposted 

to Troodos. 

As other routes cover the villages 

on the way to Troodos, this route 

looks at the landscape and astonishing geology 

of a journey from sea level to 1,951 metres, 

but which also takes you to what was once 

the bottom of a very deep ocean around ninety 

million years ago. 

As you start to climb, the coastal lowland gravel 

and sand give way to plateaux of cream-coloured 

limestone and chalk on which grapevines flourish. 

After passing the Kouris dam to your left 

104

at Alassa, go left onto the F815 signposted 

to Monagri and drive down the valley. 

The Kouris River begins its 56 kilometre 

journey to the sea from 1,800 metres high up 

in the Troodos. Long before global warming and 

the dams at Trimiklini and Alassa diminished it, 

W 

N 

S 

E 

it carved a deep valley of limestone cliffs and 

river terraces on which orchards and almonds 

now thrive in rich alluvial soil. 

Cross the bridge and go through Silikou. 

Stop at Kouka to visit the small cruciform 

church from where there is a superb view 

of the Troodos massif towering majestically 

above you. After going right onto the E802, 

signposted to Saittas, the white chalks give 

105

way to outcrops of brown bulging pillow 

lavas, bubbles of once-molten rock frozen 

in the icy sea, indicating the beginning 

of the Troodos ophiolite, which is a chunk 

of ocean crust. 

Rejoin the B8 at the crossroads and go 

left to Moniatis and Platres. As you 

climb alongside dense deciduous woods, 

the rocks change to steep slabs of hard 

grey diabase. It was from river pebbles 

of this rock that Neolithic man shaped 

axe heads. 

and shows films of the unique natural 

environment of Troodos. There is also 

a 300-metre botanical and geological path, 

as well as a cafeteria and toilets. 

Go left and through Troodos Square, 

from where you can take a side trip to the 

summit of Mount Olympus (Chionistra) 

by going left at the roundabout, signposted 

to Prodromos, and taking the left fork 

along this road. The view from beside 

the white-domed military installations 

is stupendous. 

Stay on the B8 and drive to Troodos 

through a stark landscape of umbrella pines 

and dark coarse-grained gabbro rock 

formations. Go left to the Troodos 

National Park Visitor Centre and as you 

step out of the car, you will be standing 

on rocks that come from below the floor 

of the primordial Tethys Ocean, 

the predecessor of the Mediterranean. 

The Visitor Centre houses a first-rate 

collection of local ecological specimens 

On the main route, go onto the B9, 

signposted ‘Amiantos’ at the 

roundabout. You are now on part of the 

earth’s mantle that was six kilometres 

below the solid surface when dinosaurs 

walked the earth. The mantle is the middle 

of the earth’s three layers, sandwiched 

between the thin hard crust and the 

semi-liquid core. Perhaps this knowledge 

will help you see the defunct asbestos mine 

in a different light! 

One last point before we come back to 

the here and now: The Troodos Mountains 

are still growing - so if you do this journey 

next year, you will have to drive one 

millimetre further! 

106

Continue on the B9 at the major 

junction. A hundred metres after the 

turning to Platania picnic site, 

there is a moufflon reserve on the right. 

Drive right down the Solea valley 

on the B9, go left onto the E908, 

signposted to Prodromos and pass the 

olive-producing villages of Linou, Flasou and 

Katydata and the slag heaps of the 

Skouriotissa copper mines. Katydata is a 

delightful village with a very interesting 

mining museum. 

Orchards and olive groves fill the floor of 

the narrow steep-sided lower Marathasa 

Valley. Several large restaurants shelter 

under huge plane trees before you get to 

Kalopanagiotis Dam, in which trout, bass 

and other freshwater fish are raised. 

Two-storey balconied houses, 

some of which offer overnight 

accommodation, line the steeply winding 

streets of Kalopanagiotis. The sulphur 

springs are in the valley, near Agios Ioannis 

Lambadistis Monastery, one of the ten 

painted churches on UNESCO’s World 

Heritage List. Don’t miss the monastery’s 

impressive Byzantine museum, 

which is open to the public every day 

except Mondays. 

The houses clinging to the hillsides 

at Moutoullas have steep-pitched roofs 

to cast off snow. This village is famous 

for its spring water and for growing the 

tastiest pears. The church of the Panagia, 

built in 1280, is also one of the UNESCO 

churches. 

Pedoulas is a summer resort and centre 

of the Marathasa with banks, hotels, 

restaurants and a petrol station. 

It is famous for cherries and you will see 

the trees lining the roadside. 

Houses blanketed with climbing vines stand 

on narrow terraces. Here is another of the 

UNESCO churches, the 15th century Agios 

Mihail, opposite which is a Byzantine 

Museum. Nearby is also a charming folk art 

museum. 

Cyprus has a rich Byzantine 

heritage and fine examples 

of religious wall paintings and 

iconography can be seen 

in many of the old churches 

and monasteries including the 

10 churches in the Troodos 

designated as World Heritage 

sites by UNESCO. 

There are extensive views from all around 

Prodromos, the highest village in Cyprus 

at 1,400 metres. Prodromos has abundant 

natural vegetation, fruit orchards, cool 

water and healthy climate. It is also home 

to the Cyprus Forestry College. 

Go left at Prodromos roundabout, 

signposted ‘Platres’ and go right after 

100 metres onto the E804, signposted 

to Lemithou (where you can find rural 

accommodation). Stay on this road through 

Palaiomylos, a village of meandering 

107

108

streets and well-preserved traditional 

mountain-style houses, and drive to Foini 

(Fini), a village famous for pottery made 

of the red clay from the surrounding hills. 

Alas, the huge onion-shaped pithara wine 

jars are no longer made but examples can 

be seen in the Pilavakion Pottery Museum 

in the village centre. 

Back on the E804, go to Kato Platres 

and go right onto the E802, and head 

for Mandria and Pera Pedi. Mandria’s claim 

to fame is that the first inter-town 

telephone service linked the village to 

Lemesos (Limassol) in 1881. The main road 

at Pera Pedi skirts the village centre and 

goes beneath the shade of plane, alder, 

apple and pear trees. On your left behind 

the trees, you can just see the old winery, 

built in 1881 and still in use. 

restaurant serving authentic Cypriot food. 

To leave, head for Agios Amvrosios and 

on your right, is the Donkey Sanctuary 

housing around 140 elderly and abandoned 

animals. As you leave, look back at this 

pretty village before going left on the E601 

to Erimi and the motorway. 

Troodos National Park Visitors Centre 

Open daily 10:00-15:00 Jun-Aug 

Mon-Fri 10:00-15:00 Sept-May 

Closed on Public Holidays. 

All monuments in Marathassa valley are 

open daily, except on Mondays. 

Go right onto the E803, signposted to 

Koilani, and drive through orchards and, 

nestling beneath a huge plane tree, 

is Agia Mavri church with its 12th century 

frescoes. Opposite is Afames Mountain, 

which has given its name to the wines 

from this area. Go right into the village 

centre to find interesting traditional 

architecture, a couple of wineries and rural 

accommodation. Do not miss the 

Monogenis church with its small 

ecclesiastical museum. 

Back on the E803, go right to Vouni. 

In the narrow winding streets of this 

vine-growing settlement are some 

impressively restored arched houses with 

courtyards. There is also a Vakhis scheme 

109

The Pitsilia 

Route 11 

and the 

South-West Mesaoria 


ñ Drive through the diverse landscape 

of the central plain to pine clad mountains 

and rich fertile valleys 

ñ Unique UNESCO World Heritage Site churches 

with outstanding frescoed interiors 

ñ Tranquil monasteries 

ñ Traditional architecture 

ñ Excellent walking and hiking 

ñ Impressive scenery 

There are no petrol stations on this route 

after the B9, so fill up before you go. 

Leave Lefkosia (Nicosia) 

on the A9 (B9) Troodos motorway, 

go right at the roundabout 

at the end and drive 

to Peristerona. 

Peristerona straddles a dry 

riverbed on the south-west edge 

of the Mesaoria, the plain separating 

the Kyrenia and Troodos mountain ranges. 

The area is renowned for its watermelons and 

in spring, a profusion of wild flowers including the 

rare crimson Myrtou tulip, carpet the fields. 

110 

The church of Saints Barnabas and Hilarion is one 

of only two five-domed basilicas in Cyprus, 

and both of these are very rare in the world 

- the other is at Geroskipou, near Pafos - 

and a stone screen found during excavations

suggests that it was built over an earlier 

Christian site. The slender belfry stands 

in perfect juxtaposition with the minaret of one 

island’s most beautiful mosques – a very good 

example of the peaceful co-existence of the 

W 

N 

S 

E 

Christian and Muslim communities of the island. 

A walk round the village will reveal many fine 

examples of mudbrick and stone buildings. 

Go back the way you came on the B9 to the 

traffic lights and go right onto the E906. 

At Orounta, follow the signs to Agios 

Nikolaos Monastery and drive down to the 

riverbed through the narrow village streets. 

The remains of an olive press and well near 

the renovated monastery - now a nunnery - 

111

suggest it was once a much larger building. 

The nuns at the monastery are very 

devoted and welcoming and have created 

a delightfully serene atmosphere. 

Back on the E906, go right. As you drive 

up the mountain through an area of arable 

and livestock farming, and olive groves, 

Kato Moni is to your left. This was once 

a Grand Commanderie village belonging 

to the Knights Templar. 

between 1980 and 1982. Carry on up the 

E907 and, as you climb, on your right 

is the beautiful Adelphi Forest, culminating 

at the 1612 metre Adelphi Peak. 

This is a true hiker’s country. 

The houses at Lagoudera cling to the 

mountainside and their grape vines 

overhang the narrow village street. 

At the village exit, go right at the sign 

for Saranti. 

Go right onto the E907, signposted 

to Agia Marina. As you pass the village, 

you will see some fine examples 

of traditional houses, built with small 

boulders and mudbrick, with steeply 

pitched roofs and wooden balconies. 

There is a magnificent panorama of the 

forested Madari ridge ahead as you 

approach Xyliatos. This village, which was 

probably a pre-Mediaeval settlement, 

it has some well-preserved traditional 

houses. Years ago, shepherds from the 

Madari used to bring their flocks here 

for winter grazing. 

Take the right turn onto a gravel road 

at the wooden sign for Xyliatos picnic 

site. Straddling the Elia River, there are 

tables, fresh drinking water, barbecue pits 

and toilets in an idyllic setting deep among 

trees and surrounded by mineral-rich rocky 

hillsides. 

Back on the main road continue 

up the hill to Xyliatos Dam, a small but 

delightful reservoir, with fragrant pine trees 

almost reaching the banks. The dam built 

The 12th century church of Panagia tou 

Araka (Our Lady of the Wild Vetch) 

is one of the ten churches on UNESCO’s 

World Heritage List and it contains some 

of the finest examples of late 12th century 

Byzantine art in Cyprus. 

Saranti is a tiny village of huge chestnut 

trees and a few traditional houses built 

in the Pitsilia mountain style. 

Back at the main road, follow the signs 

for Troodos, and at the t-junction 

go left onto the F915, signposted 

to Polystypos. You are now travelling 

through the Madari wine- producing region, 

112

where grapevines flourish up to an altitude 

of 1600 metres. 

Polystypos has traditional vine-covered 

houses, gardens of hydrangeas and walnut 

trees. The church of Agios Andreas may 

have originally been a monastery. 

In the village centre, go onto the E931 

signposted to Alona. 

in its narrow and winding streets. 

According to a board found in the roof, 

the church of Agios Ioannis Prodromos 

(John the Baptist) dates from 1560. 

It was extended in 1763 and has 

Byzantine-style frescoes. 

In addition to grapes, Alona is renowned 

for its hazelnuts. As you drive down 

through the village, you will see several 

renovated traditional houses. The churches 

of Panagia Kardakiotissa and Agios 

Georgios are worth visiting. 

Leave the village and go back onto the 

F915, signposted to Fterykoudi. 

Stop at the viewpoint for a breathtaking 

view of the Madari ridge and the forests 

below. Go left into the village at the 

brown signposts to two churches 

(the signs are in Greek). 

Fterykoudi huddles on a rugged 

mountainside. A centuries old oak tree 

stands in the village square. The original 

foundations of the 16th century church 

are preserved beneath the present church. 

Drive back to the F915 and go left, 

signposted to Palaichori. 

On the way to Askas, you can take 

a short side trip to the Church of Agia 

Paraskevi, also known as Agia Christina, 

by taking the asphalt road to your left. 

The beautiful village of Askas has some 

of the most interesting traditional 

architecture to be found in Cyprus 

Drive back towards Alona and go right 

onto the E906, signposted to 

Platanistasa. On the way down the 

mountain, you can see across to Adelphi 

Forest and the tree-filled valley below. 

Platanistasa is an attractive village with 

a vast grape vine shading the paved village 

square. This is a lovely place to sit a while 

and sip a coffee among pots of vivid 

flowers. The thrifty but imaginative villagers 

use an eclectic selection of plant holders, 

including buckets and even the steel drum 

of a washing machine! Pitharia, huge wine 

jars in which the house wine is made, 

can be seen in several yards. 

113

If you intend to visit Stavros tou 

Agiasmati Church further down the 

mountain, remember to pick up the key 

in the village before you leave (don’t forget 

to return it afterwards). To get there, 

continue down the mountain and go 

left at the signpost to Stavros tou 

Agiasmati. This small church, one of the 

ten UNESCO World Heritage churches, 

stands isolated above a remote valley. 

Built in the second half of the 15th century, 

it is decorated with the island’s most 

complete cycle of frescoes. 

Go back to the E906 and as you drive 

descend, you will pass Panagia Bridge, 

with its picnic site and forest station. 

Shortly after, go left onto the E905 

signposted to Mitsero. The slagheaps and 

craters are evidence of Mitsero’s long 

history as a mining settlement. 

Drive to Agrokipia and follow the signs 

to the Monastery of Agios 

Panteleimon. The monastery is perched 

on a hill overlooking the dry, dramatic 

terrain of the western Mesaoria all the way 

to the Pentadaktylos mountains. 

After the bleak terrain, the oasis-like 

nunnery garden, is a revelation. It contains 

large yucca trees, tree-size cacti and the 

most varied collection of geraniums 

to be seen anywhere. 

Drive back to the F905, go left and join 

the E903 back to Nicosia. 

114

115

Route 12 

The Pafos 

Valleys 


ñ Broad, virtually uninhabited river valleys 

ñ Excellent angling, birdwatching, walking and cycling 

ñ Outstanding scenery dotted 

with a few traditional villages 

ñ Mediaeval bridges and water mills 

ñ Remote monasteries and churches 

ñ Great photo opportunities 

Travellers from Pafos: leave the motorway 

at the exit for Timi and Anarita. 

All other travellers leave the motorway 

at the exit for Pafos Airport. Go left on 

the B6, signpost ‘Mandria’ and, just 

before a bridge, go left to 

Asprokremnos Dam, a good angling 

location and a favourite with 

birdwatchers and walkers. 

Drive across the dam wall, 

from which there are spectacular 

views, go left at the end of the 

road and drive to Nikokleia, a village scenically 

located on the banks of the Diarizos River. There is 

rural accommodation at the restored village inn. 

In the mid-1950s, an earthquake devastated many 

villages in the Diarizos and Xeros valleys and you will 

see the remains of temporary prefabricated 

bungalows that once housed the homeless. Today’s 

route is where you will see old village buses and 

ancient tractors worthy of a place in a museum. 

