Where to Go in Cyprus

Nicosia (Lefkosia)
The capital of Cyprus since the 12th century, Nicosia stands at the heart of the Mesaoria Plain. It is currently divided by the ‘Green Line’, a UN buffer zone that separates the Turkish-occupied north of the island and the Government-controlled south. The Old City, which is being renovated in part, is defined by 16th-century walls built by the Venetians. Among attractions and points of interest are the Cyprus Museum, a storehouse of the island’s archaeological treasures, the Folk Art Museum, the new Archbishop’s Palace, St John’s Cathedral, Byzantine churches, the Byzantine Museum/Makarios Cultural Center and the Ömeriye Mosque. The city hosts the annual International State Fair (end of May) and the Nicosia Arts Festival (beginning of June).

Excursions
The Nicosia area has some interesting excursion possibilities, including the Royal Tombs and Agios Irakleidios Monastery at Tamassos; the five-dome church and the mosque in Peristerona; the Panagia Chrysospiliotissa Church, in a cliff-side cave near Deftera. Further into the rugged Pitsylia Region, in the hills southwest of Nicosia, is Machairas Monastery, close to the restored and protected traditional villages of Fikardou, Gourri and Lazanias.

Larnaka & the Southeast
An industrious resort town, Larnaka has Cyprus’ main international airport on its doorstep, a harbor with deep-water berths and a marina. The seafront promenade is fringed with palm trees and cafes and tavernas. Places of interest include the Agios Lazaros Church and its associated Byzantine Museum, Larnaka Fort, the District Archaeological Museum, the Pierides Museum (a private archaeological museum), the Natural History Museum, the Tornaritis-Pierides Palaeontology Museum and the scant ruins of ancient Kition. During the feast of Kataklysmos (the Greek Orthodox Whitsun), celebrated throughout Cyprus but with especial enthusiasm in Larnaka, crowds throng the shore for watersports, singing, dancing, eating and drinking.

Excursions
Near the airport is the Hala Sultan Tekkesi, a historic mosque standing in beautiful gardens on the edge of Larnaka Salt Lake (dry in summer), a winter home of migratory flamingoes. Nearby, in Kiti, Panagia Angeloktisti Church contains a superb sixth-century Byzantine mosaic of the Virgin and Child.
In the hills to the west is the village of Lefkara, famous for its handmade lace, and the Convent of Agios Minas. Off the Limassol–Nicosia road are the hilltop Stavrovouni Monastery, and the Crusader-era Chapelle Royal near Pyrga. Further west, on a hillside at Choirokoitia, are the remains of a neolithic village from 5800 BC, one of the earliest settlements in Cyprus.
East of Larnaka, Larnaka Bay has a sand beach lined with hotels. Beyond the bay, and the Dekeleia British Sovereign Base Area, much of Famagusta (Ammochostos) District, including the town of the same name, lies across the Cypriot divide in the Turkish-occupied zone. The part still under Government control includes the fertile Kokkinochoria (Red Villages) belt, where potatoes and other vegetables are grown for export. On the coast south of Famagusta lie busy resorts, speckled with golden sand beaches, that are ideal for children, like those at Fig Tree Bay and Flamingo Bay. Agia Napa has a 16th-century monastery – and an increasingly boisterous reputation as a major clubbing resort. It also attracts families to its beaches, Waterworld leisure center and Go-Karts track. Boat tours leave from the harbor. Family-oriented Protaras and Pernera resorts have good beaches, with cafes and beach bars. Other attractions in the area include watersports and rock climbing. Around Cape Gkreko, the coastline becomes indented with rocky coves and small sandy beaches, ideal for snorkeling and scuba-diving (both for experienced practitioners), explorations by boat and picnics. The Potamos Creek fishing harbor presents a scene of colorful fishing boats. Inland, the small town of Paralimni provides entertainment in its restaurants, dance clubs and cafes.

Limassol (Lemesos) & the Southwest
The second-largest city in Cyprus, Limassol is the island’s main industrial center and port. It is also the focus of Cyprus’ wine industry. In September, the town holds a wine festival, at which wine and food are served free. During the pre-Lenten Carnival, Limassol bursts into celebration, with bands, gaily decorated floats and dancing. The city is an important tourist destination, and has beaches like Dassoudi Beach and those at nearby Germasogeia, backed by cafes and tavernas. Limassol Castle stands guard over the old harbor and houses the Cyprus Medieval Museum. There is also a Folk Art Museum, the Limassol District Archaeological Museum and, in the Municipal Gardens, a small zoo.

Excursions
There are several places of historical and archaeological interest around Limassol. Amathus, just outside the city to the east, was once the capital of a city-kingdom, but is now in ruins and partly covered by the sea. The Acropolis, Necropolis and the remains of an early Christian basilica can be seen, and excavation continues in the lower part of the ancient city. Further east lies Agios Georgios Alamanos Convent and the black sands of Governor’s Beach.
West of Limassol, at Fassouri, are extensive citrus orchards and the Water Mania leisure park. Nearby Kolossi Castle was the headquarters of the Crusader Knights of St John of Jerusalem. The ancient city of Kourion, on a steep hillside near Episkopi, has a superbly sited Graeco-Roman theater where concerts and Shakespearean plays are performed in summer. Kourion contains other interesting sites, including the House of Eustolios, which has beautiful mosaics; the Acropolis, the ruins of the Roman-era forum; the Christian Basilica; and public buildings. Beyond Kourion to the west are the city’s stadium and the Sanctuary of Apollo Ylatis. All of these sites lie within the Akrotiri-Episkopi British Sovereign Base Area.
South of Limassol, on the Akrotiri Peninsula (and also inside the British military base), Lady’s Mile Beach is a long stretch of excellent sand. Nearby Akrotiri Salt Lake (dry in summer) is a winter home to thousands of flamingos; on its southern shore stands the Agios Nikolaos ton Gaton Convent.

