5 days in Cyprus: crossing the island west to east

Five days is enough to cover the south of Cyprus end to end, and my advice is to do it in a line, west to east, never doubling back. You fly into Paphos and out of Larnaca, sleep in three places and each day looks little like the one before. It’s the route I’d drive in a hire car; with a week or more, places to visit in Cyprus has ideas to stretch it.

Days 1 and 2, Paphos and Akamas

With barely 9 km between the runway and the town, day one isn’t wasted. I’d give the afternoon to the mosaics of the archaeological park in Kato Paphos and, if the light holds, to the Tombs of the Kings, rock-hewn burial chambers just north of the harbour. If you’d rather not pick up the car on arrival, Pafos Buses runs routes 612 and 613 between the airport and town, and you can collect the car the next morning; nothing on the first day needs one, as Kato Paphos is best on foot.

Day two is the treat of the trip. Drive up to Latchi, about 29 km, and catch the morning boat to the Blue Lagoon, which skirts the Akamas coast, passes the Baths of Aphrodite and stops for a swim. In the afternoon the Baths grotto is a few kilometres from Latchi, and Polis is worth a wander before you drive back to Paphos for the night.

Day 3, Aphrodite’s coast

Head east. First Kouklia, where Aphrodite was worshipped, then, about 7 km away, Aphrodite’s Rock, the legendary spot of her birth. About 23 km beyond is Kourion, with its theatre above the sea, and Kolossi Castle close by. From there I’d climb into the Troodos to sleep in Platres, about 27 km from Limassol as the crow flies, though the mountain road makes it longer. The ruins are explained in Kourion.

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

Day 4, how do you cross the Troodos?

Slowly, with no rush to arrive. Troodos Square is 4 km from Platres, and Kakopetria another 5. Just outside Kakopetria stands Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, a UNESCO-listed painted church you can enter for free. In the afternoon, drive down to Nicosia, about 48 km, and sleep inside the walls. More churches in the painted churches of the Troodos.

Day 5, Nicosia and home

The last morning belongs to the capital. The Venetian walls, with eleven bastions, and Ledra Street, which ends at the foot crossing into north Nicosia. With your passport you can cross and come back in a few hours; leave the car in the south. Then on to Larnaca Airport, about 40 km away in a straight line. The capital is covered in Nicosia.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Paphos and pick one that fits your day.

What I’d book before going

The car first, collected at one airport and returned at the other; ask about any one-way fee. All three hotels, especially the mountain one, because in a small village you want to choose calmly. The Latchi boat can be bought on the spot, but in July and August I’d ring the day before. In high summer I’d also start the ruins early; Paphos tops 30°C on average in July and August by WMO figures, whereas in Prodromos in the Troodos July averages around 29°C, so the mountain night doubles as a breather. Road rules are in driving in Cyprus.

If I fly in and out of the same airport

Then I’d reorder it. If everything goes through Larnaca, I’d start in Nicosia, climb into the Troodos, come down to Paphos via Kourion and the rock, and return along the coast to Larnaca on the last day, stopping in Lefkara if there’s time. Same island, different order, one more day of driving. What I leave for another trip is the east coast, with Ayia Napa, Cape Greco and Protaras, and Larnaca with its Church of Saint Lazarus. With five days I’d rather see the west and the mountains properly; the one-week itinerary adds them.

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

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