Kathikas, Cyprus: the Laona wine village above Paphos and how to plan a visit

Kathikas is a small stone-built wine village on the Laona plateau, about 23 km north of Paphos and 655 to 700 metres up. It is the closest proper hill village to Coral Bay, about 20 minutes away by car, and it is best for a slow half day: a wander past century-old houses and the main church, a tasting at one of its two family wineries and, if you want to stretch your legs, the official 2 km Agiasma trail just outside the village.

Most pages that rank for Kathikas are villa lets and property listings. This guide covers the village itself: what there is to see, the wineries and what we could and could not confirm about their hours, where to walk, how long it takes to get there, and who it suits.

Kathikas at a glance

District	Paphos, Laona plateau, on the edge of the Akamas area
Altitude	About 655 m (Wikipedia); Visit Cyprus says almost 700 m
From Paphos	About 26 km / 35 minutes from the harbour
From Coral Bay	About 14 km / 20 minutes
Known for	Vineyards and Xynisteri white wine, stone houses, agrotourism
Wineries	Vasilikon (since 1993) and Sterna (since 1995)
Walking	Agiasma trail: 2 km circular, about 45 minutes, easiest grade
Best for	A half day from Paphos, Coral Bay or Polis, or a quiet base with a car

What Kathikas is like

Visit Cyprus describes Kathikas as a small, traditional village that has been lived in since ancient times, with houses more than a century old that are good examples of folk architecture, several old churches and a small donkey sanctuary. Wikipedia gives a population of 438 at the 2011 census, so this is a working village, not a resort.

The name, according to Visit Cyprus, comes either from an early owner or from the Greek verb kathizo, “to sit”, because from a distance the village appears to sit on level ground. That is a fair description: Kathikas is on a plateau rather than clinging to a slope, which makes it easy to walk around. The Discover Akamas community site says the village has views of Coral Bay, the Akamas peninsula, the Troodos mountains and the Paphos forest.

Because of the height, it is usually cooler than the coast, which is why Discover Akamas notes that Cypriots and visitors come up particularly in summer.

Things to do in Kathikas

Panagia Evangelistria church. The village’s main church stands in the centre and is the building in our hero photo. Discover Akamas says it was built in 1870 on the ruins of an older church dedicated to Agios Ypatios, the village’s patron saint, and that it is vaulted with frescoes inside. A new church of Agios Ypatios was consecrated in 2005. The feast day is 25 March, the Annunciation.

The 700-year-old cypress. On the outskirts stands the cypress of Agios Nikolaos, listed by Discover Akamas as about 700 years old, 14 m tall and 4.35 m round the trunk. Local legend says Saint Nicholas rested here and asked for a tree to shade future travellers.

The Akamas Avifauna and Flora Visitor Centre. This regional information centre at Charalampou Kalaitzi 20 has dioramas of Akamas habitats, interactive displays, a 3D map of bird migration routes and a children’s activity area. It is a useful rainy-day or family stop before heading out to the Akamas peninsula. Its published hours do not agree: the centre’s own website says weekdays 09:00 to 16:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 15:00, while the Discover Akamas page says Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 15:00. Both say closed on Sunday. Ring +357 26 220128 before making a special trip.

Good Friday. Kathikas is known for its Easter traditions. On Orthodox Good Friday, the president of the community council plays Christ and carries the cross from the chapel of Agios Onoufrios to Panagia Evangelistria, with villagers following in procession. Visit Cyprus says visitors are welcome to watch. In 2027, Orthodox Good Friday falls on 30 April; see our Cyprus public holidays guide for the rest of that busy weekend.

The Kathikas wineries

Kathikas is one of the Paphos district’s wine villages. The local white grape is Xynisteri, and Discover Akamas claims that more than half of the island’s white wine is made from grapes grown in this region. There are two wineries on the edge of the village.