Pafos & the West
The booming main town and year-round resort in the west consists of Upper Pafos, built on a rocky escarpment that commands a superb view of the coastline, and Lower Pafos, with a taverna-fringed harbor and a long seafront lined with hotels. Pafos is rich in ancient sites, in particular a cluster of excavated Roman villas near the harbor, among them the House of Dionysos and the Villa of Theseus, that contain superb mosaic floors, and the Tombs of the Kings. Other attractions include the Pafos District Museum, the Byzantine Museum, Pafos Fort commanding the harbor, the remains of the Byzantine castle of Saranda Kolones, and Panagia Chrysopolitissa Church, the largest early Christian basilica on the island. Pafos Aquarium is of more recent origin.

Excursions
Pafos is a good base for exploring the rugged west of the island. To the east and northeast, the land rises through vineyards and the Pafos Forest to Cedar Valley, part of the Tripylos Nature Reserve, centered on the Stavros tis Psokas Forest Station. Wild mountain sheep (moufflon) are being protected here. The Panagia Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery is situated in scenic surroundings and is an interesting stop on the way.
A main road skirts the foothills on the edge of this area, passing close to Agios Neofytos Monastery, and finally descending to the north coast at Polis, a small town that until recently was virtually undeveloped and is now a bustling resort, though it retains traces of its former ‘alternative’ character. Nearby, at the fishing port and resort of Latchi (Lakki), tavernas around the harbor serve freshly caught fish. Westwards, at the edge of the Akamas Peninsula, are the Baths of Aphrodite, a grotto containing a freshwater pool – legend says the Greek goddess of love bathed here. Going east from Polis, around Chrysochou Bay, the barely developed coast as far as the UN buffer zone at Kato Pyrgos gives an idea of what Cyprus looked like before mass tourism began on the island.
On the coast north of Pafos, Coral Bay is a fast-growing resort around a small but good beach. Further on in this direction, the fishing harbor at Agios Georgios is overlooked by cliffs into which ancient tombs are cut; at the top is an excavated early Christian basilica. At Lara Bay, beyond the rugged Avakas Gorge, a reserve has been established to protect the dwindling number of loggerhead turtles that nest here.
In the opposite direction, southeast of Pafos, Geroskipou village – now little more than a suburb of sprawling Pafos – is the home of ‘Greek Delight’ (like ‘Turkish Delight’) and has a small Folk Museum. Farther along, at Kouklia, are the ruins of ancient Palaia Pafos and the Temple of Aphrodite. At the coast are Petra tou Romiou (Rock of Aphrodite) and a busy small resort at Pissouri Bay.

Troodos Mountains
The scenery in the forested – or, more accurately, reafforested – mountains is spectacular. Platres, 1200m (3937ft) above sea level on the southern slopes, is the ideal base for excursions. It lies on the approaches to Mount Olympus, at 1952m (6404ft), the highest peak in Cyprus, with a summit that is invariably snow-covered in winter and has skiing slopes and facilities.
Prodromos, the highest village on the island, 1530m (5019ft) above sea level, is reputed to grow the best apples. Pedoulas in the fertile Marathasa Valley is famous for cherries (and in spring for cherry blossom) and other fruits. Kalopanagiotis also has orchards. Moutoullas is a source of mineral water bottled and sold locally as well as exported to the Middle East. Omodos, a restored conservation village, has the Stavros Monastery and a small Folk Art Museum. Foini is a center of local craft pottery. On the northeastern slopes, Kakopetria, 730m (2395ft) above sea level and a touring center like Platres, has a traditional quarter that is being protected and restored. Agros produces rose water, mineral water and wine. The Commandaria Region, midway down the southern slopes, where the grapes for the Commandaria sweet red dessert wine are grown, has attractive villages like Zoopigi, where almond and walnut trees grow.
Other places of interest include Kykkos Monastery, which houses a golden icon of the Virgin Mary; Throni tis Panagias, uphill from the monastery, where the tomb of the late Archbishop Makarios III, the first President of Cyprus, occupies a setting that commands a magnificent view; the small but prettily situated Kaledonia Falls; and the monasteries of Mesa Potamos and Trooditissa.
UNESCO has listed nine Byzantine churches in the mountains as World Heritage Sites for their magnificently frescoed interiors. These are Panagia tis Asinou near Nikitari, one of the finest examples of Byzantine art in the Levant; Stavros tou Agiasmati near Platanistasa; Agios Ioannis Lampadistis in Kalopanagiotis; Panagia tou Araka near Lagoudera; Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis southwest of Kakopetria; Panagia tis Podythou outside Galata; Archangelos Michaïl at Pedoulas; Panagia tou Moutoulla in Moutoullas; and Timiou Stavrou in Pelendri.


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