Cyprus Road Trip: An Exciting 5 Day Itinerary

From the beautiful sandy beaches around Ayia Napa to the ancient ruins of Paphos, there’s a lot you can pack into a Cyprus road trip. The country is one of the most unique places in the Mediterranean, boasting some of the oldest grapevines in Europe as well as the world’s last divided capital.

Renting a car in Cyprus meant we were able to explore small, out-of-the-way villages like Lofou as well as the rugged coastline with its sea caves and remote beaches. Given how hot the temperature was even outside the height of summer, it’s hard to image how we’d have managed it all if we’d had to rely on public transportation and walking to get about!

We had very few expectations about Cyprus before we visited, but we ended up having an amazing time. Our 5 day Cyprus itinerary is our pick of the best bits from our longer holiday, from swimming with turtles to wine tasting on the slopes of the Troodos Mountains.

Cyprus Road Trip: Quick Overview

DAY 1: Ayia Napa 

Our Cyprus road trip route begins on the southeast coast in Ayia Napa, where we found the most beautiful beaches on the island. It’s also where many tourists stay, so expect to be competing for space on the sand. When in doubt, get there as early as possible to nab a prime spot!  

The crowds make for a very lively atmosphere, so if you’re a party person or someone who enjoys socialising on holiday, Ayia Napa is a great place to hang out. The town square especially has a lot of bars and clubs around it where you can spend a fun evening.

📍Green Bay

About 15 minutes’ drive from downtown Ayia Napa, Green Bay is a small cove that’s famous for snorkelling and scuba diving. We went down here first thing in the morning, as we were told that you are more like to spot marine life at this time of day.

We weren’t lucky enough to see any turtles, which are a major attraction here, but we still really enjoyed splashing about in our snorkel gear and checking out the fish. If you swim along the rocks on the right side of the bay, just around the corner are a series of ancient underwater stone columns. 

Despite having only a small beach, Green Bay wasn’t that busy when we visited. There are plenty of facilities though, including rentable sun loungers, toilets, and a free car park. If you don’t have a snorkelling mask, there are a few nearby shops where you can buy one for around €21.

📍Cape Greco

Drive south down the coast from Green Bay and you’ll come to Cape Greco, a fabulous national park that’s criss-crossed by hiking paths and surrounded by crystal-clear waters.

There are several places where you can swim off the rocks into the sea – just make sure you bring water shoes, as it can be quite slippery. And don’t forget your snorkel gear!

Cyprus is home to a couple of places dubbed the Blue Lagoon. One of them is here, easily reachable from the shore, though a lot of people hire a boat and anchor off the coast for swims in the stunning sea.

It does get very hot in this unshaded area, so if you decide to hike make sure you have plenty of water. There’s a snack and drinks booth on the headland that is handy for refreshments.

📍Sea Caves

Less than 10 minutes’ drive from Cape Greco are some of the island’s famous sea caves. There’s one particular hidden cave that you can hike down to and take a cool photo from, but only do this if you have something other than flip flops on your feet!

For us, this was just a quick photo stop on our Cyprus road trip, but you could spend longer here swimming. There was a spot where people were jumping off the cliff as well, but the water below had a few scattered boulders, so we took a pass!

📍Bridge Of Love

Keep heading west along the south coast and you’ll come to another photo-famous spot, the Bridge of Love, a natural stone arch that overhangs the sea. Again, this is just a quick stop-off, but it’s all part of the romantically rugged coastline that is a hallmark of Cyprus. 

WHERE: Google Location

📍Nissi Beach

Nissi Beach is super famous and extremely beautiful, but it was also one of the busiest places we visited not just around Ayia Napa but in the whole of Cyprus! Personally, we were a little disappointed by how rammed it was, particularly since we struggled to find any free loungers when we arrived after midday. 

Still, we’ve included it on our Cyprus road trip because if you don’t mind crowds, it’s a very pretty place. Plus, a pair of loungers with an umbrella only cost us €7.50, which is cheap compare to the Greek islands! We can also recommend the beach restaurant for lunch. 

WHERE: Google Location

📍Makronissos Archaeological Site + Beach

It’s mostly about the beach and the coastline around Ayia Napa, but for the history buffs the Makronissos Archaeological Site dates back 2 millennia and is home to 19 tombs that together form a necropolis. There’s not a lot to see, since even though you can go into some of the chambers, they’ve all been thoroughly ransacked over the years. 

Given that it’s completely free to visit though you might as well look, especially since it’s next to the sandy Makronissos beach.

DAY 2: Nicosia + Lefkara

We saw a lot of beautiful nature around Ayia Napa, but the next stop on our Cyprus road trip has more historical significance. Nicosia is the largest city on the island. It’s also the only divided capital in the world.

