Walks in the Troodos Mountains

This week-long linear self-guided walk through the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus takes in some spectacular views, national trails and UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The first few walks are based from the quaint mountain village of Kakopetria with its narrow, cobbled streets and the nearby 11th century painted church, Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, one of ten that make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Painted Churches in the Troodos Region.

The first few walks are based from the quaint mountain village of Kakopetria with its narrow, cobbled streets and the nearby 11th century painted church, Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, one of ten that make up a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Painted Churches in the Troodos Region. Enjoy fabulous views across the Solea and Marathasa valleys to the sea as well as the northern slope of Mount Olympus – the highest point in Cyprus and home to both a long range British radar installation and a ski resort in winter.

The walking continues along sections of the Mnimata Piskopon (Monuments of the Archbishops) trail, the Atalanti trail (one of Cyprus’s highest elevation trails) and the Persephone trail as you make your way, uphill, from Kakopetria to Troodos Square and then on, downhill, to Pano Platres. With some spectacular views across the island towards Limassol and a visit to the Caledonia Waterfall, so named as it reminded a Scottish expedition to the region, back in 1878, of parts of the highlands. The week finishes with a walk through forest and vineyards to the picturesque, stone-built village of Omodos in the Krassochoria (wine villages) region of Limassol.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips which improve life for the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Find out more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here, and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally-owned hotels, restaurants, transfer companies and places of local interest, as well as the emphasis on eating locally produced food and support of other local enterprise.
• This trip helps bring income and opportunity to destination communities particularly during low and shoulder seasons, when traditionally tourism income would decrease.
• Exploration on foot highlights the combination of culture and natural heritage in the Troodos region of Cyprus. The local communities and villagers in these regions can play a role as the guardians of nature and the cultural heritage of Cyprus, which necessitates that they earn enough income to sustain their presence in this area.Some of the routes pass very near family-owned wineries (close to Omodos village as well as to Mandria village and Kato Platres village). The route also passes through a number of traditional villages, most notably Omodos, where many family-owned little shops are found, selling largely locally produced goods, including traditional food products, glass artefacts etc.
• The provision of local information in customer documentation means our customers will be well informed about local traditions, and cultural and social sensitivities.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels.
• By travelling independently or in a small group, you ‘tread lightly’ minimising your trip’s impact on local resources and the environment.
• This trip visits the Troodos Forest National Parkwhich helps incentivise and fund continued conservation efforts.
• Stretches of the route pass through vineyards and orchards that have been cultivated in Cyprus for thousands of years. The Troodos mountains are rich in biodiversity. Out of the 150 or so endemic plant species found in Cyprus, most are only found in the Troodos mountains (or in the Akamas Peninsula). The Troodos mountains (especially Paphos Forest, but as time goes by also the forest further east) are home to the endemic Cyprus mouflon (a type of wild sheep). The trip itinerary stays off the beaten track in the Troodos mountains area with its small villages thus helping to minimise degradation caused by over-tourism.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively eliminate or reduce waste.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices with regard to working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.

 Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.
• We seek to minimise the carbon footprint in the following ways:
  • Favouring smaller, locally-run accommodation and eco-hotels, versus big hotel chains which have a bigger impact on the surrounding environments.
  • The majority of accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally-sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
  • Vegetarian options are available at the majority of accommodation and restaurants.
• The local operator has been involved in designing and implementing a reforestation effort (on a 7.2 hectare family-owned plot, with mostly wild olives and hawthorn). They are planning to develop this into an agrotouristic/ecotouristic project where visitors would be able to cultivate a number of indigenous trees and explore the cultural and natural attractions in the area (in the Xeros Potamos Valley). The goal is for this venture to be a good example of the use of private rural land in Cyprus and abroad. 

 Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish behind in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, we’d ask you to consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring your own re-usable water bottle on this trip rather than buying single-use plastic bottles.
• Cultural respect: for anyone visiting the UNESCO painted churches it’s worth taking something with you to cover your shoulders

Is this trip for you?

This is a linear independent walking holiday. There is a choice of walks on most days so the average daily distance is either 10km or 20km, which is why the overall rating is Leisurely/Moderate. The walking is along varied terrain footpaths, both at higher levels and in the lower valleys. There are moderate ascents on most days, with one day (day 4) where the route climbs 1350m. Walkers should have a good fitness level and be confident on uneven terrain. Some of the walks are not suitable for vertigo sufferers.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There may be others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. You are provided with route notes for each day along with GPX files to follow on a smart phone app. The route notes contain a 24 hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the hotelier is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service. Due to limited family rooms at the hotels and the terrain on the walks, we advise this holiday is for those over 12 years.

You may find our Fitness Training Guide a useful reference: http://www.exodus.co.uk/assets/pdf/Exodus_WT_Fitness_Training_Guide.pdf

Vaccinations and Health

The Republic of Cyprus

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus and rabies (bat lyssavirus). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

The Republic of Cyprus

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Cyprus. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/cyprus
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/cyprus
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cyprus/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Cyprus.html

Food & Drink

All breakfasts are included.

For dinners you have the choice of either the hotels’ restaurants, or there is a good choice of restaurants nearby so you can choose to eat out and enjoy the local Cypriot cuisine.

Weather

Cyprus has a subtropical climate, one of the warmest climates and warmest winters in the Mediterranean. The climate is of a semi-arid type with very mild winters (on the coast) and warm to hot summers. Snow is possible only in the Troodos mountains in the central part of the island. Rain occurs mainly in winter, with summer being generally dry. The average annual temperature on the coast is around 24°C (75°F) during the day and 14°C (57°F) at night. Generally, the warm season lasts about eight months, from April, with average temperatures of 21-23°C (70-73°F) during the day and 11-13°C (52-55°F) at night, to November, with average temperatures of 22-23°C (72-73°F) during the day and 12-14°C (54-57°F) at night. In the remaining four months of the year, the temperatures tend to remain mild, while sometimes exceeding 20°C (68°F) during the day.

The middle of summer (July and August) is usually hot, with an average maximum coastal temperature of around 35°C (95°F) during the day and around 25°C (77°F) at night. In the centre of the island (the highlands/Troodos mountains) the average temperature exceeds 35°C (95°F)). In June and September on the coast the average maximum temperature is usually around 28-30°C (82-86°F) during the day and around 18-20°C (64-68°F) at night. While large temperature fluctuations are rare on the coast, the centre of Cyprus has more variations – typically colder winters and hotter summers.

Weather Charts

Kyrenia, North Cyprus