Cyprus Destination Guide Contents Contents 2 Quick Facts 3 About Cyprus 4 Events & Nightlife 5 Top Destinations 9 Tours & Activities 10 Food & Dining Out 14 Shopping 16 Best Time To Visit 17 Travel Tips 18 Quick Facts Flying Time: 4 hours 30 minutes Currency: Euro Language: Greek and Turkish Time Zone: GMT+2 Visit For: Great Beaches, Scuba Diving, Culture, Arts, Architecture, Nightlife, Trekking, Beautiful Scenery 3 About Cyprus With beautiful villages surrounded by vineyards and cities full of trendy art galleries, spas and restaurants, to shipwreck diving, skiing on snow-covered mountains and strolls around fabulous archaeological sites, colourful Cyprus is every inch a sophisticated Mediterranean destination. The island, which legend has it was where Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty, was born at the picturesque Petra Tou Romiou near Paphos, lies on the fringes of Europe at a point where Asian, Middle Eastern and European cultures merge. While giving the island a rich mix of traditions, cuisine and music, Cyprus’s strategic position has also made it desirable to countless powers over millennia. All have left their mark. In fact, Cyprus’s history is legendary. More than 10,000 years of history has seen periods of rule by the ancient Mycenaean Greeks and Byzantines, and invasions by the Persians and Ottomans. The Romans, Venetians and the Lusignans, along with England’s Richard the Lionheart – who acquired Cyprus in the 12th century – have all ruled, before it became part of the British Empire in the 19th century, independent in 1960 and divided fourteen years later. Nicosia is the capital and, famously, the only remaining divided city in the world. The south of the city, known as Lefkosia, is a modern metropolis and the governmental, business and financial hub of the Republic of Cyprus, while the north (Lefkosa) is considered the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Since the Turkish invasion of 1974, north Cyprus is internationally considered an occupied territory. South Nicosia is characterised by wide boulevards lined with designer fashion shops, pavements cafés, offices and museums. It is dominated by huge city walls that separate its old town full of Venetian houses and the shiny new city around Eleftherias Square. Nicosia is a popular day excursion from the island’s other cities, Larnaca (Larnaka), Limassol (Lemesos) and Paphos (Pafos). Cyprus embraces contrasts: old and new, traditional and contemporary. Sassy Larnaca, which lies on the island’s rugged south coast near the holiday resorts of Protaras and Agia Napa (locally Ayia Napa), has sandy beaches and modern hotels, while Limassol is best known for the famous Kourion. An ancient city, Kourion is one of the ‘must see’ archaeological attractions in Cyprus. Limassol, and the gentle slopes that ascend from here to the island’s Troodos Mountains, is at the heart of Cyprus’s wine region. In fact, the deliciously sweet amber-coloured Commandaria made from the Mavro and Xynisteri grapes is one of the oldest wines in the world. Paphos, like Limassol, has world famous archaeological sites, including its Greco-Roman mosaics showing scenes from mythology, its medieval castle and the site of the ancient kingdom of Palaipafos. Paphos is an UNESCO World Heritage Site in its entirety and set to be the European Capital of Culture in 2017. Enjoying Cyprus’s heritage or sports, or simply relaxing over a glass of local wine in a taverna, whatever speed you choose to go Cyprus is guaranteed to leave you wanting more. 4 Events & Nightlife See the list of exciting Events taking place in Cyprus, as well as the varied Nightlife on offer Events Green Monday From: 18-03-2015 To: 18-03-2015 Free. This public holiday marks the start of Lent and is the culmination of ten days of celebrations that in Limassol centres on its carnival and fancy dress balls. Green Monday, itself, is traditionally when families gather on the seafront or in a village park, fly kites and have a picnic. Venue Name: Throughout Cyprus. Easter From: 31-03-2015 To: 31-03-2015 Free. Easter is the biggest celebration in Cyprus and marked by two weeks of festivals, religious ceremonies and flower parades. Family and friends gather for mouthwatering dishes that include flaounes (minty cheese cakes). In the rural villages, the whole community gathers for the procession of the holy icon on Good Friday. Venue Name: Throughout Cyprus. Agia Irini Day From: 04-05-2015 To: 04-05-2015 Free. The name-days of saints are big occasions in villages throughout Cyprus. Local churches and monasteries become a hive of activity with religious ceremonies and processions. Agia Irini Day is celebrated in the picturesque village of Perivolia, near Larnaca, and the day is marked with a procession and a great feast. Venue Name: Perivolia. Shakespeare at the Kourion From: 12-06-2015 To: 31-07-2015 Ticket prices vary. 5 The restored Greco-Roman theatre at the