Discover hidden Cyprus on one of our scenic tours

Discover the real Cyprus by taking one of my suggested scenic tours by car or 4x4 vehicle.

Cyprus has an excellent road network linking the main cities. You can cross from one side of the island to the other via the motorway that runs along the coast in a couple of hours.

But to truly appreciate the island's haunting beauty, you need to plan a travel route away from the main resorts, a route that takes in some of the pretty mountain villages and offers an insight into the wilder, almost uninhabited side of the island.

Cyprus scenic tours - The Wild west!

Lose yourself in the lonesome pines of the Paphos forest.

• From Polis, take the F723 road to Lysos via the villages of Steni and Peristerona. Lysos, situated at 600m above sea level, is the last village before you head into the Paphos forest area.

• From Lysos, keep on the main road through the village and you will soon be amazed at the sight before you...mile upon mile of pine forest stretching as far as the eye can see.
• After 6km, the road starts to climb steeply and winds onwards and upwards, the air getting cooler as each metre passes. You will soon be over a thousand metres above sea level and completely immersed in the cool mountain air.
  NB: This is a new mountain road suitable for any vehicle. You do not need a 4x4 here.
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  Once the road levels off, it continues to traverse the mountain side until you drop down into the Stavros Forest station.

  Take a break here and stroll around under the trees, have a coffee, or take a short walk up to the mouflon enclosure, where you may get to see a mouflon, one of the shy, indigenous mountain sheep.

• On leaving Stavros, you head uphill again until you reach a T junction and your choices are RIGHT to Troodos and the Kykkos monastery or LEFT to Kato Pyrgos.

  Our wild and wonderful scenic tour goes LEFT taking you into the far north of southern Cyprus along a road hardly used by anyone else.

  Dense forest flanks either side of the winding mountain road but, here and there, you will get glimpses of the coastline.

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  When you reach a junction with Pigenia signposted to your RIGHT, STOP!

  Look to your right and, on a clear, day, you will see into an even wilder side of Cyprus - Morphou bay and the Kyrenian mountains of Northern Cyprus.

• After admiring the views, carry on to the next

  T junction and turn LEFT towards Pomos past the army camp in front of you.

• This army camp bears the scars of history - the Cypriots there are watching the Turks a few kms away in the Turkish controlled enclave of Kokkino on the coast. They, in turn, are closely watched by the UN controlled camp further down the hillside.

  It all seems a little surreal as you wind your way down the rugged and barren hillside, taking care NOT to take any photos towards the Turkish controlled enclave or towards Northern Cyprus itself - there are signs saying "No photos!"

• Whatever the politics, enjoy the exhilarating descent down towards Pachyammos and finally, Pomos where you can take a rest, enjoy a late lunch or perhaps relax on the beach before heading back along the coast road to Polis.