National Reserves of Cyprus
There are 3 national parks in Cyprus. Every year they are visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists who come for holiday in Cyprus. Two national parks are located on the coast, and one in the heart of the mountainous area of Cyprus.
The Troodos Mountains National Park is located in central Cyprus. It is quite convenient to visit from any beach resort in Cyprus in the area of Ayia Napa or Paphos. Two other national parks are located on the coasts. Kavo Greco, located in the South-Eastern tip of Cyprus, and the Akamas in the North-West tip.
In this review, you can read about the National Parks of Cyprus:
• Troodos National Park
• Kavo Greco National Park
• Akamas National Park
Click on the hyperlinks to read in detail about each park and see a large number of photos
Troodos National Park
Troodos National Park is located in the central part of the island of Cyprus. Troodos is a mountain range covered mainly with coniferous forests, although in some places there are deciduous forests. In summer, the temperature in these places is lower than in the beach resorts in the areas of Ayia Napa or Paphos. In winter, there is snow and a ski resort.
The highest mountain in the Troodos range is Olympus (Olymbos). It has a similar name to mount Olympus in Greece, where the gods of ancient Greek mythology lived. The height of the Cyprus Olympus is 1952 meters. The Artemis trail runs around Olympus, where you can enjoy beautiful views of the Troodos mountains, as well as walk among the spruce and cedar forests. Its length is 7 kilometers.
Troodos village is located 3 kilometers from mount Olympus. It has many hotels and is the center of both skiing in winter and mountain trekking in the summer season. The Cyprus cedar is the pride of the Troodos mountains. This endemic tree grows only here at an altitude of at least 400 meters above sea level.
For centuries, the Troodos mountains have been a haven for Orthodox people and monks. Many churches and monasteries were built in the Troodos mountains. Nine of them were included in the UNESCO historical heritage lists. The most famous and rich monastery in the Troodos mountains is Kykkos monastery.
Akamas National Park
The Akamas National Park occupies the entire peninsula on the north-west of Cyprus. It is a hill, richly overgrown with bushes and trees. The park is crossed by the tourist ring route "the Trail of Aphrodite".
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The area of the Akamas Peninsula occupied by the reserve reaches 230 km2. The highest mountain in the Park is Mutti tis Sotiras (370 meters). The nearest village where routes start along the northern shore of the Akamas nature reserve is resort Neo Chorio. Next to it is the larger town of Polis.
In Neo Chorio or Polis, you can take a boat for a guided tour. They all sail along the northern shore of the Akamas reserve to the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon can also be reached on foot via a path that runs along the shore. This route is called the "Aphrodite Trail".
On the West Bank of the Akamas Peninsula, there are two well-known natural attractions: the Lara turtle beach and Gorge Avakas. Lara beach is a completely wild, carefully protected beach. From July to August, turtles come here and lay their eggs. The Avakas gorge is also a protected natural attraction in Cyprus. The height of the rocks in the gorge reaches 30 meters, and the width of the passage in some places is only 3-5 meters.
Kavo Greco National Park
Kavo Greco National Park is located on the south-eastern coast of the island of Cyprus. From the north and west of the Park Kavo Greco are located Ayia Napa and Protaras, the most famous resort area for beach holidays in Cyprus.
The territory of the Kavo Greco National Park begins at Konnos Bay in the north (from the Protaras side), and in the area of Sea caves in the west (from Ayia Napa side). The distance between the attractions of Cavo Greco is no more than 5-10 kilometers, so the travel time will be very short.
There are "Sea Caves" on the southern shore of Kavo Greco. This is a small Bay with azure water, surrounded by a rocky shore. Next to the caves (2 kilometers away) is a small mountain with a height of 95 meters. This is Cape Greco Viewpoint. People usually come here in the evening to watch the sunset.
To the south is located the Bridge of Lovers. Ayia Napa also has a Bridge of Lovers, but there it is a beautiful arch. In this place, you can see a full-fledged bridge over a small Bay. 500 meters to the north from Bridge of Lovers is located the beautiful chapel of Agios Anargiroi. 1.5 km north of the chapel is the main gem of the Kavo Greco Park - Konnos Bay with its famous Konnos beach.
