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Hidden gems in Cyprus: 10 ways to escape the tourist trail

Photo of Robin GauldiePhoto of Robin Gauldie
By Robin Gauldie

30 November 2020 | Updated 30 May 20256 min read

Landscape of Akamas Peninsula National Park in Cyprus

Akamas National Park Discover empty beaches in the hidden gem that is the Akamas Peninsula.

If you've booked your Cyprus holiday in one of the bustling resorts that are dotted along the south coast from upscale Paphos to party-town Ayia Napa, it's easy to imagine that the island is all about beaches and nightlife with a bit of sightseeing thrown in.

But Cyprus packs a lot of variety into a small space, and beyond the beaches and busy cities, it's still possible to discover a hinterland packed with hidden gems and unexpected experiences.

Sling your walking boots, sunscreen, camera and binoculars into a hire car and venture off the tourist trail to see this amazing island at its best. Here’s ten ways to do it.

1. Explore the wild Akamas Peninsula

View of an empty gold-sand beach on a sunny day.View of an empty gold-sand beach on a sunny day.

You'll need off-road transport to explore the rugged hinterland of the Akamas region. Stretching north from the bustling beaches of Paphos and Coral Bay to the white cliffs of Cape Arnaoutis at the western tip of the island, the Akamas Peninsula has the island's last long stretches of sunbed-free sands.

Head to the long sandy crescent of Lara Bay, where sea turtles lay their eggs then finish the journey at the picturesque fishing harbour of Latchi. On the north shore of the peninsula, it’s where you'll find some of the best seafood restaurants in Cyprus.

Tasmaria

Paphos, Paphos Area, Cyprus
  • 2 July 2025
  • 7 nights
  • Self-catering
  • From Edinburgh

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2. Marvel at sacred paintings in the Troodos

View of a arched ceiling of a monastery, colourfully painted with saints and angels.View of a arched ceiling of a monastery, colourfully painted with saints and angels.

A handful of tiny stone churches huddled on the slopes of the Troodos Mountains conceal some of Cyprus’s best medieval hidden gems.

Modest on the outside, the 'painted churches' of the Troodos have earned UNESCO World Heritage status for the polychrome frescoes that decorate their walls.

Dating from as early as the 11th century, more than a dozen of these chapels are scattered around Mount Troodos. Kykkos Monastery is one of the better-known spots, but if you have time to visit only one, Stavros tou Agiasmati, with its beautifully restored paintings, is the top pick.

3. Take a forest hike in Tillyria

View of cedar trees with rolling sparsely vegetated mountains in the background.View of cedar trees with rolling sparsely vegetated mountains in the background.

Pine and cedar trees cloak the western flank of the high Troodos, Cyprus's only expanse of mountain and forest wilderness.

Criss-crossed by tree-shaded walking trails that are a pleasantly cool escape from the hot summer sun, and brightened by seasonal wildflowers in spring and autumn, it’s here you’ll find Tillyria.

The woods are a haven for wild birds, and if you're very lucky you might even glimpse an elusive mouflon, one of the rare Cyprus sheep that survive in the wild only in these lush woods.

4. Sample sticky sweets at Anogyra

Cyprus sweet with honey, nuts and sesame seeds.Cyprus sweet with honey, nuts and sesame seeds.

Gnarled old carob trees surround old-fashioned Anogyra, the only village in Cyprus where the sticky sweetmeat called pastelli is still made by hand.

Carob pods – once known as the island's 'black gold' – are simmered into a syrup that is mixed with sesame seeds to make cakes of nougat-like sweet that are both sinfully delicious and vitamin-rich.

Visit the nearby Oleastro Olive Park to sample and buy koroneiki olive oil (made using traditional presses) and organic halloumi goat milk cheese.

Basilica Holiday Resort

Paphos, Paphos Area, Cyprus
  • 7 July 2025
  • 7 nights
  • All-inclusive
  • From Birmingham

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5. Tour undiscovered vineyards in the Diarizos Valley

Aerial view of a picturesque village overlooking a valley with a river flowing through it.Aerial view of a picturesque village overlooking a valley with a river flowing through it.

