KARPAS PENINSULA, CYPRUS
The highest point of Cyprus is the island’s very own Mt Olympus, at 1,952 metres. You won’t need Olympian fitness, however, for a cycling trip around the Karpas Peninsula. Freedom Treks’ new self-guided tour for 2018 heads to this 45-mile finger of land, where sweeping landscapes are the norm, especially at the largely deserted Golden Beach. Head to Cyprus now to see carpets of spring flowers and for pedalling-friendly temperatures. (Note that the trip takes place in the northern part of the island, not under the control of the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus.)
Golden Beach is a nesting ground for green and loggerhead turtles, while donkeys can often be found roaming the dunes behind it
PHOTOGRAPHS PHOTOGRAPH: DPK-PHOTO/ALAMY. ILLUSTRATION: BLUEHORSESTUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK