Wild flora and sights of Cyprus
Wednesday 25 February to Wednesday March 4 2026
This seven-night tour will focus on wild plants, of which a large number are endemic, rather than gardens. Spring comes early to Cyprus due to its southerly location and, although weather is unpredictable, historically February has a lot of sunny clear days. We shall also visit a couple of fascinating archaeological sites in the ancient city of Paphos – both of which are rich in plants also. Weather permitting, we will be visiting 1952m Mount Olympos, where snow on the mountain contrasts with warm sun on the coast, and we may still find Crocus cyprius at the snowline. The climbing road will offer spectacular scenery and many interesting plants.
The tour will operate from two bases, the first being in the town of Paphos. The hotel will be Axiothea (http://www.axiotheahotel.com). It serves an excellent breakfast. It does not have a restaurant, but there are excellent eating places close by. It has double, twin-bedded and small single rooms. Some have a view of the distant sea and these will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. The second hotel is the Aphrodite Beach Hotel, Latchi. (https://www.aphrodite-beachhotel.com). This is about 3 km from picturesque Latchi village on the sea and the group will be there for three nights and have dinners there. All rooms are designed for single or double occupancy.
The cost will be £660 per person with a single supplement of £135. The maximum number in the group will be 17. The price includes accommodation, all dinners except one, five lunches, water, drinks at communal meals, specialist guide, local transport, tips, entrance fees, and – if you use the main flights from and to London Gatwick – transport to and from the hotels. In Paphos we will book restaurants for three of the four evenings and one evening will be left free.
We are fortunate to have Dr Yiannis Christofides as our guide – author of highly acclaimed books on the wild flora of Cyprus.
You may wish to take additional days before and after the tour. There are many excellent hotels on the coast in the area. Please make your own arrangements.
Itinerary
As always itineraries are dependent on the weather but the outline is as follows.
Day 1. – Arrival at Paphos airport and transfer to our hotel in Paphos. Opportunity to see the town.
Day 2. Visit the Paphos archaeological areas. The Tombs of the Kings and Paphos archaeological area are on the World Heritage list, but are also excellent areas for botany. We shall see perfect examples of garigue with plants such as the endemic Helianthemum obtusifolium, Thymus capitatus, Fumana arabica, Ornithogalum pedicellare, Mandragora officianalis and others. Cyclamen persicum grows in profusion in the cracks of the huge rocks. The beach area provides a sand dune habitat with its associated plants.
Day 3. Excursion up the Diarizos valley to 800m and the historic and delightful wine centre and ancient cobbled village of Omodos, and onwards to Mount Olympos weather permitting. Hopefully Orchis sezekiana, Ophrys flavomarginata, Ophrys sicula and other orchids will be in flower. We should see the pretty Convolvulus coloesyriacus, Anchusa undulata subsp. hybrida, and other common Mediterranean plants such as Cistus, Pistacia, Quercus. We may see Crocus cyprius if we get to the snowline.
Day 4. Excursion southwards to the Akrotiri peninsula with its salt lake. We expect to see flamingos and other birds, salt marsh plants, fields of Anemone coronaria, Romulea tempskyana and orchids such as Anacamptis syriaca and Ophrys levantina plus Helianthemum stipulatum, Thymelea hirsuta, Ranunculus asiatica and Cistus parviflorus. This evening is free to choose your own restaurant.
Day 5. Transfer to Latchi via the Pegeia forest. This is a great site for orchids such as Ophrys levantina, Ophrys elegans, Ophrys iricolor, Ophrys sicula and Anacamptis morio should be in flower. Other geophytes will be present – Bellevalia sp, and Gagea sp. This day we will have a traditional restaurant lunch high up on the plateau before reaching the north coast and our hotel. There will be some time for walking and/or relaxing after arrival.
Day 6. We visit the botanical garden at the Baths of Aphrodite and then walk along a beautiful coastal path on high cliffs with the sea below. We go through Pistacia lentiscus and Juniperus phoenicea maquis and then Pinus brutia forest with Arbutus andrachne. The route is lined with Cyclamen persicum. We will also see Anacamptis syriaca, Himantoglossum robertianum, Bellevalia trifoliata and B. nivalis amongst others.
Day 7. We walk into the fields above the hotel. We shall find many orchids, Cyclamen persicum, Bellevalia trifoliata, Lotus purpureus and other plants. Highlight of the day will be the impressive Orchis punctulata, found in Cyprus, southern Turkey and the Levant. We shall make a circular route via an area of rock pools with interesting plants and see some seashore plants.
Day 8. Transfer to Paphos airport. We shall spend some time at nearby Mandria beach and see beach plants such as Glaucium flavum, Eryngium maritimum, Echium angustifolium, Medicago marina, and Limonium sinuatum. We shall have a final lunch together before going to the airport.
FLIGHTS
Cyprus is generally well served from the UK but there are limitations in a quiet month like February.
Most will travel from Gatwick and this is the flight that will be met by a bus for MPG:
OUT: Wednesday 25 February EasyJet Dep LGW 09.15 – PFO 15.45
RETURN: Wednesday 4 March EasyJet Dep PFO 16.30 Arr LGW 19.30
At the time of writing good (basic) prices are available.
If you are not able to come from Gatwick Andrew will advise on transportation in Cyprus. The distance from Paphos airport to Paphos town is 14km.
SOME PRACTICAL DETAILS
Cyprus is a member of the EU. Its currency is the euro and its plugs are the same as the UK.
The weather should be pleasantly warm but the odd shower can be expected.
You can read the report of the 2024 trip at https://www.medpag.org/bursaries/bursary-reports/wild-flora-and-historic-sights-of-cyprus/
For any queries about the trip please contact Andrew Mayo at andrewjmayo@gmail.com
BOOKING
Please complete the booking form and send a deposit of £200 by bank transfer to MPG’s pound sterling account 5161 4002, sort code 40 40 32, with reference CYPRUS26.
For those wishing to pay in euros, please contact the treasurer, David Mason, for an exchange rate and payment instructions for our euro account. Bank charges are minimal within the eurozone provided you use the SEPA (Single European Payments Area) payment method.
Booking Form
Please note that MPG events are open to members of MPG and its sister organisations only.
Bank Transfer
By bank transfer with reference CYPRUS26
Sort Code 40 40 32
Account 5161 4002
Account name: Mediterranean Plants and Gardens
IBAN GB63 HBUK 4040 3251 6140 02
Euros
For those wishing to pay in euros, payment can be made directly into our euro account. If you wish to pay by this means please contact the treasurer, David Mason, for an exchange rate and payment instructions. If paying from a bank in the euro zone into our euro account, this can be done with minimal bank charges provided you use a SEPA (Single European Payments Area) payment method.