Cyprus

An Introduction to Cyprus

The third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is situated south of Turkey and is considered as a European county and a member of the European Union. This island offers a variety of beautiful landscapes from stretches of golden sand fronting blue water to mountains. It is divided into 6 administrative regions - each named for its administrative capital.

The best holiday beaches are found around Ayia Napa and Protaras where you will find waterskiing, kite-surfing, boat cruises and other water sports on offer. In the main towns there is a buzzing nightlife scene and in Nicosia, Limassol and on Larnaca’s lengthy beach-front promenade there is a rapidly expanding café culture. Mount Olympus and the surrounding mountain range the Troodos is the place to experience quaint villages where life moves at a gentler pace. Here you can enjoy cycling, hiking, bird watching and skiing through the winter months. Akamas National Park where is a must see for nature lovers, you may even see the loggerhead turtles as they lay their eggs in gorgeous Lara Bay each year.

With a history stretching back 10,000 years there are ample opportunities to visit significant heritage sites around the island. Relics of the Roman age including wonderful mosaics can be found alongside Venetian remnants and castles once used in the crusades.

More recently the Turks invaded Cyprus during 1974 which eventuated in the removal of restrictions in crossing the border to Northern Cyprus and the deconstruction of the barrier that once divided Ledra Street in Nicosia.

Cyprus is a today a modern country with an long and interesting history with world heritage listed sites, mountin villages that have changed little for decades, modern comfortable resorts, citrus orchards, mountains and beaches all waiting to be enjoyed. Following its entry into the European Union Cyprus has certainly undergone significant modernisation.