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Troodos Mountains

Pine forests and painted churches.

Ayia Napa & Cape Greco

Sandy bays and sea caves.

Kourion & Kolossi

Ancient theatre on the cliff.

Flamingos and a sunken ferry.

Akamas Peninsula

Wild west and the Blue Lagoon.

Old town, marina and carnival.

Lefkara & the Villages

Lace, silver and stone houses.

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Cyprus Facts

Twelve things worth knowing before you go.

Plan your trip

01

Third largest island

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily and Sardinia, with an area of 9,251 square kilometres.

02

Named after copper

The island was one of the ancient world's main sources of copper, and the English word is thought to come from its Latin name, cuprum.

03

Birthplace of Aphrodite

In Greek mythology the goddess of love was born from the sea foam near Paphos, and her cult was centred on the island for over a thousand years.

04

Three UNESCO sites

Paphos, the painted churches of the Troodos region and the Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia are all on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

05

300+ sunny days

Cyprus has one of the sunniest climates in Europe, with more than 300 days of sunshine in a typical year.

06

Driving on the left

Cyprus was a British colony until 1960, and traffic still drives on the left. Power sockets are the British three-pin type.

07

Ancient wine

Commandaria, a sweet wine from the Troodos foothills, is often described as the oldest named wine still produced anywhere in the world.

08

Halloumi has protected status

Since 2021, "Halloumi" has been a Protected Designation of Origin in the European Union, with strict rules on how it is made.

09

Snow and sea on the same day

In winter you can ski near the summit of Mount Olympus in the morning and swim on the coast in the afternoon, although the sea is cool.

10

Home of the mouflon

The Cyprus mouflon, a wild sheep found only on the island, lives in the forests of the Troodos range and is the national animal.

11

Flamingos in winter

Each winter, thousands of flamingos arrive at the Larnaca and Akrotiri salt lakes on their migration route between Europe and Africa.

12

In the EU and the eurozone

Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2008. Greek and Turkish are the official languages, and English is widely spoken.

Food & Wine

Mediterranean ingredients, village recipes and a very long lunch tradition.

Dishes to try

Meze

Not one dish but a feast: a dozen or more small plates arrive in waves, from dips and salads to grilled meats and fish. Come hungry and pace yourself.

Halloumi

The famous squeaky cheese, made from goat and sheep milk, often with mint. It was given EU protected status in 2021 and is best served grilled or fried.

Souvlaki & Sheftalia

Charcoal-grilled pork or chicken skewers served in pitta bread, next to sheftalia, small sausages wrapped in caul fat and flavoured with parsley and onion.

Kleftiko

Lamb slow-cooked for hours, traditionally in a sealed clay oven, until it falls off the bone. The name refers to the thieves (klephts) who cooked stolen meat underground.

Loukoumades

Crisp little doughnut balls, warm from the pan and drizzled with honey and cinnamon. Eaten at fairs and village festivals.

Commandaria

A sweet dessert wine made from sun-dried grapes, produced in the Troodos foothills for centuries. It is often described as one of the oldest named wines still in production.

Zivania

A clear, strong grape spirit, traditionally drunk in small glasses after a meal. Treat it with respect.

Cypriot coffee

Fine-ground coffee brewed in a small pot and served in a tiny cup with the grounds left in the bottom. Ask for it sketo (plain), metrios (medium) or glykos (sweet).

Where to eat

Troodos and the wine villages

Village meze taverna

Long tables, a vine-covered terrace, and a set menu that keeps coming until you wave a white flag.

Paphos, Latchi and Larnaca

Harbourside fish taverna

Grilled sea bream and sea bass, calamari and fresh salads, a few steps from the boats that caught them.

Every village square

Kafeneio

The traditional coffee house: backgammon, strong coffee and spoon sweets, and a front-row seat for village life.

Omodos, Lemesos and Pafos hills

Family winery

Tastings of indigenous grapes such as Xynisteri and Maratheftiko, often with a plate of local cheese and olives.

Lefkara and Larnaca

Bakery and sweet shop

Fresh halloumi bread, olive pies, loukoumi and almond sweets to take home.

Ordering a meze

Agree on one meze for the whole table, tell the waiter any allergies, and say "enough" when you are full. The plates keep coming otherwise.

Wine villages in Troodos Ask for a recommendation

Discover Cyprus, the island of Aphrodite

Ancient ruins, mountain villages, clear water and slow lunches. Our guide helps you plan the trip you want.

