OVERVIEW
HIGHLIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION
GETTING THERE
PACKING LIST
FAQs
OVERVIEW
November in the Mediterranean sunshine! With average temperatures in the low to mid 20s, this is a perfect early winter escape on the beautiful island of Cyprus.
The third largest island in the Med offers great contrast from the beach resorts on the coast to the sleepy centre of the island where we spend the majority of our time. The rural middle is packed with stunning gravel trails & fire roads as well as some epic roads.
We start in the south of the island with a day exploring near the coast before heading through the Troodos Mountains and into the delightful Paphos Forest all the way to the North Coast. On the final day we head through the west of the island finishing on the coast in Paphos for a traditional Cypriot feast.
Included in Ride Package
Accommodation
6 nights in a range of small 3* & 4* hotels. Choose private single, shared twin or shared double rooms.
Airport Transfers
Fly into Paphos (PFO), our team will be on hand to collect you & drop you back off on departure day.
5 Epic Stages
Full ride support with guides leading small groups, van support & regular feed stops.
Meals
Bring some money for drinks but our package includes 6 dinners, 5 lunches & 6 breakfasts.
Checkpoints
Feed stops with mechanical support approx every 35km with local food & drink.
Luggage
We move your overnight bags from hotel to hotel each day and provide a day bag to collect at lunch.
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED: Flights, Insurance (mandatory), Drinks with evening meals
REAL RIDER REVIEWS
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John DoeCEO 
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John DoeCEO
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ITINERARY
DAY 1
Arrival in Paphos, transfers at 2.30pm to Tochni(1hr journey).
DAY 2
Stage One: Tochni to Tochni - 109km, 1700m elevation. 70% off road.
DAY 3
Stage Two: Moniatis to Kalopanagiotis - 63km, 2000m elevation. 50% off road.
DAY 4
Stage Three: Kalopanagiotis to Kato Pyrgos - 83km, 1800m elevation. 55% off road.
DAY 5
Stage Four: Kato Pyrgos to Polis - 72km, 1500m elevation. 50% off road.
DAY 6
Stage Five: Polis to Paphos - 69km, 1600m elevation. 50% off road.
DAY 7
Departure day, transfers leave at 5pm for flights after 8pm
RIDE HIGHLIGHTS
Paphos forest
One of our favourite places on the planet to ride. We head into the Paphos Forest (in the north / centre of the island) on stage three & four and enjoy hours of pure escapism. The trails & roads here are completely empty and there is complete silence. Combine this with the amazing fragrance of a warm pine forest, great views & excellent riding and this is two days not to be missed.
ride finishes by the med
Over the week we have a perfect mix of coastal riding and exploring the rural centre of Cyprus. Most rides finish on the coast giving us late afternoons by the pool or on the beach and watching the sunset over the Med. Maybe with a beer.
Ride from the mountains to the sea
One of the best things about island riding is how close everything is. On stage two we start by the sea and end up next to Mt Olympus, then on stage three we start in fresh conditions in the heart of the Troodos Mountains and finish on the Med.
amazing feed stops
Expect lots of lovely fresh fruit & incredible cake at the feed stops and then lunches in local cafes with some tasty meat, salads full of feta, cucumber & tomatoes and freshly made halloumi.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Mix of Tarmac & Gravel
Every country has it's own version of gravel. In Cyprus the trails are mostly excellent but can be rocky in places. This route uses quite a lot of road but the tarmac is mostly excellent and there is very light traffic.
Mix of Hotels
We stay in small villages most nights so we don't have a massive choice of hotels. Nights 1,2,3 & 6 are in really nice 4 & 5* hotels but in the middle we stay on the coast in clean but basic hotels.
REMOTE ROUTE
We head into very remote sections of Cyprus where we see very few people for hours. There are some places where we won't see the support vans for a while so we need to be self-sufficient.
Bring your climing legs
There is no getting away from the fact that Cyprus is pretty hilly! Even on day one where we stay near the coast, we have 1,700m of climbing and that is the avg amount of elevation to expect per day on this ride.
7 UNMISSABLE HIGHLIGHTS IN CYPRUS
NUMBER One
Paphos Forest - a cycling wonderland
This state forest in the centre / north of the island is where we spend the majority of stage three & four.
The forest has a network of gravel trails and smooth roads through it and other than some forestry workers, you are unlikely to see anyone else all day. Think Kielder / Galloway Forest but with 9 months of warm weather.
The magic of riding in this forest is the pure escapism. There is nothing to disturb the silence and the smell of warm pine trees is a delight. The area is hilly with lots of climbs & descents and the occasional panoramic viewpoint of large swathes of the island & the Med.
NUMBER TWO
Troodos Mountains: Climbing & Descending in Cyprus' remote centre
In the middle of Cyprus lies the Troodos mountain range peaking at nearly 2,000m at Mt Olympus.
Within the mountain range is a ski resort (in mid winter you can enjoy a day on the beach and hit the slopes all in one morning!), several climbs in the foothills and some charming mountain towns which seems like a very different country than the coastal resort towns of Paphos & Limassol.
number three
FOOD: Perfect ride lunches & sweets for that energy boost
Cyprus is set as a gateway between Europe & the Middle East and it's cuisine is a mix of both as well as some great indigenous dishes.
Breakfasts are typically buffets with some lovely fruit, yoghurt as well as eggs / bacon etc. At the feed stops, we have fresh, seasonal fruit and delightful local cakes. Lunches are in village cafes where we will enjoy delicious sandwiches, kebabs, chips, halloumi & amazing greek salads.
In the evening we eat at a mix of our hotels and local restaurants. On the last night we head into Paphos for a traditional Cypriot feast to finish the week in style.
Number Four
Paphos: Finishing the ride by the Med
Most days are spent riding in the rolling hills & mountains but other than stage two, we finish by the sea meaning most days end with a descend and that we can see where the stage ends from miles away.
Number five
Rural Villages: The sleepy soul of the island
Outside of a relatively small strip in the South West of the island and close to the cities (Limassol, Larnaca, Nicosia), most of Cyprus is rural and unchanged through the years.
Our ride takes us through lots of these beautiful villages and we get to experience them most at the lunch stops when we head to a small cafe & typically eat outside (often near the main square). Here we enjoy some great food while people watching in the village.
Number six
Beach Life: post ride relaxation on sandy beaches
The rides are fairly challenging with on average 1,750m of elevation on each stage. Luckily, we finish in great locations each night and most stage finishes are by the sea.
Our rides are in small groups so you really get to know each other and enjoying a swim or stroll on the beach before dinner is often the highlights of our trips . We typically enjoy a couple of beers before dinner and then all eat together.
Number seven
Empty Roads & Trails: Enjoy having the roads to yourself
With a few exceptions, the gravel in Cyprus is smooth and relatively wide and the tarmac is amazing - riding here often feels like youre a Tour de France rider who only knows freshly laid tarmac!
The other delight to riding in Cyprus is the complete lack of anything else on the road outside of the area around Paphos & Limassol. In the Troodos Mountains and even more so in the Paphos Forest, we can ride for a long time on the road without seeing more than a handful of cars and the gravel trails are almost always empty.
STAGE DETAILS
Route Summary:
Our first stage gives us a real flavour of what to come with a glorious 107km loop starting and finishing by the coast.
We start off with a relatively easy 40km section along the coast on a mix of gravel & road before heading inland for an introduction to Cypriot climbing. After a gentle 5km road climb, we hit a 12km section of false flat with a climb at the end with gravel & tarmac sections.
From the summit is mostly downhill all the way home with some fun, long descents.
Ride Distance: 107km Ride Elevation: 1700m % Off Road: 70% Difficulty: 4/5
Route Summary:
A real moving day as we head from the coast up to the centre of the island into the heart of the Troodos Mountains.
The stage starts with a 1hr transfer and then we are straight into the foothills with the first 7km being slightly uphill.
After 20km of rolling terrain we have a long (20km) section of mostly uphill with views of Mt Olympus to our right. We go up to 1,500m at the highest point before a long descent down into our charming finish town in the hills.
Ride Distance: 63km Ride Elevation: 2,000m % Off Road: 50% Difficulty: 4.5/5
Route Summary:
One of the best stages of our gravel calendar. We alternate long road sections and then long gravel sections all day as we head from the Troodos Mountains, through the Paphos Forest to a finish on the coast.
The first 40km in mostly long, gentle climbs and long descents before we get into the Paphos Forest and some lovely gravel trails through the woods. Almost all of the last 25km is downhill as we go from 750m to sea level.
Ride Distance: 84km Ride Elevation: 1,800m % Off Road: 55% Difficulty: 4.5/5
Route Summary:
Starting & finishing by the sea, this is a ride of two halves with a punchy first 40km and a relatively flat final 35km.
After a short warm up, we head upwards into the Paphos Forest for a glorious morning of gravel riding before heading west past orchards & vineyards and eventually popping out by the coast near Polis to our finish hotel on the Med.
Ride Distance: 72km Ride Elevation: 1,500m % Off Road: 50% Difficulty: 3.5/5
Route Summary:
Our final day’s riding takes us all over the West of Cyprus starting in the north and finishing in the South West in Paphos.
We start with some epic fire roads in the North West and climb up to the traditional village of Kathikas with some great views all over the island.
From there we stay inland past golf courses and farmland before a 15km descent down into Paphos and a celebratory beer at the finish.
Ride Distance: 69km Ride Elevation: 1,600m % Off Road: 50% Difficulty: 3.5/5
ACCOMMODATION
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PACKING LIST
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GETTING THERE
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Flights
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Transfers
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Outbound
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Your Guides
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Rental Bikes
Some Brand
Some Model
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getting to Cyprus
Fly Into: Paphos (PFO)
Direct Flights From: Lots of options from all London airports with direct flights with BA (Heathrow), Gatwick (Easyjet) & Stanstead (Ryanair). Also direct flights with Easyjet from Manchester.
Transfer Times:
– Sunday 3rd Nov: Arrival Transfers at 2.30pm for arrivals at Paphos Airport before 2pm. The transfer takes approximately 50 minutes.
– Saturday 9th November: Departure Transfers at 5pm for departures after 8pm. The transfer takes approximately 20 minutes.
First Town / Hotel if you want to come earlier: St Raphael Resort in Limassol
Accommodation & Meals
The hotels in Slovenia are a good standard. We stay in a mix of superior 3* and 4* hotels. Choose between a single, shared twin or double room. You can add your preferred room mate in the booking notes.
In Kranjska Gora & Bohinj the hotels overlook the mountains & lake. Our hotel in Lipica is world famous for it’s white horses and we finish overlooking the Adriatic. Luggage is transferred from hotel to hotel & bike boxes are transferred from Bled to Portoroz on the first afternoon.
Evening meals are buffets with pasta, salads, meat & vegetables. Lunches at feed stops are local restaurants as we try some of the local delicacies. Vegan, gluten free and other dietary options are available.
packing list
Cycling Kit
Bibs/shorts | Jerseys/tops (consider LS t-shirts for cooler temperatures)
Gilet | Waterproof jacket | Arm warmers
Cycling shoes | Socks | Mitts
Helmet | Sunglasses
2 bottles | Chamois cream | Sun cream
GPS device with handle bar mount
Bike spares
2 x inner tubes suitable for the size of your tyre
Spare tyre | Tyre levers
1 x puncture repair kit (if running a tubeless set up, have a tubeless repair kit including plugs and spare sealant)
Multitool | Chain link specific for your bike chain
Spare rear mech hanger for your bike
Small pump | Rear light
Spare batteries/charging cables for lights
Personal Medical kit
1 x crepe roll bandage | Gauze or similar absorbent dressing
Small set of scissors | Tweezers | Pain Killers (paracetamol)
Steri-Strips | Antiseptic (spray, cream or wipes)
Assorted plasters | Rubber gloves | Prescribed medication
Hotels & Meals
We stay in a mix of 2* to 4* family run hotels. The quality is a mix as we stay in small towns / villages in remote areas.
Breakfast is at the hotels each morning. Lunch is at local restaurants on the route (we have local food – expect seafood, lovely meat, salads, halloumi etc) and then dinners are either at the hotel or at a local restaurant nearby.
Choose between a private single room, shared twin room (2 beds) or shared double room (1 bed). We stay at:
Limassol – St Raphael Resort *****
Kalopanagiotis – Casale Panayiotis ****
Kato Pyrgos – Tylos Beach Hotel **
Polis – Souli Beach Hotel **
Paphos – Aliathon Resort ****
DATES & PRICES
START
FINISH
SINGLE ROOM
TWIN/
DOUBLE ROOM
DEPOSIT
DATES & PRICES
FAQs
– Sunday 3rd Nov: Arrival Transfers at 2.30pm for arrivals at Paphos Airport before 2pm. The transfer takes approximately 50 minutes.
– Saturday 9th November: Departure Transfers at 5pm for departures after 8pm. The transfer takes approximately 20 minutes.
In November daytime temperatures will range between 21-24°C, with variations depending on the region. Expect some cool mornings in the hills / mountains and to get warmer by late morning. Temperatures in the evenings and also the mountains will be cooler.
Gravel in Cyprus is mostly smooth with a few rocky sections. A lot of the route is on tarmac.
A gravel bike is ideal for this trip as it will cope well with the varied terrain on the route.
We suggest a wider tyres, over 40mm, will be ideal as they will offer comfort and stability on the rockier and more technical sections, and still be fast rolling on the country lanes. A gravel tread also works well, although you may wish to choose a tyre with more grip.
Remember to take care on any road sections, particularly in and around towns.
We will have bikes to rent soon for this trip. Our local partner has a great fleet of Cannondale gravel bikes available for £199.
