Local tours of cultural and environmental character will be organized, exclusively for the participants of the Conference. Through these tours, the participants will have the opportunity to get a glimpse of the cultural and environmental heritage of the island.
All tours will be escorted by professional English-speaking guides.
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.
Registrations for the tours can be made through the registration/accommodation form.
Registration deadline for the tours: Friday, 27 September 2024
OPTION 1
TROODOS NATIONAL PARK – HALF DAY HIKING TOUR
ROUTE
- 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.
TRIP DETAILS
Price per Person: €50.00
Date: 11/10/2024
Departure / Return time: 13:00 – 19:00
Above Package includes:
- Bus transportation from and to hotel
- Licensed English-Speaking tour guide
KALIDONIA NATURE TRAIL
The entire route of the Kalidonia Nature Trail is located in the Troodos National Forest Park which is a Natura 2000 area. The trail is a true hidden oasis nestled amidst the lush greenery of the Troodos Mountains, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and rich biodiversity. As you navigate through the winding paths, you’ll encounter vibrant flora and fauna, making every step a delightful exploration.
Once you reach the Kalidonia Waterfall and feel the water dramatically falling from a height of 13 metres on hard gabbro rock, you realize that this is a sight to behold. Its cascading waters create a mesmerizing sight that captivates the senses and transports you to a world of tranquility.
Hiking to the Kalidonia Waterfall is a rewarding experience that allows you to witness the wonders of nature up close.
The trail can be challenging at times, but the stunning views and the refreshing ambiance make it worth the effort. It’s the perfect opportunity to reconnect with nature, breathe in the crisp mountain air, and appreciate the beauty that surrounds you.
Trout can be seen in the ponds that form along the trail but keep in mind that fishing is prohibited!
OPTION 2
HALF DAY TOUR TO PAPHOS
ROUTE
- 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”,
TRIP DETAILS
Price per Person: €65.00
Date: 11/10/2024
Departure / Return time: 13:00 – 19:00
Above price includes:
- Bus transportation from and to hotel
- Licensed English-Speaking tour guide
- Entrance Fees to Tombs of the Kings, Paphos Mosaics and Loukoumi Factory.
PAPHOS – the European Capital of Culture (2017)
The whole town of Paphos is included in the official UNESCO list of cultural and natural treasures of the world heritage. Wherever one treads in Paphos comes across its glorious history which dates back ten thousand years. In 2017, Paphos was selected as the European Capital of Culture for its role of serving as a bridge between different cultures, a melting-pot of which many traces are still visible today.
APHRODITE’S BIRTH
Legend has it that following a dispute between the god of time, Cronus, and his father Uranus, Cronus cut off Uranus’ genitals and threw them into the sea. Out of the foam (aphros) of the fertilised waters, the birth of Aphrodite took place.
The naked goddess, carried by a gigantic scallop shell, was washed ashore on a pebbled beach of the ancient town of Paphos right next to a giant rock formation that sits gracefully offshore. As she lightly stepped ashore, the arid sand was changed into a verdant meadow and the loveliest flowers sprang up at every step of her delicate feet. The myth combined with the scenery has provided numerous famous poets and artists with beautiful inspirations to create artworks. One such artwork is Boticelli’s famous painting “Birth of Venus”.
APHRODITE’S BIRTHPLACE
Aphrodite’s mythical birthplace, Petra tou Romiou also known as Aphrodite’s Rock, is an interesting geological formation of huge rocks along one of the most beautiful coastlines on the island at the southwest coast of Pafos (PALAIPAFOS – Kouklia village). “Petra tou Romiou” meaning the Rock of the Greek, is also associated with the legendary Byzantine hero, Digenis Akritas.
According to legend, the hero in his effort to keep the invading Saracens Arabs (7th-10th centuries) at bay, he grabbed a huge rock and tossed it into the sea. A large, imposing rock accompanied by several smaller rocks, emerge from the sea in that area.
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK – visit the HOUSE OF DIONYSOS
The Archaeological Park includes sites and monuments from the 4th century BC to the Middle Ages, while most remains date to the Roman period. The mosaics floors of four noblemen’s villas (the houses of Dionysos, Theseus, Aion and Orpheus) dating from the 3rd to the 5th century AD are considered among the finest in the Eastern Mediterranean and they mainly depict scenes from Greek Mythology. The park also includes other important monuments, such as the Tombs of the Kings, a vast necropolis famous for the majesty of its tombs.
THE PAPHOS HARBOR
Before resuming this historical journey, you will have the pleasure of visiting the Paphos harbour which offers excellent sea views and an outstanding range of restaurants and bars to suit every taste.
YEROSKIPOU – visit the Traditional sweet making factory.
Once famous for its sacred gardens, dedicated to the Goddess Aphrodite, these days the village of Yeroskipou (Geroskipou) is best known for its production of the famous desert Cyprus Delight (also known as Loukoumi and Turkish Delight).
These powdered sugar-coated candies are traditionally flavoured with rose water but are also produced in several other unique flavours making them an ideal souvenir. In the square of the village, you will have the opportunity to observe how these sweets are made and try some.
An additional highlight of the small village includes the church of Agia Paraskevi, celebrated for its medieval paintings and icons.
The little church of Agia Paraskevi is worldwide recognised as an extremely significant example of Byzantine architecture dated to the 9th century A.D.
OPTION 3
CHOIROKITIA – LEFKARA HALF DAY TOUR
ROUTE
- 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).
TRIP DETAILS
Price per Person: €62.00 per person
Date: 11/10/2024
Departure / Return time: 13:00 – 19:00
Above Package includes:
- Bus transportation from and to hotel
- Licensed English-Speaking tour guide
- Entrance Fees to Choirokitia Settlement
- Halloumi Cheese and Basket weaving Demonstration
- Cypriot Brunch
CHOIROKOITIA – Neolithic Settlement
The archaeological site of Choirokoitia is a remarkably well-preserved settlement from the Neolithic Age that has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. because the archaeological findings have shed more light on the development of society in this key area. The significance of those findings has established Chirokitia among the best-known prehistoric sites in Cyprus and worldwide.
Remains from all phases of the Neolithic Age are evident in the settlement and provide an insight of living conditions in the region during prehistoric times, as well as how the Neolithic culture was spread throughout the region.
Five characteristic cylindrical shaped dwellings have been reconstructed near the settlement, using the same construction methods and materials used in Neolithic times. The dwellings are fitted with replicas of household objects found inside the original dwellings, thus providing a vivid representation of how they actually were in the past.
THE ART OF THE TRADITIONAL BASKETRY
Following the Choirokoitia archaeological site, our group will be welcomed by the owner of a traditional house in Choirokitia village, who turned his house into an establishment for working with the art of the traditional basketry made from types of grass found on the banks of the rivers.
HOW TO MAKE HALLOUMI CHEESE
After a briefing on how the traditional baskets are made, you will have the opportunity to watch how the traditional halloumi cheese is made and be offered a Cypriot Brunch that includes Cypriot coffee, home-made lemonade, halloumi cheese and anari cheese, oven baked bread, olives, bee honey and carob honey.
LEFKARA – Home of Cyprus’s traditional embroidery
Lefkara is a beautiful village with a long tradition in the art of lacemaking and silversmithing.
Arriving at the village you will undoubtedly be impressed by the picturesque narrow alleys and the impressive architecture of the houses built amphitheatrically around the spring of the village and surrounded by large courtyard walls and tall wooden doors.
Wandering around the beautiful alleys of the village, take a break to enjoy a traditional cup of coffee or a homemade lemonade.
The history of the village dates back to the Byzantine times and the main attraction from this era is the church of “Timiou Stavrou” (Holy Cross church – 14th century). What makes Lefkara famous though is their Cypriot lace embroidery known as “Lefkaritiko”.
The tradition of Lefkaritiko embroidery began during the Venetian period (15th-18th century). During this period, Lefkara was a popular summer holiday resort for the Venetian ladies who taught the women of the village embroidery.
Over the years, the women of the village enhanced the lace designs by incorporating local characteristics inspired by nature. Legend has it that the famous painter, Leonardo da Vinci, himself visited the village of Lefkara in 1481 (during the reign of Katherine Cornaro, queen of Cyprus). He was so impressed by the Lefkara laces that he bought a lace altar cloth, which he donated to the Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milan). On 19 October 1986, the Mayor of Lefkara presented the Milan Cathedral, in honor of the 600th anniversary of its foundation, a new altar cloth on which three lace makers from Lefkara village had worked full-time for six months.
It is worth visiting the Handicraft Centre as well as the Local Ethnological Museum of Traditional Embroidery and Silversmithing, where traditional costumes, silversmithing items and an interesting collection of Lefkaritika embroideries are on display. Other important attractions include the Folklore Museum, the old fountain, and the old oil mill.
Lefkara is included in the World Tourism Organization’s list of the world’s best tourist villages and in 2018 the Japan Travel Agents Association included Lefkara in the 30 most beautiful villages in Europe.
OPTION 4
OENOLOGICAL – HALF DAY TOUR
ROUTE
- 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.”
- Yerolemo Winery – Wine tasting session to sample Cypriot wines made out of local type of grapes such as Xynisteri, Mavro and Maratheftiko.
- OMODOS – visit this charming wine producing village! Walk along its narrow alleys and explore the local culture and tastes.
TRIP DETAILS
Price per Person: €55.00
Date: 11/10/2024
Departure / Return time: 13:00 – 19:00
Above package includes:
- Bus transportation from and to hotel
- Licensed English-Speaking tour guide
- Entrance fees to Kolossi Castle and Yerolemo Winery
MEDIEVAL CASTLE OF KOLOSSI
The Castle of Kolossi is one of the most important medieval fortifications that survived from the Frankish period in Cyprus. Built in 1454 by the Grand Master of the Order of the hospitallers, Louis de Magnac, it was the property of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem and was the seat of a powerful military command known as Commanderie which controlled and exploited the agricultural produce of the wider area.
The Commanderie of Kolossi was undoubtedly the most important of the territories granted to the Order of St. John and covered a large area of sugar cane plantations, olive groves, grain and carob plantations, and vineyards. The area also produced and exported the traditional sweet wine of Cyprus which became known worldwide under the name ‘Vin de Commanderie’ (Wine of Commanderie) or Koumandaria, retaining the same name for eight centuries.
Yerolemo Winery
Wine tasting session will be held at Yerolemo Winery, where we will have a chance to sample Cypriot wines made out of local type of grapes such as Xynisteri, Mavro and Maratheftiko.
OMODOS – A charming wine producing village!
Omodos, is a well-known wine producing village of the area. The large stone-paved square of the village that stretches in front of the magnificent monastery of Timios Stavros (Holy Cross) is one of the oldest and most picturesque of the island. Surrounded by beautiful, traditional homes, framed by tall sycamore trees, it is ideal for walks, shopping and dining, all year round.
While at the square, visit the monastery of Timios Stavros, which is an attraction in itself hosting several museums which you can visit for free. Walk along the narrow alleys that wind around the square to see workshops making stained and blown glass, engravings, and icons. Try the local bagels “Arkadena” which arefermented 7 times before baking and taste the local fine wines and zyvania (grape pulp distilled in special cauldrons).
Don’t miss the chance to enjoy a traditional coffee and a “spoon sweet” (a traditional dessert usually made from seasonal fruit boiled in sugar) at one of the many traditional cafenia (cafes).
OPTION 5
KOURION – APOLLO HYLATES TOUR
*This tour can Accommodate up to 2 clients with limited or no mobility*
ROUTE
- 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.
TRIP DETAILS
Minimum Participation: 14 Persons
Price per Person: €82.00
Date: 11/10/2024
Departure / Return time: 13:00 – 18:00
Above package includes:
- Bus transportation for people with disabilities from and to hotel
- Licensed English-Speaking tour guide
- Entrance fees to Kourion, Apollo Hylates Sanctuary and Olive Grove in Anogyra Village
KOURION – APOLLO HYLATES TOUR
The tour begins at the Ancient City of Kourion. Located on the outskirts of Limassol.
Kourion is considered to be one of the most important Archaeological sites all over Cyprus, as it was one of the 11 cities that were established by the surviving Myceneans from Argos Peloponnesus, that found refuge in Cyprus around the 12th BCE. Due to severe earthquakes that Kourion suffered throughout its rich history, it was rebuilt around 5 times, until becoming abandoned in the 7th Century AD due to Arabic raids.
Today, among other excavations, Kourion holds the 4th Century AD House of Efstolios – an estate that has extraordinary Proto-Christian mosaics, along with the Roman-styled baths where the ancient floor heating system is still visible to this day. Furthermore, during the Kourion tour, the group will have an opportunity sightseeing the Ancient Greek Theatre that was constructed at the end of the 2nd BCE, during the Ptolemy rule over the island and it’s still in use, where every summer the Department of Antiquity in association with the Cypriot Theatrical Organization organizes ancient Greek tragedy and comedy theatrical plays.
After the city of Kourion, the tour will continue to the 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 centre and underwent many extensions and alterations in different periods.
During the Roman period the site was extended with the additional buildings that were used for the display of votives and the accommodation for the worshippers. The majority of the monuments as they can be seen today, belong to the 1st AD roman restorations, and these restorations consist of Apollo’s Temple, Pilgrim Halls, the ‘Palaistra’ – a place where the athletes exercised and played games in honor of the entity, a Bath complex and a Holy Precinct. After Apollo Hylates Sanctuary, 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. Inside the park, you will find an ecological olive mill with mill stones, a museum, a restaurant, a store specializing in olive products, a video room, bottling, and storing facilities.