Half of Nicosia is part of the Republic of Cyprus, a UN member state that roughly occupies the southern and the western parts of the island – and where we spent most of our holiday. The other half of the city is part of Northern Cyprus, a territory that’s only recognised by Turkey as an independent nation.

The capital (and the island of Cyprus as a whole) has been divided ever since 1974, when a coup d’etat by Greece-aligned members of the military deposed the democratically elected president. This in turn led Turkey to invade, partitioning the island into the separate parts that exist today.

📍Nicosia 

Parking in Nicosia is convenient and cheap, so leave the car and go exploring on foot. The parts of the city that you’ll want to see are all within walking distance of one another.

We started our day with an iced coffee from Starbucks to go, before heading off on our sightseeing. 

At the heart of town is Ledra Street, a bustling road that’s mostly pedestrianised with lots of shops and cafes along its length. If you keep going north along it, you come to the border with Northern Cyprus – but we’ll come to that a bit later.

First, explore the Greek side of the capital. A good place to start is Shacolas Tower Museum and Observatory, where you get a great panorama of the city. The viewing deck has boards that explain what landmarks you can see, and there’s a small museum and a TV room playing a video about the history of Nicosia. Entry is a very reasonable €2.50 per person. 

Just a couple of minutes’ walk away, the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia dives a little deeper into the city’s past, with exhibitions that date back to prehistoric man. We found it handy for getting a flavour of the different eras that the island has gone through, from the Byzantines and Venetians to the Ottomans and the British.

A lot of Greek Nicosia has been heavily modernised, but there are a few pretty churches to check out. The one we found most interesting was the Church of Panayias Phaneromenis, which was constructed in the early 1870s but contains older religious icons. 

Next, return to Ledra Street and head to the border crossing. We needed our passport, but otherwise it was super fuss-free to enter Northern Cyprus. 

This side of the capital has a completely different feel. Less modern and more traditional, it’s rather more charming. 

Wandering through the narrow streets, we passed stalls selling Turkish delight and streetside tables topped by Turkish coffee. We also had lunch here, and the menu was better priced than the restaurants in the Greek part of Nicosia.

If you want to keep your Cyprus trip cost down, get you souvenirs on this side of the border! There are plenty of places selling handmade trinkets for a cheap price, which you can pay for in Euro or by card. 

We definitely recommend checking out Büyük Han, a market area built by the Ottomans that houses a mishmash of stores and casual eateries, just like it would have back in the 1500s.

It’s kind of weird that the capital’s most beautiful church is actually not on the Greek side but on the Turkish one. Selimiye Camii is more than 500 years old and was formerly known as the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, before the gothic building was converted into a mosque.

📍Pano Lefkara

Pick up the car and continue your Cyprus road trip to Pano Lefkara, a village at the foot of the Troodos Mountains. 

It’s only a small place, but it has a big reputation. Traditionally, the craftspeople that lived here were famous for their silver filigree and lace embroidery. Their ‘Lefkaritika’ sewing was a big deal even in the time of Da Vinci, who supposedly purchased some on a visit to the Pano Lefkara to take back to Italy. 

As you would kind of expect, there are quite a few shops selling traditional mementoes. We really liked Marina’s Shop because the lady there was really friendly and the prices seemed reasonable.

Aside from the shopping, the biggest attraction of Pano Lefkara is just how cute the place. There are a load of small chapels to see, as well as the larger Church of the Holy Cross, which has roots in the 14th century.

Definitely make time to walk up to this church above the village, not because the building is very interesting (it’s not), but because from the hilltop you get an amazing panorama.

WHERE: Google Location

DAY 3: Troodos Mountains

The Troodos Mountains are arguably the most beautiful part of Cyprus. Dotted with sweet little villages, historic monasteries, and scenic hikes, they show off a more tranquil side to the island, away from the vibrant resort towns.

The foothills around these mountains are also where Cyprus’ finest grapes are cultivated. Even though the country may not be especially famous for its wine internationally, there are some delicious local vintages to taste. 

📍Lofou

Begin Day 3 of your road trip around Cyprus at Lofou. We loved this little village – it was just so quiet and charming! 

Wandering about the streets is a photographer’s dream, with cobbled streets, stone houses, and views over the surrounding countryside. It’s not a very big settlement – you can cross it on foot in about 15 minutes – but there’s just such a pleasant vibe to the place.

At the heart of the village is, of course, its place of worship. Panagia Chrysolofitissa Church is around 150 years old and contains an 11th-century icon of the Virgin Mary – apparently found on the very site where the building was erected.

