The most beautiful drive on Cyprus

A mountain monastery, wine villages and a mythical coast in one loop

Cyprus is a driving island in miniature: a green mountain range down the middle, a coast full of ancient cities and myth around it, and between the two some of the finest winding roads in the eastern Mediterranean. Circling the whole island is too much for one day, so we take the scenic heart: a loop of about 250 kilometres that climbs from Paphos into the Troodos mountains, past Kykkos Monastery and the summit of Mount Olympus, and comes back along the south coast past Kourion and Aphrodite's Rock.

Unique to Touren.app: you do not have to start in Paphos. Tap "drive this as a loop from your location" and we spin the round so it begins at the point nearest your hotel and returns you there, whether you are in Paphos, Limassol or on the east side. This route stays in the Republic of Cyprus, the south; the south-east coast around Ayia Napa and Cape Greco you drive separately from Larnaca Airport.

The route on the map

A schematic overview by Touren.app, not a navigation map. The exact route opens under “Drive this route” or in Google Maps. Map orientation: north is up.

Plan your own route

The 6 places along the drive

1. Paphos

Start · the city of Aphrodite

Paphos was antiquity's foremost place of Aphrodite's cult and is still the richest open-air museum on the island. In the archaeological park of Nea Paphos (UNESCO World Heritage) lie Roman villas with the finest mosaic floors in the Mediterranean; a little further on are the rock-cut Tombs of the Kings and, by the old harbour, the small medieval fort.

Practical: park by the old harbour or the archaeological park and continue on foot. Start early; the mosaics and the tombs together take a couple of hours. From here Touren.app also spins the loop from your own hotel.

2. Omodos

the wine village · Omodos

The road climbs into the Troodos to Omodos, one of the loveliest mountain villages of the Krasochoria, the wine country that gives us sweet Commandaria, said to be the oldest wine still in production. Around the paved square and the monastery of the Holy Cross run cobbled lanes of winemakers and an old tradition of lace and sweets.

Practical: park at the edge and walk up to the square. Taste the local wine and the zivania; several small cellars pour. Take it gently on the narrow, winding mountain road up here.

3. Kykkos

the mountain monastery · Kykkos

High in the mountains stands the monastery of Kykkos, the richest and most famous on Cyprus, founded around 1100 and dedicated to the Mother of God; it keeps an icon attributed to the evangelist Luke. Inside, corridors glitter with gold mosaic and fresco. A little further, on Throni hill, lies the tomb of Archbishop Makarios, Cyprus's first president, who began here as a novice.

Practical: the mountain road to Kykkos is the day's big detour, but the drive through the pine forests is glorious. Cover shoulders and knees in the monastery. To save time, skip Kykkos and drive straight from Omodos to the summit.

4. Mount Olympus

the roof of Cyprus · Mount Olympus

The heart of the Troodos is Chionistra, the summit of Mount Olympus, at 1,952 metres the highest point of Cyprus; in winter there is snow and even skiing, in summer it is cool beneath the black pine. Among the mountain villages stand ten tiny fresco-painted Byzantine churches inscribed together on the UNESCO list, and the Caledonia and Millomeris waterfalls tumble down.

Practical: the summit road is narrow and winding; take it slowly. At Troodos square and the resort village of Platres there is parking, tavernas and the trailheads for the waterfall paths. Bring something warm; it is fresh up top.

5. Kourion

the theatre above the sea · Kourion

On a cliff high above the south coast lies Kourion, a Greco-Roman city whose rock-cut theatre has been restored and still hosts performances; from the top rows you look out over the stage straight into the blue sea. Beside it lie the mosaic floors of the House of Eustolios. A little inland stands the Crusader castle of Kolossi.

Practical: ample parking at the entrance; ticket at the gate. The site is large and shadeless, so bring water and a hat. Limassol, with its castle and old town, is fifteen minutes away.

6. Petra tou Romiou

the birthplace · Aphrodite's Rock

Along the coast road back to Paphos, Petra tou Romiou rises from the sea: the rock where, in myth, Aphrodite was born from the foam. The surf is often rough, the sea deep blue, and at sunset the whole bay turns to gold. It is the classic final stop, with the sun setting over the sea in the west.

Practical: park in the laid-out spot by the road and use the little tunnel under the road to the beach; climbing the rock is forbidden and the current is strong. From here it is half an hour along the coast back to Paphos.

Practical: for the rental car, convertible and motorbike

Where to start: the loop begins in Paphos, but you need not start there. Tap "drive this as a loop from your location" and Touren.app spins the round to the point nearest your hotel, whether you are in Paphos, Limassol, Ayia Napa or Larnaca. From the east of the island it takes a while to reach the Troodos, so plan an early start.

Driving on the left: Cyprus drives on the left, a legacy of British days. For anyone coming from the continent that takes a moment to get used to, especially at roundabouts and when merging; take the first few kilometres gently. Signs are in Greek and English.

The mountain roads: the Troodos roads are paved but narrow and winding, with the climbs to Kykkos and the summit the slowest stretches. A joy in a convertible or on a motorbike, but watch for oncoming traffic, goats and the occasional steep gradient. The coast and motorway roads (A6, A1) are broad and toll-free; Cyprus has no tolls and no vignette.

A divided island: this route stays in the Republic of Cyprus, the south. The north has been under Turkish control since 1974 and many rental cars may not cross the buffer zone, so we keep the loop south of the Green Line, which runs right through Nicosia.

Best time: spring (March to May) is the finest: green mountains, wildflowers and sometimes still snow on Olympus while the coast is already warm. September and October are ideal too. In July and August the coast is scorching, well above thirty degrees; the Troodos is then the cool refuge, so save the mountains for the hottest part of the day.

Reviews from drivers

Share this route or save it

Frequently asked questions

Keep exploring