Cyprus Travel Guide

Cyprus Travel Guide

CyprusThere is a great deal packed into a small space on the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean. Not only does it abound with good beaches and holiday resorts, but its relatively tiny landmass is riddled with the relics of ancient history, from the beehive huts of primitive man to classical Greek and Roman ruins, and everything imaginable in-between.A thousand years is but a blip in time in the long history of Cyprus, but it was that long ago that the city of Nicosia (also known as Lefkosia) became its capital. Today Nicosia is unique in Europe because it is divided by the 'green line' that bisects the whole island, dividing north from south. The line, which serves as a United Nations peacekeeping buffer, was drawn in 1974, when the Turks invaded and took over the north. Most of the tourism development since then has taken place in the southern Government-controlled sector, and the political divide, even in Nicosia itself, has not dampened the island's appeal as a major holiday destination.The charms of Cyprus are many and varied. For a start the weather is sunny and dry for most of the year, and the encircling sea is blue, clear and enticing. There are modern luxury hotels in the coastal resort towns, historic restored city precincts to explore, tavernas and nightlife aplenty. Cyprus has remote picturesque mountain villages and monasteries, beautiful churches, Crusader castles and fascinating museums. The local people are extremely welcoming of tourists, happy to share with them their innate love of life and camaraderie. In Cyprus it is possible to mingle with crowds, or seek isolation off the beaten track as the mood takes, even in peak holiday season. For this reason the island is also a favoured destination for honeymooners, a reputation enhanced by the fact that legend has it that Cyprus was where Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, rose from the sea.
Cyprus Travel Guide

Need To Know

Money:
The currency was changed to the Euro (EUR) on 1 January 2008. Major credit cards are accepted at most establishments. Money and travellers cheques can be exchanged at banks, open from Monday to Friday. There are ATMs spread throughout the island, operating 24 hours a day.
Time:
GMT +2 (GMT +3 from the last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity:
Electrical current is 240 volts, 50Hz. The UK-style three square-pin plugs are used.
Language:
The majority of Cypriots speak Greek, and a small percentage speaks Turkish. The Greek Cypriot dialect differs from mainland Greece. English, German and French are spoken in tourist areas.
Health:
No vaccinations are required. Travellers are advised to avoid eating fruits and vegetables unless they have been peeled or cooked. Health services on Cyprus are of a good standard. UK citizens should bring with them a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which enables them to receive free emergency medical treatment. Medical fees are reasonable in Cyprus, but supplies are expensive. Medical insurance is advised.
Tipping:
A 10% service charge is levied in hotels and restaurants so a tip is not obligatory, but small change is always welcome. Taxi drivers, porters etc, appreciate a small tip.
Safety:
The terrorist threat is low, and crime against tourists is rare.
Customs:
Avoid taking photographs near military establishments. Religious customs such as Ramadan should be respected, particularly in the north where most of the Turkish Cypriots are Muslim; avoid eating, drinking, smoking and chewing gum in public during the holy month. Women should dress modestly.
Business:
Business in Cyprus is best conducted face-to-face, as developing a working relationship based on trust is important. Business is conducted formally, and dress should be smart and conservative (a suit and tie are the norm). Greetings are usually made with a handshake, and business cards are exchanged. It is common for women to hold high positions and they are generally well respected in the business world. Punctuality is important, but meetings may not begin on time. Business hours can vary according to the season, but are usually 8am to 1pm and 4pm to 7pm Monday to Friday in summer, closing at 5pm in winter.
Duty Free:
Travellers to Cyprus over 17 years arriving from non-EU countries do not have to pay duty on 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g smoking tobacco; 1 litre spirits with higher than 22% alcohol volume or 2 litres spirits or aperitifs with less than 22% alcohol volume, or 2 litres of wine; 50g perfume or 250ml eau de toilette; 500g coffee; 100g tea; medicines for personal consumption; and other goods to the value of EUR175. Prohibited items include fresh fruit, meat and dairy products.
Communications:
The international access code for Cyprus is +357. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). Area codes are not required. Mobile phone operators use GSM networks and have roaming agreements with most international operators, but not the United States. There are public phones in all towns and villages and can be used for domestic and international calls. Phone cards can be purchased from shops, banks and post offices. Internet cafes are available in the main towns and resorts.
Cyprus Travel Guide

Cyprus Attractions

Larnaca District Museum
Description:
Within walking distance of the town centre is the modern Larnaca District Museum, which contains an interesting collection of antiquities found in the Larnaca area, dating from the Neolithic to the Roman periods. Well-lit displays feature archaeological finds from Kition, including a ceramic collection with alabaster vases, tools, coins and lamps. Wall cases hold diverse pieces like faience scarabs, limestone seals, bone implements and engraved stone blocks. The museum is open daily.
Address:
Kalogreon Square
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Telephone:
24 304 576
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Ancient Kition
Description:
In the northwest of Larnaca are some of the ruins of ancient Kition, featuring the remains of five temples dating back to the 13th century BC. Of particular interest is the Phoenician Temple of Astarte, which was built on the ruins of an earlier Bronze Age temple. The lower part of the northern city walls, built of huge stones resembling Mycenaean cyclopean walls, are also still visible. Wooden walkways allow visitors a view of the excavation areas where many important artefacts have been discovered.
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Church of Ayios Lazaros
Description:
The 9th-century church devoted to St Lazarus that stands in Larnaca is an important religious institution on Cyprus. Lazarus is believed to have lived at ancient Kition for 30 years after his resurrection by Jesus Christ, and was ordained Bishop of Kition by Saints Barnabas and Mark. The Church was built by the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI above what was believed to be the empty grave of Lazarus, whose final resting place is in Marseilles, France. Eight days before the Greek Orthodox Easter each year the Baroque wood-carved icon of Saint Lazarus normally stored in the church is carried in a procession through the streets of the town.
Address:
Plateia Agiou Lazarou
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Telephone:
24 652 498
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Website:
www.ayioslazaros.org

Larnaca Medieval Museum
Description:
This fascinating and well-stocked museum is housed in the upper level of the Larnaca fort on the city's seafront. The fort was built in 1625 and was used as a prison during the early years of British rule. One of the most popular attractions in Larnaca, the fort also operates as the Larnaca Municipal Cultural Centre during the summer and hosts local cultural events.
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Larnaca Fort
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Choirokoitia
Description:
About 20 miles (32km) from Larnaca on the Lefkosia-Lemesos road, archaeological excavations have revealed one of the oldest Neolithic sites on Cyprus, dating to 7000 BC. Choirokoitia (also known as Khirokitia) was home to primitive farmers who cultivated wheat and barley. Visitors can explore the settlement's defensive wall, circular houses and tombs. The site is close to the dry Maroni riverbed atop a hill that was once covered in dense vegetation. It was first excavated in 1934, but excavations by French archaeologists are continuing. Four of the beehive-shaped houses made of mud and stone have been reconstructed to show how these early farmers lived. Most of the archaeological finds from Choirokoitia are displayed in the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia.
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24 322 710
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Stavrovouni Monastery
Description:
Perched on top of a solitary mountain, 25 miles (40km) from Larnaca and six miles (10km) off the Lefkosia-Lemesos Road, is the oldest monastery in Cyprus, founded in the 4th century by Saint Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. The monastery contains an important relic, a fragment of the Holy Cross. The monastery is only accessible to men; women are not allowed to enter.
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24 533 630
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Lefkara
Description:
This beautiful village in the Troodos hills in the west of Larnaca District is famous for its handmade lace, known as lefkaritika. The village of Lefkara, which actually consists of an upper and lower town section, is off the main Nicosia/Limassol highway and features cobbled streets and picturesque architecture. Groups of women sit in the narrow village streets working on their fine embroidery, as they have for centuries. The village is also known for its skilled silversmiths who produce fine filigree work, and there is a small Turkish Delight factory. A folklore museum in the town shows visitors what life was like on Cyprus a hundred years ago. The museum is sited in a restored house and exhibits the furniture and effects of a wealthy family of the time, local costumes and examples of the Lefkara lacework.
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Cyprus Archaeological Museum
Description:
The Cyprus Archeaological Museum was established to collect, study and display archaeological artefacts from all over the island. Some of the exhibits are as old as 8,500 years. The museum is arranged in chronological order. The first hall contains pottery and implements from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods whilst the other rooms trace the history of Cyprus through the ages from the Bronze Age, Hellenic Period, Mycenaean times, and Roman Period to the early Byzantine. A unique feature of the museum lies in the basement, where several graves rest in a dark cellar complete with skeletal remains and grave adornments that have been reconstructed.
Address:
1 Mouseiou Street, Old City
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Telephone:
22 302 189
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Byzantine Museum
Description:
The largest collection of icons on the island of Cyprus is displayed in the Byzantine Museum in the Old City of Nicosia. The icons date from the 9th through to the 18th centuries. The museum also contains an art gallery exhibiting oil paintings, maps and lithographs that give visitors insight into Cypriot culture and history.
Address:
Plateia Archiepiskopou Kyprianou, Archbishopric
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22 430 008
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Ethnographic Museum (former Folk Art Museum)
Description:
The colourful collections in this museum represent Cypriot folk art of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and include wood carvings, jewellery, woven goods, tapestries, embroidery, pottery and national costumes. The museum is housed in the Old Bishopric in a 15th-century Gothic building that used to serve as a Benedictine Monastery and then became the palace of the Archbishop.
Address:
Plateia Archiepiskopou Kyprianou, Archbishopric
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22 432 578
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St John's Cathedral (Agios Ioannis)
Description:
The Orthodox Cathedral in the Old City was built in 1662 by Archbishop Nikiforos, dedicated to Saint John the Theologian. The 18th-century wall paintings show Biblical scenes and illustrate the discovery of the tomb of Saint Barnabas at Salamis. The Cathedral's prize features, however, are the iconostasis of carved wood covered with gold leaf, and the magnificent double-headed eagles.
Address:
Archbishop Kyprianos Square, Archbishopric
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Old City Walls
Description:
The walls that completely encompass the Old City date from the Venetian occupation in the 16th century, and have a circumference of three miles (5km). Eleven heart-shaped bastions are interspersed along the walls, which have only three gates, in the north, south and east. One of the gates, the Famagusta Gate, has been restored and serves as the Lefkosia Municipal Cultural Centre, used for exhibitions, conferences, lectures and occasional performances. The gate's vaulted passage leads on to the moat encircling the Old City, which has been planted to create a garden.
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Tamassos
Description:
Tamassos, 13 miles (21km) south-west of Nicosia, was an ancient city kingdom renowned for its rich copper works. Recent archaeological excavations at the site have produced some exciting finds in the Royal Tombs. These were six limestone sculptures, two representing life-sized sphinxes and four lions, in a crouching position. The sculptures are believed to date to the 6th century BC when Cyprus was under Egyptian control. Visitors to the site can also see the Agios Irakleidios Monastery near Politiko village.
Address:
Politiko village
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22 622 619
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Tombs of the Kings
Description:
There are actually no kings buried here. Rather the site known as the Tombs of the Kings, one mile (2km) northwest of Paphos harbour towards Coral Bay, was the final resting place of about 100 Ptolemaic aristocrats who lived and died in the city between 3 BC and 3 AD. The tombs are impressive, carved out of solid rock, some featuring Doric pillars and frescoed walls. Archaeological excavations are ongoing at the site, which also features a church known as Paleoekklisia, which sports traces of Byzantine frescoes.
Address:
1 mile (2 km) north-west of Paphos harbour towards Coral Bay, Kato Paphos
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26 306 295
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The Mosaics of Paphos
Description:
The striking mosaic floors in a series of ancient Roman noblemen's villas, dating from the third to fifth century, are a must-see for visitors to Paphos. The site where the villas are still being excavated can be found about 300 metres from the Paphos harbour. The mosaics featuring mythological scenes are visible in the houses of Dionysus, Orpheus and Aion, and the Villa of Theseus. All were made of small cubes of marble and stone, called tesserae, with glass paste added to widen the range of colour. In the House of Dionysus, for example, 5,985 square feet (556 sq metres) of floor space in 14 rooms are covered with the gorgeous mosaics.
Address:
Kyriakou Nikolaou Street
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Telephone:
26 306 217
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Agia Solomoni Catacombs
Description:
A large pistachio tree marks the entrance to the underground catacombs of Agia Solomoni in Kato Paphos. The tree is a strange sight, festooned as it usually is with pieces of cloth tied onto it by the faithful as offerings, in the hope that this sacred tree will cure various ailments. The catacombs themselves were carved into Fabrica hill, below the ancient Roman city wall, in the 4th century BC, and later became chapels for the early Christians. The underground chapels feature some interesting frescoes and graffiti left by 13th century crusaders, and there are numerous legends and stories attached to the patron saint Ayia Solomoni. Visitors are advised to take a torch along to explore the catacombs.
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Agio Pavlou Street
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Acropolis
Description:
Near the modern Paphos lighthouse is the Cyprian Acropolis: a complex of ancient buildings, including a Roman Odeon, built in the 2nd century, which has been restored and is now used for summer orchestral and stage performances. The Odeon was the focus of the ancient city centre, of which some ruins still remain in the area. South of the Odeon are the remnants of the Roman Temple of Asclepius, the God of Medicine, and north of the lighthouse are the ruins of the ancient town walls.
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Kato Paphos
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Baths of Aphrodite
Description:
A romantic side trip from Paphos is a visit to the natural grotto on the Akamas Peninsula near Polis, 30 miles (48km) north of Paphos, where legend has it that the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, used to take her baths. The serene pool, shaded by a fig tree and surrounded by beautiful examples of maindenhair fern, can be reached by nature trails from Akamas.
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Folk Art Museum
Description:
A collection of traditional costumes, farm and household tools and a variety of local handicrafts are among the displays at Limassol's Folk Art Museum, contained in a restored house. Authentic Cypriot handicrafts are also offered for sale.
Address:
253 Ayios Andreas Street
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Telephone:
25 362 303
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Cyprus Medieval Museum
Description:
Limassol Castle, built in the 14th century, stands sentinel over the old harbour on the site of an earlier Byzantine castle. Today it houses the Cyprus Medieval Museum with a host of fascinating exhibits dating back to the Early Christian Era (384-650). The castle is renowned for being the place where Crusader Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre, and crowned her Queen of England in 1191.
Address:
Limassol Castle, Richard and Berengaria Street
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Telephone:
25 305 419
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Troodos Mountains
Description:
The Troodos Mountains, in the interior of Cyprus north of Limassol, offer a selection of four interesting signposted summer walks for nature lovers. The Artemis Trail is circular, extending four miles (7km) in the Black Pine region through the distinctive sub-alpine flora of the area. Orchids can be found under the pines, and one may spot the rare Epipactis condensata. The Atalanta Trail, six miles (9km) long, starts at Troodos and also offers rich plant life, spectacular scenery and birdwatching opportunities. The shorter and easier Caledonia Trail, covering two miles (4km), follows the Kryo Potamo stream about one mile (2km) from Platres, and winds through pine forest, and among plane trees. It also bypasses the Caledonian Falls, which are the only waterfalls on Cyprus. The Persephone Trail, named after the Greek goddess of spring, is about two miles (3km) long and offers lovely views.
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Pitsilia
Description:
A worthwhile day trip from Limassol is to explore the unspoilt villages in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains, in the region known as Pitsilia. A rental car or a hired taxi is necessary because public transport is infrequent. Many of the villages make their own wines, and other products such as honey and cheeses. The picturesque houses, painted churches and red-tiled roofs are striking, and many restored houses have been turned into cafes or restaurants.
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Kourion
Description:
One of the most beautifully positioned ancient sites in Cyprus, the ancient city of Kourion is located on the southern shores of Cyprus just outside of Limassol and is believed to have been founded by the Argives. The city has passed through different phases from Hellenistic, Roman, and Christian periods and the agora(market place), Christian Basilica and large public bath bear testament to this city's impressive list of inhabitants. The most impressive feature of Kourion is the restored Greco-Roman theatre that looks out over the dazzling Mediterranean, which hosts open air musical and theatrical performances and is one of the venues for the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama. Check out the House of the Gladiators, the Roman baths, the House of Achilles and the Temple of Apollo while visiting Kourion.
Address:
Located nine miles (14 km) west of Limassol
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Telephone:
259 34250
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Limassol Zoo
Description:
The perfect place to take the kids for the day, the Limassol Zoo features over 300 animals including tigers, lions, bears, monkeys, foxes, ostriches and peacocks as well as a natural history museum, an educational centre and a special children's area. Younger children will enjoy just looking at the animals, and meeting more domestic animals in the Child Nook where sheep, goats, donkeys, hens and rabbits are kept. Older kids can visit the Educational Centre where lectures take place from time to time.
Address:
Bounded by Byron St, October St, Olympion St and Canning St.
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25 588345
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Website:
www.limassolmunicipal.com.cy/zoo/1en.html

Fasouri Water Mania
Description:
Holidaymakers in Limassol looking for a relaxing escaping the heat should splash in the cool waters and enjoy the fun slides at Water Mania. Suitable for travellers of all ages, there is something for everyone, from the Kamikazi Slide and Wave Pool to the Lazy River and Black Cannons. There is also a kiddie pool for the little ones as well as a few restaurants and cafés for holidaymakers to stop and refuel. Don't forget the sunblock.
Address:
Fasouri area (15 mins outside Limassol)
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Telephone:
25 714 235
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Website:
www.fasouri-watermania.com

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