Walking in Cyprus

Map key

Overview map

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

Southern 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 Argaka Nature Trail

Walk 6 Horteri Nature Trail

Walk 7 Vouni path

Walk 8 Sinti Monastery – Roudia Bridge

Walk 9 Venetian bridges

The Troodos and central Cyprus

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 loop

Walk 26 Kakokefalos – Mantra tou Kampiou Trail

South and east

Walk 27 Hapotami Trail

Walk 28 Pissouri coast walk

Walk 29 Kyparissia Trail

Walk 30 Sea caves – Kavos Hill

Walk 31 Agioi Anargyroi – Cyclops Cave

Northern Cyprus

Walk 32 Monumental olive trees of Kalkanli

Walk 33 Sina Monastery circular

Walk 34 Lapta Baspinar Trail

Walk 35 The Fourth Castle

Walk 36 St Hilarion Castle

Walk 37 Buffavento Castle

Walk 38 Armenian monastery

Walk 39 Alevkaya circular

Walk 40 Esentepe – Antiphonitis Monastery

Walk 41 Kucuk Erenkoy circular

Walk 42 Tatlisu circular

Walk 43 Kantara Castle

Walk 44 Kumyali circular

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Useful contacts

Appendix C Further reading

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. There are publications of some of the popular trails of Northern Cyprus, including sketch maps, which are available from tourist offices. You can also pick up leaflets of the popular nature trails from tourist information offices in the south. Road maps for both parts of the island are available from tourist offices and airports.

The diverse trails in South 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 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.

Besparmak long-distance trail sign; marker pyramid in North Cyprus; iron arrow in South Cyprus; direction marker in South Cyprus

The landscape of Northern Cyprus is dominated by the Kyrenia mountains. An official long-distance trail, the 255km-long Besparmak Trail in Northern Cyprus, is marked with a green ‘B’ sign. It starts at Cape Kormakitis/Kormacit and ends at the tip of the Karpaz/Karpass Peninsula. Many of the walks described in this book follow the green B signs.

Other trails are usually marked with green and white signs. However, on some trails you can see red, blue and yellow paint marks on rocks, which are often helpful when the path is overgrown. The start points of trails are usually marked with a wooden trail gate.

There are numbered pyramids at junctions, marked on the maps found at the beginning of the trails, to help orientation. Pyramids are mentioned in the walk descriptions and marked on the maps in this book.

October 2019

Corrections

Cyprus is a land of pure beauty and many of its spectacular nature trails, paths and tracks are somewhat hidden and therefore relatively unknown by Westerners.

Cyprus is a land of pure beauty and many of its spectacular nature trails, paths and tracks are somewhat hidden and therefore relatively unknown by Westerners. This handy little guidebook helps with all that, and is stuffed full of 44 incredible walks in northern and southern Cyprus. each varying from a couple miles to 12 miles in length. With so many routes and lengths to choose from, there is truly something to suit every walker and their ability. Each walk offers different highlights such as the Kyrenia mountain range, rich archaeological sites and the Paphos Forest.

Adventure Travel magazine

I can highly recommend this great little guidebook

Having lived in Cyprus for 14 years now, I do know many of the walks in the guide intimately, but I can highly recommend this great little guidebook, especially as you can just follow your GPS after downloading the routes - a bit like having your own personal guide!

Cyprus Walks website

Blending information with inspiration, the result is a perfect companion to exploring this stunning Mediterranean Island.

Cyprus Living magazine