LIFE IS A BEAUTIFUL RIDE. ENJOY IT.LARNAKA REGION - THEMATIC CYCLING ROUTES

Neolithic Route - Europe’s most ancient route Technical Info:

• Roads: Asphalt and loose surface • Distance: 24 km• LevelofDifficulty:Easytoaverage(+270moftotalascent)• BikeRequired:Trekkingoff-roadwith27speeds• Points of Interest: Choirokoitia and ‘Kalavasos Tenta’ Neolithic Settlements, TochniVillage,ZygiVillage

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Discover the authentic Cyprus and its rich history with a cycle route that encompasses the island’s most significant archaeological sites.

As one of the most important prehistoric sites in the eastern Mediterranean, the Neolithic settlementofChoirokoitiaisincludedintheUNESCOWorldCulturalHeritagelist.Itswell-preservedcircularhouseswithflatroofswerebuiltbyfarmerscomingfromtheNearEastmainlandaroundthebeginningofthe9thmillenniumandwereconstructedwithmudbrickandstone.

RidingyourbikefromChoirokoitiatowardsthe‘Kalavasos’NeolithicSettlement,youwillfirstlypassthroughTochni;apicturesquevillagejust3kmfromChoirokoitia,whereyoucanvisitthechurchofAgiosConstantinosandAgiaEleni,orenjoyadrinkatoneofthevillage’squaintcoffeeshops.

FromTochni,youcanreachtheTentaNeolithicsettlement-whichsharesmanysimilaritieswiththeChoirokoitiasettlement-byridingthroughKalavasos’narrow,cobblestonedroads.Accordingtolocalsources,thelocalityofTentawasnamedafterAgiaEleni-motherofConstantinetheGreat-pitchedhertentonthesitewhenshereturnedtoCyprusfromhertriptoJerusalemin327A.D.

AnarchaeologicalexplorationoftheareacanalsobecombinedwithatastydishoffreshfishinthenearbyvillageofZygi,whichisfamousforitsfishingharbour.

Afteryourlunchyoucanenjoythescenicroutealonggreenfieldsburstingwithvibrantorangesandlemons,followedbyaridethroughPsematismenosVillage.AfewkilometresawayfromthevillageyouwillfinallyreachyouroriginalstartingpointoftheChoirokoitiasettlement,whereyourbikejourneythroughhistoryculminates.

Along the route there are two bike centres that can assist you with any bike-related queries or bike repairs:

Bikin’Cyprus Adventures, Tochni village: www.bikincyprusadventures.com, Tel. 97 702 200

Cycle-in-Cyprus, Kalavasos village: www.cycle-in-cyprus.com, Tel. 99108 349(openduringwinterandspring)

Wine and Gastronomy RouteTechnical Info:

• Distance:34km• LevelofDifficulty:Advancedlevel(+760moftotalascent)• BikeRequired:RoadbikeorTrekkingwith27speeds• Points of Interest: Environmental Information Centre of Larnaka’s Mountainous Areas, Dafermou Winery,LefkaraVillage,TimiosStavrosChurch(HolyCross),EthnologicalMuseumofTraditional EmbroideryandSilversmith-work,PanagiaEleousaChurch,Bee&EmbroideryMuseum, KtimaChristoudiaWinery,AgiosMinasMonastery,Loulla’sFarm-HalloumiCheeseWorkshop,Petros NikolaouBasketWeavingWorkshop,KtimaGeorgiades(oliveoilanddonkeymilkproducts).

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This bike tour offers the perfect combination of a picturesque ride with an authentic experience of Cyprus tradition and wine tasting. Lefkara is famous for its lace (known as ‘Lefkaritika’) and intricate silver handicrafts, whilst the village takes its name from the white of its silica and limestone.

StartingyourtourfromtheEnvironmentalInformationCenterinSkarinou,youwillneedtoclimbapproximately7kmtoLefkara.Whilsttheclimbisthedifficultpartofthistour,itisalsohighlyrewardingthankstoitspanoramicviews.

JustbeforereachingthevillageofKatoLefkara-6kmfromthestartingpoint–youcanmakeyourfirstwinetastingstopofthedayatDafermouWinery,anoldstylewinerythatusesmodernproduction methods.

Onceyouhaveconcludedyourfirstwineryvisit,youcancontinueyourbikeridethroughKatoLefkaratothenreachPanoLefkara.Thisisoneofthemostbeautifulvillagesontheisland,withnumeroustraditionalhousesthathavebeenlistedbytheDepartmentofAntiquitiesandtheDepartmentofHousingandUrbanism.

Asidefromviewingthetraditionalarchitectureofthevillage,youcanalsovisittheLocalEthnologicalMuseumofTraditionalEmbroideryandSilversmith-work,TimiosStavrosChurch(HolyCross)andthenumeroushistoricchapelsthatcanbefoundoneverycornerofthevillage.

YourbikeridethencontinuestowardsthetraditionalvillageofKatoDrys,withitscharminglimestonehousesandwindingroads.InKatoDrys,youcanstopforavisitattheinformativeBee&EmbroideryMuseumandthecharmingPanagiaEleousaChurchbeforeyoudescendtowardsthenextwineryofKtimaChristoudia,whichisonthewayfromKatoDrystowardsthevillageofVavla.Thewineryoffersallofthelocalwinevarieties,aswellasmanytraditionalgrapeproducts,includingShoushoukosandPalouzessweetsandthepotentspirit,Zivania.Winetastingiscomplimentaryforvisitors.

Ifyouwishtocontinueexploringtheareaafteryourwinetasting,youcanridetowardsthenextvillage,Vavla,toenjoyatasteofdifferentproductsmadewithhoneyfromthelocalbeekeepers.OnyourwaytoVavlayouwillalsopassby15thcenturyAgiosMinasMonastery,whichisworthavisit.

AfterVavla,theroutebacktothestartingpointiseasierthanitwasonthewayup,andcanbetakenbyfollowingtheroadtoChoirokoitia,whereyouwillberewardedwithanotherinterestingvisit,thistimeatthelocalHalloumifarm–‘Loulla’sFarm’.AtthefarmyouwillhavetheopportunitytowatchthefarmermakeHalloumicheeseinthetraditionalway,andforasmallfee,youcanalsopartakeinthetastingoffreshHalloumiwithlocally-growntomatoes,villagebreadandtraditionalcoffee.

WiththeHalloumicheesehavingwhettedyourappetiteforlocalcuisine,thejourneybackpassesbytherestaurantofKtimaGeorgiades,atraditionalruralretreatinSkarinouVillage,whichiswellknownforitsoliveoilanddonkeymilkproducts.Thereyoucanreplenishyourenergylevelswithavarietyoflocalhome-madedishes,includingmoussakaandarangeofmeatscookedovercharcoal…averytastywaytoendyourride!

Along the route there are two bike centres that can assist you with any bike-related queries or bike repairs:

Bikin’Cyprus Adventures, Tochni village: www.bikincyprusadventures.com, Tel. 97 702 200

Cycle-in-Cyprus, Kalavasos village: www.cycle-in-cyprus.com, Tel. 99 108 349(openduringwinterandspring)

Multi-religious Route Technical Info:

• Distance:18km• LevelofDifficulty:Easy(+100moftotalascent)• BikeRequired:Trekking• PointsofInterest:Multi–religiousplacesofworshipinthecityofLarnaka

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Although the island has strong ties to Christianity throughout its history, a basic characteristic of Cyprus is the peaceful coexistence of several other religions, including those of Catholics, Muslims, Armenians and Maronites. Larnaka is the most multi-religious area of the island, where a variety of different religions have places of worship, that sit amidst the many Greek Orthodox churches of the region – some of which you will discover on this route.

Yourmulti–religiousbiketourstartsfromtheCTOInformationOffice,locatedoffEuropeSquare(atthestartofthepalmtree-linedpromenadeof‘Foinikoudes’).Withinaradiusofjustafewkilometres,youwillfind:theCatholicchurchesofSt.JosephsConventandTerraSanta;theGreekOrthodoxchurchesofPanagia(VirginMary)ChrysopolitissaandAgiosLazaros(SaintLazarus);theJewishSynagogue;themosquesofHalaSultanTekkeandBeyukTzami,andtheSourpStepanosArmenian Church.

