Wine Routes

A journey into the magnificent inland landscape along with the pleasure of locally produced wines.

The history of winemaking in Cyprus is very old, one of the oldest in the world. Recent excavations by Italian archaeologists have revealed the sensational truth that in this small island the production of wine dates back some 6000 years. At the village of Pyrgos in Lemesos district, two jugs were found which had been used for wine – even grape pips were traced! At the village of Erimi eighteen pots were unearthed, twelve of which had been used for wine at some period between 3500 and 3000 BC. This cultural heritage is the oldest in the whole Mediterranean basin and leads to the assumption that Cyprus triggered the spread of winemaking to Greece, Italy, France and other regions.  There is an abundance of archaeological findings which provide ample evidence that viticultural activities in Cyprus date back to the depths of time. There are unique ancient mosaics portraying god Dionysus (Bacchus), very old wine-presses at the villages of Omodos, Lania and elsewhere and amphorae and other wine-related pots crowding the island's archaeological museums. They are all tangible proof of Cyprus' viticultural history through the centuries, testaments of an awe-inspiring heritage in winemaking.

Get to know the wonderful Cyprus wines by wine-tasting and try the grape based delicacies in the traditional villages, old monasteries or wine museums. The CTO (Cyprus Tourism Organization) organizes seven wine routes where visitors can get acquainted with the island’s enchanting and humble wineries. The CTO has also published a Cyprus Wine Route Guide which is available to the public to all the tourist information offices.

These wine routes in the Limassol, Larnaka and Paphos districts are visible on many different roads with road signs bearing the name of the wine route. On these routes you will encounter amazing scenery, wineries and lovely graceful villages.

COME TASTE AND ENJOY...