	Vasilikon Winery	Sterna Winery
Founded	1993, by the Kyriakides brothers	1995, by the Chrysanthou family
What to see	Wine museum, tastings with cheese platters on a terrace	Building above old springs, 31 ancient caves, one still used for wine
Food	Restaurant, 10:00 to 16:00, closed Sundays and public holidays	Not confirmed
Hours	Summer 08:30 to 18:00; winter 08:30 to 17:00	Not published on an official site; phone first
Contact	+357 26 633999	+357 99 170699

Vasilikon is the larger and more set up for visitors. Its own website says the vineyards sit at 650 to 700 metres, about 8 km from the sea, and that some vines are 50 to 110 years old. It is the easy choice if you want a tasting and lunch in one stop.

Sterna is a smaller family winery. The Cyprus Mail’s April 2026 profile says it now covers 55 hectares, is run by the family’s younger generation, and grows the local Xynisteri, Spourtiko, Morokanella and Maratheftiko grapes alongside international varieties. Its official website did not load when we checked, and the only opening hours we found were on a third-party directory, so call ahead rather than relying on them.

If you are driving, nominate a driver or pour a very small tasting: Cyprus enforces drink-driving limits, and the roads back down to the coast are winding. For a wider plan that adds other Paphos and Limassol wineries, see our wine tours in Cyprus guide.

The Agiasma trail

The Cyprus Forestry Department lists the Agiasma trail as the first of its Paphos district nature trails. It is a 2 km circular walk, about 45 minutes, graded 1 on its scale of 1 (easiest) to 3. It starts about 1 km from Kathikas on the road towards Pegeia, near Kyparissos restaurant. The department says the route passes tall, impressive rocks and an area of geological interest, runs partly through vineyards, and has a stone fountain with drinking water about 800 m in. The payoff is the view down over the Pegeia coastline.

It is short enough for families, but there is little shade on the plateau, so in warm months go early or late. For longer walks in the region, see our hiking in Cyprus guide.

One nearby walk to cross off for now: Avakas Gorge, on the coast below Pegeia, was still listed by Visit Cyprus as temporarily closed when we checked on 21 October 2026.

Getting to Kathikas

From	Distance	Drive time
Pegeia	11 km	14 min
Coral Bay	14 km	19 min
Polis	16 km	20 min
Latchi	18 km	22 min
Paphos harbour	26 km	36 min
Paphos airport	32 km	43 min
Limassol	87 km	1 hr 20 min

Fastest routes to the village centre from OSRM; real times vary with traffic.

Visit Cyprus gives two routes from Paphos: the B7 towards Polis and then the E711, or the coast road (E701) towards Coral Bay, then the E727 and E709 up through Pegeia. The first is quicker from town; the second is the natural choice if you are staying in Coral Bay.

A car is the practical option. Rural bus services in the Paphos district are limited, so if you want to try it, check the current Paphos district timetables first and read our public transport guide. For hiring, see our Cyprus car hire guide.

How to fit Kathikas into a day

Kathikas works best as part of a loop rather than a destination on its own.

• From Coral Bay or Pegeia: an afternoon at one winery and a wander round the village, then dinner on the plateau before driving back down.
• From Paphos: go up the B7, stop in Kathikas for the trail and lunch, then continue north to Polis and the Baths of Aphrodite, and return by the coast.
• As a base: the village has agrotourism houses and villas, and is about 20 minutes from both Coral Bay and Polis. It suits couples and families who want quiet evenings and plan to drive every day. It does not suit anyone who wants to walk to a beach.

If you are comparing villages across the island, our best villages in Cyprus guide covers Lefkara, Omodos, Kakopetria and Kalopanayiotis. Kathikas is the easiest of these to reach from a Paphos-side holiday.

Sources for changing details: Village description, name origin, routes and Good Friday custom from Visit Cyprus’s Kathikas village page. Church, cypress tree, wine region and visitor centre details from the Discover Akamas Kathikas page and the Akamas Visitor Centre website. Winery details and hours from Vasilikon’s website and the Cyprus Mail, 14 April 2026. Trail data from the Cyprus Forestry Department’s nature trails list. Altitude and population from Wikipedia. All checked 21 October 2026. Drive times from OSRM. Opening hours change, so confirm before you travel.

Hero photo: Panagia Evangelistria church, Kathikas, by Chris06, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped.