Do you like lazy beach holidays? Go to Cyprus. Prefer hiking in the mountains? Go to Cyprus. Interested in antiquity? Go to Cyprus. Dreaming of a vacation with a pinch of luxury? Go to Cyprus.
Discovering Cyprus is an adventure that begins even before you set foot on Cypriot soil. It is a place full of contrasts and surprises. It lies in Asia, but is part of the European Union. There are border crossings inside the country. Two official languages are in force. There is left-hand traffic on the streets. Coffee changes its name depending on where you order it. These are just some of the surprises that Cyprus can surprise us with. Nevertheless, a tourist feels safe here and quickly realizes that he is surrounded by friendly, welcoming people. Cypriots know how to enjoy life and invite newcomers to do so as well.
A glance at the map
Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, the third largest in the region, after Sicily and Sardinia. It lies in western Asia. It neighbors Turkey to the north, and it is a very close neighbor, as the two countries are separated by only 70 kilometers. Slightly greater is the distance to Cyprus’ eastern neighbors Syria, Lebanon and Israel. To Egypt, which lies to the south, it is much farther, it is more than 350 km. On the map Cyprus is not conspicuous, you need to know where to look for it. It crouches in the eastern part of the sea, close to the mainland. Such a location was both a salvation and a curse for the islanders. Its strategic position, on the route of wandering merchants, artisans and warriors, provided Cypriots with many attractions. Various winds of history swept through the island, it was easy to make money, but one also had to reckon with losses, as many tried to get rich on the island without considering the needs of the local population.
From Poland to Cyprus you can get by plane, the flight takes about 3.5 hours. Air traffic is handled by two international airports – in Larnaca and Paphos. Until 1951, Cyprus could be traveled by rail, with a route of more than 100 kilometers leading from Famagusta to Evrich. Today, transportation on the island is based on an extensive road network. You can travel between all major cities by bus, getting to small towns will be easiest by car, but you have to reckon with the inconvenience of driving in left-hand traffic.
Can’t do without politics
Although life in Cyprus today is flowing peacefully, it is not difficult to notice that everything is going on in the shadow of the great divide. In the shortest terms, the situation is that roughly a third of Cyprus is in the hands of the Turks. The Turks call the territory they occupy the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the only country that recognizes it is Turkey. Greeks in the south say it is the area of the Republic of Cyprus under Turkish occupation. Between the two areas – Greek and Turkish – is a buffer zone, controlled by UN peacekeepers. For many years, movement between the two parts of the island was closed; today it is possible to move with an identity document. Border crossing is possible in several places, the most famous being the crossing in the capital Nicosia, located on both sides of the border.
The island is divided into six districts, which take their names from the cities that are their capitals. Thus, we have the districts: Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia and Paphos. Of these six, only Paphos and Limassol are fully under the control of the Cypriot government. Larnaca, Nicosia and Famagusta have been divided, while Kyrenia is entirely within the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The Republic of Cyprus was admitted to the European Union in 2004 and has been in the Eurozone since 2008. Money from the EU bypasses the occupied areas, and in the Turkish part the Turkish lira is the applicable currency, fortunately, it is also common to use the euro there. Add to the full picture the two military bases (Dhekelia and Akrotiri), which are British dependencies, and it’s already more or less clear that Cyprus is a rather complicated political puzzle in which Cypriots themselves often have little say. However, they have learned to live with this uneasy arrangement, and are concentrating on developing the economy and handling tourism, and tourists are not affected by the difficult historical legacy on a daily basis.
No excuses
The coastline of Cyprus is more than 640 km. Most of the island is made up of smaller and larger undulations. In the north, almost parallel to the coastline stretch the Kyrenia Mountains (Kierinia), with the highest peak Kiparisowuno (1011 m). In the central-western part is the Trodos mountain range (with the 1952-meter-high Olimbos peak). If you add to this a pleasant subtropical climate and plenty of sunshine, you are assured that Cyprus is worth visiting.
Here it is very easy to be active. In an area of just over 9,000 square kilometers, you can enjoy mountain and water sports, play golf, wander through the vineyards and discover local flavors. There are many trekking routes of varying difficulty. You can climb and scuba dive, bike, swim, run and sail. Local authorities are paying more and more attention to promoting Cyprus attractions. They’ve even introduced 12 special tourist designations to help select truly worthwhile locations and activities.
Better and better hotel and catering facilities, more and more well-prepared tourist attractions, UNESCO World Heritage sites, sunshine, sea… These are really good recommendations.
