​bike cypress $2100 
​6 days of biking, 7 nts in hotels



​HOLIDAY ITINERARY
  • Check in at the group's hotel accommodation near Tochni. A transfer from Larnaca Airport is provided.
    A transfer (25 mins) is provided usually quite late in the evening from Larnaca Airport to the group hotel near the traditional village of Tochni.  services begin with the overnight at the hotel. There are a couple of tavernas in the village for anyone arriving early enough to require an evening meal. 
    • ACCOMMODATIONHotel with swimming pool
  • Introductory loop via Stavrovouni Monastery and Anafotida.
    The first group get-together will be at breakfast. After a typically Cypriot breakfast, the tour guide will provide a briefing about the week ahead and those of the group who have hired bikes will pick them up from the bike shop on site. Today's introductory ride will take us on quiet country roads through farmland towards the village of Kornos. The terrain is undulating and we gain a couple of hundred metres and then lose a little during the 20-kilometre ride to the north side of the hill of Stavrovouni (641m). There is a Greek Orthodox monastery on the summit of the hill, dating back to the early 4th century and reputedly home to a piece of the 'Holy Cross'. More importantly for us, there's a great little road that climbs up to the monastery, gaining 300 metres over 6 kilometres. We can take a break here and check out the great views which extend eastwards across the Plain of Larnaca to the city and its bay. After a fun and fast descent back to the country road, we begin to loop around towards the coast, passing through olive groves and several small villages such as Pyrga where you can feel the tranquillity of Cyprus country life. Still heading downhill, we reach Klavdia on the plain and continue cycling through farmland to Anafotia, a great place for a coffee stop and a snack for lunch. Here, we are just a couple of kilometres from the sea and it will be hard to resist a diversion to the coast before completing our ride through Kofinou and back to Tochni. 
    • ACCOMMODATIONHotel with swimming pool

    • ASCENT1200m

    • DISTANCE80km
    • MEALSBD

    • DESCENT1200m

    • TIME5 - 6 hrs cycling
  • Eastern Troodos ride via Vavatsinias and Lefkara with a diversion to the coast at Zygi. 
    Just a couple of kilometres from our hotel we reach Chirokita and turn north toward Cyprus's mountainous interior. We follow a great road that climbs steadily into an increasingly rural landscape of small villages, scattered farms, rough pasture and olive groves. Ahead of us we can see the peak of Kionia (1251m) one of the high points of the eastern Troodos. After 30 kilometres (and 700 metres above our start point) we will be needing a coffee stop and the beautiful traditional village of Ayio Vavatsinias is the perfect place for this. The ride then undulates and meanders across to Vavatsinia (850m) which nestles amongst fragrant pine forest. Here, we begin a long descent via Lefkara, a contender for the most picturesque village on the island. A common sight in the village are groups of women who sit outside their houses working on fine embroidery, as they have for centuries. The village is also known for its skilled silversmiths who produce fine filigree work. We will be in no hurry to leave Lefkara and it does provide lots of options for lunch. From here, it's all downhill to the sea through the Agios Theodoros Valley. We then have a stretch of level and scenic coastal riding to the pretty fishing village of Zygi, before turning inland and completing our ride with the gentle ascent to our accommodation in Tochni. 
    • ACCOMMODATIONHotel with swimming pool

    • ASCENT1350m

    • DISTANCE80km
    • MEALSBD

    • DESCENT1350m

    • TIME5 - 6 hrs cycling
  • Transfer to Limassol for a brief city experience, then a coastal ride to Pafos via Petra tou Romiou.
    After a leisurely breakfast at our accommodation, we'll transfer half an hour down the coast to the pleasant city of Limassol. Here, we'll stretch our legs with a walk through the old part of town whose narrow streets radiate out from the old harbour. We will be able to admire the honey-coloured town houses and the medieval castle, take a stroll along the promenade and find a sunny café for a coffee before setting off on our ride westwards along the coast. Early on the ride, we pass Ancient Kourion one of the most spectacular archaeological sites on the island with its Greco-Roman theatre and well preserved Roman mosaics. The coast road undulates for the next 25 kilometres and climbs to 200 metres above sea-level as we bypass the town of Pissouri, before dropping back to water's edge close to the limestone sea-stack of Petra tou Romiou, the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. We follow the shoreline for the next 10 kilometres, then trend inland via Kouklia which has another UNESCO-listed archaeological site and a picturesque central square, perfect for a coffee and a snack whilst watching the world go by. From here, we cycle to our hotel in Pafos, which is close to the beach, across a level agricultural plain where bananas, tobacco, cereals and grapes are grown. Plenty of time to go for a swim before going out to a local tavern for dinner. 
    • ACCOMMODATIONHotel with swimming pool