From the heavenly precincts of a church to the heavenly precincts of an ale maker, the Lofou Microbrewery is just around the corner. It’s a very small operation, but one that still manages to brew everything from a pilsner to a porter. Robin is a bit of a beer connoisseur, and we had a great time sampling the different styles – especially because the day was pretty hot!

In addition to winemaking, there are quite a few places around Cyprus that harvest olives to make into high-quality oil. We just happened to wander into the Olive Press Museum because it looked intriguing and was open, learning a little bit about the olive-oil-making process along the way. 

Before leaving, make sure you stop at the village cafe for a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. It’s a very local place that, when we visited, was filled with elderly residents who were entertaining themselves with card games and a bit of chat.

WHERE: Google Location

📍Lambouri Winery

From Lofou, make your ways towards Omodos, which is about half an hour away. Before entering the town itself, stop off at Lambouri Winery, which is situated on the northern outskirts.

We could fill a 5 days in Cyprus itinerary with just wineries, that’s how many there are on the island! There are also several wine tours that you can take if you want to sample plenty of booze without worrying about going over the limit.

If you just want to try a little bit of the local vintage, however, Lambouri is a great place to do it. They have wines made from local grapes like Xynisteri (including a bottle that’s naturally tinged a bright blue), as well as internationally popular grapes like shiraz and cabernet sauvignon.

We learned on our visit that Cypriot vines are some of the only ones in all of Europe that haven’t been grafted with vines from the New World, as they managed to avoid being wiped out by phylloxera in the 1800s. 

WHERE: Google Location

📍Omodos

Continue onto the village of Omodos and take advantage of the free parking at the edge of town.

This village is way busier and more touristy than Lofou, but still very charming. We particularly enjoyed our visit to George’s Bakery, where we picked up some delicious fresh bread rolls stuffed with halloumi. We also bought some very taste pomegranate-coated nuts for the road.

The big attraction here is Timios Stavros Monastery, a Christian complex with some well-preserved pieces of religious art. 

After marvelling at the incredible wood carvings, sit down for lunch in one of the restaurants in front of the monastery. They’re all similar and have enticingly lively vibes. 

WHERE: Google Location

📍Milomeris Waterfall

You can’t go 5 days in Cyprus without seeing at least one of the waterfalls that are scattered across the island. Admittedly, they’re not the most impressive waterfalls we’ve seen on our travels around the world, but most of them are ensconced in soothing nature.

Our fav was probably the Milomeris Waterfall, which is just outside the town of Pano Platres. There’s a hike you can do from the village that takes about 40 minutes one way, but we arrived a bit late in the day, so opted to drive straight to the parking lot that’s right beside the cascades.

WHERE: Google Location

DAY 4: Paphos

Legend has it that Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, emerged from the sea and made her first footsteps on land at Paphos. Some of the oldest settlers of Cyprus built sanctuaries to the deity here, in hopes of courting the favour of the lascivious lady.

There are still quite a few ruins from the Ancient Greek and Roman period scattered around the new city of Paphos, which is a bustling place to base yourself if you want all the mod-cons.

📍Archaeological Site of Nea Paphos

The sprawling Archaeological Site of Nea Paphos is probably the most noteworthy place to see ancient ruins on our Cyprus 5 day itinerary. OK, yes, it is mostly rubble with just a few pillars, arches, and a reconstructed odeon that’s overlooked by a 19th-century lighthouse.

BUT it wasn’t busy when we visited, which means you can just let your mind wander back thousands of years in peace – if you don’t mind the heat!

It was scorching when we visited, so we relatively rapidly retreated into the covered pavilions that have been erected over the site’s most impressive remnants: the Roman mosaics. These tiled artworks are very beautiful, very complete, and very much the highlight of the site. 

📍Paphos Castle 

Right next to the Archaeological Site of Nea Paphos is the atmospheric Paphos Castle. The original fortification that occupied this site was built during the Byzantine era, according to the audio guide we had, but that’s long gone. What you see today though is still a respectably old 16th-century structure that dates to the Ottoman period.

It’s pretty small – we were in and out in less than half an hour – but there are some nice views from the battlements over the sea.

📍Archaeological Site of the Tombs of the Kings

Spoiler alert: no royalty was buried in the Tombs of the Kings. These days, archaeologists think that the necropolis was actually the final resting place of the aristocrats and nobles of the Greek civilisation that thrived in Cyprus more than 2,000 years ago. Kings sounds a bit sexier though, which is maybe why the name has stuck. 

It’s a desolate-looking place, which feels quite appropriate given that it’s essentially a city of the dead! 