AlongyourrouteyouwillalsohavethechancetovisittheMetropolitanChurchoftheSaviorandthechurchesofChrysogalaktousaandAgiaFaneromeni.Whilstthemapoftheroutefollowsthechurchesaslistedabove,youcanalwaysescapetherouteforacustom-madetourifyoudon’twishto visit all of the listed churches.

Asthisisacitytour,despiteavoidingbusierroads,carestillneedstobetakenwhilstridingyourbikeonthecityroads,astheycanbecomequitecongestedattimes.

Venetian Watchtowers Route (East Larnaka Region) Technical Info:

• Distance:50km• LevelofDifficulty:Average(+330moftotalascent)• BikeRequired:Trekkingoff-roadwith27gears• PointsofInterest:PylaTower,AchnaForest,smallchapelbeforeOrmidiaVillage, XylophagouWatchtower

4 PHILIPPOS PATTICHIS PHOTOGRAPHY

Constructed over 500 years ago, the Venetian Watchtowers acted as an early warning system against naval attacks and remain intact in four separate villages within the Larnaka District. This bike tour will take you to two of these watchtowers in the eastern area of Larnaka at the villages of Pyla and Xylophagou.

TheWatchtowersoftheLarnakaregionareasignificantelementoftheisland’sconnectiontoVenice,andhistoriansbelievethatthissystemwouldhavecontinuedacrosstotheAmmochostosregion,andperhapseventhewholeofCyprus.

FromyourstartingpointattheCTObeachontheLarnaka-DekeleiaRoad,youwillheadnorthtowardsPylaVillage,whereyouwillfindthefirstwell-maintainedwatchtowerinthecentreofthevillage,neartheChurchofArchangelosMichael.

InordertoreachthesecondtowerinXylophagouVillage(fromPyla),followtheroutetothevillagesofPergamos,Xylotympou,andthentoAchna.FromAchnaVillage,continuetowardsOrmidhiaVillage,whereyouwillfindaverysmallchapel,1kmoutsideofthevillage.Thesetypesofchapelsarewidespreadaroundtheislandandareusuallybuiltinsideorontopofcavesthatwereusedasplacesofworshipinthepast.

LeavingOrmidhia,headtowardsXylophagou.Uponenteringthevillage,youwillneedtocarefullyfollowthemapinordertoreachthetower,whichislocated3kmnorthfromthecentreofthevillageandstandssome100mabovesealevel.TheXylophagoutowerhasauniquecircularshapethatdiffersfromtheotherthreewatchtowersoftheregion.

Onyourwaybacktothestartingpoint,yourridewilltakeyoualongthecoastlinefromOrmidhiato Dekeleia.

In the event that bike repairs are required, there is a local bike shop in Xylotympou:

Vassos Bike Shop: Tel. 99 555 272

Venetian Watchtowers Route (West Larnaka Region) Technical Info:

• Roads: Asphalt• Distance:14km• LevelofDifficulty:Average(+300moftotalAscent)• BikeRequired:TrekkingandRoadbike• PointsofInterest:CapeKitiLighthouse,WatchtowerofRigaina,Koullas(Alaminos)Watchtower, AgiosMamasChurch,AngeloktistiChurch

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Constructed over 500 years ago, the Venetian Watchtowers acted as an early warning system against naval attacks and remain intact in four separate villages within the Larnaka District. This bike tour will take you to two of these watchtowers in the western area of Larnaka at the villages of Pervolia and Alaminos.

TheWatchtowersoftheLarnakaregionareasignificantelementoftheisland’sconnectiontoVenice,andhistoriansbelievethatthissystemwouldhavecontinuedacrosstotheAmmochostosregion,andperhapseventhewholeofCyprus.

The9thcenturylighthouseofCapeKiti(inPervoliaVillage)isthestartingpointofthisroute,andthereafterashortridetowardsLarnakatakesyoutothefirststopoftheday-theRigainaWatchtower(Regina’sTower).Thewell-preservedtowerissmallbutgraceful,andoveritselevatedentranceyoucanseethecrestofStMark’sLion,whichwastheCoatofArmsoftheVenetianswhobuiltitduringtheirruleoftheisland.

