Day trips in Cyprus, with or without a tour

Cyprus is compact, which makes it ideal for day trips. From any coastal base you’re an hour or so from the mountains, a first-rate archaeological site or another town. Here are the trips I’d make, ranked with my scores, which to do from each base and when I’d go it alone or book a tour. Everything else the island offers, beyond the day trips, is in things to do in Cyprus.

The one I wouldn’t miss, the Troodos

If you do only one day trip, make it the Troodos. The ten painted churches of the range have been World Heritage since 1985, are still used for worship and charge no entry, according to UNESCO. Around them are stone villages such as Kakopetria and Pedoulas, Kykkos Monastery and pine forests where summer air is suddenly breathable. Troodos Square sits roughly 30 km from Limassol and 52 km from Nicosia as the crow flies. Mountain roads are slow, so give it the whole day. Where to start is in the Troodos Mountains.

From Paphos, sea and myth

Paphos has two obvious trips. East lie Aphrodite’s Rock, about 22 km away, and the goddess’s sanctuary at Kouklia, about 7 km beyond; Pafos Buses route 631 reaches both. North lie Polis and Latchi, about 29 km away, the harbour for the Blue Lagoon, with morning, midday and late-afternoon sailings, the last one ending with a barbecue. Boat options are in boat trips in Cyprus.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Limassol on Expedia and filter by area before price.

From Limassol, ruins and wine

Limassol is in the middle of everything. Kourion, with its theatre above the sea, is about 14 km away as the crow flies, and Kolossi Castle about 9, so both fit in a morning. After lunch, drive up to Omodos and the wine villages, about 27 km away, or carry on into the Troodos. For me it’s the most convenient base for day trips. Staying there without a car, I would book a guided trip for the Troodos and the wine villages and keep the coast for bus days.

From Larnaca and Ayia Napa

From Larnaca, the star trip is Nicosia, about 37 km away. A ticket on the intercity coach is around €4, going by the Cyprus By Bus portal, and in the capital you’ll find the Venetian ramparts, good museums and, passport in hand, the pedestrian crossing at the end of Ledra Street. The other pairs Lefkara and Choirokoitia, just 8 km apart, the lace-making village and the Neolithic site UNESCO has protected since 1998.

From Ayia Napa, Cape Greco is about 9 km away, with cliffs, sea caves and coastal paths. You can do it on foot, by car or from a boat.

Where the bus does not go, a car does: compare car hire in Limassol before you arrive rather than at the desk.

When to go

The season changes everything. Midsummer in Nicosia means average highs close to 37°C, per the WMO, so trudging round town at noon is hard work; I’d start early and lunch in the shade. That’s exactly when the Troodos come into their own, with Prodromos averaging about 29°C in July. In winter it’s the other way round, mild on the coast, sometimes snowy in the mountains. Spring and autumn are, for me, the best time to string day trips together, with comfortable temperatures for walking ruins and clear air for mountain views. In April the hillsides are still green; in October the coast stays in beach mode, with Paphos averaging highs of almost 27°C, according to the WMO, so a swim after a morning inland is easy.

Solo or with a tour?

Solo, almost always. Hire a car and you can reach anywhere, and with traffic on the left the driving will feel familiar. By bus you’ll manage the towns and several coastal sights. I’d book an organised trip for the Troodos if I didn’t want to drive mountain roads, and for Akamas by 4x4. If you do, look the firm up on the government’s register of licensed agencies first. More in Cyprus package holidays.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Limassol on Booking.com and filter by area before price.

And a trip to the north?

You can, crossing at the Green Line crossing points with your passport. Before you go, bear in mind that the Republic’s car insurance doesn’t apply there, so you’d need separate cover, and that gov.uk says the UK can only offer limited consular help in the north. See crossing to northern Cyprus.