Mount Olympus (Troodos Summit)
Category 117.2 km
Distance
1150 m
Elevation Gain
6.7%
Average Gradient
13%
Max Gradient
The defining climb of Cyprus cycling and the island's highest road at 1,952m. The standard ascent departs Troodos village and follows the B9 through dense black pine forest, with the gradient averaging a punishing 6.7% for the final 17km. The upper 4km above the ski resort access road steepen markedly, with ramps touching 13% before easing to the radar-station summit plateau. Views on clear days extend across the island to the Kyrenia mountains in the north and the Mediterranean beyond the southern coast. The climb rewards patience — gradients vary enough to require constant gear management rather than a settled rhythm. This is Cyprus's Ventoux in miniature: not as long, but with a similarly dramatic transition from cultivated valley to exposed alpine summit.
Pro Tip
Approach from Limassol via the B8 through Platres for the longest and most satisfying line — 28km of continuous climbing from 160m on the coast to 1,952m at the summit. Start before 08:00 to clear the Platres village hairpins before day-tripper traffic builds from 10:00 onwards.
Part of
Cycling in Cyprus