Leavingthewatchtower,youwillthenridetowardsMeneouVillagewiththewesternedgeoftheLarnakaSaltLakeatyourside.OnceinMeneou,aleftturntakesyoutowardsKitiVillage,withcarerequiredwhentraversingthisbusy,mainstreetofthevillage.

WhileinKitithereistimeforabreakatthecoffeeshopnexttothebeautiful11thcenturyByzantineAngeloktistiChurch,whosenamemeans‘builtbyangels’.Thechurchisverysignificantfortheunique6thcenturymosaicofthe‘Virginandchildbetweentwoarchangels’itcontains.

Onceyouarereadytoresumeyourride,youcancontinuetowardsthevillagesofMazotosandAlaminostotheMedievalstone-builtwatchtowerthatislocatedattheentranceofAlaminos.The15thcenturychapelofAgiosMamas-whichissituatedonthesouthernedgeofthevillage–isalsoworthavisitbeforedeparting.

Headingsouthonthemainroad,youwillreachthecoastalroadforthereturntoLarnaka.Arightturnisrequiredafter3kminordertorideonthequietercoastalroadthatwillleadyoubacktoPervoliaVillageandtotheoriginalstartingpointofCapeKitiLighthouse.

There is also a bike centre in Alaminos that can assist you with any bike-related queries or bike repairs:

Zypern Bike, South of Alaminos Village on the coastal road: www.zypernbike.de, Tel. 0049-6093/9737-27

Camels and Donkeys RouteTechnical Info:

• Distance:47km• LevelofDifficulty:Average(+500moftotalascent)• BikeRequired:Trekking• PointsofInterest:Ruralvillages,CamelParkMazotos,GoldenDonkeysFarm

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This bike tour introduces you to the island’s furry friends - an integral part of daily life just 60-70 years ago - and offers a unique insight on how the locals would move around the island in olden days.

Thisfunroutetakesyoufromthebackofacameltothesaddleofabike,thentothebackofadonkeyandbackonyourbikeagain,asyoualternatebetweendifferentsaddlesthroughouttheday.

ThedaystartsattheCamelParkinMazotosVillage,whereyouwillhavethechancetoenjoyasupervisedcamelridearoundtheparkgrounds.Fromthere,yourridetakesyoualongthevillagesofMazotos,AlaminosandAgiosTheodorosbeforeyouenterthewell-preservedvillageofSkarinou.Onceyoureachthecentreofthevillage,simplyfollowtheGoldenDonkeytoreachtheGoldenDonkeysFarm,wherearound50donkeyswillwelcomeyou–readytotakeyouonaridearound the farm.

Asidefromdonkeys,thefarmalsoincorporatesasmallWaxMuseumthatshowcasestraditionalCypriotprofessions,whilsttheparkoffersfurtherattractions,aswellasarestaurantandgiftshopwithlocallymadeproducts.

Thewaybacktoyourstartingpointisasmootherrideonthesaddleofabike,takingyoualongthecoastalroadfromAgiosTheodorostoMazotosVillage.

There are three bike centres that can assist you with any bike-related queries or bike repairs in the general area:

Zypern Bike, South of Alaminos Village on the coastal road: www.zypernbike.de Tel: 0049-6093/9737-27

Bikin’Cyprus Adventures, Tochni village: www.bikincyprusadventures.com, Tel: 97 702 200

Cycle-in-Cyprus, Kalavasos village: www.cycle-in-cyprus.com, Tel: 99 108 349 (openduringwinterandspring)

Wheat Fields and Bread-Making RouteTechnical Info:

• Roads: Asphalt • Distance:53km• LevelofDifficulty:Average(+500moftotalascent)• BikeRequired:TrekkingandRoadbikes• PointsofInterest:Wheatfields,traditionalflourmillinAthienouVillage,KallinikeioMuseumofAthienou

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This route showcases the region’s long history of traditional bread-making as it passes through golden wheat fields and takes in a beautifully-restored flour mill, which now serves as a time capsule of Athienou Village’s bread-making tradition.

