GOAT Adventures Cyprus Small Group Adventure & Walking tours - ABOUT US
Meet Melissa & Mark
The people behind GOAT Adventures Cyprus
We're Not Just Your Hosts. We're Coming on the Adventure Too.
GOAT Adventures Cyprus isn't a big tour company.
It's us — Melissa & Mark.
We live here, explore here and spend an unreasonable amount of our spare time driving down roads we've never been down before just to find out where they go.
Sometimes we discover somewhere incredible.
Sometimes we don't.
But that's rather how GOAT Adventures Cyprus began.
We wanted to create the kind of trips we'd choose ourselves — small, personal adventures filled with beautiful places, local food, unexpected discoveries and plenty of laughter along the way.
And now we get to share them with you.
How Did We End Up Here?
Cyprus wasn't originally part of some grand life plan.
Melissa arrived on the island in 2019 with the British Army. Mark already knew Cyprus incredibly well, having first moved here years earlier.
We met in Latchi — although our first meeting wasn't exactly the beginning of a great romance.
Melissa had just got off a boat looking rather windswept and slightly worse for wear. Mark invited everyone for drinks later... and then didn't actually turn up.
Things improved eventually.
Cyprus was supposed to be another chapter before life moved somewhere else. But plans changed, the world changed, and somewhere along the way we realised we didn't actually want to leave.
The more we explored the island, the more we discovered.
Tiny villages. Forest tracks. Empty beaches. Family-run tavernas. Mountain trails. Abandoned places. People doing things the same way their families had done for generations.
And we kept thinking:
Why don't more visitors see this Cyprus?
Eventually that question became GOAT Adventures Cyprus.
🐐 What Does GOAT Actually Mean?
GOAT stands for Get Out And Travel.
Because sometimes that's really all you need to do.
Get out.
Try something different.
Go somewhere you haven't been before.
Talk to somebody new.
Take the road you normally drive past.
And yes, living in Cyprus means there are quite a lot of actual goats involved too.
We rather like that.
Meet Melissa
Hi, I'm Melissa 👋
Travel has been part of my life for a very long time.
I've travelled alone, travelled in groups, lived in different countries and discovered that some of the experiences that stay with you longest aren't necessarily the ones you planned.
I'm naturally curious. I want to know what's down that little road, what's behind that old door and why there's an abandoned village sitting beside a reservoir.
I'm also the person most likely to make sure everyone has eaten, knows what's happening tomorrow and has everything they need.
What I love most about hosting GOAT adventures is watching guests settle into Cyprus.
At first everything is unfamiliar.
Then a few days later they're ordering their favourite Cypriot dish, recognising places as we drive past and talking about what they've discovered as though they've been here for weeks.
That's when I know we've done our job.
Meet Mark
Hi, I'm Mark 👋
If there's a trail to walk, a coastline to explore or something involving a boat, Mark is probably interested.
He's a qualified PADI Staff Instructor and Commercial Captain, has spent years exploring Cyprus and is the person behind much of our E4 walking adventure. His knowledge of the island comes from actually getting out there and exploring it — on foot, on the water and occasionally by taking roads that perhaps weren't really roads.
But there's something else guests should probably know.
Mark doesn't believe adventure needs to be terribly serious.
There will be bad jokes.
There may be discussions about lions while hiking in Cyprus.
And if something slightly ridiculous happens during the week, there's a good chance it'll still be mentioned at dinner three days later.
That's part of travelling with us.
Then... the dogs!
Meet the Unofficial GOAT Team 🐾
We should probably introduce the other members of the household.
Lizzie, Pippa & Charlie.
They don't answer emails.
They're hopeless at airport transfers.
And we're yet to convince any of them to help with the accounts.
But they take their responsibilities as unofficial GOAT walking inspectors extremely seriously.
If you've followed us on social media, you've probably already met them reviewing beaches, trails and picnic spots around Cyprus.
Occasionally they even approve one.
Why We Travel Differently
This Is Our Home
We don't want to rush you around Cyprus ticking attractions off a list.
We want you to experience the island.
That's why our groups have a maximum of six guests.
It's why we eat in local tavernas, visit family-run businesses, explore traditional villages and work with people who live and work here.
It's why sometimes we'll change the plan because we've heard something interesting is happening nearby.
And it's why you'll usually find Melissa or Mark sitting around the dinner table with you rather than disappearing the moment the day's activities finish.
You're not being passed from guide to guide.
You're travelling Cyprus with us.
The Bit That Matters Most
We love Cyprus.
But GOAT Adventures isn't really about convincing you that Cyprus is beautiful.
You'll work that out fairly quickly.
For us, it's about what happens while you're here.
The conversation around a taverna table.
The place we weren't planning to visit.
Someone trying something for the first time.
A group of strangers laughing together three days after meeting.
And eventually that slightly sad feeling on the last morning when everyone realises the adventure is over.
If you leave Cyprus with brilliant memories, a few new friends and stories you'll still be telling months later, we're happy.
And if you fall slightly in love with this island along the way?
We completely understand.
Ready to Get Out & Travel?
Come and experience the Cyprus we know and love.
Maximum 6 Guests
Personally Hosted by Melissa & Mark
Small Groups • Real Cyprus • No Planning Required
Before You Book