Cyprus offers far more to the walker than most visitors realise. Beyond the beaches and resorts lies a remarkably varied landscape of pine-forested mountain trails, dramatic gorges, ancient Byzantine churches and wild coastal headlands, all enjoying some of the best walking weather in the Mediterranean.

This comprehensive guidebook by Nike Werstroh and Jacint Mig covers 33 graded walks across southern Cyprus, ranging from 3 to 20km (2 to 12 miles) and graded 1 to 3 to suit walkers of all abilities. Clear route descriptions are paired with 1:40,000 mapping and downloadable GPX files, along with practical information on refreshments, access, and parking for every walk.

• 33 graded walks are described across four areas, covering the Akamas Peninsula and the west, the Troodos Mountains and central Cyprus, and the south and east coasts, with walks taking between 1 and 7 hours
• Highlights include the Akamas Peninsula, home to the legendary Aphrodite and Adonis trails, the dramatic Avakas Gorge and the scenic Petra tou Romiou coastal trail near the birthplace of Aphrodite
• UNESCO-listed Byzantine churches and monasteries feature throughout, including the Asinou Trail, the Panagia tou Araka and the Machairas Monastery, combining outstanding walking with some of Cyprus's most significant cultural heritage
• 1:40,000 mapping and downloadable GPX files are included for every walk, alongside detailed notes on history, geology, plants and wildlife to enrich every outing
• Year-round walking destination, with spring and autumn the ideal seasons, cooler Troodos trails offering relief in summer and the Akamas Peninsula accessible throughout winter

From the wild headlands of the Akamas Peninsula to the pine-scented trails of the Troodos Mountains, Cyprus has a walking landscape that surprises almost everyone who discovers it. This guidebook ensures you discover the very best of walking in Cyprus. 

Walking in Cyprus - Quick Facts

Total walks: 33 
Walk distances: 3 to 20km (2 to 12 miles) 
Walk duration: 1 to 7 hours 
Grades: 1 to 3 (1 = easy, short, waymarked; 2 = moderate, mostly easy terrain; 3 = longer or more challenging terrain) 
Difficulty: All abilities, from short, easy strolls to longer, more challenging routes 
Areas covered: Akamas Peninsula and the west, Troodos Mountains and central Cyprus, south and east coasts 
Walk highlights: Aphrodite Trail, Adonis Trail, Avakas Gorge, Petra tou Romiou, Atalante Trail, Artemis Trail, Caledonia circular, Machairas Monastery, Asinou Trail, Stavrovouni Monastery 
Cultural highlights: UNESCO-listed Byzantine churches and monasteries, including Asinou, Panagia tou Araka and Machairas Monastery; Petra tou Romiou (birthplace of Aphrodite); ancient archaeological sites 
Wildlife and nature: Pine forests, endemic plants, birds of prey, coastal wildlife, Akamas Peninsula nature trails 
Mapping: 1:40,000 map extracts included for every walk 
Digital navigation: Downloadable GPX files included 
Centres: Paphos, Limassol, Larnaca, Platres, Troodos, Kakopetria 
Best time to visit: Spring and autumn are ideal; the Troodos trails offer cooler walking in summer; the Akamas Peninsula is accessible in winter

Author Highlight

“Sunshine, a Mediterranean climate and golden beaches with crystal clear waters have attracted tourists for many years. But walkers – who prefer to leave the hustle of seaside towns, noisy taverns and the busy archaeological sites behind – have only just started to discover Cyprus’ outstanding walking trails.”