Theisland’sbread-makinghistoryhasbeenwell-documentedthroughthewordsofAncientGreekandRomantravellers,whoreportedsightsofendlesswheatfieldsontheisland,andpraisedthesuperiorqualityofCyprusflour.WheatcultivationhastraditionallybeenabigpartofCypriotagricultureandeconomy,andtraditionalbreadcontinuestobeproducedinthesamewaytothisday.

StartingfromOrokliniseafront,youwillrideinanortherlydirectiontoreachthewheatfieldsofthesouthernedgeoftheMesaoriaplain.Duringtheendofspringandthebeginningofsummer,thefieldsgleamwithabrightgoldencolour–asightthatrunsfromtheeastcoasttothewestcoastofCyprus.AfterpassingthroughthevillagesofTroulloiandAvdellero,youstarttheclimbtowardsthemunicipalityofAthienou.

ThankstoitslocationinthecentreoftheMesaoriaplain,AthienouVillagehasalongstandingtraditionofflourmaking,andisfamousacrosstheislandforitstraditionalbread-making,withits‘Athienitiko’breadregardedasoneofthemostpopularbreadtypesontheisland.

PassingthroughAthienou,youcanvisittheKallinikeioMuseumandtherenovated,traditionalflourmill,whereyouwilllearnallabouttheprocessofbread-making;fromthecultivationofwheattoitsproductionintoflour,tohowbreadwasbakedinwood-burningovens.

AftertastingsomeAthienitikobreadandlocally-madecheesesinoneofthemanylittlecoffeeshops,taketheoldLefkosia-Larnakaroad(withitspicturesqueCypresstreeclusters)todescendbacktoAradippouMunicipalityandOrokliniseafrontonceagain.

Larnaka Bird Watching Route (RecommendedfromNovemberuntilApril)Technical Info:

• Roads:Asphaltroadsandcyclepaths• Distance:14km• LevelofDifficulty:Easy(+90moftotalAscent)• BikeRequired:Alltypesofbikes• Points of Interest: Voroklini Lake, Larnaka Marina, Larnaka Medieval Castle, Larnaka Salt Lake, Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque

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With its location on the south-eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus attracts more than 370 different bird species during their migration from Africa to Europe - and back again. The region of Larnaka is one of the best areas on the island to observe these majestic birds, and this route gives you the opportunity to visit its two major lakes.

ThebirdwatchingbiketripstartsfromVorokliniLake,whichisoneofonlysevennaturalwetlandsinCyprus,andhasrecentlybeenrestoredthroughtheEuropeanLIFEConservationProject.Adisplayoffully-illustratedplacardsattheInformationKioskandBirdWatchTowerprovideinformationonallthedifferentspeciesthatnestatthelake,includingtheCattleEgret,Spur-wingedLapwing,Spoonbillandmanyothers.

Leavingthelakeandheadingsouth,youwillreachthebeachofVoroklini.Fromthere,theroutefollowsthecoastalcyclepath,whichrunsalongthebeautifulseafrontofLarnakabay,toreachthecityofLarnakaanditsport.

TheroutecontinuesbypassingbytheLarnakaMarinaandthevibrant‘Foinikoudes’(palmtree)promenadeuntilyoureachtheMedievalCastleofLarnaka,fromwherearightturnwilltakeyoutowardsthebeautifulstone-builtchurchofAgiosLazaros(SaintLazarus).

StrollingthroughtheoldneighbourhoodsofLarnaka,theroutewillthenleadyoutothePatticheioMunicipalPark,whereyoucancrosstoreachthefamousLarnakaSaltLake-oneofthemostimportantwetlandsinCyprus.Thelakeisthehauntof85speciesofwaterbirds,withestimatedpopulationsbetween20,000and38,000.Amongthemarethousandsofflamingos,whichspendthewintermonthsatthelake,andareamagnificentsighttobeholdintheirflocksofvibrantpink.Caremustbetakennottodisturbthesesensitivebirdswhilstviewingthem.

TheroutecontinueswitharideontheshoresofthelaketoreachthereveredHalaSultanTekkeMosque.Youreffortswillberewardedbythemesmerisingsightofthetallpalmtreessurroundingthebeautifulbuildingcombinedwiththeserenityoftheareaandthesoundsofthebirdsatthelake.

THEY ALWAYS COME BACK

follow the flamingo atwww.larnakaregion.com