116

As you go along the valley floor, the ruins 

of Souskiou are across the river to your right, 

with sheep and goats inhabiting the tumbledown 

stone houses. Southeast of the village, 

archaeologists have unearthed Chalcolithic 

rock-cut tombs and copper artefacts. 

W 

N 

S 

E 

In the riverbed near Fasoula is the surface 

channel that carries water to the southern 

region. Mamonia is best known as the birthplace 

of the infamous Hassan Poulis. Hassan and 

his two brothers terrorised the area in the 

1890s in what were supposedly ‘Robin Hood’ 

style raids. This and the next village, Agios 

Georgios, cultivate oranges in the wide river 

valley. Across the river at Prastio are the 

remains of the 12th century monastery of Agios 

Savvas tis Korones. 

117

As you continue, the valley gets narrower 

until the road goes through a cleft, known 

as the kourtellorotsos, between large black 

rocks into a wooded area. This is where 

the Hassan Poulia gang ambushed unwary 

travellers making the long journey from 

Pafos to Troodos. Kidasi is the last village 

before the river crossing, where there is an 

old water mill and large shady oak trees 

beside a spring. As you climb, the views 

become increasingly beautiful and the 

restored Agios Antonios church is a good 

place to stop and look across the valley. 

Kederes is a vine-growing village known 

for the production of zivania (See Section 

1, Chapter 5, Food & wine) and there 

is a winery shortly after Praitori. 

At Agios Nikolaos, go left at the brown 

signpost and follow the signs to Kelafos 

Bridge. On the way, there are wonderful 

views of the Pafos Forest and of Arminou 

dam in the valley below. 

Kelefos Bridge is one of three 

pack-bridges originally built by the 

Venetians for transporting goods across 

the mountains. It is romantically sited 

under the shade of trees and is an ideal 

place to stop for a picnic lunch. Elea 

Bridge is in a wooded dell nearby and 

Roudia Bridge straddles the upper 

reaches of the Xeros River at the bottom 

of the valley between Vretsia and Agios 

Ioannis. Return to Agios Nikolaos, go 

right onto the F616, then go right onto 

the F617 at the signpost for Filousa. 

Go left at the coffee shop; drive down 

the valley and cross the Diarizos River. 

Note the remains of the rickety old bridge 

to your left. Head for Arminou and take 

the left fork after the coffee shops, 

then go right onto the F618 and follow 

the signs to Agios Ioannis. 

These country lanes are bordered by 

almond and olive trees and this is a good 

place to look out for prehistoric looking 

Agama lizards (agama stelio cypriaca), which 

can grow up to 30cm in length, sunning 

themselves on the walls. 

There are no petrol 

stations on this route, 

so fill up your tank before you 

go. If you feel hungry, fresh 

bread, cheese, and olives are 

usually available at the village 

coffee shops (Kafenion). 

Numbers of the magnificent Griffon vulture 

(Gyps fulvus) have declined to dangerous 

levels, so the Cyprus Game Service has set 

up a feeding area on the cliffs at Agios 

Ioannis. It is not possible to visit the site 

but you may be lucky enough to see a 

vulture riding the thermals near the village. 

Leave Agios Ioannis by the road on 

which you came and go right onto the 

F618 at the signpost for Salamiou and 

go right again at the signpost for 

Kelokedera. Go through Kelokedera 

and Stavrokonnou and go right at the 

signpost to Agios Pandeleimmonos. 

118

After you pass the ruins of Choletra, 

abandoned about forty years ago because 

of landslides, go through the ford and 

head for Nata, a village of traditional 

two-storey houses, many with large 

pitharia wine jars in their courtyards. 

After Nata, go right at the signpost 

to Axylou and at the main road go 

right onto the F622, and drive through 

Axylou and Eledio. After Amargeti, 

go right onto the F623 at the signpost 

to Agia Maria Kelokedaron. This road 

takes you down through the beautiful 

Zirupillis forest. There is room by a 

roadside shrine shortly after a church 

to stop and take in the view. After climbing 

out of the valley, you enter the village 

along a road bordered by almond trees. 

Agia Marina is one of seven villages in the 

Kilithes Project for the Sustainable 

Development and Management of the River 

Valleys of Eastern Pafos. The other villages 

are Amargeti, Episkopi, Eledio, Kelokedara, 

Nata and Salamiou. An information centre 

is in the Postal Agency building on your 

right as you leave the village. Drive to 

Pentalia and, as you near the village you 

get a magnificent view of the summit of 

Mount Olympus, with its ‘golf ball’ radar 

stations. At the t-junction in Pentalia, 

follow the signs to Panagia tou Sinti 

down the road to your right and you will 

have magnificent views of the church as the 

track descends. 

added later. It was restored in the 1990s 

and one of the outbuildings contains an 

exhibition of the restoration project. 

The project received the prestigious 

Europa Nostra Award. On either side of 

the river nearby are the remains of two 

water mills. 

To leave, drive down to the riverbed 

and go straight ahead on the track 

among the boulders. The track meanders 

but is easily discernable. Go right after 

fording the river and keep the orange 

groves on your left. There are hillsides 

studded with olive trees on either side and 

further on are limestone cliffs where you 

might spot a Bonelli’s eagle, if you are very 

lucky. 

When you reach the tarmac road, go 

right heading for Nata (you drove along 

the last part of this road before) and go left 

at the fork before the village, following the 

signs for Anarita. Just before the Anarita, 

birdwatchers can take a left turn to 

Phinikas (Foinikas), a deserted village on 

the bank of the Asprokremnos. Drive 

through Anarita, a village engaged 

in livestock farming. A little further on at 

Timi you will see the Church of Agia Sofia, 

now a mosque. Just after Timi you will 

come to the main road. Go right for 

the motorway to Pafos and left for all 

other destinations. 

The church of Panagia tou Sinti, on the 

west bank of the Xeros River, was built 

around 1500 and had monastic buildings 

119

Route 13 

Pafos 

and the Akamas 


ñ Wild coastal scenery with wind-carved 

rocks and sea caves 

ñ Abundant flora and fauna 

ñ Stunning scenery 

ñ Pretty hill villages, some specialising in handicrafts 

ñ Excellent walking and cycling, with specially 

designed nature trails for all levels of ability 


If you are staying in Pafos, take the 

road to Coral Bay and turn right 

at the sign for Lempa. If you are coming 

from the Lemesos (Limassol) 

direction, follow the signs for Polis 

at the end of the motorway 

at Pafos and go right onto 

the B7 at the t-junction. 

Go immediately left, signposted 

to Empa, then right at the next 

t-junction and left again into 

Empa village where there the 12th 

church, Panagia Chryseleousa, has beautiful frescoes. 

Go straight ahead at the crossroads and right 

at the t-junction, then left at the signpost 

to Lempa. Go right at the next t-junction 

and immediately left. Take the first right into the 

village and the ‘Lempa Artistic Wall’ of the Cyprus 

Art College is on your right. Follow the signs for the 

Prehistoric Site but watch for the turn to the Lempa 

Experimental Village, as the sign is obscure. 

120

To continue, go right and right again at the 

fork, then left and you will be between banana 

groves and peach orchards. Go right onto the 

E701 and left onto the E708 to Coral Bay, 

then left at the sign to Maa Palaiokastro, 

to a Bronze Age settlement and museum. 

W 

N 

S 

E 

Back at the main road, go left and drive 

through banana, olive, citrus and almond groves. 

A side trip to the Sea Caves is via a track to 

your left where the road doubles back. 

On the main route, go right at the 

t-junction, left at the next one and drive 

to Agios Georgios Pegia, the site of an early 

Byzantine settlement. A tiny Byzantine church, 

fishermen’s cottages and tavernas overlook the 

fishing harbour and Geronisos island. 

121

Go back and go left at the signpost to 

the Akamas Peninsula. This wild and 

rugged area is practically uninhabited and 

is a nature lover’s paradise of thick forests, 

abundant flora and fauna, a beautiful 

coastline and a patchwork of geological 

formations. After a short distance, the road 

becomes a dirt track but it is easily 

passable with a little care. 

Over millennia, winter floods 

and snow melts have created 

some impressive gorges. These 

make excellent places to hike 

and explore. The most 

popular are Avakas, 

Androlikou and Petratis. 

When you reach the sign for Avakas 

Gorge, a narrow defile between towering 

cliffs, take a side trip to walk and explore 

this stunning location, and don’t forget to 

take your camera. Continue on along the 

main road and you will soon see Jurassic 

rocks carved into fantastic shapes by wind 

and water. Go right onto a concrete 

road at the signpost to Ineia. You can 

take a side trip to the Turtle Hatchery 

and Lara Beach by going straight ahead 

and can continue to Neo Chorio but the 

road is best suited to 4wd vehicles. 

As you climb, on your left is a perfectly 

preserved stiadi (makeshift house), 

built by shepherds from the plateau, 

who set up mandras (sheepfolds) on the 

coast for winter grazing. There are 

sweeping views of the coastline below and 

of the geologically diverse hills around you. 

As you near the Laona Plateau, you come 

to terraced vineyards with dry-stone walls. 

Go left at Ineia and left again then 

follow the sign for Pittokopas. 

You will see Chrysochou Bay to the right 

just before you go through Pittokopas, 

a village of only half a dozen stone houses, 

and take the right fork to Androlikou. 

This mostly ruined village is home to vast 

herds of goats. The brilliant white reef 

limestone of this area is quarried for the 

building industry. 

Go left onto the E709 signposted to 

Polis and go left again onto the E713 

at the t-junction. Latchi (Lakki), is the 

fishing and pleasure boat port of Polis. 

From here you can take boat trips along 

the Akamas coast. In this area there is 

plenty accommodation as well as tavernas 

serving fresh fish and local food. 

After turning inland, go right to the area 

known as the Baths of Aphrodite. 

According to legend, this is the place 

where the goddess of love and beauty met 

her lover Adonis, and bathed in the cool 

water of a grotto, fed by a trickling stream 

and shaded by wild figs. There is a good 

beach beneath the nearby tourist pavilion 

and several delightful nature trails traverse 

the surrounding hillsides, offering stunning 

views of countryside and the crystal blue 

waters of the bay. During spring the entire 

area is carpeted with wildflowers. 

122

Go back and go right on the F735 

to Neo Chorio, which used to be a 

donkey-breeding village. Go left of the 

church, then straight ahead and fork 

right onto a dirt road signposted ‘Smigies’. 

Agios Minas, a 16th century church atop 

12th century foundations near a small 

stream is a good place to spot indigenous 

Agama lizards. A little further on you come 

to Smigies picnic site, which has toilets, 

tables and fresh water. In this area are 

several nature trails and it is a good 

birdwatching area too. 

The remote Akamas area is 

particularly beautiful during 

springtime when the wild 

flowers are in bloom. This 

region is particularly famous 

for its wild cyclamen, irises, 

anemones, tulips and narcissi. 

Go back through Neo Chorio and 

Latchi and go right onto the E709, 

signposted to Kathikas, and head for 

Drousia. This popular rural holiday spot 

has renovated arched village houses, 

a modern hotel, a weaving museum and 

wonderful views across Chrysochou Bay. 

Go on the F708, signposted to Pafos, 

to Ineia, where one of the old limestone 

houses is a basket-making museum. 

Looking across the vineyards to the coast 

you can see the Karavopetres, tall isolated 

rocks in the sea. The next village is Kato 

Arodes, sitting at the head of the Avakas 

River and gorge. It is in these Laona villages 

that you are most likely to find older men 

still wearing the traditional vraka, baggy 

breeches. 

The varied rock formations have created 

spectacular gorges, karsts and undulating 

chalky hills around Pano Arodes, a village 

surrounded by vineyards and which is 

known for its white grapes and an old linos 

(wine press) that has been preserved 

among the vineyards. The houses are 

typical, narrow, two-storey stone buildings. 

Go left onto E709, signposted to 

Prodromi and go right at the sign to 

Kritou Tera, where there is a huge plane 

tree by the bridge as you enter. Saddlers 

and chair makers were prevalent here and 

the women made sweet pasteli, carob 

toffee. At the end of the 19th and the 

beginning of the 20th century, the village 

was famous in the region because one of 

its coffee shops was a ‘casino’ where 

gambling took place and exotic dancers 

from abroad, mainly Smyrna and Adana, 

entertained the punters. Kritou Tera is 

home to an Environmental Studies Centre. 

Drive through the village, go right at 

the coffee shop with a spiral staircase, 

and follow the signs for Agia Ekaterini. 

As you drive down the valley between 

apricot orchards, there are wide views 

across to the Pafos Forest. Agia Ekaterini 

Church, with its interesting architecture, 

was founded in the 15th century by monks 

123

from Mount Sinai, who still own it. As you 

drive down the hill, there is a deep 

tree-filled gully to your right. 

Go right onto the main B7 road and 

right onto the F734 at the signpost to 

Kato Akourdalia, a village of traditional 

houses, some of which have been 

renovated as rural accommodation and 

a folk art museum. You can take a side trip 

by going right to Pano Akourdalia, 

which also has rural accommodation 

and a herbal garden. 

On the main route, take the road to 

Miliou, where most of the traditional 

houses have pretty flower gardens. 

Near the old monastery building of Agioi 

Anargyri are therapeutic sulphur springs. 

After going right onto the B7, Giolou is 

to your right. This is a fertile village of 

almonds, grapes, citrus fruit and cereals. 

This area is particularly beautiful in 

February when the almond tress are 

in blossom. Go right at the sign for 

Theletra, an old settlement tucked under 

a cliff. The village was abandoned several 

years ago because of landslides and the 

wind whistles eerily around the arched 

two-storey houses and meandering streets. 

At the top of the hill, go to Kathikas. 

The main income of this village was from 

grapes and winemaking but rural tourism 

is now a feature, with several traditional 

houses accommodating holidaymakers. 

The old village school is the Information 

Centre for the Laona Project and there 

is a winery on the outskirts as you follow 

the E709, signposted to Pafos. 

On your left among the vineyards, you will 

see a set of steps going nowhere. During 

the grape harvest, grape-pickers would 

climb them to tip grapes into sirizes, 

donkey panniers. 

As you drive down towards the coast, 

there is a spectacular view ahead, especially 

at sunset, when the sea turns to 

shimmering gold. Go left onto the F706 

at the bottom of the hill for Pafos and 

the motorway. 

Lempa Prehistoric Site/Experimental 

Village The settlement belongs to the 

Chalcolithic period, c.3,500BC. Nearby, 

archaeologists have constructed six 

complete roundhouses using the same 

building methods as those in antiquity, 

in order to try to ascertain how such 

a mammoth building task was achieved 

without the use of carts. The wheel had 

not been invented at that time and each 

building required around 100 tonnes 

of earth, stone and timber. The ancient 

builders mixed mud with chaff and put up 

wooden posts to support a roof of beams, 

myrtle and earth. They lime-plastered the 

floor and walls and completed the building 

with wooden window frames and doors. 

124

These constructions stand alongside the 

exposed foundations of their prehistoric 

predecessors. Many finds from the site are 

at the Pafos District Archaeological 

Museum. The Lemba site is open daily from 

dawn to dusk and you can wander freely. 

The site is on the Aphrodite Cultural 

Route. 

Maa-Palaiokastro is a 12th century BC 

fortified settlement built by Mycenaean 

Greeks seeking refuge after the collapse of 

their main centres of civilisation in the 

Peloponnesos in southern Greece, and 

who were attracted by Cyprus’ copper 

mines. Maa had a natural harbour and 

potable water and the settlers fortified the 

site with massive stone walls. Excavations 

have unearthed a large complex of rooms 

joined by a common corridor and other 

finds indicate that internal and external 

trade existed. Although the site was 

defendable and was a good vantage point 

from which to spot an approach from land 

or sea, the Mycenaeans Greeks abandoned 

it around 1150 BC and probably moved on 

to other parts of the island. 

The Museum of the Mycenaean Greek 

Colonisation of Cyprus at Maa is an 

impressive semi-underground modern 

structure, designed by the famous Italian 

architect, Andrea Bruno, and consisting 

of eight chronological themed areas and, 

with the help of explanatory texts, aerial 

photographs, maps and copies of finds, 

visitors can learn about the glorious history 

of late Bronze Age Cyprus, whose 

prosperity was principally due to its copper 

deposits. One area focuses on the 

settlement at Maa itself, with details 

of the life and activities of its inhabitants 

and there is information about settlements 

from the same era at Enkomi, Kition and 

Alassa as well as on the influence exerted 

by the Mycenaean Greeks. Finally, there 

is a section on the development of writing 

and religious practices in Cyprus during the 

late Bronze Age. Entry is through the 

Maa-Palaiokastro site, the entry fee for 

which covers the museum too. 

Open Mon – Sat 10:00 – 16:00. 

Cape Drepano and Pegeia Early 

Christian Basilicas: In this area there was 

a Roman and early Byzantine settlement. 

It was almost certain that it was destroyed 

by earthquake and its ruins are scattered 

beneath the scrubland of the area. 

However, its small harbour, which was 

used during the early Byzantine period as a 

convenient harbour for trade between 

Egypt and Constantinople, is still in use 

today. There are rock-cut chambers on the 

cliff-side above the harbour, some of which 

bear Christian crosses of an archaic design. 

The offshore small island of Geronisos has 

what are thought to be the remains of a 

Roman garrison on its west side. 

The excavations of 6th century Pegeia 

Basilicas (which gets its name from the 

nearest village), are behind the fishermen’s 

cottages. Here you will find excellent floor 

mosaics depicting animals and birds. 

125

Route 14 

Polis, 

Kato Pyrgos 

and Kykkos 


ñ Interesting coastal and mountain drive 

ñ Ancient monasteries 

ñ Impressive scenery and views 

ñ Vineyards, wineries and pine forests 

ñ Good birdwatching and walking 


Leave Polis (once a very important ancient 

City Kingdom, now a small pleasant coastal 

town overlooking the delightful 

Chrysochous Bay) on the E704, 

signposted to Argaka. 

You are heading for Pachyammos 

and Kato Pyrgo along a narrow, 

fertile coastal strip with sandy 

beaches and capes to your left 

and mountains to your right. 

Along the way you will see 

a wooden pier. This was the 

place where the copper ore from 

the nearby mines at Limni was loaded onto the ships 

for transportation abroad. There is a picnic site just 

before the pretty hill village of Argaka, which is a 

short detour to your right. 

At Gialia, which is known for its tasty oranges, 

and at Agia Marina the houses along the beach have 

vibrant gardens of lilies in the spring and 

the cultivation of peanuts and small quantities 

of tobacco are unique to this region. 

126

Shortly after the village of Pomos, go left by 

a banana grove – look for a small blue and 

white ‘Fishing Shelter’ sign on a telegraph 

pole. There is a wonderful view of the bay and 

mountains from the tiny harbour. The small 

beach is good for snorkelling and the seashore 

pebbles are an illustration of the geology of this 

area. Wet a few to see the varied colours. 

W 

N 

S 

E 

As you drive on, the coastal strip is replaced by 

pine-covered slopes that fall vertically to the sea. 

Pachyammos means ‘broad sand’ and here a 

beach of dark sand sweeps around the bay. 

The large church in the middle of the village 

is dedicated to Agios Rafael and is a popular 

pilgrimage site. After the village, you start to 

climb into the Tylliria, a swathe of austere 

forested territory on the north-west slopes 

of the Troodos Mountains. 

127

The large bands of bare earth that can be 

seen traversing the forest are firebreaks, 

needed here because the ruggedness of this 

area makes access difficult for fire 

appliances. The barren terrain to your left 

is where, centuries ago, the trees were cut 

for shipbuilding and smelting in the 

long-since defunct copper mines. Keep 

your eyes open for the wandering goats 

that inhabit abandoned buildings – 

the animals often stray onto the road. 

The archaeological museum 

in Polis houses an interesting 

collection of antiquities, 

all of which have been located 

in the area. These show the 

importance of this region in 

the past. The Museum is on 

the Aphrodite Cultural Route. 

Because of the new road, the economy 

and quality of life of the region has seen 

an upturn. This is particularly apparent 

when you reach the village of Mosfileri, 

where many of the old houses are being 

turned into holiday homes. You can see 

the remains of the narrow old road on 

either side just after Mansoura. 

Kato Pyrgos is the regional centre of the 

Tylliria. It is a holiday retreat with hotels, 

apartments, tavernas, banks, a cottage 

hospital and a petrol station. Now is the 

time to check your gauge because there 

is no more petrol to be had on this route. 

In the old part of the village, which is 

shaded by huge trees, go right onto the 

F743, signposted to Pano Pyrgos. 

Drive up the valley of citrus, bananas and 

peaches and go right to Pano Pyrgos. 

This tiny settlement is one of the last 

places in Cyprus where charcoal is 

produced. Logs (mainly deadfall) from the 

nearby forest are placed in pits on top of 

smouldering wood and covered with earth 

to ‘cook’ slowly. The smoke-blackened 

stone houses are now mostly uninhabited 

but there is a little postal agency cum 

village store that also serves as the village 

coffee shop. 

Back at the F743, go right and head for 

Kambos. The winding road now takes you 

into the Tylliria hinterland, with its deep 

river valleys, mineral rich rocks and thick 

forest. As you travel south along the 

Pyrgos River, you might see moufflon 

skittering down the rock face to drink. 

After climbing to Selladi tis Syrmenis 

there is room to stop to take a look across 

to Morfou Bay, Cape Kormakiti and the 

Mesaoria plain in the distance. The road 

now drops down and goes north along the 

Limnitis valley and climbs again, offering 

amazing views of the coastline. Stop at the 

top and listen to the haunting sound of the 

wind. As you go down into the Kampos 

River valley, go right at the signpost for 

Kampos. This narrow lane takes you to 

the quaint shady village of Kampos, where 

128

there are tavernas and a small guesthouse. 

Cherry orchards, vines and damask roses 

line the road to Tsakistra. 

As you continue up the road to Kykkos 

Monastery, the peak of Mount Olympus is 

to your left. 

Go back down the road and take the 

left fork signposted to Stavros tis 

Psokas. Just before the fork you will 

glimpse the sea in the distance ahead of 

you. At the next fork, take the forest 

road left, signposted to Cedar Valley, 

and you will shortly get a view of Olympus, 

the highest point on the island, and the tiny 

chapel of Throni tis Panagias, which 

overlooks Kykkos Monastery, to your left. 

Drive on and go left onto the tarmac, 

heading for Panagia. You get another 

view of Mount Olympus on your left 

before reaching the quiet and peaceful 

Monashilakas picnic site. After climbing 

to Pano Panagia between vine-clad 

terraces, go left onto the F622, 

signposted to Statos Agios Fotios. 

Pano Panagia is the birthplace of 

Archbishop Makarios III, first president of 

the Republic of Cyprus and you can visit 

his childhood home. Many of the traditional 

houses here consist of a one family room 

with an area behind for the animals and 

a shared front door. The village has several 

tavernas, rural accommodation and a 

winery. 

As you travel to Chrysorrogiatissa 

Monastery, there is an extensive view to 

your right of the surrounding countryside 

and Kannaviou Dam. 

Cedar Valley contains hundreds of the 

indigenous cedar trees, cedrus brevifolia, 

which differ slightly from their Lebanese 

cousin. The area has seats in the shade 

and toilet facilities. Hikers can walk 

up to the summit of Mount Tripylos 

(1,362 metres), from where there 

is a magnificent panorama of the Tylliria 

and Pafos Forest. 

Travelling on, Agia Moni Monastery, 

one of the oldest on the island and 

believed to have been founded in 300AD 

over an ancient Temple of Hera, is to your 

left just before you go right onto the 

E702, signposted to Choulou. 

Driving down into the vineyards, the view 

sweeps across from the Pafos Forest 

almost to the Akamas. Go through old 

Statos, abandoned after the 1955 

earthquake, although the villagers 

continued to keep their zivania stills here, 

(See Section 1, Chapter 5, Food and 

wine), and follow the road signposted 

129

to Pentalia. There is a winery at Statos 

Agios Fotios to your left. Go right again 

at the sign for Choulou, then follow 

the signs for Pafos. 

After going through the lower end of 

Statos and Agios Fotios, again abandoned 

but with some impressive architecture, you 

are in the heart of the Pafos wine country, 

with slow-moving villages where tradition 

holds fast. The rolling hills are covered 

with wild barley, almond trees and 

vineyards. 

In Choulou, a village of tall and narrow 

stone houses, go left at the signpost to 

Pafos and take the road to Lemona. 

In the past, this village was famous for its 

silk and quite a few mulberry trees remain. 

Some of the older inhabitants can still 

recite the Song of Arodafnousa, in which the 

secret love between a mediaeval King of 

Cyprus and a noblewoman from Choulou, 

is told. 

Cross the Ezousa River on the way to 

Letymbou, where you will see an old olive 

mill and a linos (wine press), in a tiny 

square to your right. The village has some 

beautifully restored houses and it is said 

that there are twelve churches within its 

boundaries, the most important being 

Agios Kyrikos and Ioulitas. 

The vineyards continue past Kallepia 

and Tsada, all the way to the B7 Polis – 

Pafos road. 

Makarios Birthplace: Open 10:00 – 13:00 

and 14:00 – 18:00 daily 

Kykkos Monastery, isolated among 

magnificent mountains and forests, 

is famous throughout the Orthodox world. 

It houses an icon of the Most Merciful 

Virgin, reputedly painted by St Luke the 

Apostle during the Madonna’s lifetime. 

This icon, which is kept in a silver 

phylactery, is venerated by Cypriots who 

pray to it regularly but especially at times 

of drought. Kykkos is of Byzantine origin, 

founded by the hermit Isaias, probably at 

the end of the 11th century, with the aid 

of the Byzantine Emporer Alexios 

Komnenos. The first monastery was built 

of wood. Over the centuries, Kykkos 

acquired considerable wealth and property 

in Cyprus and abroad and had close 

connections with the Russian Church. 

The current assortment of buildings date 

from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and 

the frescoes and mosaics are of recent 

design and execution. To the south-west is 

Throni tis Panagias (throne of the Virgin 

Mary), a place of pilgrimage overlooking 

the entire mountain range. Nearby is the 

tomb of Archbishop Makarios III, who was 

a novice at Kykkos and who chose this site 

as his final resting place. Kykkos is open 

year round from dawn to dusk. 

The Byzantine Museum at Kykkos 

Monastery contains a breathtaking 

collection of priceless ecclesiastical 

treasures. The state-of-the-art interior 

of the building, which is a finely balanced 

combination of ancient and modern, 

includes a small display of antiquities 

and a large gallery with Early Christian, 

130

Byzantine and post-Byzantine church 

vestments, vessels and jewellery. There is a 

circular room with manuscripts and books 

and a splendid display of icons, frescoes 

and carvings in another chamber. Soothing 

Byzantine church music plays unobtrusively 

in the background. Open June – Oct 10:00 

– 18:00, Nov – May 10:00 – 16:00. 

Panagia Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery 

(Our Lady of the Golden Pomegranate) 

is in beautiful wooded surroundings 830m 

above sea level, with wonderful views over 

the west coast of the island. The 

monastery was established in 1152 by the 

hermit Ignatius to house an icon with the 

image of the Virgin Mary believed to have 

been painted by St Luke the Evangelist. 

The icon had washed ashore at Pafos after 

being thrown into the sea at Isauria in Asia 

Minor to save it from iconoclasts. 

A fisherman found it and hid it in a cave 

from where, four hundred years later, 

Ignatuis retrieved it after a vision in which 

he saw the icon radiating light and an angel 

told him to take it to Monte Rogia and 

enshrine it there. The miraculous icon is 

now kept in a special casket. 

A few years ago, the Abbott revived the 

monastery’s wine-making tradition using 

grapes from the monastery’s vineyards on 

the slopes of Mount Rogia. The winery is 

within the monastery’s cloisters and is 

open to visitors. 

131

Route 15 

Pafos Forest 

Approximately 80 kilometres 

ñ Forested mountain roads with impressive views 

ñ Moufflon sancturary 

ñ Excellent hiking and birdwatching 

ñ Quaint villages with traditional crafts 

ñ Freshwater fishing 


Leave the B7 Polis to Pafos road at Skouli 

on the road signposted to Evretou Dam. 

From the dam wall there is a wide-angle 

view across the Chrysochou Valley 

to the Laona Peninsula and the Akamas. 

This is a popular place with birdwatchers 

looking for waterbirds and waders. 

Go back down the road and 

go right at the signpost 

to Steni and Peristerona. 

At the entrance to Peristerona, 

go left at the wooden signboard 

to ‘Aitichoulis Gorge’ and walk 

a little way behind the monument 

for an extensive view of the Polis area. 

This is a good vantage point from which to look for 

birds of prey wheeling above the gorge. 

Peristerona is the seat of the Bishop of Arsinoe and 

there is a very interesting Byzantine Museum on the 

ground floor of the bishopric. You pass an old olive 

press on the left as you leave the village. Follow the 

signs for Stavros tis Psokas. Drive into the narrow 

132

village centre of Lysos and beside the restored 

old Church of the Panagia is a viewpoint where 

you can sit and take in the landscape of coastal 

villages and sea. Below the church is the original 

cobbled village square, which is notable for its 

many vryses (springs), where the women of the 

village used to go every day to collect water. 

You pass a small hotel as you leave the village 

and start to climb into the Pafos Forest. 

As you ascend, there is a deep valley to your 

right and rockroses thrive beneath the tall pines 

lining the road. 

Stavros tis Psokas is a government forest 

station that gets its name from a long-gone 

monastery. It is also the headquarters of the 

Fire Brigade for the Pafos Forest. Stavros tis 

Psokas is a favoured spot with Cypriots, 

W 

N 

S 

E 

133

who say it is the coolest place on the island 

in summer. There are barbecue facilities 

at the large picnic site and there is a small 

shop, café, and limited accommodation. 

By far the most popular reason for visiting 

Stavros tis Psokas is to get a glimpse 

of the rare and endangered moufflon (ovis 

orientalis ophion), which are reared and 

protected here in a huge government-run 

enclosure. (See Section 1, Chapter 2, 

Natural Environment). 

To leave, take the road to your left as 

you face back the way you came. 

This is an all-weather forest road 

signposted to Pafos on a dark green sign. 

Follow the signs to ‘Agia’ and on the 

way down, there is a deep valley to your 

right and a view of the hills to the south. 

Water seeps from the rocks and crosses 

the track into the trackside stream, where 

bracken and ferns grow, and where you 

may be lucky enough to spot freshwater 

crabs. Planes, oaks, arbutus and brambles 

line the valley floor. Agyia picnic site is in 

deep shade on a tributary of the Ezousa 

River and here you will find drinking water 

and toilets. A little further on is the Vrysi 

tou Diakou, an ice-cold spring, where 

moufflon come to drink, leaving dainty 

hoof-prints in the mud. 

