Discover Cyprus' mountain villages

Cyprus is known for its beaches - the energetic club scene in Agia Napa, or the sleepier feel of Paphos, with its rows of holiday villas perfect for pensioners eager to retire in the sun.

Go just fifty kilometers inland, however, to the villages of the Troodos mountains, and you will find another Cyprus entirely, one better suited to travellers who have outgrown the party in Agia Napa but are not quite ready for the staid pace of Paphos.

By far the most practical way to explore the mountains is by renting a car, though the narrow hair pins on the winding roads mean this is not for the timid. However, in return for your bravery you get a breath-taking hour-long drive, weaving through terraced villages set amid pines and magnificent views, the air getting cooler as you climb.

There are hundreds of villages to explore, each with its own particular local speciality, but for a base of operations you can do no better than Kakopetria, about half way to the summit of the highest peak, Mount Olympus.

Clinging to the mountain and cut through by the river Klaios, Kakopetria, offers a beautiful (and central) setting and some of the nicest accommodation in the area. Two of the best options are the Mill Hotel or Linos Inn.

As the name suggests, the Mill Hotel was rebuilt from a grain mill that operated on the bank of the river from the 17th century until it was abandoned in the 1950s. The new structure, built around the still turning wheel, is in keeping with the local architecture, though it is slightly scaled up to accommodate the hotel's 13 rooms, balconies and full restaurant offering the local specialty, rainbow trout.

The homely and relaxing Linos Inn, housed in a restored group of stone village buildings, is furnished traditionally, though with modern amenities. Many of the rooms offer Jacuzzis, and there is a sauna available.

Not to be missed is the Inn's Mesostrato Tavern with its crackling fireplace and traditional meze dinner - small dishes brought in one after another so you can experience the full variety of Cypriot cooking. It is a slow paced meal, perfect for romance or resetting a frazzled city brain.

All this relaxation may be fantastic, but there is also plenty to do to keep busy. The surrounding countryside is crossed with walking trails, and guided mountain bike tours are also available from Bike Trek Cyprus.

If you have rented a 4X4 and found the adrenaline rush of the mountain roads pleasurable, there are also nail-biting, off-road tracks available, the nicest of which leads to the Cedar Valley, where you can see rare lacy Cedar pines, which grow only in Cyprus.

For the more culturally minded, the area boasts nine churches that have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites for their frescoes, icons and architecture. There is also the village of Fikardou, the whole of which has been classed as a national monument for its traditional Byzantine architecture.

For further information on visiting Cyprus see www.visitcyprus.org.cy

Return flights with British Airways to Paphos are available this July from £148 (ba.com).

Jessica Stillman