About Sterna Winery & Wine Museum
Tucked away in the hillside village of Kathikas, Sterna Winery is one of those places that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled onto something special. The real showstopper here? An ancient cave cellar that’s been storing wine since Hellenistic times (we’re talking 2,000+ years ago). The natural cool temperatures down there are perfect for aging wine, and honestly, just walking through it feels like stepping back in time.
The Ancient Cave Cellar
The cave is the part everyone remembers. Carved into the hillside and used for storing wine since Hellenistic times, it stays naturally cool year-round with no need for modern climate control. That steady temperature is exactly what wine wants for slow, gentle aging, and the people of Kathikas worked this out more than two thousand years ago. Walking down into it, with the stone walls and the rows of resting bottles, you get a real sense of just how far back winemaking goes in this corner of Cyprus. It’s not a museum piece either. The cave is still doing the job it was built for.
The Wines at Sterna
The winery sits right in the heart of Kathikas’ vineyards, and they grow their own grapes across about 55 hectares. You’ll find their wines in restaurants and shops around Paphos and Coral Bay, but visiting in person is the way to go. The family that runs it is super welcoming, and tastings usually come with local snacks and plenty of stories about the wines and the region. Their lineup includes some solid options like Koralli (both white and red), Kelaidonis (white, red, and a lovely rosé), and Mayoklima, which is a really nice Merlot. The red Koralli has great depth, and that Kelaidonis rosé is light and perfect for a sunny afternoon.
The Museum
There’s also a small museum with old winemaking tools and equipment, so you get a real sense of how things used to be done. The views from the vineyards are stunning, the vibe is relaxed, and you’ll probably leave with a bottle or three. It’s the kind of place where you can just enjoy good wine without any pretension.
Visiting Sterna Winery in Kathikas
Sterna sits in the outskirts of Kathikas village, up in the hills of the Paphos wine region and only about a 20-minute drive from Paphos town or Coral Bay. The road winds up through the vineyards, so it’s a pretty trip in itself. The winery is easy enough to find once you’re there and there is ample free space for parking.
Give yourself a couple of hours if you can. A typical visit takes in the cave, the little museum of old winemaking tools, and a tasting that usually comes with local snacks and a few good stories from the family. Tastings are relaxed and unhurried, the kind where nobody rushes you out the door. Most people end up buying a bottle or three to take home, and you can pick up their wines right there on site. Opening hours and contact details are listed just below, so you can call ahead if you want to be sure someone’s around for a tasting.