Kourion which occupies a spectacular hilltop site overlooking the Mediterranean is the setting for Shakespearean plays performed annually by the Performing Arts for Cyprus Charities. From Romeo and Juliet to Much Ado About Nothing, many of the great Bard's works have been performed here. Venue Name: Kourion. Feast of Kataklysmos (Flood Festival) From: 21-06-2015 To: 26-06-2015 Free. All the coastal towns from Polis and Paphos to Larnaca and Protaras come alive to mark the annual festival of Kataklysmos (otherwise known as the Festival of the Flood). It is held 50 days after the Greek Orthodox Easter. Crowds throng the shore for boat races and watersports, processions and feasting. Venue Name: All coastal towns. Cultural August From: 01-08-2015 To: 31-08-2015Date Description: Throughout August. Free. August is a time of celebrations and festivals throughout the island, but especially in the villages of the Troodos Mountains. Every village hosts its own event with traditional Cypriot food, music and folk dancers; some even organise demonstrations of Greek dancing so that visitors can learn a few steps. Venue Name: Troodos Mountain villages Ayia Napa Summer Cultural Events From: 01-08-2015 To: 31-08-2015Date Description: Usually every Sun in August. Free. Agia Napa celebrates Cypriot traditions as part of its annual summer festival. Its programme includes demonstrations of folk dances, art exhibitions, free concerts and music recitals, which are held in and around its central square, next to its 16th century monastery . There is something on every Sunday during August. Venue Name: Seferis Square, Agia Napa Limassol Wine Festival From: 30-08-2015 To: 30-09-2015 Free. 6 A programme of concerts and theatrical performances, plus, of course, lots of wine tasting and feasting, form the basis for the ten-day Limassol Wine Festival held annually at the end of the grape harvest. The Limassol district is famous for producing one of the world's oldest wines, the sweet Commandaria. Venue Name: Throughout Limassol. Aphrodite Opera Festival From: 11-09-2015 To: 30-09-2015Date Description: Carmen, Madame Butterfly, La Bohème and Aida have been among the most recent operatic productions to be staged in front of the medieval castle at Paphos harbour. An annual event, it is watched by locals and visitors, all dressed in their finest, and is the highlight of the Paphos cultural calendar. Tickets from €35. Carmen, Madame Butterfly, La Bohème and Aida have been among the most recent operatic productions to be staged in front of the medieval castle at Paphos harbour. An annual event, it is watched by locals and visitors, all dressed in their finest, and is the highlight of the Paphos cultural calendar. Venue Name: Paphos Castle. Afamia Grape Festival From: 01-10-2015 To: 20-10-2015Date Description: TBC. Free. Koilani is a pretty village between Ayios Amvrosios and Pera Pedi close to Limassol on the coast. Despite its small size, it is home to four wineries and wine and winemaking is very much a part of the region's cultural identity. And it's here that the Afamia Grape Festival takes place each year to celebrate the end of the harvest season. Like many such festivals in the wine-growing areas, the festival includes folk dancing, live music, a market as well as numerous food and wine exhibitions. Venue Name: Koilani. Nightlife There is a thriving nighttime scene in the capital Nicosia and the coastal towns and cities of Cyprus. Hundreds of restaurants serving everything from Indian cuisine to Italian, French and Chinese, along with wine bars, lively bars with live entertainment, theatres offering classical plays, cinemas and nightclubs are popular with locals as well as visitors. Restaurants and bars line the seafront of places like Larnaca, Paphos and Limassol, and Kyrenia in northern Cyprus. The party capital of Cyprus remains Agia Napa where youngsters dance until late, even though the resort is seeing a growing number of restaurants and sophisticated nightspots emerging. Hotels and resorts have their own restaurants, bars and nightspots. 7 Most cities host a regular programme of evening cultural events and festivals. Among the most popular are the Aphrodite operatic festival held in front of the castle in Paphos Harbour and Shakespeare at the Kourion. Casinos are a rarity in Cyprus. While online gambling venues are steadily opening throughout the island, true casinos that offer roulette and poker can be found only in northern Cyprus. Nightlife in the rural villages tends to revolve around the local taverna, but nonetheless can be a lively affair with traditional music and dances. 8 Top Destinations Kykkos Monastery Kykkos Monastery is the largest and most famous monastery in Cyprus. Founded in AD1100 by the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos, the monastery is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is home to one of the three surviving icons painted by the Apostle Luke.