lyntay

Hi there,

I have a framework for an itinerary for Cyprus. I am wondering if you can offer any advice - for example, am I spending too much time somewhere, not enough elsewhere. I have 20 days in total, 5 of which will be spent in Nicosia, where I will explore the northern/northeastern part (if time). The other 15 days will be spent around the island. Here's the framework:

July 31 - August 3: Famagusta
August 3-4: Larnaca
August 4-6: Limassol
August 6-9: Troodos
August 9-14: Paphos
August 14-15: Nicosia
August 15 - fly out

What do you think?

Rubicund

Limassol to Larnaca is less than an hour by car, and Limassol to Paphos is about the same. Troodos is about an hour from Limassol too. Troodos is an hour and 15 minutes from Paphos, so you see that once you have left Nicosia you don't really need to keep moving hotels and losing time between resorts. We have been to Cyprus many times ans seen most if not all of the Greek side, so I'd stay in Nicosia, Limassol and Paphos only. Everywhere else can be done relatively quickly by road. From Paphos you can drive up the west coast via Akamas Nature Reserve, to Polis, it's a lovely day out.

balthy

20 days is a great amount of time to spend in Cyprus but IMO it is too long to stay in Nicosia for 5 days and it is seriously hot in August.

How are you doing a tour of Famagusta?

What are the things you want to see, beach, historical sights, mountains, forests, traditional villages?

I think there is too much time in the towns, too much moving around in peak summer time. Limassol is very central so easy access to both Larnaca and Paphos. Staying in and around Troodos (Platres) for example will not only give you relief from the heat but you can access the north coast, drive down towards Pomos which is beautiful and then drive along the coastal road the the Akamas. At the Akamas you can take a boat trip to the Blue Lagoon, eat in a taverna in Latchi etc.

I'm assuming you are renting a car.

If you give a bit more info, it will help refine the itinerary, mainly how you intend to move around and what you want to get out of the trip.

15th August is a national holiday in Cyprus.

neckervd

What are you interested in? Antique sites, medieval sites, landscaapes, hiking, beaches.......?

Places I like best:
Medieval Famaguta and ancient Salamis/Engomi
Beaches around Apostolos Andreas: Seabird, Golden Sands
Hiking trails and beaches around Rizokarpaso
Cruisader castles of St. Hilarion, Buffavento and Kantara
Bellapays Abbey
Medieval Nicosia, it's cathedral and it's museums
Roman theatre of Kourion
Greek and Roman buildings and mosaics at Paphos
Hiking trails, villages and monasteries in the Troodos mountains
Hiking trails on the Akamas Peninsula and pebble beaches of Latchi and Polis

lyntay

Thank you for replying

@balthy and @neckervd I am staying in Nicosia for 5 days as I am waiting for my husband to arrive. Nicosia is where he lands.

Ideally, I would like to try and have a base. I was thinking 3-4 bases, but was unsure where I should set up. Sounds to me that Limassol would be smart. Do you think making a base in Famagusta, Limassol, Troodos, and Paphos makes sense?

In Troodos, we want to hike a couple of the trails while there. I'm not sure I understand your question about Famagusta: "How are you doing a tour of Famagusta?" Right now we were going to go there and set up for a few days and see the sights in the area - including Cape Greco.

@neckervd all of the above We are hoping to combine the ancient sites, medieval sites, hiking, and beaches. We will hike around Troodos as well as see a couple of the villages. We are hoping to a couple of the trails on the Akamas Peninsula.

We want some down time (beaches), culture and historical sites, and activities like hiking.

balthy

Your husband will be landing at Ercan airport, close to Nicosia. That’s in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is occupied, disputed territory. So getting from north to south involves crossing checkpoints. You do know that the island is divided? It’s not that easy to be in the north then pop over to the south & then back again. How do you intend to get around? Renting a car in the north & taking it to the south & vv isn’t easy. One side doesn’t recognise the others insurance etc.

Famagusta is in disputed territory so going there, taking tours etc isn’t easy but I see you’ll be on that “side” anyway. That’s why I was asking, I’d made an assumption you’d be flying in & out of the Republic of Cyprus ie Larnaca or Paphos. Where is the checkpoint for getting to Cape Greco, is it Derynia & is it open?


Where are you flying into & out of? Is it also from Ercan?

I’d start by organising your stay into north & south so you are not crossing from one side to another all the time. If you are renting a car, one rental in the north & another rental in the south.


If I was in the north, I’d be staying in Girne, it’s beautiful, with its medieval harbour & mountain range behind it. Maybe consider that as a place to wait for your husband. Being by the coastline is recommended in the heat of August.

I’ll try to reorganise what you have & include areas that you might like to see.

balthy

Actually neckervd already laid out an itinerary for you. I've added more to it but they are ideas of where you can go, you might not be able to cover everything

I'm assuming you are renting a car, it would be impossible to reach alot of these places without one.

As already mentioned by previous poster, you can stay in fewer places, you don't need to move around the whole time.

From Limassol you can reach Paphos & Larnaca
From Paphos you can reach the Akamas
From Larnaca you can reach Nicosia
From Nicosia you can reach Troodos but its time consuming to get around everything in the mountains and you might like to spend some time there
A stay in Troodos, Platres would be nice, not least to get out of the heat

I don't know the North that well but I've added Girne which you might want as a base for some of the places you want to visit.
I don't know the status of Famagusta, I've read that some of it has been reopened.
I'd advise you to further research the checkpoint crossings (where, when, how, what times they're open etc) your entry.exit points to Cyprus via presumably Turkey which are considered illegal entry points to the Republic. If you are renting a car, look into whether you can take a car across a checkpoint, what the insurance implications are or whether its best to have 2 sep rentals.

On TA there are posters who know quite a bit about the logistics, you might want to ask there.


NORTH CYPRUS

Medieval Famagusta and ancient Salamis
Beaches around Apostolos Andreas: Seabird, Golden Sands
Hiking trails and beaches around Rizokarpaso
Crusader castles of St. Hilarion, Buffavento and Kantara
Bellapais Abbey
Girne
Medieval Nicosia, it's cathedral and it's museums

LIMASSOL

Roman theatre of Kourion
Kolossi Castle
The Old Pantopouleion, Amathus
Lofou & Laneia Village Limassol
Kolossi Castle
Governors Beach
Zygi Harbour
Kalavassos



PAPHOS
Greek and Roman buildings and mosaics at Paphos, Tomb of the Kings, Aphrodites Rock, Sea Caves St Georges, Paphos seafront
Hiking trails on the Akamas Peninsula and pebble beaches of Latchi and Polis, trip to Blue Lagoon, visit Aphrodites Baths, eat a fish taverna at Latchi
Visit some wineries (Sterna, Kathikas)
Pissouri

TROODOS
Hiking trails eg Cedar Valley, villages and monasteries (eg Kykkos) in the Troodos mountains
Drive thru Paphos Forest and down to Pomos, along coastal road to Latchi via Argaka
Caledonia Waterfall, Botanical Gardens
Kakopetria Platres
UNESCO Painted Churches
Agros, Pedoulas, Pelendri, Farmakas

LARNACA
Hala Sultan Tekke Larnaca
St Lazarus Church
Walk along the waterfront
Cape Greco
Ayia Napa Beach & Fig Tree Bay for swimming, and Ayia Napa Monastery (very touristy area in summer, think Spring Break)
Pano Lefkara village

neckervd

I always crossed the Greeen line by taxi and it usually took less than a minute.
But balthy makes a good point: car insurance from South Cyprus is not valid in the North and vice versa.
Therefore most people rent a car for the Norhern part and another one for the Southern part.
Public transport is almost inexistant in Cyprus, except
Intercity busses
from Lefkosia to Famagusta, Kyrenia, Morphou, Lemessos and Larnaca,
from Famagusta to Kyrenia,
from Larnaca to Aya Napa and Lemessos,
from Lemessos to Paphos
shared taxis between Lefkosia, Larnaca, Lemessos and Paphos.
AFAIK the AyNik/Strovilia/Akyar checkpoint is open 24/24
All checkpoints were closed for foereigners in 2020/21 because of the Covid pandemy

lyntay

I really appreciate the time you've taken to reply. I thought I replied this morning, but I guess I didn't hit send. I'm looking into the checkpoints. I had heard about them, but through my reading understood that it is relatively easy to move through them. I definitely need to look into this more and will head over to TA. I think that I will rent a car for the south in the south and think about renting one for the north in the north. I may due the north without husband and then when he arrives, we can head south.

C