Leda Tour 8 Days/7 Nights

 

PROGRAM

 

1st Day Arrival and transfer to the hotel 

  

2nd Day 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 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 TROODOS - Byzantine Churches

(San Nicolaos, 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.

We continue our journey visiting the Panagia Tis Asinou Church, in Nikitari village, one of the ten UNESCO World Heritage churches on the Troodos. Built in a pine-clad area, it has some of the finest examples of Byzantine wall painting on the island.

Return to the hotel in the afternoon.

 

5th Day 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 FAMAGUSTA -Departure in the morning for Famagusta. After we cross the check point we will visit Salamis, founded by Teucer in 1180 BC, on his return from the Trojan War . We will visit the theater, the amphitheater, the gymnasium , the spa and palaestra.

Then we will move to the 'medieval city of Famagusta, whose mighty walls bear witness to the glorious past and the historical needs' to defend against enemy attacks.

  Next visit to the Cathedral of St. Nicholas (turned in the mosque of Lala Mustapha Pasha) in which, at the time of Lusignan, took place the coronation of many of the kings of Cyprus and Jerusalem . Free time to stroll in the streets of Famagusta and we will then  visit the Castle of Othello (Venetian governor of Cyprus), and finally we have the "visit" of the part of Famagusta notorious as the "city 'ghost'.

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7th Day Free day for leisure . 

 

8th Day  Departure

Breakfast at the hotel, check-out and transfer to the airport

 

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