Larnaca, Cyprus: Apr 2012

The earth is dry here, but life finds a way to survive and make grapes. We take winding roads through the most beautiful, but arid, countryside from one winery to another. The Cyprian people are charming and friendly, and each winery looks desolate, until you walk in and make yourself known. Then it wakes up and comes alive with food and wine and a tour, if you’re lucky.

Although all the wineries we visited were special in their own right, a couple stand out, like the Chrysorrogiatissa Winery which resides in an ancient monastery and the Sterna Winery which had a wine making museum full of old tools and equipment.

Here are links to the ones on our route:

• Amargeti, Kalamos Winery http://kalamoswinery.com/
• Lemona, Tsangarides Winery http://www.tsangarideswinery.com/
• Koilinea, Shoufas Winery http://wineriescyprus.com/shoufas-winery/
• Statos Agios Fotios, Kolios Winery http://wineriescyprus.com/kolios-winery/
• Panayia, Chrysorrogiatissa Winery http://wineriescyprus.com/chrysoroyiatissa-monastery-winery/
• Pano Panagia, Vouni Winery http://www.vounipanayiawinery.com/
• Kannaviou, Ezousa Winery http://ezousa.com/
• Kathikas, Sterna Winery & Museum http://www.sternawinery.com/

Wine aside, Cyprus has more ruins than you can visit in one trip, so we chose carefully. Our first one was Aphrodite’s Temple, which was a beautiful ruin to visit on a hot day, if you want to catch heat stroke. Hats and water in hand, we conquered it though. Khiroikitia (Choirokoitia) Neolithic Village https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/848, an UNESCO site, was an amazing 10,000 year old settlement with enough structure left that you can imagine how they lived back then. The recreation photos also help.

When you get tired, there are always the beaches and taverna’s to relax at. This is what Cyprus does extremely well, and with so many to choose from, you can’t go wrong. One thing you must try is the Seafood Meze. It’s a platter of goodness you will remember for the rest of your life, if you haven’t drunk yourself into a wine coma by now. 

To have an adventure in beautiful Cyprus, click here.