Far OUT! An easy and cheap WIZZ flight got me over to Larnaca in less than 2 hours – (as an Aussie, this is absolutely NOTHING in comparison to the hours we have to fly to get here!)
I didnt want to hire a car on this trip so I decided to do a group tour to get an idea of the island
EMAN TOURS – large bus tours of all ages – around 40-50 ppl
Troodos Mountains & Nicosia
PRICE:
€38 for adults
€19 for children
CAPITAL – Nicosia
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES – Greek / Turkish (Armenian / Cypriot Arabic)
GOVERNMENT – Unitary presidential republic
INDEPENDENCE – 16 AUG 1960
JOINED EU – 1 MAY 2004
POPULATION – 1.2m
A really good daytrip itinerary that fit in quite a lot – a good trip if you dont have many days on the island and want to see a lot of places and experience the landscape of the island
I was a “back seat bomber” as we used to call ourselves in highschool when we sat at the back of the bus and thought we were cool! lol nothings bloody changed, im just not as cool lol
The bus was totally full as its a popular tour company, many different types of people from mainly europe, only met 1 Aussie who ended up being an awesome older lady called Yvonne who had recently divored and was traveling on her own
Ayios Georgios Kontos – A huge Greek Orthodox Church
We passed many beautiful churches along the way
I dont know about you but I just LOVE the unique architecture of each ancient building, they all have their own personalities and history
NICOSIA
Ok so, all pick ups done, we first drove up to Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus to explore – (the red lines on the map below are the UN buffer zone areas)
There are 7 checkpoints on the island – I swear, I dont know about you but every time I get to any checkpoint or border I start feeling like Ive done something wrong or guilty of something and need to hand myself in! and ive done nothing wrong lol
NOTE: you have to be aware always where you are driving to and from due to the many checkpoints and the guards mean serious business as there is stil tension on the island between Turks and Cypriots – carry your passport on you if you are not sure
Driving in Cyprus is easy and hassle free, nothing like mainland driving!
The Venetian walls surrounding Nicosia – defensive walls are among the best preserved in the eastern mediterranean
Famagusta Gate – The main gate of the city – in Venetian style
An old map showing Nicosias’ unique walls surrounded by water
The bus parked right next to one of the walls and we jumped out, I was pretty damn excited to explore
You can see the red lines cutting through half of Nicosia which is the buffer zone
The streets were really small, quiet and clean
Checkpoint at the Ledra Palace hotel – This border crossing is for pedestrians only and located in the middle of beautiful Nicosia
Near the border crossing, both on the Greek side and on the Turkish side, there are restaurants, clubs, shops – These two different cultures are separated by only 20 meters and as looked over twards te other side, you can see light differences already and many more mosques
Human Rights Monument in Nicosia ”RESOLUTION”, by cypriot sculptor Theodoulos Grigoriou was donated by the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture in the city of Nicosia on the occasion of the European Cultural Month
It reiterates the faith of the city of Nicosia and its inhabitants to human rights as the only precondition to peace and freedom
I only had a small amount of time to walk around and explore so left the group as soon as I could and ran off!
CATHEDRAL OF THE APOSTLE BARNABAS
This is the official main church of the Cyprus Archbishopric, dedicated to Apostle Barnabas – and from what ive researched into, its rebuild was controversial
The building is of Byzantine style, and the project to renew the Cathedral and area around it just recently, cost 8 million euros (most probably with tax payers money…) any way, it looks new and beautiful but modern and sterile in way compared to the other churches in Nicosia old town
Apparently, locals are not happy as during this project (which happened during covid times) they tore down 4 old existing buildings around the original church without permission and the craftsmanship is nowhere near what it was I was told, which does make me sad when old world buildings are torn down
The new Cathedral is really huge as you walk up through tiny streets, it literally jumps out at you!
The inside is just gorgeous!! The dome with the golden image of Jesus stands out the most as you walk around and stare in awe at white walls and golden ornaments
Location of the Cathedral – this is a MUST see when in Nicosia!!
The inauguration of the Cathedral was held in 2021 – there are some old ruins remaining in the square in front of the Cathedral
Omeriye Mosque – was once the medieval Augustinian monastery of St. Marie, built in the 14th c. covered an area of 6 acre and included gardens, orchards a field of wheat and barley and sugar plantation
Converted into a mosque in 1571 – It was fenced off when I walked past – I could see the different brickworks and colours when walking around it
Arablar Mosque (Stavros tou Missirlkou) – was previously a church and you can still see the old gothic church elements from the outide, they have added the minaret
Faneromeni Church – said to be built in 1222 as part of a monastery for women
Destroyed in an earthquake and rebuilt and dates back to 1872 and is in Byzantine, Latin and neoclassial styles – it is now the largest church inside the city walls
Panagia Faneromeni Church – This church was the largest church in the capital of Cyprus and wasbuilt in 1872 on an Orthodox convent that was there from 1715
Nicosia is also home to one of the largest historic Armenian schools, the Melkonian Educational Institute established in 1926 which operated until 2005. The Melkonian Institution was created as an orphanage in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923
KAKOPETRIA
We drove to this beautiful little well-preserved village called Kakopetria which has traditional houses and is well known for its running waters and little waterfalls
The walk through the local small streets was so nice, locals fluffing around the place enjoying the weather
Kakopetria is constructed along the valley of the Kargotis and Garillis rivers and there are around 1300 people living here
The medieval streets of the old settlement is still in tact and I felt likeI had gone back in time when walking through and exploring
Local ducks just chillin’
The village is known for the convergence of 2 rivers (Kargotis and Garillis) that join inside the village itself and form the river Klarios – as we walked we could hear the constant trickling and soothing sounds of water flowing
Metamorphosis of the Saviour church – right in the middle of the old town built in the 15th c. in Basilica style and Byzantine, its made of stone and whitewashed on the outside
Quite cute inside as we explored and noticed the colourful altar painted in beautiful bright colours!
Map of the old town and the little back streets so well preserved!
I absolutely loved this little village so quiet and quaint and with so much charm and history
TROODOS MOUNTAIN
In the centre of Cyprus lies the Troodos Mountains
The highest point is Mount Olympus at 1952m – many of the oldest trees in the world are found here in this area
Troodos range is a dome shaped highland of mainly infertile igneous rocks which form the backbone of the island
The hard igneous rock is surrounded by a lower belt of dome shaped pillow lava, its really infertile and gradually goes down towards the coastline
The drive up to the mountains was just beautiful! It was nice and sunny and hot the whole day and we werent expecting what we got when we reached the top of the mountains!
HAIL!!! – thats what we got! A whole load of it…and it wouldnt stop – and it droped down to 15 degrees!
We had 1 hour here and it was only a couple of shops and a hotel up here so I decided to have lunch and listen to the rain & hail fall and then hopefully it would stop so I could explore
We were right in the angry clouds and it was really heavy rain – didnt stop me though, I tried to run under it to do some sort of “sight seeing” I was absolutely DRENCHED when I got to the bus!
Everyone was sitting in the hotel or restauransts
And this was the view we climbed up to see LOL #fail
Troodos square began its history late 19th c. when Cyprus was acquired by Great Britain and annexed to the Britih Empire in 1925
The newly arrived Governor of Cyprus didnt prticulaly like the hot summers in Nicosia, so he decided to move his administration in the summers to Troodos Square which was much cooler! I experienced that as it dropped from around 24 to 15 degrees instantly
But a hot coffee with a shot of whiskey helped to heat things up again!
Troodos Square is only 10mins away from the highest point… history begins in 19th c when cyprus was acquired by great Britain and was declared a crown colony in 1925 – the governor of cyprus would run off into the mountains in the heat of the summer from Nicosia so he moved the administration to troodos square in summer
OMODOS
Apictresque village in the region of wine! Vines and various fruit trees are planted around this area
Omodos is well known for its beautiful grapes and tasty wines
Local bread arkatena koulourka – crunchy rusks with yeast are well known and sought after in Cyprus
HOLY CROSS MONASTERY
This monastery is the oldest in Cyprus!
There is a 2 storey building surrounding the Monastery, the monks’ sleeping quarters, Synod and guest rooms were located here. There is also a Wearhouse and animal barns which are now empty
The inside is just beautiful! I love the vaulted ceilings…
The main church was getting crowded so I found some really narrow and steep stairs up to the 2nd floor and had a bit of time out
The love the locals have for their village can be seen with the clean streets and decorations all throughout the litte village
This ancient winepress is evidence to the fact that production of traditional wine took place in Omodos since ancient times
Walking further out of the village
Local markets with the wares made by locals who are well known for their homemade products
Really nice atmosphere with cafes under the trees with shaded sitting areas to relax and listen to the music and breathe in the fresh air
The countryside heading out of Omodos
Old retaining walls made for vines
With the tour coming to an end, I felt like we had really seen and experieced a lot today, felt energised and more in the know about Cyprus and its history
Back in Larnaca after the tour, Eleni, our guide, bought a whole load of peaches which were beautiful!
At the end of the tour Eleni (our guide) Yvonne (another Aussie lady from the tour) & I, sat down and had a few beers and ate some peaches
Watching the sun set is magical here 🙂
TOUR DETAILS
“Join us for one of our most popular trips and discover traditional Cyprus, the unspoiled beauty of Troodos Mountains and Nicosia town – the last divided city in the world!
First, we drive to Nicosia, the capital of the island, where free time will be given to stroll around the Walled Old Town Center, relax with a coffee or walk up to the barrier (also known as the “Green Line”) that divides Nicosia into two since the Turkish invasion, in 1974.
As we drive towards Troodos Mountains, we stop at Kakopetria, a well-preserved village with traditional picturesque houses. In Kakopetria you will get the chance to walk around the quaint little village known for its running waters and mini waterfall and mingle with the friendly locals. We continue towards the peak of Troodos Mountains, where the forest stretches as far as the eye can see. We stop at Troodos Square, the highest point of Troodos Mountains, where free time will be given for lunch (optional extra – not included in the price). Situated right in the heart of the island, this location offers some of the most breathtaking views in Cyprus.
Following lunch you can experience one of the highlights of this excursion, the beautiful traditional village of Omodos. The village is built around the Holy Cross monastery, one of the oldest and most sacred monasteries in the island. Omodos is a famous wine producing village with lots of small shops that you can visit during your free time to taste and buy some of the best local Cypriot handmade products and wine.
NOTE:
* Visitors must dress appropriately when visiting religious places. No tank tops or shorts allowed for men or women at the Holy Cross Monastery!”
SEPT2023
The Wandering Passport 