Taste some new-style Cypriot wines along the Diarizos, the hidden gem of Cyprus's wine producing regions.

More than a dozen grape varieties are cultivated in the artisan vineyards of this unspoilt green valley, from the staple mavro to less well-known cultivars that produce a growing list of reds, white and dessert wines. Sample and buy at wineries including Nelion in Praitori and Lagria at Salamiou.

6. Uncover submarine secrets

View of a mossy underwater shipwreck with a scuba diver in the background.View of a mossy underwater shipwreck with a scuba diver in the background.

Excellent underwater visibility, rich sea life, and some of the best wreck dives in the Mediterranean make Cyprus a great destination for novice and expert divers.

Silver shoals of barracuda and tuna hover around wrecks like the Vera K and the Zenobia, not far offshore, and giant grouper lurk around St George's Island, part of the Akamas Marine Reserve off the tip of the Akamas Peninsula.

Paphos is the island's best base for divers, with lots to see and do on land as well as beneath the waves.

7. Spot flamingos at Akrotiri Salt Lake

View of a flock of flamingos standing in a low salt lake with mountains in the background.View of a flock of flamingos standing in a low salt lake with mountains in the background.

Cyprus is a fab place to meet big, flamboyant birds in winter. Between November and March, tens of thousands of flamingos, cranes and other migrant waterfowl flock to Akrotiri Salt Lake to feast on the tiny shrimp that thrive in its shallow waters.

If you haven't brought your own binoculars, the Akrotiri Environment Education Centre in Akrotiri village (about 5km/3 miles from Limassol) has a rooftop viewing area equipped with high-powered scopes.

Tasmaria

Paphos, Paphos Area, Cyprus
  • 2 July 2025
  • 7 nights
  • Self-catering
  • From Edinburgh

Prices and availability shown can change. Always check pricing with the provider before booking.

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£301 pp
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8. Walk through ghost cities in northern Cyprus

Ruins of an ancient city including towering columns, building foundations and a toga-wearing statue.Ruins of an ancient city including towering columns, building foundations and a toga-wearing statue.

Sealed off since the Turkish invasion in 1974, the once-thriving resort of Varosha was controversially re-opened to visitors in 2020.

It was once the island's favoured beach resort, but since Turkish forces occupied northern Cyprus in 1974, Varosha has been a ghost enclave. Today, tourists can walk along its sands, but the once-grand hotels, now derelict, are still off limits.

Nearby, you can visit a much older ghost settlement, Salamis, where slender marble columns rise above the fallen walls of an ancient city founded more than 3,000 years ago.

9. Go beachcombing on the Karpas Peninsula

A small brown donkey grazes on a patch of grass along the empty coastline of the north of Cyprus.A small brown donkey grazes on a patch of grass along the empty coastline of the north of Cyprus.

The long, sandy finger of land that is the Karpas Peninsula is as far off the tourist trail as it's possible to get in Cyprus.

Now part of Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, the Karpas is an almost undeveloped region where wild donkeys and goats roam a rocky hinterland dotted with ruined medieval churches and deserted villages.

If you really want to get away from it all, rent a four-wheel drive and fill a cooler with cold drinks for a perfect picnic. Bring your own beach umbrella too.

10. Get a taste of rural life in Liopetri

Aerial view of Liopetri river lined by fishing boats near Ayia Napa in Cyprus.Aerial view of Liopetri river lined by fishing boats near Ayia Napa in Cyprus.

Content to let the tourist crowds flock to its loud neighbour Ayia Napa, the village of Liopetri is one of Cyprus’s last hidden gems on the south east coast.

The main settlement (located 9km inland) is one of Cyprus’s ‘red soil villages’, or kokkinochoria, known for their rich, rust-coloured soil producing weighty yields of potatoes and citrus fruits. Traditional houses made of mud-bricks and straw and a medieval stone chapel are symbols of the village’s historical roots.

On the coast, the sea channels inland via the Liopetri river, its banks laden with local fishing boats – a clue of what’s on the menu at the two rustic taverns you’ll find here.

Kefalonitis

Paphos, Paphos Area, Cyprus
  • 6 July 2025
  • 7 nights
  • Self-catering
  • From Bristol

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£290 pp
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