Explore destinations View the map

9,251 km²of island to explore

300+sunny days a year

3UNESCO World Heritage sites

1,952 mMount Olympus, the highest peak

Featured destinations

UNESCO harbour town.

Troodos Mountains

Pine forests and painted churches.

Ayia Napa & Cape Greco

Sandy bays and sea caves.

Did you know?

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily and Sardinia.

All 12 facts

Travel stories and guides

Food & wine

How to eat a Cypriot meze

Dozens of small plates, one long afternoon: what to order and how to pace yourself.

Planning

Seven days around the island

A relaxed route from Larnaca to Paphos with time for beaches, mountains and ruins.

Wildlife

Flamingos at the Larnaca Salt Lake

Why thousands of birds stop here every winter, and where to watch them.

Get the monthly Cyprus letter

One short email a month with seasonal tips, festivals and new guides. No spam.

Map of Cyprus

Click a marker to open the guide to that place.

Browse as a list

Akamas Peninsula

The wildest corner of the island: gorges, empty coves, hiking trails and the turquoise water of the Blue Lagoon.

Home / Destinations / Akamas Peninsula

About Akamas Peninsula

Akamas is a national park at the north-west tip of Cyprus, a landscape of scrub-covered hills, deep gorges and rugged coastline with very little development. The Avakas Gorge is a popular short hike, with sheer limestone walls just a few metres apart.

Boat trips leave from Latchi harbour for the Blue Lagoon, a sheltered bay where the sea is a startling shade of turquoise. Close to Polis, Aphrodite's Baths is a small grotto pool under a fig tree, linked in legend with the goddess and her lovers.

On the peninsula's south side, Lara Bay is a nesting beach for green and loggerhead turtles; a conservation project there protects the nests through the summer. Many tracks are unpaved, so check your rental car's insurance before driving off the main road.

Highlights

Blue Lagoon boat trip
Avakas Gorge
Aphrodite's Baths
Lara Bay turtle conservation station
Polis and Latchi harbour
Aphrodite Trail hike

Akamas Peninsula, view 2 — Around Akamas Peninsula

Akamas Peninsula, view 3 — Wild west and the Blue Lagoon

← Larnaca Limassol →

More places to visit

Old town, marina and carnival.

Lefkara & the Villages

Lace, silver and stone houses.

UNESCO harbour town.

Aphrodite's Rock

Petra tou Romiou, the sea stacks where, according to legend, the goddess of love rose from the foam.

← Paphos Troodos Mountains →

Home / Destinations / Aphrodite's Rock

About Aphrodite's Rock

Between Limassol and Paphos the coast road drops towards a pebble cove with a cluster of pale sea stacks standing offshore. This is Petra tou Romiou, the traditional birthplace of Aphrodite. Local lore says that anyone who swims around the largest rock will be blessed with love or lasting youth.

Come in the last hour before sunset. The rocks turn from white to gold to violet, and the coach parties have usually gone by then. A small visitor centre on the hill explains the myth, and a pedestrian underpass leads from the car park to the beach, so there is no need to cross the road.

Swimming here is for strong swimmers in calm weather only; currents around the stacks can be surprisingly strong, and the beach shelves quickly.

Highlights

Sunset from the pebble beach
Visitor centre and viewpoint
The legend of the three-circle swim
Nearby Kouklia and the ancient Sanctuary of Aphrodite
Coastal drive towards Pissouri

Aphrodite's Rock, view 2 — Around Aphrodite's Rock

Aphrodite's Rock, view 3 — Legendary coastline

More places to visit

Troodos Mountains

Pine forests and painted churches.

Ayia Napa & Cape Greco

Sandy bays and sea caves.

Kourion & Kolossi

Ancient theatre on the cliff.

Ayia Napa & Cape Greco

Cyprus's famous sandy coast: Nissi Beach, the sea caves of Cape Greco and clear, shallow bays that stay warm well into autumn.

← Troodos Mountains Kourion & Kolossi →

Home / Destinations / Ayia Napa & Cape Greco

About Ayia Napa & Cape Greco

The south-east corner of the island is where Cyprus does beach holidays best. Nissi Beach has fine white sand and a tiny islet you can wade out to, while quieter coves along the coast to Protaras and Cape Greco are perfect for snorkelling.

Cape Greco National Forest Park is a protected headland of low scrub and limestone cliffs, with signposted walking trails, natural sea caves and a natural rock arch known locally as the Love Bridge. Boat trips depart from Ayia Napa harbour and head out along the cliffs.

