Cyprus has eleven national forest parks, all managed by the Department of Forests, and three of them make very different bike rides: Troodos in the mountains, Athalassa on the southern edge of Nicosia and Rizoelia on the edge of Larnaca. Here is where you can ride in each, how long and how rough the routes are, and what is closed at the moment.

Troodos National Forest Park covers 9,147 hectares of the Troodos range, including Chionistra (Mount Olympus), at 1,952 m the island's highest peak, and was declared a national forest park in 1992. Its signed nature trails are built for walkers; on a bike, follow the Troodos cycle network, a mix of tarmac and forest track marked with a blue line along the road between Platres, Karvounas and Prodromos. The Psilo Dendro (Platres) to Karvounas route is 16.2 km and rated easy. All seven of its rest stops and viewpoints are in the first 9 km, looking down the Platres valley towards Limassol and Cape Gata, and at 6 km it crosses the Mesa Potamos river, where there are benches and fresh running water to drink. Karvounas is one of the network's main junctions and marks the border between Limassol and Nicosia districts.

The 18.2 km Prodromos to Psilo Dendro route is also rated easy, with the Diarizos valley below and Paphos forest to the west, but its Trooditissa to Foini forest road is strewn with small sharp stones: Visit Cyprus recommends a mountain bike with front suspension for that stretch and warns riders to watch their tyres. For a long day out, the 55 km route from Troodos Square to Stavros tis Psokas is tarmac all the way. Along the way, the park has nine picnic sites with tables, drinking water, toilets and children's playgrounds.

Athalassa National Forest Park is the easy option: 840 hectares on the southern edge of Nicosia, between Aglantzia, Strovolos and Latsia and east of the Nicosia to Limassol motorway. The Department of Forests created its 16 km cycle route, paved all the way and rated easy for any type of bike, and the park adds about 20 km of linked walking trails through pine, eucalyptus, cypress and acacia, a bird hide at the Athalassa dam, a forest botanical garden and Agios Georgios park, whose small lake has a perimeter path lit at night. Two kiosks sell snacks and drinks, and locals use the park every day for exercise.

Part of Athalassa's path is closed until the end of 2026. On 7 October 2026 the Department of Forests started building a new 1.4 km footpath, and while the works run, the stretch of the existing footpath and cycle path from the entrance by the Agricultural Research Institute to the Agios Georgios dam is closed to the public. The works are due to finish by the end of December 2026. Follow the signs on site, and for updates ring the forest district office on 22403740 or 22403741.

Rizoelia National Forest Park is the small one: 97 hectares, declared in 1998, on the north-western edge of Larnaca just south of the Rizoelia motorway junction, inside Aradippou municipality. Visit Cyprus describes plenty of dirt roads for mountain biking and a climb to the view from the top of the hill, rates the riding easy to average and asks for a geared mountain bike, ideally with front suspension. The park also has a cycle path, walking and exercise trails, viewpoints, a picnic site with covered wooden tables, a children's playground and a cafeteria. You can park at the foot of the hill and ride up, or drive to the car park by the picnic site. The Department of Forests has recorded 184 plant species, subspecies and varieties here, including rare ones found for the first time in Cyprus, and hares and chukar partridges live in the park.

Before you go: forest roads can close at short notice after landslides or for fire protection, and the Department of Forests posts closures on its website, so check it before a long ride. Lighting a fire anywhere in or near a forest is against the law, and barbecues are allowed only in the pits at picnic sites. In summer, ride Athalassa and Rizoelia early or late in the day; the Troodos routes sit between about 900 and 1,700 m and stay cooler, though snow is possible on the high ground, mostly in January and February.

If weekend rides like these are part of the life you want, Cyprus Decoded offers relocation help to make the move as smooth as a morning loop of Athalassa.