Cyprus Tour 6 Days/5 Nights ( Aphrodite Tours ) - 3* superior hotel ( Limassol)
Every Sunday - Friday
1st Day - SUN Arrival and transfer to the hotel in
Limassol. Check in at
your hotel. Dinner and overnight.
2nd Day - MON PAPHOS -
Breakfast
at the hotel. Spend a day sightseeing the wonders of Paphos: the whole town is
included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. Proceeding Westbound along
the beautiful coast, we stop at Petra tou Romiou, where, according to Greek
mythology, Aphrodite emerged from the foam of the water.We will begin our day
by visiting the Ayios Neofytos monastery founded at the end of the 12th century
by the Cypriot writer and hermit Neofytos. The Engleistra contains some of the
most beautiful Byzantine frescoes (12th and 15th centuries). We will continue
to visit the Tombs of the Kings which date back to the 4th century BC, carved
into the rock and decorated with Doric columns.
Then we
will be able to admire the famous mosaics of the house of Dionysus. The floors
of these patrician villas date back to a period between the third and fifth
centuries AD and are considered among the most beautiful mosaics in the eastern
Mediterranean. We will visit later. The last stop will be at the church of
Panagia Chrysopolitissa, built in the thirteenth century, within whose complex
you can see the column of St. Paul, where according to tradition the saint was
scourged. Dinner in the hoteL.
3rd Day - TUE NICOSIA NORTH AND SOUTH - LEFKARA
Breakfast
at the hotel. Meeting with the guide and departure for Nicosia, the capital of
Cyprus, whose city centre is hedged by majestic Venetian walls.It is renowned
for the archaeological and artistic treasures collected in its museums and,
especially, to be the last city in the world divided by a wall. First visit at
Archbishopric complex, and the Cathedral of St. John the inside contains a
fresco cycle dating 1731. Through the Venetian Walls, via Famagusta Gate, we
get to the Archaeological Museum where you can admire the fascinating
collection of Cypriot artefacts and treasures of inestimable value.
We continue
to the old town of Nicosia (Laiki Yitonia), across the check-point, we will be
guided to the Caravanserai, Buyuk Han, one of the best-preserved Ottoman
architectures. The Buyuk Han stands in the centre of the traditional market,
within the walls, nearby the Selimiye Mosque, known formerly as the St.Sophia
Cathedral. On our return we will visit the characteristic village of Lefkara,
famous for the local lace known as Lefkaritica, ( according the tradition
Leonardo da Vinci visited the village and bought an altar cloth that he donated
to the Milan Cathedral), and for the processing of silver. Return to the hotel
in the afternoon.
4th Day - WED TROODOS – BYZANTINE CHURCHES (SAINT NICOLAS –
KAKOPETRIA - PODITHOU – ASINOU)
Breakfast
at the hotel. Departure to the Troodos mountains and guided tour of some of the
famous Byzantine churches, included in the 'UNESCO "World Heritage list:
the Church of Ayios Nicolaos, completely painted with frescoes ranging from the
eleventh to the seventeenth century, and the Byzantine church of Panagia of
Pothithou.
Free time
for lunch and we continue to visit the 12th century church of Asinou. whose
frescoes are among the best Byzantine examples. Return to the hotel in the
afternoon.
Entrance
fees included - Ayios Nicolaos - Panagia di Pothithou - Asinou (collective
entrance fee is € 10.00 per group)
5th Day - THU CURIUM AND THE WINE ROUTES
THE SCENTS
AND COLORS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN IN THE TRADITION OF WINE. Kolossi - Curium -
WINE MUSEUM - OMODOS –LIMASSOL) ►Distances
A mixed
route that will take you back in time, to discover the secrets of the oldest
and most famous wine on the island, the world-famous Koumandaria, the
archaeological site of Curium and the traditional village of Omodos.
Departure
after breakfast. First stop at Kolossi Castle located in the village of the
same name, 11 kilometres west of Lemesos (Limassol). It was built in the
fifteenth century, on the ruins of a previous fortress, dating back to the
early thirteenth century. The latter belonged to the Knights of St. John of
Jerusalem and was the seat of the most important Central Command among those
headed by them. For a few years, in the 14th century, it was under the control
of the Knights Templar. The area also produced and exported the traditional
sweet wine of Cyprus, which became known as "Vin de Commanderie", or
Commandaria. This is one of the oldest “appellation” wines in the world, having
carried the same name for eight centuries. Continue to the village of Erimi and
visit the wine museum located in the heart of the island's wine production
area, the Cyprus Wine Museum will take you on a fascinating journey through the
history of Cypriot winemaking. Photographs and audio-visual presentations,
ancient jars and vessels, medieval goblets and old documents touch every aspect
of wine production. We will then reach Curium, an important city-state, today
one of the most important archaeological sites on the island. Here we will
visit the magnificent Greek theatre- Roman from the 2nd century BC, the house
of Eustolius, originally a Roman villa, which in the early Christian period
became a public center for recreational activities.
We continue
to the village of Omodos. Free time for lunch and visit of this important wine
center and the famous monastery of Stravos (Santa Croce), founded by St. Helen
in 327 AD located in the center of the homonymous square. We also visit the
Linos cellar and taste the local wine. We return to the hotel in the afternoon.
6st Day - FRI Departure
Breakfast
at the hotel, check-out and transfer to the airport
Terms and Conditions
PRICE INCLUDES: Accommodation in a 3* Superior hotel in Limassol for 5 nights ( Curium Palace or Kapetanios Odyssia Hotel ) - Half board in hotel - Tours and transfers by bus or minibus or private car. (*) - Bilingual local guide - Handling fees - Entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites in the program- - Everything mentioned in the program - Schedule Return Transfer from Larnaca airport (maximum waiting time at the airport 60 minutes) - The transfer is included even if the arrival or departure dates are different from the day of group inception. -New years eve 31/12 -Christmas Eve 24/12 DON'T FOREGET: ( * ) TOURS are guaranteed for minimum of 2 persons. If the number of participants will be 6 or less, the tours will be made with a private car and driver / guide bilingual .