Cyprus 365
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The Island of Aphrodite
Cyprus, where Mediterranean sun, golden coast and ancient stone line up all year
Plan around Paphos's mosaics and harbour, Limassol's long seafront, the calm bays of Larnaca and Protaras, and the cool pine air of the Troodos mountains.
Essential Reading
Travel guides that help you decide faster
The hardest part of planning Cyprus is rarely finding a hotel. It is choosing the right base, the right beach style, and the right trip pace before you start comparing listings.
Guide
Best Beaches in Cyprus: An Honest Coast Guide
Cyprus has a beach for every kind of traveller, from organised family sands with sunbeds and lifeguards to undeveloped turtle-nesting bays. This guide breaks the coast down by area so you can match the right beach to your trip.
Open guide ->Guide
Best Time to Visit Cyprus: Month-by-Month Guide
Cyprus runs a long, hot, dry summer and a short, mild winter, with a sea-swimming season that stretches from May into late October. This guide breaks down the year month by month so you can match your trip to weather, water temperature, and the festival calendar.
Open guide ->Guide
Cyprus for First-Timers: Airports, Driving, Money
Everything you need for a first visit to southern Cyprus, from the two main airports and driving on the left to euro budgeting, bus links and picking the right base.
Open guide ->Guide
Cyprus on a Budget: How to Travel Cheap
Cyprus rewards careful planning. Travel in the shoulder months, lean on public buses and self-catering, and the island opens up for well under what a package holiday suggests.
Open guide ->Guide
Cyprus With Kids: A Practical Family Travel Guide
Cyprus suits families with its shallow Blue Flag beaches, a large themed waterpark and compact archaeological sites. This guide covers where to base yourself and how to handle driving, heat and health with children.
Open guide ->Guide
Things to Do in Cyprus: A Complete Guide
A practical run-through of the experiences worth your time in southern Cyprus, from UNESCO mosaics and a top-ten wreck dive to mountain trails, wine villages, and the beaches of the east coast.
Open guide ->Cyprus 365 by the numbers
14+
Beaches to Explore
8+
Destinations
14+
Activities & Experiences
5+
National Parks
Where to go
View all →Top destinations
Ayia Napa
Ayia Napa is Cyprus's busiest summer resort: white-sand beaches led by Nissi Beach, the sea caves and trails of Cape Greco, and the island's best-known nightlife.
Larnaca
Larnaca is the arrival point for most visitors: Cyprus's main airport, the palm-lined Finikoudes promenade, the Church of Saint Lazarus and a winter salt lake of flamingos.
Limassol
Limassol is Cyprus's largest coastal city: a medieval castle, modern marina and long seafront, with the Roman ruins of Kourion and Troodos wine villages a short drive away.
Nicosia
Nicosia (Lefkosia) is the inland capital: a walled old town with Venetian ramparts, the pedestrian Ledra Street and the Cyprus Museum's leading archaeology collection.
Paphos
Paphos pairs a UNESCO archaeological park of Roman mosaics with a working harbour, Tombs of the Kings and Cyprus's quieter western coast. The natural base for history and west-coast beaches.
Featured beaches
View all beaches →The coastlines worth planning around
96/100
Famagusta (Ayia Napa)
Nissi Beach
Ayia Napa's best-known beach: soft white sand, shallow turquoise water and a small islet you can reach on foot across a sandbar. Lively in summer, Blue Flag.
95/100
Famagusta (Protaras)
Fig Tree Bay
Protaras's headline beach: a wide arc of pale sand, calm shallow water and a small offshore islet. A long-standing Blue Flag beach, good for families.
91/100
Famagusta (Cape Greco)
Konnos Bay
A small, sheltered cove ringed by limestone cliffs near Cape Greco. Clear, calm water and pale sand make it one of the most photogenic beaches in the south.
90/100
Paphos (Peyia)
Coral Bay
A sheltered crescent of golden sand between two limestone headlands near Peyia, north of Paphos. Calm, shallow water and full facilities. Blue Flag beach.
89/100
Paphos (Akamas, near Latchi)
Blue Lagoon (Akamas)
A sheltered turquoise inlet on the northwest Akamas, usually reached by boat from Latchi. Clear, calm water for swimming and snorkelling. No road access.
88/100
Famagusta (Ayia Napa)
Makronissos Beach
Three linked coves of fine golden sand on the Makronissos peninsula, with calm shallow water. Quieter than central Ayia Napa and a Blue Flag beach.
Why Cyprus
Why Choose Cyprus?
01
Sunshine Most of the Year
With a Mediterranean climate and about 300 sunny days a year, Cyprus stays warm and dry through a long summer, and the sea is swimmable roughly May to November. Sandy bays like Nissi Beach and Fig Tree Bay are easy for swimming and families.
02
History & Heritage
Walk the Roman mosaics of Paphos Archaeological Park and the Tombs of the Kings, the ancient theatre at Kourion, the painted churches of the Troodos, and the old quarters of Nicosia and Larnaca's seafront.
03
Nature & Adventure
From the pine forests and trails of the Troodos mountains to the wild Akamas peninsula, the Blue Lagoon, the sea caves of Cape Greco, and diving the Zenobia wreck off Larnaca, the island has trips for every traveller.
