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While Cyprus may be small, its treasures abound and never cease to amaze its thousands of visitors each year. The fragrant citrus and olive groves provide a gorgeous inland setting while the brilliantly colourful boats and azure sea beckon tourists to Cyprus’ shores.
The beaches in Cyprus have been attracting tourists for tens of decades, even hundreds of years. The western shores around Paphos boast stunning sandy stretches. Dasoudi Beach has Blue Flag status north of Paphos and is divine for sunbathing and swimming.
The pebbly Latchi Beach is quite popular and offers good scuba diving and snorkeling. The reputed best beach around Paphos is Coral Bay, but be aware it is a mecca for tourists as the regions fastest growing seaside holiday resort.
Ladies Mile Beach near Limassol is on Cyprus’s best beaches list offering a vast array of play in the water. A more tranquil beach nearby is Pissouri Beach with soft golden sand and calm waters.
The beaches around Nissi Bay and Ayia Napa are magnificent. Ayia Napa beaches will beckon you with caramel coloured, warm sands like sugar extending from Larnaca to Cape Greco. Nissi Bay is famed for exciting watersports and luxurious sea water. Find a few empty loungers under a rainbow parasol and unwind and leave the world far, far behind you.
Attractions to visit in Cyprus
There is much to see in Cyprus away from the beaches if you desire it. The ancient ruins called the Tombs of the Kings are almost magical with a tiny pinch of imagination , but if you visit during the summer come early or late as the site is quite hot and dusty.
Near Paphos are the great Roman Mosaics, only a ten minute walk from the harbour. The mosaics are part of a larger archaeological site that also includes the ruins of a castle. Also around Paphos are some stunning Roman villas including the Villa of Theseus and the wondrous House of Dionysus. Visit the rolling vineyards to the north east and take in Tripylos Nature Reserve to become more familiar with Cyprus’s nature beauty.
Visit Limassol to submerge yourself in the Cypriot wine trade. Also visit the Limassol Castle and the Cyprus Medieval Museum. Larnaka features a charming, tree-lined promenade worth a stroll. Take a seat, have a cappuccino and people watch. Also visit Agios Lazaros Church, Larnaka Fort and the Natural History Museum.
The Troodos Mountains are a nature and sports lover’s holiday heaven and incidentally are home to the great Mount Olympus. Find all manner of trails and adventure sports like climbing and abseiling on offer, also skiing and boarding available during the snowy winter months. Stop off in Omodos for tea and see the Stavros Monastery.
While visiting the mountains make sure to buy some local fruits grown in the area. Apples are best at Prodromos and the cherries are to die for in Marathasa Valley. Walnuts and almonds also thrive here. Don’t forget to visit any of the nine UNESCO listed Byzantine churches nestled in the forested mountains.
Festivals in Cyprus
September is a great month to visit Limassol because the local wine festival is one of the premier events on Limassol’s calendar. Also pre-Lenten Carnival is a magical all over the island and especially so in Limassol. If you have never been to a Carnival gala, Cyprus is a perfect place to start. The merriment is absolutely contagious!
The country comes to together in June to celebrate the Festival of the Flood, or Kataklysmos. Larnaka hosts the largest event where a priest blesses a cross, wades into the sea and throws the cross into the sea for someone to retrieve. This is the start of the semi-pagan party that will be followed with boat races, electrifying dancing, local food and drink and swimming races.
Another collection of fantastic Cypriot festivals are the village festivals celebrated in August across the island. Each village celebrates with its own unique style and flair so one event is never the same as the next!