Go right at the fork in the road, 

following the sign to Kannaviou. 

The road becomes a bit bumpy and narrow 

in places but is easily passable. 

After crossing a small bridge, you will see 

the blue waters of Kannaviou Dam to your 

right. The road skirts the dam, 

then climbs and joins the tarmac 

at a t-junction, where you go right, 

following the sign to Kannaviou. 

You will pass the dam wall on your right 

down the hill before going right onto 

the F725, signposted to Kritou 

Marottou. You are now in an area of olive 

trees, wild barley and grape vines. In the 

village, take the road signposted to 

‘Phiti’ and follow the arrows. At the 

second church, go right and up. 

Fyti sits on a ridge and has extensive views 

all around. The arched ground-floor rooms 

of many of the traditional limestone houses 

are large in order to accommodate a voufa 

(loom). Weaving is still done at Fyti 

(See Section 1, Chapter 4, Rural Crafts 

and Skills) and you can see the women 

working and buy their fine linen. 

There is a weaving museum in the village 

square. 

The next village, Lasa, used to be a centre 

of chair-making and there are still a few 

carpenters working. There is an olive press 

on your left and the old circular stone 

threshing floors in the fields are still used. 

On the road to Simou, which is an almond 

growing village, there are views of Evretou 

Dam and the Pafos Forest. Many of the old 

houses in Simou have been restored and 

the village is gradually being repopulated as 

better roads make it easier for people to 

travel to Polis for work. 

134

After the village, you can take a side trip 

by going right at the signpost to Skarfos 

Bridge and Watermills. Both are ruined 

mediaeval structures built over five 

hundred years ago. The little track beside 

the bridge, which sits in a field, 

is a remnant of the mediaeval road from 

Polis to Pafos. 

From the main route, which goes between 

almond groves and grapevines, there is a 

wonderful vista of Evretou dam, a favoured 

spot for anglers, with a backdrop of the 

Akamas hills. To fish in the dam, anglers 

require a license from the Department of 

Fisheries. (See Section 1, Chapter 7, 

Countryside Activities). 

Just a few hundred metres after going 

right at the signpost to Evretou dam, 

you will reach the water’s edge. 

You can drive round the dam to the eerily 

beautiful ruins of old Evretou on the 

opposite bank. 

Go back to the road and go right 

to the B7 Polis-Pafos road. 

An alternative route is head up to 

Lysos and return to Polis via Kynousa 

or Pelathousa villages where you will 

enjoy some superb views over the 

Chrysochou Bay as you head down 

from the hills. 

Arsinoe Byzantine Museum 

Apr-Oct, Mon-Fri 10:00-13:00, 14:00-18:00 

Nov-Mar, Mon-Fri 10:00-16:00 

Saturday all year 10:00-13:00 

135

CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION 

Leoforos Lemesou 19, Lefkosia (Nicosia) 

P.O.Box 24535, CY 1390 Lefkosia(Nicosia) 

Cyprus, Tel. 22 69 11 00 

Telefax: 22 33 16 44 

E-mail: cytour@cto.org.cy 

Web-site: www.visitcyprus.com 

TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES 

(For personal and telephone enquiries only) 

Open every morning except Sundays 

and on Monday, 

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons 

Lefkosia (Nicosia) 

Aristokyprou 11 

Laïki Geitonia (East of Plateia Eleftherias) 

CY 1011 Lefkosia, Tel. 22 67 42 64 


a) Spyrou Araouzou 115 A’ 

CY 3036 Lemesos, Tel. 25 36 27 56 

b) Georgiou A’, 22 

CY 4047 Lemesos, Potamos tis 

Germasogeias 

(eastern entrance of Dasoudi beach) 

Tel. 25 32 32 11 

c) Lemesos Harbour 

P.O.Box 55605, CY 3781Lemesos 

Service to all passenger boats 

Tel. 25 57 18 68 

Larnaka 

a) Plateia Vasileos Pavlou 

CY 6023 Larnaka, Tel. 24 65 43 22 

b) Larnaka International Airport 

CY 7130 Larnaka, Tel. 24 64 35 76 

Pafos 

a) Gladstonos 3 

CY 8046 Pafos, Tel. 26 93 28 41 

b) Poseidonos 63A, CY 8042, Kato Pafos 

Tel. 26 93 05 21 

c) Pafos International Airport 

CY 8320 Pafos, Tel. 26 42 31 61 

(service to all flights) 

Polis 

Vasileos Stasioikou A’ 2 

CY 8820, Polis Chrysochous 

Tel. 26 32 24 68 

Agia Napa 

Leoforos Kryou Nerou 12 

CY 5330 Agia Napa, Tel. 23 72 17 96 

Paralimni - Protaras 

Leoforos Protara - Kavo Gkreko 356 

CY 5296 Protaras - Paralimni, 

Tel. 23 83 28 65 

Platres 

CY 4820 Platres, Tel. 25 42 13 16 

136

UNITED KINGDOM 

CYPRUS TOURIST OFFICE 

17, Hanover Street London W1S 1YP 

Tel. 0207 569 8800, Fax: 0207 499 4935 

E-mail: informationcto@btconnect.com 

IRELAND 


71, Lower Leeson Str., Dublin 2 

Tel. 00 353-1-6629269 

Fax: 00 353-1-6629270 

E-mail: cyprusinfo@eircom.net 

GERMANY 

FREMDENVERKEHRSZENTRALE 

ZYPERN, 

FRANKFURT 

Zeil 127 - 60313 Frankfurt 

Tel. (069) 25 19 19, Fax: (069) 25 02 88 

E-mail: info@cto-fra.de 

BERLIN 

Wallstr. 27, 10179 Berlin 

Tel. 0 3023 4575 90, Fax: 0 3023 4575 92 

E-mail: cto_berlin@t—online.de 

SWITZERLAND 

FREMDENVERKEHRSZENTRALE 

ZYPERN 

Gottfried Keller – Strasse 7, CH-8001 

Zürich , Tel. (+4144) 262 3303 

Fax: (+4144) 251 2417 

Geneva: Tel: (+4122) 741 33 03 

E-mail: ctozurich@bluewin.ch 

AUSTRIA 

ZYPERN TOURISMUS 

Parkring 20, A–1010 Wien 

Tel. (01) 513 18 70, Fax: (01) 513 18 72 

E-mail: zyperntourism@aon.at 

FRANCE 

OFFICE DU TOURISME DE CHYPRE 

15, Rue de la Paix, 75002 Paris 

Tel. (01) 42 61 42 49, Fax: (01) 42 61 65 13 

E-mail: cto.chypre.paris@wanadoo.fr 

BELGIUM 

OFFICE DU TOURISME DE CHYPRE 

DIENST VOOR TOERISME VAN CYPRUS 

Avenue de Cortenbergh 61, 

Kortenberglaan 

B-1000 Bruxelles/Brussel 

Tel. 02/735.06.21, Fax: 02/735.66.07 

E-mail: cyprus@skynet.be 

THE NETHERLANDS 

CYPRUS VERKEERSBUREAU 

Keizersgracht 635, 1017 DS Amsterdam 

Tel. (020) 624 4358, Fax: (020) 638 3369 

E-mail: cyprus.sun@wxs.nl 

SWEDEN 

O 

CYPERNS TURISTRAD 

Norrlandsgatan 20, 1st floor, 

111 43 Stockholm 

Tel. (08) 10 50 25, Fax: (08) 10 64 14 

E-mail: info@ctosweden.org 

FINLAND 

KYPROKSEN MATKAILUTOIMISTO 

Aleksanterinkatu 48B, 00100 Helsinki 

Tel. (0) 9-476 09 100, Fax: (0) 9-476 09 120 

E-mail: info@ctofinland.org 

GREECE 


ATHENS 

Voukourestiou 38, Kolonaki, Athens 10673 

Tel. (210) 36 10 178, (210) 36 10 057 

Fax: (210) 36 44 798 

E-mail: cto–athens@ath.forthnet.gr 

137

THESSALONIKI 

37 Nikis Ave., Thessaloniki 54013, 

P.O.Box 50046 

Tel. 00 2310-242880 

Fax: 00 2310-286881 

E-mail: kotthes@the.forthnet.gr 

ITALY 

ENTE NAZIONALE PER IL TURISMO DI 

CIPRO 

Via Santa Sofia 6, 20122 Milano 

Tel. 02 58 30 33 28, 02 58 31 98 35 

Fax: 02 58 30 33 75 

E-mail: info@turismocipro.it 

UNITED STATES 

CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANIZATION 

13 East 40th Str. New York, NY 10016 

Tel. (00 1212) 683-5280, 

Fax: (00 1212) 683-5282 

E-mail: gocyprus@aol.com 

ISRAEL 


Top Tower-14th floor, Dizengoff Centre 

50 Dizengoff Str., - Tel-Aviv 64332 

Tel. 00-972-3-52 57 442, 

Fax: 00-972-3-52 57 443 

E-mail: cto@netvision.net.il 

RUSSIAN FEDERATION 

CYPRUS TOURISM ORGANISATION- 

MOSCOW 

Povarskaya 9, Building 2, 121069, Moscow 

Tel. 007 495 744 2953/54 

Fax: 007 495 744 2955 

E-mail: moscowcto@yandex.ru 

ST. PETERSBURG 

Prospect Chernyshevskogo 

Flat 56, House 17, 191123 St. Petersburg 

Tel: 007-812-332-58-08 

Fax: 007-812-332-58-09 

E-mail: spbcto@yandex.ru 

HUNGARY 

CIPRUSI IDEGENFORGALMI 

HIVATAL 

H-1051 Budapest, Dorottya Str. 3. III floor 

Tel. 00-36-1-266 6044 

Fax: 00-36-1-266 6043 

E-mail: ciprusinfo@t-online.hu 

POLAND 

CYPRYJSKA ORGANIZACJA 

TURYSTYCZNA 

Piekna 20, 00-549 Warszawa 

Tel. 48 22-827 90 36 

Fax: 48 22-827 90 34 

E-mail: cto@cypr.pl 

CZECH REPUBLIC 

KYPERSK∞` ORGANIZACE 

CESTOVNÌHO RUCHU 

Pod Hradbami 662/9, 16000 Praha 6 

Tel. 00-420-222-253 097 

Fax: 00-420-222-251 639 

E-mail: cto.prague@volny.cz 

MIDDLE EAST & ARABIAN GULF 


Al Ghurair Center, Offices Tower 436B 

P.O.Box 94670, Deira, Dubai, UAE 

Tel. (00971) 4 2277637 

Fax. (00971) 4 2277638 

E-mail: tourism@cyprusme.com 

138

info General 

The fire hazard 

It is highly likely that fires would get 

started in the Cyprus countryside 

especially during the summer months when 

it gets parched and dry. Please be aware of 

the danger and avoid discarding cigarettes 

out of car windows, having barbecues in 

places not allowed or discarding glass 

bottles which can easily reflect the sun. 

If you do notice a fire or even smoke, 

please call 1407 immediately. 

Driving 

Driving is on the left, with priority from 

the right at roundabouts. The road layout 

and road signs follow the international 

system and distances and speeds are given 

in kilometres. Fairly good surfaced roads 

complying with international traffic 

requirements link the towns and the 

various villages. Four lane motorways 

connect the capital Lefkosia (or Nicosia) 

with the coastal towns of Lemesos 

(Limassol), Larnaka, Paphos and Agia Napa. 

Minor roads and forest roads are still 

largely unsurfaced but in good to fair 

condition. Appropriate care should be 

taken when using these roads especially 

during wet weather. Police will fine you for 

careless driving, not wearing a motorcycle 

helmet or a seatbelt and using a mobile 

phone while driving. 

Driving licenses 

Visitors in Cyprus can drive using a valid 

International driving license, or their 

National driving license, provided it is valid 

for the class of vehicle they wish to drive. 

Cyprus weather 

Cyprus enjoys an intense Mediterranean 

climate, with long, dry summers from 

mid-May to mid-October and with mild 

winters from December to February which 

are separated by short autumn and spring 

seasons. Summer is the season of high 

temperatures with cloudless skies but the 

sea breeze creates a pleasant atmosphere 

in the coastal areas. Winters are mild with 

some rain and snow on Troodos 

Mountains. In Cyprus there is abundant 

sunshine. Even in December and January 

there is an average of six hours of bright 

sunshine per day. 

Clothing/Dress and Activities 

April-May: Days are pleasantly warm, 

but temperatures may fall a bit at night. 

- Medium-weight and summer apparel 

- Excellent season for those who prefer to 

enjoy nature as the countryside is green 

and flowers are in blossom. 

June-July-August: Warmest months of 

summer 

- Very light weight summer clothing 

- Ideal for swimming and all beach/water 

activities. 

September - October: Warm days, cool 

October evenings 

- Light weight apparel for the day 

and medium-weight for the evenings 

in October. 

November: Pleasantly warm days 

- Medium-weight apparel. Light woollies. 

- Ideal weather for autumn travel. Lunches 

in the open-air still a delight. Sunbathing 

and even swimming can still be enjoyed, 

as well as most outdoor sports. 

139

December-January: 

- It may rain occasionally, yet the promise 

of glorious sunshine is still there. 

- Winter clothing-not heavy coats though! 

- Outdoor activities and excursions can be 

enjoyed. 

February: The possibility of exceptionally 

warm days. Almond trees in blossom, 

occasional rain and mild day time 

temperatures are the harbingers of spring. 

It can be quite cold however in the 

evenings. 

- Winter apparel. 

- Conditions are ideal for snow skiing on 

Troodos mountains 

March: Moderating weather with plenty 

of sunshine and with nature at its best. 

- Winter apparel with medium-weight 

wear. 

- Most outdoor activities can be enjoyed 

and March is an excellent period for long 

country walks. 

Safety in the sun 

Avoid being in the sun between 

11:00 -15:00 and always apply a suncream. 

Religion 

The dominant religion of Cyprus is Greek 

Orthodox. Visitors are welcomed in 

churches but must be properly dressed 

with long trousers for men and knee-high 

(or longer) skirts or trousers for women. 

At mosques you should leave your shoes 

off. 

Petrol Stations 

It is advisable to fill up before you leave 

towns. Petrol stations take electronic 

credit cards and have efficient and easy-towork 

self-service pumps when the garage 

is closed. Petrol is sold by the litre and 

15% VAT is included in all prices. 

Pharmacies 

These are in main towns only and are open 

during shop hours. Pharmacists are highly 

qualified and able to assist with many minor 

problems. The list of late-night openings is 

displayed in all pharmacy windows or you 

can find out about it on 90901433. 

Photography 

Please note that you are not allowed 

to take photographs near military camps 

or military installations, in museums where 

a special license is required by the 

appropriate authorities and in churches 

with mural paintings and icons, if ‘flash’ 

is required. 

Wild flowers 

Please do not pick the many endemic and 

rare wild flowers and herbs you will find in 

the Cyprus countryside. 

Traffic accident 

In case of a road traffic accident call the 

police (199). Your statements will be taken 

in English and read to you. Get the name 

and number of attending police officers 

Liabilities are often agreed on the spot. 

Call your car hire company immediately. 

Afternoon relax hours (Siesta) 

Siesta time is still observed in most villages 

and shops might be closed between 

13:00 –15:00 (or some cases 16:00) 

during summer time. 

140

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