Have you ever imagined having a vacation on a small island where sun-kissed beaches are gently lapped by turquoise waters, where you can enjoy more than 300 days of sunshine a year? Where there is very little crime and where women and children can safely walk its streets and beaches at night, where you can visit many ancient churches and archeological sites? Where can you find charming rustic villages with traditional shops and houses, where the people are friendly and hospitable, where the old meets the new, an island steeped in tradition and legend? Such an island is Cyprus.
The main gateway to the island is through the Larnaca International Airport. From here any destination in Cyprus is no more than two and a half hours away by car. Getting around the island is easy, the motorway and main roads are well signposted in English and there is the added benefit of driving on the left hand side of the road.
The best time to visit Cyprus depends on the type of experience you want to have. The summer months from June to September are hot and the island is flooded with tourists. This is the time of year to take advantage of the wonderful beaches of the island. October and November are calm months and the temperatures are much more bearable although still quite warm. December to the end of February are the so-called winter months when you can ski on the slopes of the Troodos Mountain Range.
Actually, winter doesn’t really start until January, when during the day the sun shines but at night you experience a sudden drop in temperature. During the winter season, the island receives much-needed rain. March to May is spring when there is an explosion of colour, the landscape a sea of green dotted with various colors of wild flowers. Cyprus is home to 1,800 species and subspecies of plants that can be found growing in various parts of the island.
For bird watchers, many migratory species use Cyprus as a springboard on their way between Africa and Europe. Flamingos and other migratory birds can be found at the Larnaca salt lake during the autumn months.
Since 1974, when the island was invaded by Turkish forces, there has been a division between the north, occupied by Turkish Cypriots and Turkish settlers, and the south, occupied by Greek Cypriots. In recent years the restriction on travel between the South and North of the island has been relaxed and it is now possible, once you have passed one of the four checkpoints on the island, to visit places like Kyrenia and Famagusta where a culture is lived and completely different gastronomy. it can be experienced. Whether it be sightseeing, bird watching, experiencing different cultures, visiting historical sites, skiing or simply relaxing on one of the island’s many sun-drenched beaches, Cyprus is indeed an island of contrasts.
