Wellness & Adventure Escape in the Troodos Mountains and Mediterranean Coast

The trip starts in the Troodos Mountains, where day two is a hike on the Nature Trail Atalante around Chionistra Mountain. You walk through wild apple trees and past 800-year-old junipers, stop at an abandoned chrome mine tunnel, and have a picnic lunch on the trail. The following day is a gentler cultural one: a 14th-century UNESCO church in Pelendri, then Omodos village for a cooking class where you make moussaka from scratch, followed by a winery visit.

Day four is another ridge hike, the Madari Trail, with an optional climb to a fire lookout tower. The group then transfers to Kato Paphos, a UNESCO heritage site on the coast, where you visit the Archaeological Park and the House of Dionysos mosaics. A private three-hour sunset yacht cruise along the Akamas Peninsula includes a swim in the Blue Lagoon. The final stretch is in Lefkara, where you see the famous lacework, get your hands dirty at a basket-weaving workshop, and taste halloumi at a local spot.

The daily workshops are a core part of the experience, not an afterthought. Led by Allison Kirsch, a psychotherapist from Washington DC, or Kim Jeffs, who runs a practice in Chapel Hill, they focus on somatic experiencing, nervous system regulation, and mindfulness. Allison is a trained social worker with a strengths-based perspective and an avid hiker herself. Kim Jeffs has nearly 20 years in somatic psychotherapy and transpersonal psychology, doing post-graduate training in nervous system therapies. Both bring a clinical grounding that is rare on a trip like this.

What makes this different from a pure hiking trip is the combination of those workshops with the cultural immersion. The itinerary is built around personal encounters—a traditional dancing night after dinner, a visit to a community partner organization, a kafenion stop for Cyprus coffee. The operator, Traverse, positions it as travel that treats the traveler and the community as catalysts for change, and there is a deliberate effort to spend in local villages and meet the people who live there.

What's included

- Airport Pickup & Drop-off - 8 nights accommodation in mountain resorts & boutique hotels - Daily breakfast + 4 dinners & 4 lunches - Daily workshops with somatic experiencing, mindfulness, breathwork, and light movement - Two day hikes in the Troodos mountains - Two hikes in the Akamas region - Cooking class with a local chef - and feast to follow! - Winery visit and tasting in the village of Omodos - Traditional halloumi cheese tasting - Visit to Timios Stravos church in Pelendri, a UNESCO site - Visit the House of Dionysos mosaics in Kato Paphos, on the UNESCO heritage list - Paphos harbor visit - Sunset cruise to the Blue Lagoon - Village stay in Lefkara with walking tour - Traditional Cypriot folk dancing night - with option to participate! - Cypriot cooking class & wine tasting - Visit with our local Community Partner + donation to their organization - Dedicated Traverse local guide throughout your trip - Learn about local artisan crafts including lacework and basket weaving - Wifi connection

What's not included

- Flights costs - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Additional meals, excursions and activities not listed - Alcohol or other drinks, unless specified - Tips to your local guides and drivers - Additional treatments - Additional activities not included in the itinerary