Walking holiday in Cyprus
| country: | Cyprus |
| location: | Troodos Mountains |
| trip type: | Moderate walking holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 25 Oct, 1 Nov, 20 Dec, 27 Dec 2009: 14 Feb, 21 Feb, 21 Mar, 28 Mar, 4 Apr, 11 Apr, 18 Apr, 25 Apr |
| price: | From £649 - £699 (9 days) including flights from the UK, from £359 - £399 excluding flights, plus local payment £75. Optional single supplement £75 |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, was born out of the foaming waves just off the coast of the Akamas Peninsula.
When her lover Adonis was killed, his blood became the scarlet anemones that are splashed over the mountain slopes; her tears, the fresh rivers and waterfalls that make the island rich and fertile. Our travels will take us into the untouched interior.
Mount Olympus
We begin with a walking tour through the winding alleys and elegant treelined boulevards of medieval Nicosia/Lefkosia.
Then, driving into the mountains, we head first to the Solea Valley where we visit the church of Panagia Assinou with its vivid 12th century frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible. On foot, we'll explore the trails and forest of the island's highest peak, Mount Olympus (1951m), and should be rewarded with sweeping views down to the distant coast.
Walking in the Troodos Mountains
Following tracks from village to village in the Troodos, we enjoy the invigorating scent of cedar forests. On our rambles we'll explore timeless villages clustered around church squares and see almond groves, cherry orchards and verdant vineyards gracing terraced slopes. This is the place to unwind and appreciate the slow pace of life in the rural interior, well away from crowded tourist haunts.
Akamas Peninsula
Lastly we venture into the north western region known as the Akamas Peninsula to explore its forested trails and dramatic coast. Gorges give way to isolated sandy beaches and rocky inlets, where loggerhead turtles come to breed. We'll see beautiful mosaics and visit the magnificent Greco-Roman theatre at Kourion before finally returning to Larnaca.
When her lover Adonis was killed, his blood became the scarlet anemones that are splashed over the mountain slopes; her tears, the fresh rivers and waterfalls that make the island rich and fertile. Our travels will take us into the untouched interior.
Mount Olympus
We begin with a walking tour through the winding alleys and elegant treelined boulevards of medieval Nicosia/Lefkosia.
Then, driving into the mountains, we head first to the Solea Valley where we visit the church of Panagia Assinou with its vivid 12th century frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible. On foot, we'll explore the trails and forest of the island's highest peak, Mount Olympus (1951m), and should be rewarded with sweeping views down to the distant coast.
Walking in the Troodos Mountains
Following tracks from village to village in the Troodos, we enjoy the invigorating scent of cedar forests. On our rambles we'll explore timeless villages clustered around church squares and see almond groves, cherry orchards and verdant vineyards gracing terraced slopes. This is the place to unwind and appreciate the slow pace of life in the rural interior, well away from crowded tourist haunts.
Akamas Peninsula
Lastly we venture into the north western region known as the Akamas Peninsula to explore its forested trails and dramatic coast. Gorges give way to isolated sandy beaches and rocky inlets, where loggerhead turtles come to breed. We'll see beautiful mosaics and visit the magnificent Greco-Roman theatre at Kourion before finally returning to Larnaca.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Larnaca |
| Day 2: | Walk in Old Nicosia; drive Troodos mountains via Solea Valley; Mount Olympus walk. |
| Day 3: | Walk to Pedoulas (6-7hrs) |
| Day 4: | Walk to Milikouri via Platy Valley (4-5hrs). |
| Day 5: | Drive Baths of Aphrodite on Akamas Peninsula; visit Kykko Monastery and Cedar Valley en route |
| Day 6: | Visit Baths, optional walk Aphrodite nature trail (3-5hrs); stay Baths of Aphrodite |
| Day 7: | Hike Kathikas to Agios Georgios; walk Avagas Gorge (5-6hrs) |
| Day 8: | Visit Tombs of Kings, House of Dionysos mosaics at Paphos and Kourion; drive Larnaca. |
| Day 9: | Fly to London. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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Small group travel has been recognised as the future of sustainable tourism by many leading organisations. We are at the forefront of small groups travel and have been for more than 20 years. This is aptly demonstrated on this tour in Cyprus, where group's size is limited to just 16 walkers, thus limiting the impact we make. Our Tour Leaders are trained by us in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference.
All accommodation is locally owned and in which you experience great food, most of which is sourced locally. This not only provides direct employment within the hotel, but also has the effect of percolating money beyond to small businesses that supply the hotel and in this way money is spread throughout the region we visit. In addition by eating in family-owned restaurants and using the services of a Cypriot local agent we ensure that nearly all the money we spend reaches as wide a range of local people as possible. As a walking tour our main method of transport is about as environmentally friendly as one can get! Visits to important archaeological sites provides vital revenue allowing for continued and developing preservation work to be carried out. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |