Renowned wine villages in an effortless journey through beautiful scenery. A stronghold of tradiontal wine making with an excellent choice of local wines. Nowhere else in Cyprus is such a great presence of wineries as in these wine growing villages of…Lemesos (Limassol) district, known locally as Krasochoria, the Wine Villages. In Omodos and Koilani alone there are 10 such wineries. The route is outstanding, not resembling any other. This beautiful wine region comprises 20 scenic villages that decorate the southern slopes of the Troodos mountains. The wineries scattered along this route, each in its own way generously reward the visitor seeking a unique and eclectic wine experience. A dry climate combined with a unique geology is responsible for some excellent wines, made mostly from the local grape varieties Xynisteri and Mavro and also from some imported ones, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Mataro, Grenache and Syrah. Make sure you have enough time at your dispocal to taste what this route and its special wines have to offer. Visit wonderfully unspoilt villages such as Omodos, Vasa, Koilani, Lofou, Arsos and Vouni with their traditional architecture, cobblestoned narrow passages cheerfull sourroundings, many of which host some for the best tavernas in Cyprus.

Troodos is the largest mountain range in Cyprus, located in roughly the center of the island. Troodos’ highest peak is Mount Olympus at 1,952 meters, which hosts four ski slopes. The Troodos mountain range stretches across most of the western side of Cyprus. …There are many famous mountain resorts, Byzantine monasteries and churches on mountain peaks, and nestling in its valleys and picturesque mountains are villages clinging to terraced hill slopes. The area has been known since antiquity for its mines, which for centuries supplied copper to the entire Mediterranean. In the Byzantine period it became a great centre of Byzantine art, as churches and monasteries were built in the mountains, away from the threatened coastline. The Troodos mountains are known worldwide for their geology and the presence of an undisturbed ophiolite sequence, the Troodos Ophiolite. These mountains slowly rose from the sea due to the collision of the African and European tectonic plates, a process that eventually formed the island of Cyprus. The slowing and near-cessation of this process left the rock formations near intact, while subsequent erosion uncovered the magma chamber underneath the mountain, allowing a viewing of intact rocks and petrified pillow lava formed millions of years ago, an excellent example of ophiolite stratigraphy. The observations of the Troodos ophiolite by Ian Graham Gass and co-workers was one of the key points that led to the theory of sea floor spreading. Walk through the forests on one of the nature trails and take in the wonderful scents and aromas and enjoy looking at the waterfalls and surrounding views.

Kourion is one of the most stunning archaeological sites on the island. It was a great city kingdom and today new treasures are still being discovered there. What is most prominent in this site is the Greco – Roman amphitheatre. Villas with extravagant mosaic floors and an…early Christian Basilica are among the treasures that are found here. The splendid amphitheatre was built in the 2nd century B.C. and since its restoration, is used for theatre and music performances. The house of Eustolios also found here, consists of a complex of baths and rooms which contain exquisite mosaic floors from the 5th century A.D. It was once a private Roman villa prior to becoming a recreation centre during the Early Christian period. The Early Christian Basilica also dates back to the 5th century and was most likely the Cathedral of Kourion which includes a baptistery on the north face. Wonderful mosaic floors are also found in the House of the Gladiators and the House of Achilles. Dedicated to the water Nymphs is another Roman monument- The Nymphaeum.

Situated on the South coast of Cyprus, west of Limassol city, the famous Kolossi Castle stands an imposing site. This Medieval fort is one of the most important on the island. Lying in the heart of a rich…and fertile valley to the mouth of the river Kouris, the castle was often mentioned by sightseers of the Middle Ages. This was mainly due to its vast olive, cereal, sugar-cane and locust-tree plantations not to mention its vineyards. This was the crux of one of the most important feuds of the noble Franks during their sovereignty over Cyprus. In 1210 A.D. Hughes I, the sovereign of the de Lusignan’s dynasty, granted this rich property to the friars of the Order of Saint John. The area’s name is most likely derived from a former feudal lord of the province- Gerinus de Colos.