The town itself has a 16th-century monastery tucked away behind its old stone walls, a calm contrast to the lively seafront. In July and August the beaches are busy; late spring and September are quieter and the sea is warmer.

Highlights

Nissi Beach
Cape Greco sea caves and the Love Bridge
Ayia Napa Monastery
Fig Tree Bay in Protaras
Sea Caves boat trip
Sunset walk to the Cape Greco lighthouse

Ayia Napa & Cape Greco, view 2 — Around Ayia Napa & Cape Greco

Ayia Napa & Cape Greco, view 3 — Sandy bays and sea caves

More places to visit

Kourion & Kolossi

Ancient theatre on the cliff.

Flamingos and a sunken ferry.

Akamas Peninsula

Wild west and the Blue Lagoon.

Kourion & Kolossi

A Greco-Roman city on a cliff above Episkopi Bay, with a restored theatre that still hosts summer performances.

← Ayia Napa & Cape Greco Larnaca →

Home / Destinations / Kourion & Kolossi

About Kourion & Kolossi

Kourion stands on a limestone headland 70 metres above the sea. Its theatre, founded in the 2nd century BC and since restored, seats around 3,000 people and is still used for evening concerts and plays under the stars.

Nearby are the mosaics of the House of Eustolios, an Early Christian basilica and the remains of an ancient stadium. The Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates lies a short drive west, among the pines.

Kolossi Castle, a few minutes inland, is a compact Crusader stronghold whose keep dates from the mid-15th century. It once presided over sugar and wine estates, and the sweet Commandaria wine that Cyprus is famous for takes its name from the Knights' commandery here.

Highlights

Greco-Roman theatre
House of Eustolios mosaics
Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates
Kolossi Castle
Episkopi Bay beach
Summer open-air performances

Kourion & Kolossi, view 2 — Around Kourion & Kolossi

Kourion & Kolossi, view 3 — Ancient theatre on the cliff

More places to visit

Flamingos and a sunken ferry.

Akamas Peninsula

Wild west and the Blue Lagoon.

Old town, marina and carnival.

Larnaca

A relaxed seaside city with a palm-lined promenade, a salt lake full of winter flamingos and one of the best wreck dives in the Mediterranean.

← Kourion & Kolossi Akamas Peninsula →

Home / Destinations / Larnaca

About Larnaca

Larnaca is the gateway to the island, but it deserves more than a transfer. The Finikoudes promenade is lined with palm trees and café terraces; behind it, the old Turkish quarter and the 9th-century Church of Saint Lazarus reward a slow wander.

The Larnaca Salt Lake fills with migrating birds from late autumn to early spring, including thousands of flamingos. On its western shore stands Hala Sultan Tekke, a mosque set among palms that is one of the holiest places in Islam outside Arabia.

Divers come for the Zenobia, a Swedish-built ferry that sank off the coast in 1980 and now lies on its side in about 40 metres of water. Inland, Choirokoitia is a UNESCO-listed Neolithic settlement that is around 9,000 years old.

Highlights

Finikoudes promenade
Salt Lake flamingos (winter)
Hala Sultan Tekke
Church of Saint Lazarus
Zenobia wreck dive
Choirokoitia Neolithic settlement

Larnaca, view 3 — Flamingos and a sunken ferry

More places to visit

Akamas Peninsula

Wild west and the Blue Lagoon.

Old town, marina and carnival.

Lefkara & the Villages

Lace, silver and stone houses.

Lefkara & the Villages

Stone villages in the hills, famous for hand-made lace and silverwork, with cafés on the main square and views of terraced slopes.

Home / Destinations / Lefkara & the Villages

About Lefkara & the Villages

Pano Lefkara is a hill village of narrow cobbled lanes and honey-coloured stone houses. For centuries its women have produced Lefkaritika, a geometric hand-embroidered lace that was added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage in 2009. Tradition says Leonardo da Vinci bought lace here for the altar of Milan Cathedral in 1481.

Workshops line the main street, and you can watch the lace being made. The village is equally known for its silverwork and for loukoumi, the soft local sweets sold in small shops.

Combine Lefkara with the neighbouring villages: Kato Drys, Vavla and Lofou all have village cafés (kafeneia), small churches and vegetable plots. Order a Cypriot coffee and a spoon sweet and sit in the square for an hour.