- Nike Werstroh and Jacint Mig, author of Walking in Cyprus 

Map key
Route summary table

INTRODUCTION
Location and geography
Plants and flowers Wildlife
Brief history
Religion
Getting there
Border crossings
Getting around
Accommodation
Tourist information
Language
When to go and what to take
Maps and waymarking
Using this guide

CYPRUS
The west and the Akamas Peninsula
Walk 1 Aphrodite Trail, Akamas Peninsula
Walk 2 Adonis Trail, Akamas Peninsula
Walk 3A Smigies Nature Trail
Walk 3B Pissouromoutti Nature Trail
Walk 4 Avakas Gorge
Walk 5 Petra tou Romiou Nature Trail
Walk 6 Horteri Nature Trail
Walk 7 Vouni path
Walk 8 Zalakas Trail

The Troodos and central Cyprus
Walk 9 Marathasa Trail
Walk 10 Xystarouda – Agiasma – Vasiliki Nature Trail
Walk 11 Prodromos Dam – Stavroulia Trail
Walk 12 Kannoures Trail
Walk 13 Mnimata Piskopon Trail
Walk 14 Atalante Trail
Walk 15 Artemis Trail
Walk 16 Caledonia circular
Walk 17 Pouziaris Trail
Walk 18 Loymata ton Aeton Trail
Walk 19 Madari Trail
Walk 20 Kannavia circular
Walk 21 Asinou Trail
Walk 22 Panagia tou Araka – Stavros tou Agiasmati
Walk 23 Politiko Nature Trail
Walk 24 Machairas Monastery – Fikardou
Walk 25 Kionia Nature Trail 
Walk 26 Kakokefalos – Mantra tou Kampiou Trail 
Walk 27 Dhyo Mouttes

South and east  
Walk 28 Hapotami Trail  
Walk 29 Pissouri coast walk  
Walk 30 Kyparissia Trail 
Walk 31 Stavrovouni Monastery 
Walk 32 Kavos Hill and sea caves 
Walk 33 Agioi Anargyroi – Cyclops Cave

Appendix A Useful contacts  
Appendix B Further reading

Seasons

Cyprus is a year-round walking destination, but spring and autumn are the best seasons. During the hot summer, you might find cooler temperatures in the Troodos, and the Akamas peninsula would be an option in the winter.

Centres

Paphos, Limassol, Larnaca, Ayia Napa, Platres, Troodos, Kakopetria, Troodos

Difficulty

Walks range from 3 to 20km, from short easy strolls to longer more challenging routes. The difficulty of each walk is classified by grades 1-3: Grade 1: Easy, short trail Grade 2: Moderate, medium length; mostly easy terrain Grade 3: Longer walk or more challenging terrain

Must See

Akamas Peninsula; Bath of Aphrodite; Avakas Gorge; Paphos forest; Petra tou Romiou; Troodos Mountains; Mt Olympus; Caledonia waterfall; Machairas Mountains; Kionia Peak; Madari peak; Byzantine churches; archaeological sites; Cape Greco; World Heritage Sites.

Walking maps are not available for Cyprus. There are some tourist maps which you can pick up at the airports or in the tourist offices, but they don’t outline the trails. You can also pick up leaflets of the popular nature trails from tourist information offices.You can use some of the well-known apps to find and record your walks, and for driving you will probably use Google navigation or similar. The diverse trails in Cyprus range from rugged coastline to forest walks, a stroll between vineyards to walking in the mountains of Troodos. Nature trails are marked on the island, but these are not unified and many different signs are in use. At the beginning of the nature trails there is usually a map board with some information about the length and terrain and sometimes about the vegetation. Plants, flowers and trees are labelled along the trail so you can learn to recognise them. Benches are placed at some of the best viewpoints. Some of the trails described in this book are based on nature trails. The Department of Forests has a booklet of the island’s nature trails (see ‘Tourist information’, above), but some villages have created their own trails nearby and those are not listed by the CTO (Cyprus Tourism Organisation). Some of these routes start by the roadside and might end at a picnic site or another roadside; in such cases it is necessary to 26using this guide arrange a pick-up or plan to retrace your steps. These routes are usually not too long and walking back on the same path you may enjoy slightly different views. Paths used by walkers but not designated as nature trails often have occasional painted arrows and cairns. The European Long Distance Path is marked with ‘E4’. The E4 runs through Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, mainland Greece and Crete. The section in Cyprus was added in 2005 and it connects Paphos and Larnaca airports. It often follows tarmac roads but it aims to explore the diverse scenery of Cyprus. Some of the nature trails are part of the E4 and a few walks in this book follow some scenic sections of the E4.

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