ワインとハロウミ、キプロスの味を山で味わう

Lovely half-day excursion into the mountains. We loved the winery tour & the halloumi production. The monastery was interesting & the views were spectacular. Reno was a wonderful guide

Today, Dec 29th, my wife and I joined the Wine and Halloumi Experience Taste Cyprus Flavors in the Mountain, and it was a delicious exploration of wine and cheese! The tour operator took us through an amazing stunning mountain scenery. First stop - Tsangarides Winery Our tour started with a visit to a lovely vineyard where we got to taste some excellent local wines - Xynisteri and Maratheftiko. Second stop - Axylou Halloumi Cheese Factory Next up was the Halloumi tasting, and I must say, it was a highlight! The host showed us how this traditional cheese is made and then enjoyed several preparations of Halloumi along with delicious accompaniments. Third stop was a surprise stop offered by the tour operator – Elaiones Stagona Olive Oil Farm Have you tasted Cyprus olive oil? If yes, you know I am writing about a symphony of flavors and aromas coming together in a well designed bottle... if no, please go visit Stagona while in Cyprus. Fourth stop - Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery Tour ended on a spiritual tone with a visit to Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery - an Eastern Orthodox monastery dedicated to 'Our Lady of the Golden Pomegranate' (Panagia Chrysorrogiatissa). The monastery was founded in 1152 by monk Ignatios who discovered a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary off the shore of Paphos... legend has it that it was thrown into the sea in Asia Minor during the iconoclastic period and drifted by the waves all the way to Paphos. The tour was well-organized, allowing for plenty of interaction with both the tour operator and other participants. We parted the tour enriched with new knowledge about Cyprus' gems - culinary and spiritual.

Brilliant tour with Reno, he went above and beyond to give us a great experience and we had such a fantastic day out. Really recommend!

This was a magnificent half-day trip! Elena, the co-owner, came to pick us up exactly at the planned time. The company's bigger tour bus was fully booked to go somewhere else, but she decided to take a sedan and come to pick us up, rather than cancelling the trip. So we had a private trip! It is a nice one hour drive up to the mountains on windy roads with great scenery. The first Tsangarides winery is rather small and we were the only guests there - could have been the early morning or perks of off-season. We were given five wines to sample and we got small cheese plate to share, needless to say that both were excellent. Afterwards we had a tour in in the winery before buying a few bottles home. Next stop was the Axyloy Halloumi factory. I think it is a small family-owned business, as the premises were small and I did not see many stuff. We were given a variety of cheese and olives to sample, which were naturally delicious. The only problem was that were already full of eating the cheese platter. From there we got a pack of halloumi. The last official stop was a small monastery. It has great views to the valley and you can walk in the inner yard of the monastery. You can enter the small chapel and a small shop to buy souvenirs. There is also a small cafe. Monks seen: zero. We had some time left from the allocated duration so Elena took us to another winery, Kolios. It also has good views but the place is more industry-scale tourist spot, although it was almost empty too. Wines were good too, but the portion was slightly less than in the first place. Their specialty is is caves where they keep their wines, but it was closed because of off-season. It was a really nice trip to remember! Elena shared lots of information about the area and Cyprus in general, and gave tips where to eat in Pafos. We did also share our histories and a bit of daily lives at home.

Very nice selection of destinations we visited. You get to explore and experience a different side of Cyprus, more traditional and tucked into mountains, where you can taste a selection of local wines and homemade cheese and yogurt. Very good experience all in all, highly recommended! Not to be missed!

This trip was an absolute highlight of our time in Cyprus! The journey into the mountains was stunning, but what made it truly special was the warm welcome and personal touch throughout. Tasting fresh halloumi straight from the maker was a real treat, especially paired with the local wines. Each bite and sip came with stories that made us feel connected to Cypriot culture. Our guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely passionate, making the experience feel personal and relaxed. The small group size added to the intimate, authentic feel. If you want to experience the real flavors and traditions of Cyprus, this is a must-do. We left with full hearts, happy taste buds, and memories we’ll treasure!

This vacation in Cyprus is a gift for my 66th birthday and retirement. So I wanted to do another second tour with Reno our driver and guide. I had an excellent experience. Highly recommended Reno, also highly recommended the tour because you can get to know the island, Cyprus from a different perspective and find out things that you certainly didn't know. Plus an advantage for spending your free time in a very pleasant way. Reno, extremely well documented.

Reno is an incredible guide. He makes this tour very personable and tailors it to the age of those in the group. Because of our kids, he added a stop at a donkey farm. This was incredible. The vineyard was also wonderful, as was the cheese. We learned so much on this trip and truly enjoyed every moment. Recommend this for an opportunity to meet Cypriots and get a real feel for the island.