Cedar Valley, in the heart of the Paphos forest

Cedar Valley is the most remote mountain trip you can make from Paphos, which is why I recommend it to anyone with a car and a free day. I’ll set out what the official sources tell us and what I couldn’t confirm. How it fits into the region is explained in Paphos district.

What is Cedar Valley?

In the Pafos tourism board’s words, it’s a place of timeless natural beauty. Every bend in the road reveals ridges and wide views until you reach the valley, where the unique, distinctive cedars stand with an imposing presence. It recommends it for photography and exploring. The wider area also holds the remains of three historic bridges of the region, Skarfos, Kelefos and Roudia, which are popular with visitors.

According to OpenStreetMap, the valley point lies on the E740 road, just inside Tsakistra in Nicosia district, though the Pafos tourism board lists it with the natural sights of its region.

How do you get to Cedar Valley?

You get there by car on the road towards Pano Panagia and Kykkos monastery. There’s no bus, and Pafos Buses route 637 only goes as far as Panagia. On the way it’s worth stopping at Chrysorrogiatissa monastery.

I haven’t found details of the valley’s trails or their condition from a permitted official source, so I don’t give any. My advice is to ask at the Stavros tis Psokas forest station, where the tourism board mentions a small snack café.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Paphos for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

The Paphos forest

The valley lies within the Paphos forest, which the tourism board places north-west of the Troodos, running from almost sea level up to Tripylos, given as 1,352 m on one page and 1,362 m on another. It’s a key site for raptors, with Bonelli’s eagle and the goshawk, and the only place in Cyprus where sparrowhawks are known to breed. Griffon vultures no longer nest there but come to drink at the Tripylos spring. It holds the largest populations of endemic birds such as the short-toed treecreeper, the Cyprus wheatear and the Cyprus warbler.

Stavros tis Psokas, in the same forest, is one of the most important habitats of the mouflon, the wild sheep found only in Cyprus. The road up to it from Polis runs through Lysos. With luck, one will cross the road in front of you.

Worth knowing

There are hardly any services up there, so bring water and food. Fires are allowed only at designated points in the forest, and if you see fire or smoke, the tourism board asks you to call the Department of Forests on 1407, free and around the clock. For somewhere to stay, the practical base is Paphos, an easy day’s drive away.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Cedar Valley on GetYourGuide.

If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Paphos: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Paphos for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.