OPTIONAL TOURS
Local tours of cultural and environmental character escorted by professional English-speaking guides will be organized, exclusively for the participants of the ICCAT2024 meetings. Through these tours, the participants will have the opportunity to get a glimpse of the cultural and environmental heritage of the island.
All tours are subject to minimum number of registrations. In the event the minimum number of registrations for any tour will not be reached, the participants will be reassigned to an equivalent alternative tour.
OPTION 1
TROODOS NATIONAL PARK – HIKING TOUR
TROODOS NATIONAL FOREST PARK – Kalidonia Nature Trail
Explore this beautiful nature trail nestled within a dense forested area that leads to the stunning Kalidonia Waterfall. Immerse yourself in the lush greenery and listen to the soothing sound of the rushing crystal-clear waters of the falls.
OPTION 2
TOUR TO PAPHOS
• KOUKLIA: Visit the birthplace of Aphrodite, the beloved goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and fertility, born from the foam (aphros) of the sea and worshiped in the ancient town of Paphos.
• KATO PAPHOS: visit the house of Dionysos at the ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
• PAPHOS HARBOR: small break to enjoy the sea views.
• YEROSKIPOU: visit the Traditional sweet making factory. Experience the production and taste the famous desert “Cyprus Delight”.
OPTION 3
CHOIROKITIA – LEFKARA TOUR
• CHOIROKITIA – visit a remarkably well-preserved settlement from the Neolithic Agelisted as an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
– Find out about the Art of the Traditional Basketry
– Watch how to make Halloumi Cheese
– Enjoy a Cypriot Brunch at a traditional house.
• LEFKARA – visit a picturesque, unspoiled little village, with lots of history and tradition, in the southern foothills of the Troodos mountains. Lefkara boasts a unique architecture preserved to this day and its famous for its lacemaking tradition (Lefkaritika Kentimata).
OPTION 4
OENOLOGICAL TOUR
• KOLOSSI: Visit the Medieval Castle of Kolossi, one of the most important medieval fortifications in Cyprus and find out the story behind the castle and its relation to “Commandaria”, the world’s oldest named wine which is still in production and proclaimed by Richard the Lionheart as the “wine of the kings and the king of the wines.”
• ERIMI: Explore 5,500 thousand years of wine culture at the Cyprus Wine Museum and taste one of the oldest wines in the world. Enjoy a wine tasting experience and a short private classical concert dedicated to the famous hero and king of Cyprus Kyniras (grandson of Aphrodite and son of Apollo).
• OMODOS: visit this charming wine producing village! Walk along its narrow alleys and explore the local culture and tastes. Enjoy an early dinner before returning to the hotel.”
OPTION 5
KOURION – APOLLO HYLATES TOUR
• KOURION: Visit the Ancient City of Kourion, one of the 12 Ancient Cities founded by the Myceneans after the Trojan War and visit the Efstolios house with exceptionally preserved Roman mosaics, along with the Ancient Greek Theatre that’s still in use.
• APOLLO HYLATES SANCTUARY: Apollon Hylates, God of the woodland, was the protector of Kourion and it is believed that he was worshipped at the site from the 8th BCE up until the 4th AD. His Sanctuary was an important religious center and underwent many extensions and alterations in different periods.
• OLIVE GROVES IN ANOGYRA: the tour will continue to an olive park in Anogyra village. Upon arrival to the olive park visitors will have a chance to learn about the history and culture of the olive tree cultivation and olive oil production on the island – a custom that dates back from the Bronze Age over Cyprus.