6 Mountain Villages Near Paphos That Need a Car to Visit Properly

The mountain villages of the Paphos district are the part of Cyprus that most visitors never see. They are 30 to 60 minutes from the coast, entirely impractical without a hire car, and a completely different experience from the beach and harbour strip that defines most Paphos holidays.

These six villages are the best of what the Troodos foothills and the Paphos wine region offer. All are accessible with a standard compact hire car on paved roads.

For the hire car that makes these villages accessible, the best car hire in Paphos ranks all 20 operators. For the scenic drive context, the scenic drives guide from Paphos covers the broader routes these villages sit on.

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1. Omodos

Drive from Paphos: 35 to 45 minutes Altitude: 820 metres

Omodos is the most visited village in the Paphos wine district and for good reason. Its cobbled central square, built around the Timios Stavros (Holy Cross) Monastery, is one of the most photographed settings in Cyprus. The monastery dates to the Byzantine period and holds a relic of the True Cross, making it an active pilgrimage site as well as a tourist destination.

The square is ringed by small wineries, local product shops selling commandaria wine and zivania spirit, and cafés with outdoor tables. The village wine cooperative is the largest producer in the area and offers tastings and sales.

Arrive before 10am to have the square largely to yourself. Tour buses arrive from around 10:30am and the square becomes considerably busier through lunchtime. With a hire car, you have complete control of your timing.

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2. Kathikas

Drive from Paphos: 30 to 35 minutes Altitude: 680 metres

Kathikas sits on the plateau between Paphos and the Akamas Peninsula, surrounded by vineyards. It is quieter and less visited than Omodos, which is precisely its appeal. The village has a small square with a coffee shop, a church, and views south toward the coast.

The Vasilikon Winery just outside Kathikas produces some of the most respected wines in the Paphos region and accepts visitors by appointment. The village road connects directly to the descent toward the Akamas, making Kathikas a natural stop on any Akamas day trip from Paphos.

The drive up from Paphos via Stroumbi is 30 minutes of winding road through vineyards with the coast visible below. The descent toward Polis on the other side offers a completely different landscape.

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3. Droushia

Drive from Paphos: 40 to 50 minutes Altitude: 730 metres

Droushia is a village on the plateau above the Chrysochou Bay, with views north toward Polis and the sea beyond. It is smaller than Kathikas and less visited, but has a few tavernas and a central square that fills on summer evenings with local life that tourists rarely see.

The village is at the edge of the area where the plateau begins to descend toward Polis. The view from the north side of the village at sunset, with the bay below and the Akamas to the left, is one of the better viewpoints in the Paphos district.

Droushia works best as a late-afternoon stop on a combined Akamas and wine villages drive, rather than as a standalone destination.

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4. Pano Akourdaleia and Kato Akourdaleia

Drive from Paphos: 35 to 40 minutes Altitude: 580 metres

These twin villages upper and lower Akourdaleia sit on a hillside covered in carob and olive trees. They are among the less-visited villages in the area, which means they retain an authenticity that more popular spots have partly lost to tourism.

The lower village has a small Byzantine church and a spring. The upper village has a café and a population that is largely local rather than tourist-facing. Walking between the two takes about 15 minutes on a footpath.

This is a stop for travellers who specifically want to see a working Cypriot mountain village rather than a curated tourist version of one.

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5. Lysos

Drive from Paphos: 45 to 55 minutes Altitude: 420 metres

Lysos sits in the Chrysochou Valley east of Polis, surrounded by citrus and olive groves at a lower altitude than the wine plateau villages. The village has a distinctive character: its square and kafeneion (traditional coffee house) are authentically local in a way that distinguishes it from the wine-route villages that have partly repositioned for tourism.

The drive to Lysos from Paphos via Polis is entirely coastal and inland: through Coral Bay, north to Polis, then east into the valley. The round trip from Paphos is a half-day including time in the village and a lunch stop in Polis or Latchi.

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6. Filousa-Kelokedara

Drive from Paphos: 30 to 35 minutes Altitude: 500 metres

This small village in the Xeros Valley is notable for being the site of one of the Paphos district’s local agricultural festivals and for its position on the route between Paphos and the wine villages. The village has a small agrotourism guesthouse that serves local food, and a walking route into the surrounding countryside.

The approach from Paphos via the E606 road through Tsada is a pleasant 30-minute drive through agricultural land with views across the Paphos plain. Less visited than the main wine villages but closer to Paphos and a reasonable first mountain drive for hire car visitors who want to test the mountain roads without committing to the full Troodos.

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Planning a Mountain Village Day Trip From Paphos

A practical half-day circuit for first-time visitors combines Omodos, Kathikas, and a viewpoint stop:

Leave Paphos by 9am. Drive to Omodos via Mandria and Koili (35 to 45 minutes). Spend an hour in the square before the tour buses arrive. Drive to Kathikas via Pano Platres (20 minutes). Coffee at the square. Drive south back toward Paphos via Stroumbi, or continue west toward the Akamas via Polis.

Total driving time: approximately 90 minutes. Total time including stops: 4 hours. Fuel required: fill up in Paphos before leaving. No petrol stations on this circuit.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are these mountain villages accessible with a standard compact hire car?

Yes. All six villages listed are on paved roads accessible to any standard hire car. The roads are winding but not demanding and are driven regularly by local residents in ordinary vehicles.

What is the best time of year to visit mountain villages near Paphos?

Spring (March to May) is the most scenic, with wildflowers on the terraces and mild temperatures. Autumn (October) brings the grape harvest and is the most active period for wineries. Summer is warm even at altitude but considerably cooler than the coast.

Are the mountain villages open to visitors on Sundays?

Most village squares and coffee shops are open on Sundays, often busier than weekdays with local families. Wineries and shops may have reduced hours on Sundays. Confirm specific attraction hours before a Sunday drive.

How far is the nearest mountain village from Paphos Airport?

Filousa-Kelokedara and Kathikas are both within 30 to 35 minutes of Paphos Airport. Either makes a practical first-day drive for visitors who collect their hire car in the morning and want to see something beyond the hotel area immediately.

Book car hire in Paphos to reach the mountain villages →

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What to Bring on a Mountain Village Day Trip

Mountain village drives from Paphos are comfortable in a hire car but benefit from a few practical preparations.

Water: Bring more than you think you need, especially in summer. Villages have cafés but not always open ones on weekday mornings. The Troodos at altitude feels cooler than the coast but is still warm enough to dehydrate without noticing.

A light layer: Even in July, the villages at 700 to 800 metres are 5 to 8 degrees cooler than Paphos. In the evening or in the shade of a church square, a light jacket is welcome. In October through April, a warm layer is essential.

Cash: Many village shops, wineries, and cafés are cash-preferred or cash-only. ATMs exist in larger villages like Omodos but not in smaller ones. Take €20 to €30 in cash before leaving Paphos.

Full fuel tank: There are no petrol stations on the wine plateau and none in most mountain villages. Fill up in Paphos before leaving. The round trip from Paphos to the wine villages and back uses 3 to 5 litres in a compact car at current consumption rates.

Phone charged and offline map downloaded: Signal is intermittent in the Troodos. Download the Cyprus offline map before you leave home. Google Maps handles the village roads well when connected; the offline map handles them acceptably when not.

The mountain villages near Paphos reward visitors who make the effort to reach them.