Things to do
View all →Experiences worth the trip
EUR 60 to 130Moderate
Scuba Diving the Zenobia Wreck
Dive the MS Zenobia, a roll-on ferry that sank off Larnaca in 1980 and now rests on its port side. One of the most renowned wreck dives anywhere.
EUR 20 to 45Easy
Blue Lagoon Boat Cruise from Latchi
A boat trip from Latchi harbour along the Akamas coast to the Blue Lagoon, with a swim stop in clear, sheltered water. This is the Cyprus Blue Lagoon, in the south.
EUR 45 to 80Moderate
Akamas Jeep Safari
A 4x4 safari over the rough tracks of the Akamas peninsula, taking in Lara Beach, the Blue Lagoon and the gorge country. Reaches places ordinary cars cannot.
Free, or EUR 30 to 60 guidedEasy to moderate
Troodos Mountain Hiking
Hike the marked nature trails around the Troodos peaks, from the easy Caledonia waterfall walk to the higher Artemis and Atalante loops circling Mount Olympus.
EUR 50 to 90Easy
Limassol Wine Villages Tour
A day among the Krasochoria, the wine villages on the southern Troodos slopes above Limassol, with cellar visits, tastings and the Commandaria heartland.
EUR 20 to 40Easy
Cape Greco Boat Cruise
A boat cruise from Ayia Napa along the Cape Greco coast to the sea caves and Konnos Bay, with swim and snorkel stops in clear sheltered water.
Events & festivals
View all →Don't Miss These Events
SepFebMaySep
Limassol Wine Festival
About ten days from late September into early October; dates vary by year · food · Limassol Municipal Gardens, near the seafront
An annual wine festival held in the Limassol Municipal Gardens, running for about ten days around late September with tastings, food and folk performances.
Limassol Carnival
About two weeks before Orthodox Lent; the grand parade is the Sunday before Lent. Dates vary by year · carnival · Limassol city centre and seafront
A two-week carnival in Limassol before Orthodox Lent, ending with a large costumed parade through the city. The largest carnival celebration on the island.
Kataklysmos, the Festival of the Flood
At Orthodox Pentecost, fifty days after Easter (late May or June); dates vary by year · religious · Finikoudes promenade and seafront, Larnaca
A seaside festival marking Pentecost across coastal Cyprus, strongest in Larnaca. Water games, fairs, music and folk traditions line the Finikoudes promenade.
Ayia Napa International Festival
The last week of September, around World Tourism Day; exact dates vary by year · cultural · Seferis Square and the medieval monastery, Ayia Napa
A free cultural festival in Ayia Napa around the historic monastery in late September, with concerts, folk dance, theatre and craft demonstrations.
Nature & wildlife
View all →National parks
Paphos District · Natura 2000 area / proposed national park
Akamas Peninsula
Famagusta District (south) · National forest park
Cape Greco National Forest Park
Troodos (Limassol / Nicosia districts) · National forest park
Troodos National Forest Park
Nicosia District · National forest park
Athalassa National Forest Park
Food & cuisine
All dishes →Taste of Cyprus
Meze
Halloumi
Cyprus's semi-hard, springy cheese that grills and fries without melting. A protected designation of origin product, eaten fresh, fried or on the barbecue.
Meze
Lountza
Cured Cypriot pork loin, marinated in red wine, rolled in coriander seed and smoked. Sliced thin for meze or grilled with halloumi in a sandwich.
Main
Souvla
Large pieces of pork, lamb or chicken slow-cooked on a long skewer over a charcoal brazier. The classic Cypriot weekend and celebration meal.
Main
Sheftalia
Cypriot sausages of minced pork or pork and lamb with onion and parsley, wrapped in caul fat and grilled. Juicy, crisp-edged and served in pitta.
Meze
Koupepia
Vine leaves rolled around rice, minced pork and herbs, simmered in a tomato sauce. The Cypriot dolmades, served warm or at room temperature on meze.
Main
Kleftiko
Lamb or goat sealed in an oven and slow-baked for hours until it falls off the bone. A Cypriot signature, traditionally cooked in a clay oven with potatoes.
Main
Afelia
Pork marinated and braised in red wine with crushed coriander seed, a pairing at the heart of Cypriot cooking. Served with bulgur and yoghurt.
Main
Stifado
A rich stew of beef or rabbit cooked low with whole small onions, red wine, vinegar and warm spices like cinnamon and bay. A wintry Cypriot classic.
Hungry now? Browse the island's best restaurants →
Travel essentials
Plan Your Perfect Trip
Everything you need to know for a smooth and enjoyable Cyprus holiday.
01
Visa & Entry Requirements
Verify visa eligibility, passport validity, and the onward-ticket rule before you fly.
Read more ->02
Travel Insurance & Safety
Check current safety guidance and compare travel medical coverage before departure.
Read more ->03
Transportation
Get around with hire cars, buses, and taxis, and remember Cyprus drives on the left.
Read more ->04
Local Tips
Insider knowledge to make the most of your Cyprus trip.
Read more ->05
Emergency Contacts
Immediate emergency numbers plus refreshed safety resources for travelers.
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Good to know
Practical Travel Questions
We only publish practical planning answers here after they have been reviewed. Use the planning guides below while this section is being updated.
Reviewed FAQ answers are being prepared
Instead of showing stale fallback travel advice, we are linking you directly to the planning pages that are currently maintained.
Booking
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