Monastery · Limassol

Kykkos Monastery

The island's best-known monastery, high in the pine forest of western Troodos.

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Wow 4/5

Ease 2/5

Value 4/5

Quiet 4/5

Our own marks out of 5. Quiet 5 means rarely crowded. How we score

Guide

Kykkos was founded at the end of the 11th century by the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos. It guards an icon of the Virgin Mary that tradition attributes to Saint Luke; the icon is kept covered and is never shown.

The courtyards are lined with mosaics and frescoes, and the museum holds one of the richest collections of religious art on the island. Entry to the monastery is free; the museum charges a fee.

The catch. A long, winding mountain drive from any coast. It is a working monastery: cover shoulders and knees.

Local tip. Combine it with a village lunch on the way back. Do not try to do Kykkos and the coast in one day.

Kykkos Monastery

The best-known monastery in Cyprus, high in the Troodos mountains. Arcaded wings with tiled roofs enclose the courtyards; the walls are covered in mosaics and frescoes.

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