An island with a seam down the middle
Cyprus gets filed under package holidays, which is exactly why backpacking it feels like a find. Underneath the resort crust is a divided capital you can walk across, Byzantine churches full of gold up in the pines, Greek and Roman cities sliding into the sea, and a wild western peninsula with some of the Mediterranean's cleanest water. Intercity buses are cheap and reliable; a week to ten days covers this loop. Go in April-May or October — July and August are genuinely punishing (40 degrees inland is normal).
Larnaca, 1-2 days
Most budget flights land in Larnaca, and it is a friendlier start than it gets credit for: the seafront Finikoudes promenade, the church of Agios Lazaros (built over the tomb of the biblical Lazarus, who reputedly lived out his second life here as a bishop), and in winter and early spring, flamingos on the salt lake beside the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque. Eat a proper meze — €18-22 gets more small plates than your table can hold. Dorms and cheap guesthouses run €20-30.
Nicosia, 2 days
Intercity buses to Nicosia take about 45-60 minutes (around €4-5). Nicosia (Lefkosia) is the last divided capital in the world, and walking it is the reason to come: follow the Venetian walls to the Ledra Street checkpoint, show your passport, and cross the UN buffer zone on foot from the Greek Cypriot side into the Turkish Cypriot north in about ninety seconds. On the far side the currency changes to Turkish lira, the minarets take over the skyline, and the Büyük Han — a perfectly restored Ottoman caravanserai — serves Turkish coffee in its courtyard. Back south, the Cyprus Museum holds 7,000 years of the island in one modest building. The abandoned buildings along the Green Line, pot plants still on some balconies since 1974, stay with you.
The Troodos Mountains, 2 days
This is the leg where a shared hire car earns its keep (from about €25-35 a day split between you); buses to the mountain villages exist but are sparse and school-timetabled. Wind up to Kakopetria's old quarter of timber-balconied houses, then hunt the painted churches — ten of them UNESCO-listed, frescoed floor to ceiling, hidden under oversized barn roofs that were built to disguise their riches. Asinou and Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis are the essential two; track down the key-holder if the door is locked, which is half the fun. Base in Platres, walk the Caledonia waterfall trail under the pines, and try commandaria, the sweet amber wine Cypriots have been making for 800 years — the villages around Omodos pour tastings for a couple of euros or free with a smile.
Paphos, 2 days
Drop out of the mountains to Paphos (bus connections via Limassol work if carless; about €7 total). The Paphos Archaeological Park (€4.50) is the bargain of the Mediterranean: entire Roman villa floors of mosaics — Dionysus, Theseus and the minotaur — lying more or less where they were found, with the sea glittering behind. The Tombs of the Kings (€2.50), rock-cut Hellenistic burial courtyards, feel like Petra's quiet cousin. En route, stop at Petra tou Romiou, the sea stack where Aphrodite supposedly came ashore; swimming the spot at sunset is obligatory and cold.
Akamas Peninsula, 2-3 days
Buses run from Paphos to Polis and Latchi (about €4). This is the wild corner: the Aphrodite and Adonis nature trails loop from the Baths of Aphrodite over ridges with views across Chrysochou Bay, and the Blue Lagoon's absurd turquoise is best reached by kayak or a €25 boat trip from Latchi rather than the quad-bike convoys. Campsite at Polis sits in a eucalyptus grove behind the beach (about €10); loggerhead turtles nest on Lara Beach in summer.
Numbers
Budget €45-60 a day with a shared car for the mountain days. Buses are €1.50-7 a hop. Cross-island distances are small — nothing on this loop is more than a few hours from anything else, which is precisely the island's charm.
