GREECE & CYPRUS ACTIVE CYPRUS DESTINATIONS I designs


Escape the sunbeds and sandy beaches to get


to the heart of Cyprus, suggests Karl Cushing


nterior P


edalling along deserted country roads on a late


September afternoon, en route to try halloumi-making at a local farm, I was getting well into the swing of this ‘authentic Cyprus’ away-from-the-beach malarkey. Alongside affable guide Mike of Bikin’ Cyprus, thoughts of sand, sea and sunloungers had been replaced by a new-found appreciation for the surrounding scenery, and anticipation of my pending cheese-filled pit-stop. With its sparse traffic and


extensive range of well-surfaced roads, from easy rolling stretches


to more challenging routes in the Troodos Mountains, Cyprus is a cycling paradise. But whether on two wheels,


two feet, in flippers or on a fly-drive, the island cries out for exploration. From quaint villages with Byzantine churches and mountainside monasteries such as Ioannis Lambadistis, with its incredibly preserved frescos, to the stately ancient Greek city of Kourion and the neolithic sites at Tenta and Choirokoitia, there’s a lot to see and do. The cooler shoulder seasons outside the sprawling April to


deep discounting to snowbirds. For its part, the Cyprus Tourism


With its sparse traffic and extensive range of well-surfaced roads, Cyprus is a cycling paradise


October summer are perfect for active and cultural tours, bolstered by a growing calendar of low-season events and festivals, enabling agents to sell Cyprus year-round without


Organisation publishes handy Nature, Wine, Cycling and Cultural Routes and hiking guides, while its Larnaca office has created a Winter Experiences programme. The latter, which runs from November 1 until April 30, 2016, offers guests in participating hotels free daily cultural and active excursions such as cooking classes in Lefkara village, with its museum, winemaking and lacemaking traditions. visitcyprus.com larnakaregion.com


8 October 2015 travelweekly.co.uk 69


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