Highlights

Lefkaritika lace workshops
Silverwork shops
Holy Cross Church
Lefkara Dam viewpoint
Village kafeneio on the square
Kato Drys and Lofou

Lefkara & the Villages, view 2 — Around Lefkara & the Villages

Lefkara & the Villages, view 3 — Lace, silver and stone houses

← Limassol Paphos →

More places to visit

UNESCO harbour town.

Aphrodite's Rock

Legendary coastline.

Troodos Mountains

Pine forests and painted churches.

Limassol

A lively port city with a medieval castle, a modern marina, a long seafront promenade and the best restaurant scene on the island.

← Akamas Peninsula Lefkara & the Villages →

Home / Destinations / Limassol

About Limassol

Limassol is the island's second city and its social centre. The old town around the castle has been turned into a maze of wine bars, small galleries and cafés. The castle itself houses the Cyprus Medieval Museum and, according to tradition, saw the wedding of Richard the Lionheart and Berengaria of Navarre in 1191.

The Molos promenade stretches along the seafront for several kilometres, linking the old port with the marina, a newer district of shops and waterfront restaurants. In late February or March the city holds its famous carnival, and the annual wine festival takes place in September.

Ancient Amathus, a few kilometres east, was one of the island's royal city-kingdoms and is still being excavated. The wine villages of the Troodos foothills are less than an hour away.

Highlights

Limassol Castle and Medieval Museum
Molos promenade
Old town and Carob Mill area
Limassol Marina
Ancient Amathus
Limassol Wine Festival (September)

Limassol, view 3 — Old town, marina and carnival

More places to visit

Lefkara & the Villages

Lace, silver and stone houses.

UNESCO harbour town.

Aphrodite's Rock

Legendary coastline.

Paphos

A UNESCO-listed harbour town where Roman villas, medieval forts and seafront cafés sit within a short stroll of each other.

← Lefkara & the Villages Aphrodite's Rock →

Home / Destinations / Paphos

About Paphos

The Kato Paphos Archaeological Park has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1980. Its Roman villas, built between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD, hold some of the finest mosaic floors in the eastern Mediterranean, with scenes from the myths of Dionysos, Theseus and Orpheus.

A few minutes north, the Tombs of the Kings are monumental rock-cut tombs dating from the 4th century BC. Nobody royal is thought to be buried there; the name simply stuck because of their grandeur. At the harbour, a small fort guards the waterfront, rebuilt by the Ottomans in the 16th century.

Paphos was European Capital of Culture in 2017, and the old town of Ktima has been polishing its galleries and workshops ever since. Evenings are for the harbour front: grilled fish, a glass of local white and a slow walk past the fishing boats.

Highlights

House of Dionysos mosaics
Tombs of the Kings
Paphos Harbour Fort
The Odeon and ancient theatre
Saint Paul's Pillar
Ktima old town and Ethnographic Museum

More places to visit

Aphrodite's Rock

Legendary coastline.

Troodos Mountains

Pine forests and painted churches.

Ayia Napa & Cape Greco

Sandy bays and sea caves.

Troodos Mountains

Cool pine forests, stone villages, waterfalls and a collection of painted churches that earned their own place on the UNESCO list.

← Aphrodite's Rock Ayia Napa & Cape Greco →

Home / Destinations / Troodos Mountains

About Troodos Mountains

The Troodos range fills the middle of the island, and its summit, Mount Olympus, reaches 1,952 metres, the highest point in Cyprus. In summer the air is noticeably cooler than on the coast; in winter a small ski area opens for a few weeks when snow allows.

Ten Byzantine-era churches scattered among the villages are inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage (first in 1985, extended in 2001). From the outside they look like barns with steep timber roofs; inside, every wall is covered with frescoes.

Wine villages such as Omodos serve local reds and whites under vine-covered terraces, and marked trails lead to the Caledonia and Millomeris waterfalls. If you are lucky you may spot the Cyprus mouflon, a wild sheep found nowhere else, or the endemic Cyprus cedar.

Highlights

Mount Olympus viewpoint
Painted churches of the Troodos region
Omodos village and its monastery
Caledonia Trail and waterfall
Kykkos Monastery
Cedar Valley

Troodos Mountains, view 2 — Around Troodos Mountains

Troodos Mountains, view 3 — Pine forests and painted churches

More places to visit

Ayia Napa & Cape Greco

Sandy bays and sea caves.

Kourion & Kolossi

Ancient theatre on the cliff.

Flamingos and a sunken ferry.