    • ASCENT650m

    • DISTANCE60km
    • MEALSBD

    • DESCENT650m

    • TIME3 - 4 hrs cycling
  • Transfer to Agios Nikolaos, cycle to the top of Mount Olympos (1952m) and back to Pafos.
    Today's is the 'Queen Stage' when we get to cycle to the top of the highest road on the island. We begin the day by driving for an hour to the village of Agios Nikolaos (770m) which is close to the point where the vineyards and olive groves, typical of this part of Cyprus, give way to the forested upper slopes of the Troodos. Reunited with our bikes, there's a great introduction to the day's ride as we cycle for 10 kilometres on largely traffic-free and super-smooth tarmac to a junction at Kato Platres (900m). From here, we head north across a mountainous landscape, skirting the western flanks of Mount Olympos, gaining height only gradually and passing through pine forest and a number of sleepy villages. A couple of hours into our ride we reach Prodromos (1380m) and this is a great place to stop for coffee before setting off, each at our own pace, for the final 8 kilometres of climbing. The upper part of the mountain is more open, less forested, the temperature rather cooler and the views tremendous. Descending towards the south, we will stop for lunch after just a few kilometres at the cosy Café Bar 1725 or at the Troodos Hotel. After lunch, we have an exhilarating and largely downhill 60-kilometre ride through the beautiful Diarizos Valley to our sea-side accommodation in Pafos. 
    • ACCOMMODATIONHotel with swimming pool

    • ASCENT1600m

    • DISTANCE105km
    • MEALSBD

    • DESCENT2350m

    • TIME7 hrs cycling
  • A loop ride through the wine-growing Laona Valley to Chrysochou Bay and back to Pafos.
    North and west of Pafos is the pretty wine-growing region of Laona and today's ride will take us up and over this high plateau, reaching an elevation of just over 600 metres, before dropping down to the shore of Chrysochou Bay. Starting out along the coast, the ride is pretty level for 10 or 12 kilometres and then climbs up from Peyia through a forested area to Kathikas, one of the Laona villages, close to the day's high point. The village has some picturesque old houses and churches. Continuing northwards to Drousia, we have views of the Troodos Mountains on our right hand side and views of the Akamas Peninsula and the Mediterranean ahead of us. We can stop for coffee in Drousia or wait until we've made the rapid descent to the pretty harbour at Latsi. There's plenty of time for a paddle and a sit in the sun before beginning our ride back to Pafos. We pass through the neighbouring small town of Polis and then, at Chrysochou, turn off onto a minor road that snakes its way picturesquely back up into the Laona region. We can stop for lunch at Kathikas before looping back around to Pafos through Stroumpi and Tsada. There's a final 200 metre climb up to Tsada before we can enjoy the 15 kilometre descent to Pafos. 
    • ACCOMMODATIONHotel with swimming pool

    • ASCENT1900m

    • DISTANCE100km
    • MEALSBD

    • DESCENT1900m

    • TIME6 - 7 hrs cycling
  • Morning ride as for Stage 3 of the Cyprus Gran Fondo. Free time at Pafos in the afternoon.
    Our agent in Cyprus has for several years run the Cyprus Gran Fondo and this morning we'll ride the spectacular route that has featured as the last stage of this annual 3-day event. We can head down to Pafos Castle to start the ride (as for the Gran Fondo) and from there cycle eastwards easily to Agia Varvara where we head inland with the enticing prospect of a 20 kilometre ascent to a high point close to 800 metres elevation near the partly abandoned village of Statos. Here, we find ourselves in a high and dry landscape with views of the Ezousa Valley on our left and the Xeros Potamos Valley on our right. Dropping down now (450 metres of descent in 10 kilometres) we reach the pretty village of Choulou where we can stop for coffee and contemplate the final challenge of the week. Completing the descent to the Ezousa River, it's uphill again for 10 kilometres, via Letymbou, to the hilltop village of Tsada (600m) which commands panoramic views up and down the coast. We can choose to stop for a snack in Tsada before descending to our hotel in Pafos, which brings this brilliant week of cycling to a close. The remainder of the day is free to explore Pafos or to go for a swim. In the evening we will go out for a celebratory final dinner. 
    • ACCOMMODATIONHotel with swimming pool

    • ASCENT1500m

    • DISTANCE65km
    • MEALSBD

    • DESCENT1500m

    • TIME4 hrs cycling
  • Transfer from Pafos to Larnaca Airport and depart.
    After breakfast at the hotel, there's time for a stroll along the sea-front and possibly for a final dip in the Mediterranean, before boarding the transport for the 90-minute transfer to Larnaca Airport. If there are group members who have brought their own bikes and used a hard travel box or case, these will need to be picked up (and the bikes repacked) at Tochni en route to the airport.  
    • MEALSB
 
ACCOMMODATION & MEALS
  • 7 nights Hotel with swimming pool
  • 7 breakfasts and 6 dinners
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