📍Paphos Old Town

It’s possible to walk from the entrance of the Tombs of the Kings to the edge of Paphos Old Town in just over half an hour, but if it’s as hot when you visit as it was when we did, you’ll probably prefer to drive! 

Unlike most of the parking in Cyprus, most car parks in Paphos are paid. It’s quite cheap though (about 1 euro for 2 hours, if we remember correctly). We parked here, right next to Djami Kebir, a gorgeous Byzantine-style church that was turned into a mosque and now seems to have been abandoned. We couldn’t go in, but the building is striking enough to warrant a visit anyway. 

A short walk away you’ll come to Paphos Market, where there’s a hodgepodge of souvenirs, clothing, and other random stuff to tempt your inner shopaholic. If you haven’t yet picked up a memento of your trip, this is the time to do it! 

Once you’ve had a little wander about the Old Town, head to Sykaminia Cafe for something to eat or just a coffee to pick you up. We loved the quirky style of the place, which serves up brunchy food at a decent price point.

📍Aphrodite’s Rock

Drive about 20 minutes south of Paphos and you’ll come to Aphrodite’s Rock. For a Cyprus road trip, it’s helpfully located just off the coastal highway! There’s a free car park, which connects to a pebble beach via an underground tunnel.

Appropriately enough, we found Aphrodite’s Rock to be quite a romantic place to go to watch the sun set. A few people were also enjoying a last dip for the day, though the waters looked a little choppy when we visited.

WHERE: Google Location

DAY 5: Gorge Hike OR Boat Trip

You’ve got a choice to make for the final day of your itinerary: Cyprus by land or Cyprus by sea. On the one hand, you have a strenuous but rewarding hike through a unique gorge that cuts through cliffs. On the other, a boat trip to the Blue Lagoon, one of the most beautiful spots to go bathing.

We’ve actually done both these attractions before, and both are worthwhile. It really comes down to how you prefer to spend your final day, as we’ll explain in a bit more detail below.

📍Avakas Gorge

Avakas Gorge is the more athletic option. It takes between 3 and 4 hours to hike all the way to the end of the trail and back, depending on how many stops you take and your general fitness.

We ended up taking quite a few breaks for photos and to try and lure the goats over (they weren’t to be lured). 

Make sure to wear appropriate shoes as there’s quite a bit of scrabbling hand and foot over rocks. There’s also nowhere to stock up on supplies, so a full bottle of water is essential!

The beginning of the trail was surprisingly busy by the time we left at about midday, but we doubt that many people do the full trek – especially in the noon heat.

📍Blue Lagoon Boat Trip

If hiking sounds like a bit too much work for your final day, a trip to the Blue Lagoon is the more relaxing Cyprus travel itinerary option. It’s a super beautiful place, although it’s also quite popular with tourists. We got to swim with turtles though, so who cares!

We went as part of a big group on a larger boat, which was fun and sociable, but also meant that we didn’t get much space to ourselves. On the plus side, the staff supplied us with free snorkelling gear, and we were able to order a meal that was much appreciated after all the swimming about.

Some other people that we could see had rented smaller private vessels just for themselves, which is much more expensive but also means you can pick a quieter spot to pop into the sea.

Cyprus Road Trip: Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to drive around Cyprus?

Thanks to the good quality of the roads, you can get from Ayia Napa in the east to Paphos in the west in about 2 hours via the coastal highway. Even trips into the Troodos Mountains don’t take that long, as the road network is decent throughout.

Is it safe to drive in Cyprus?

Yes, we found it very safe to drive on the island. The Cyprus road signs follow the EU standard, so they’re very clear, with English and Greek placenames to help you navigate. The only thing that might put some people off is the assertive attitude towards driving, but it’s not as aggressive as some places we’ve been in Europe!

How many days do you need in Cyprus?

A Cyprus 5 day itinerary is about right if you want to explore the various parts of the island. That’s enough time to see the cities of Nicosia and Paphos, as well as get in some beach time in Ayia Napa and some wine tasting up in the Troodos Mountains.

Where to go in Cyprus with a car?

We’d start by driving along the fantastic, rugged coastline around Ayia Napa, before heading up into the Troodos Mountains. The cities of Cyprus are well connected by bus, but it’s a lot more convenient to get between the other parts of the island if you have your own vehicle.

5 Day Cyprus Itinerary: Wrap-Up

We really had a great time on our Cyprus road trip itinerary, mostly because there was just so much beautiful nature to see, from the mountains to the coast. We weren’t as blown away by the architecture as we have been on some of other Mediterranean islands we’ve visited, but the mix of ancient ruins and quaint hillside towns adds another dimension to the scenic landscape.