Cyprus

Location

Cyprus is located at the heart of Eastern Mediterranean Sea, neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and many others; it is where Asian, European and African worlds intersect. Being one of the 3 biggest islands in the Mediterranean Sea with Sicily and Sardinia, the total area of the island covers 9,251 kms. The island is divided into Greek and Turkish regions and has a large coastline of 648km to offer!

The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia, the other biggest cities follow as Limassol and Larnaca. The population of Cyprus is estimated in 2021 as 1,278,686. Nicosia as the capital offers many cultural and atmospheric attractions, Limassol and Larnaca, on the other hand, with their location directly to the sea, are super scenic. Both cities are only an hour’s drive away from the capital.

Nature

For the ones who love sun-bathing, Cyprus would be their heaven. From April until November and up to 300 days, Cypriot weather is sunny and warm. The spring and summer months are enjoyed between 21°C and 35°C.  In the winter months, temperatures vary between 6°C and 16°C.

For this reason, Cypriots love to spend their time outdoors. Going to the beach, to the pools, breakfast gardens and barbecuing with their families are just some of the activities Cypriots enjoy the most. In the colder months, the weather becomes little chillier without going down below 2-3°C degrees maximum.

Geographically, Cyprus is assigned to the Asian region, but politically and culturally the European influence dominates, which can be clearly felt in the cities.  Cyprus offers the most diverse geography for their residents. Covered in the fertile Mediterranean soil, it is home for many unique species of plants and animals.  You can find mountains, plains, and the world-famous beaches in close distance from each other. The largest mountain on the island is the Olympos with 1952m, which is located in the Troodos Mountains. The green mountains are hidden behind pines, branches, cypresses and cedars.

In general, the island is very green: with about one fifth of green area, nature is omnipresent here, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere. Besides the plants and forests, the sea is a favorite destination for Cypriots. The town of Agia Napa in the east of the island is important for tourism. Here are 5 of the most visited beaches, such as Fig Tree Bay, Konnos Bay and Nissi Beach.

Apart from the landscapes, Cyprus offers many ancient ruins and old architectural and historical structures. Among them are Kato Paphos and the Kourion in Limassol, here you will discover the remnants of thousands year old Greek antiquity architecture.  You can also enjoy a relaxed life at the ports of Paphos and Limassol or enjoy the many bars and restaurants in Nicosia. Almost everywhere on the island you can experience the millennia-old cultural heritage of the ancient Greeks.

The passage for the many bird species migrating up the peninsula and the free roaming donkeys will greet you along the way to the Golden Beach; listed one of the most beautiful beaches on the planet. The golden shining sand will make you think you are in a Greek epic where you can also enjoy eco-friendly bungalows to spend few days whole with nature. These sands are also important for carefully protected caretta caretta’s (a sea turtle species) for laying their eggs on their breeding season.

The nature in North Cyprus is very friendly and enjoyable and very easy to travel anywhere. The summer days are long perfect for scheduling your leasure time, virtually no natural hazard risk or dangerous animal or plant species living in the wilderness to beware of.

The capital Nicosia lies in the heart of Mesaria plains, where its boundaries touch every other major city in the North Cyprus and Nicosia is surrounded by a star-bastion, the famous Venetian architecture from renaissance era. In the walled Nicosia, you will come across to many different cultural architectures; Ottoman baths, Greek agora, Venetian inns and many other types of historical places that are renovated for the modern era and kept its functions at the same time.

In the south coast, Famagusta region offers the kilometres-long pure beaches and hiking trails alongside welcomes thousands of tourists and locals every year.

Culture and History

Cyprus has hosted more than 14 great civilizations during its history and in every part of the island you will find a heritage, a tradition, a dish, a landmark, and hundreds of other aspects of these past civilizations which are all cherished and kept alive by modern Cypriots today.

Having such a rich history that had seen the greatest cultures of the past all left a mark on the habits of the Cypriots. Egyptians, the Byzantines, Mamluks, the French Lusignan and Italian Venetians to name a few but the Ottoman rule for 4 centuries and the British colonial era heavily influenced today’s modern living in Cyprus.

After the island took their independence from Britain, a unified government with the Greek population was established in 1960. In the following years, there were movements against Turkish existence in the island and these movements eventually led up to a war in 1974.

After a long war, Turkish Cypriots declared their own independence in 1983, forming the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The peace and re-unification talks are still on the table and both sides organize bi-communal organizations, the people can pass freely from one side to another without much difficulty.

You will find a lot of people going out to a coffeeshop or to have a dinner outdoors in the taverns in the evening. The town festivals in the springtime are a scene worth to take part of. Each town prepares their own delicacies and arrange celebrations in their historical locations yearly in the for their guests.

Safety

Cypriots are also very welcoming to strangers of different backgrounds. North Cyprus already hosts thousands of people from UK, Scandinavia, Russia, Turkey, and students coming from all around the world. There are virtually no cases reported on the bases of discrimination or such.