Cycling in the Troodos mountains, Cyprus
Description of Cycling in the Troodos mountains, Cyprus
In the Troodos Mountains in the centre of Cyprus you’ll find the fertile Marathasa Valley, a haven for quiet exploration, and a haunt of the rare mouflon (wild sheep). The area is part of a EU-funded project to reinvigorate rural Cyprus.
Cycling is a great way to go. Using a mountain bike and guided by GPS, you can explore off-road forest trails through the valley. You’ll also have the option of hiring an e bike. With a range of routes, plus plenty of ways to enjoy the area out of the saddle, you can choose to cycle as much or as little as you like.
This is a centre-based holiday with a very special centre. Our holiday works with an entrepreneur who has spent the last few years reinvigorating his village, a former spa town. He set up an agrotourism project and helped secure millions of euros of EU funding for the local area. He has helped revive an area of Cyprus that had been previously near-deserted due to urban migration and other factors. Other nearby villages have since copied his model.
For visitors, it means that you can take part in specially designed cultural experiences to get to know the traditions of the area under the guidance of local people. Pick a basket of fruit from the orchard; learn how to make sweet preserves in a spoon-sweet workshop; take a guided walking tour; or don a bee suit to investigate the local hives.
When you’re not exploring, you can soak up the special atmosphere of the area – you’ll be staying in a carefully restored house in the village. There’s a spa and a restaurant serving up local dishes, including products from the orchard. Whether you’re in the saddle, or in a sun lounger, this is a lovely way to enjoy rural Cyprus.
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1 Reviews of Cycling in the Troodos mountains, Cyprus
Reviewed on 04 Jun 2023 by Jane Lucas
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The cycling was amazing. My husband is a frequent cyclist, and I'm not so I took the e-bike option and paced him up the many step hills. The mountains have many tracks suitable for bikes, and the roads were extremely quiet during the week (and no pot holes). We were provided with an excellent map of the area, and worked out our own routes. There was also an option to use the hotel's GPS which had suggested routes uploaded. As well as beautiful countryside, the area has a number of churches and monasteries with fabulous frescoes and icons, well worth a visit even if you're not usually into church art . Breakfasts on the terrace and the friendly staff were also memorable.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure you arrive with cash. There is no ATM in the village, and the next village's ATM was out of action throughout our stay. The local supermarket can only do 'cash back' for Cypriot card holders. Smaller cafes (and tips) require cash. We discussed this with the hotel management who are aware of the situation and are looking into solutions, but in the meantime arrive prepared.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The hotel is built on the ethos of regenerating the local economy. The owners have renovated many buildings in the village, providing hotel rooms. We were told that they also support home owners to improve their homes, and they provide employment. Food, including picnics was locally produced and although delicious, was wrapped in clingfilm. The holiday includes some excellent options where you meet locals to understand their traditions and culture. We did the local tour (walking around the village with a friendly and knowledgeable local called Marie); beekeeping (fascinating, you get to wear the gear and hold the trays from the hive) and halloumi and ricotta making (and we got huge quantities of delicious cheese to bring home).
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
If you love mountains, culture, cycling and sunshine the holiday is perfect. We spent the week before in Northern Cyprus on a walking tour which we would fully recommend. The two sides of the border are both extremely welcoming and have so much to offer.
Responsible Travel
Planet
Cycling is the ultimate low-carbon transport and so this cycling holiday means you can explore the beautiful Marathasa valley of Cyprus and beyond with negligible impact on the environment!In addition the accommodation consists entirely of carefully renovated old village homes, scattered around the village, in order to preserve the cultural heritage of the area. Each room or suite maintains its own identity with restored original features and architecture.
Bottled water has been removed in all rooms. Instead guests receive a complimentary refillable water-bottle on arrival during the summer months, which can be filled with the natural, sweet mountain spring water piped directly to all rooms. Disposable room amenities have been replaced by sanitised, re-fillable toiletries in all rooms. Plastic straws are no longer used in the restaurants and all take-away boxes are fully recyclable and bio-degradable.
There are designated pet-friendly rooms where a percentage of the pet-stay fee is donated to the village cat-neutering programme and a local rescue home for stray dogs and cats.
As the hotel is situated on the eastern edge of the Paphos forest and within the Troodos Geopark, guests are encouraged to explore the forests responsibly, adhering to the hiker’s code of conduct. A specially commissioned 1:25,000 map of the Marathasa area details recommended walking and cycling routes, designated picnic areas and provides information about the local wildlife.
People
The hotel is a family-owned business whose purpose is to contribute to the economic revival of the mountain communities and to restore their way of life. Local people are employed wherever possible, and produce is sourced from local suppliers, supporting existing cottage industries and local agriculture. For example, rather than bake their own bread, we partner with the baker in the neighbouring village who supplies breads fresh each morning; in turn providing his business with a steady source of income. All honey is supplied directly by local beekeepers who have hives throughout the valley. Seasonal fruit and vegetables come from their own orchards, just 10 minutes down the valley, and are open for guests to visit.The hotel has developed a range of partnerships with local villagers to offer authentic experiences to guests and learn about the mountain way of life. All are delivered by people actively engaged in these trades and are not “show” attractions. They include beekeeping and honey-making; soutzoukos-making (a local delicacy made from grapes and nuts); halloumi-making; a visit to working orchards; a local walking tour taking in the 11th century UNESCO-listed St John Lampadistis monastery, a preserved water-mill, the natural sulphur springs and the historic Venetian bridge; and a forest safari adventure to enjoy the forest and spot the beautiful, protected wild mouflon (a species of wild sheep and the national animal of Cyprus). Suggested itineraries to visit places of historic and cultural interest further afield can also be provided.
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