Our cycling holidays in Cyprus
Cycle through almond and olive groves, deserted villages and over Troodos Mountain tracks as you dive into rural island life on our cycling holidays in Cyprus. Our trips are self guided, with itineraries that can be tailored to your abilities and interests by our local experts. Additional activities aim to keep rural ways of life alive, including beekeeping tours, wildlife watching and halloumi making sessions with local villagers. Or you could simply rest weary legs – at a mountain spa hotel, perhaps, that’s rooted in the community. Whichever route you choose, our trips include GPS and paper maps, plus packed lunches on cycling days – so all you have to do is enjoy the ride.
Our top trip
Cycling in the Troodos mountains, Cyprus
Self-guided cycling & cultural holiday in Troodos
From
€810
7 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Contact Us
Call us for a chat about our holidays. We are happy to discuss your holiday and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.
01273 823 700
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WHAT DOES CYCLING IN CYPRUS ENTAIL?
Self guided cycling holidays are the way to go in Cyprus. Routes have been tried and tested and bikes are fitted with pre-programmed GPS units to complement route info cards. You’ll have the chance to rest whenever you wish and find a pace that suits you without worrying about keeping up with the rest of the pack. The added security of luggage transfers and emergency support lets you pedal with confidence as part of your very own tailor made itinerary. Some holiday companies offer a lift to the start of a trailhead, often the highest point, before explaining the way down and leaving you to it.
What can I expect?
Cyprus has enough variety to suit all types of cyclist. You'll find hundreds of kilometres of vehicle width gravel trails and rocky mule paths, as well as smooth dirt roads running through forests and up into the mountains. The Troodos Mountains, in particular, offer some technical rides and steep single track climbs, especially if you want to head to the top of Mount Olympus – ideal for mountain bikes. Paved roads away from busy ancient sites and resort towns are quiet and almost car free, especially outside of summer. Flat coastal paths and roads take you between secluded beaches and seaside villages. The Akamas Peninsula, in the northwest, and the Karpasia Peninsula, in the northeast, are the wildest stretches of coastline; they’re great for secluded sandy cycling on paths and roads with off road options, too.
Daily distances on our holidays vary but won't usually be greater than 30km. Many of the routes have a 50/50 split between off road and on. Quality mountain bikes, not hybrids, have been chosen to suit this combination, even if only riding off road for a short section. Road bikes can also be hired and trips can be tailored to include only tarmac. If you're cycling from Nicosia to the Akamas Peninsula (200km), electric bikes are ideal for easing around narrow rural roads and villages. Of course, you can bring your own bike if you wish, although hire bikes are really rather good, if you like to travel light.
Who's best suited to a Cyprus holiday?
If you're planning on sticking to roads then there will be plenty of hill climbing involved, which can be a challenge; Team GB have used Cyprus as their winter training base for past Olympics. Alternatively, steep off road gravel tracks and long and winding forest paths will put MTB lovers through their paces. For those that prefer a blend of both, Cyprus excels. Being tailor made, these cycling holidays allow you to choose the distance and the routes to suit your own preferences. Lazy days around the coast; cooler inland climbs for sensational scenic views; short distances between villages or picnic spots – we can make sure these are factored in.
Point to point or centre based?
Our Cyprus cycling holidays include two or three B&Bs that you'll cycle around over the course of a week. The small, locally owned accommodation we visit are situated in the northwest, around the Akamas Peninsula, which has loads of lovely villages along the route from Nicosia to Akamas. Luggage is transferred by vehicle, and you can get a lift if you fancy a rest from pedalling.
It's also possible to stay at one hotel for the whole holiday, which saves on packing and unpacking; Northern Cyprus is great for this. You'll still get to see plenty of the coastline, and sections of the Five Finger Mountains, thanks to daily drives to different trail heads.
Responsible traveller, Emma Parry, enjoyed a self guided cycling holiday in Cyprus during mid-February; here are her top tips and experiences:
“The Akamas ridge was truly spectacular and very rewarding, with stunning views of both Lara Bay and the turquoise waters of the blue lagoons. We had some pretty special picnics too - nothing beats finding the perfect spot to eat delicious bread, cheese, tomatoes and ultra fresh oranges after a good morning spent cycling. For extra energy, buy the local peanut brittle bars, they were extremely yummy!”
“We loved exploring three different areas of northwest Cyprus. We had a different route for each day's ride, so whether it was exploring the mountains and valleys, or hugging the rugged coastline along the Akamas peninsula, each ride gave us plenty of stunning views to enjoy.”
“Be prepared for all weather conditions. We took panniers, which were a God-send as we could pack all our wet-weather gear, as well as suntan lotion (we needed both). This also gave us room for taking picnic food, snacks and extra water, for the days when we wouldn't be cycling through any villages. That said, we arrived in mid February, so not all the tavernas were open in the mountain villages; sometimes eating at the hotel was the only option.”
“Seeing almond trees in blossom as well as orange and lemon groves added to the beauty of the area. We also gained insight into the island's history when cycling through the deserted villages - a legacy of the 1974 Turkish invasion.”
“The Akamas ridge was truly spectacular and very rewarding, with stunning views of both Lara Bay and the turquoise waters of the blue lagoons. We had some pretty special picnics too - nothing beats finding the perfect spot to eat delicious bread, cheese, tomatoes and ultra fresh oranges after a good morning spent cycling. For extra energy, buy the local peanut brittle bars, they were extremely yummy!”
“We loved exploring three different areas of northwest Cyprus. We had a different route for each day's ride, so whether it was exploring the mountains and valleys, or hugging the rugged coastline along the Akamas peninsula, each ride gave us plenty of stunning views to enjoy.”
“Be prepared for all weather conditions. We took panniers, which were a God-send as we could pack all our wet-weather gear, as well as suntan lotion (we needed both). This also gave us room for taking picnic food, snacks and extra water, for the days when we wouldn't be cycling through any villages. That said, we arrived in mid February, so not all the tavernas were open in the mountain villages; sometimes eating at the hotel was the only option.”
“Seeing almond trees in blossom as well as orange and lemon groves added to the beauty of the area. We also gained insight into the island's history when cycling through the deserted villages - a legacy of the 1974 Turkish invasion.”
Our Cycling holidays in Cyprus reviews
5
1Cycling holidays in Cyprus reviews
Jane Lucas04 Jun 2023
The cycling was amazing... If you love mountains, culture, cycling and sunshine the holiday is perfect.read more
