Cyprus is not only a destination for beach holidays, but also for beautiful mountain hiking and road-trips through the small villages of the only mountain range of Troodos. It climbs to a maximum height of over 1,900 metres and fills almost two-thirds of the area of the Republic of Cyprus.

You could go to Troodos Mountains for a day trip from the beach, or you could fly to Cyprus just to wander around these mountains...

Green mountains and valleys

The landscape of the mountains contrasts sharply with the dry coastline and other islands in the Mediterranean. The Troodos Mountains surprise with their densely covered slopes of evergreen vegetation of coniferous trees of spruce and pine as well as the classic deciduous trees of continental Europe.

The rounded peaks of the highest parts of the mountains sometimes drop steeply into picturesque wooded valleys, in which small picturesque villages often appear in unthinkable places.

The highest peak is Mount Olympos at 1 952 metres.

Troodos spruce

Troodos forest

Troodos dam

Villages, monasteries and churches

Scattered like beads throughout the mountains are picturesque villages with typical rural architecture. Some of them even boast a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to the preservation of extremely interesting rural churches from the 13th to 15th centuries, which give a glimpse into the history of hard life in the mountains. Take a closer look at selected places of interest in the Troodos Mountains.

Omodos Wine Village
Kakopetria with its typical houses
Moutoullas and Pedoulas villages with their UNESCO churches

Accommodation

Although Troodos may not be one of the most visited mountains, the tourist infrastructure is quite well developed and there are many accommodation offers. Mostly you will find well rated guesthouses or apartments, but in the main resorts you can also stay in classic hotels. Prices are around 70 eur.

Transport

Certainly the most convenient means of transport is a rental car. This is the only way to get to all the places without depending on the timetables, while the bus often only goes to the smaller villages twice a day. The roads in the Troodos mountains are winding and steep, but well maintained, marked and all villages are reached by regular asphalt roads.

The major villages can also be reached by bus:

Troodos: line 64 (click on the Rural Routes section) to Limassol (Lemesos), line 408 direct to Nicosia (Saturdays, Sundays only), line 87 (weekdays) to Kakopetria (connecting to other services to Nicosia)
Kakopetria: lines 405, 407, 408 to Nicosia
Omodos: line 40 (click on Rural Routes section) to Limassol (Lemesos)
Pano Platres: line 64 (click on Rural Routes) to Limassol (Lemesos)