Camping

Camping in Cyprus means, in practice, the state forest campsites. There are five of them, with a combined capacity of roughly 2,400 people, they are open to the general public, and the overnight fees are low. Three are run by the Forestry Department; the other two sit on government land but are managed by other bodies.

The useful thing to know before choosing one is the altitude. They run from sea level at Polis Chrysochous to 1,600 metres at Troodos, and in July and August that difference is the whole decision.

The five campsites

Troodos — Limassol district, 1,600 m

The highest and the best equipped. On the Karvounas–Troodos road, 1 km before Troodos square, on the left. Capacity 170 tents and caravans, 650 people. It is the only one with published facilities and prices: showers, toilets and a restaurant, a daily fee of €5 per tent, and trailer homes available on a monthly fee with a warranty. Contact 96 823464.

Kampi tou Kalogyrou — Limassol district, 1,540 m

On the Platres–Prodromos road, 4 km from Trooditissa and 3 km from Prodromos, right beside the road. Capacity 80 tents and caravans, 300 people. High enough to be comfortable through the summer and close to the Troodos villages.

Platania — Nicosia district, 1,100 m

On the Kakopetria–Troodos road, 5 km from Kakopetria, on the left before the Platania forest station. Capacity 150 tents and caravans, 600 people — the second largest.

Stavros tis Psokas — Paphos district, 900 m

The remote one, about 20 km from Lysos or Kannaviou, next to the Stavros tis Psokas forest station deep in the Paphos forest. Capacity 60 tents and caravans, 150 people, which makes it much the smallest and the quietest.

Polis Chrysochous — Paphos district, sea level

The only coastal site: 1 km north-west of Polis Chrysochous, in the Limni state forest among eucalyptus trees. Capacity 200 tents and caravans, 700 people — the largest of the five, and the one to pick if you want to camp and swim in the same day rather than drive up into the mountains.

Facilities

All five sites provide toilets, picnic tables, drinking water and grills for public use. Beyond that only Troodos publishes what it has — showers and a restaurant — so assume the others are basic and bring what you need.

Rules in the forest campsites

These are forestry rules and they are enforced:

• Fires only in the grills provided. Bring your own charcoal — collecting wood in the forest is not allowed. Make sure coals are completely out before you leave.
• Take your rubbish with you if the bins are full or absent, and do not leave bags outside, where foxes and stray dogs scatter them.
• Do not cut plants or strip bark; damaging the environment is banned under forestry legislation.
• Park in the parking areas rather than next to the tables.
• Use water sparingly and keep noise down.
• If you see a fire, call 1407 immediately — 24 hours, toll-free.

Choosing by season

The altitude spread is what makes this list work. In high summer the mountain sites — Troodos, Kampi tou Kalogyrou, Platania — are markedly cooler than the coast, which is exactly why Cypriots use them in July and August. In spring and autumn the calculation reverses and Polis Chrysochous at sea level becomes the comfortable one; up at 1,600 metres the nights get cold early in the season.

If you would rather not stay overnight

Cyprus has around 40 picnic sites in the state forests, with the same grills, tables and water but no overnight stay. They cover far more of the island than the five campsites do, and for most day trips they are the better answer.

Where the campsites sit

Four of the five are inside the state forests of the Troodos massif and the Paphos forest, which is also where the walking is: see the Troodos National Forest Park and the island's nature trails. Every site is plotted on Cyprus in 3D, which is the quickest way to see how high each one sits and what the drive up looks like.