Info about Cyprus

Cyprus at a Glance

Your experience of Cyprus can be as varied and rewarding as the geography of the island itself. Starting with the sea: There are beaches in Cyprus to suit just about everybody, from families with small children to seekers of solitude. The mountainous interior, the Troodos, offers an alluring contrast to the coast that shouldn’t be overlooked. Bracing pine-scented air, hiking trails and Byzantine churches are just some of the treasures to be found here. It is also possible to experience firsthand the village life of the hill towns. By the beach or further afield, in the towns or storied countryside, the distinctive culture of Cyprus is always close at hand.

The sun is a resilient force in Cyprus, shining high and bright enough to keep the sea warm for comfortable swimming from early May all the way through October. It helps give the island its quintessential Mediterranean atmosphere.

Even in the middle of winter, when temperatures get on the cool side, the sun usually shines for the better part of the day.

The best place to soak up the Cyprus sunshine is at the beach, and with more than four hundred miles of coastline, there are plenty from which to choose.

Geography & Population
In the far eastern corner of the Mediterranean, at a cross roads between Europe, Africa and Asia lies the island of Cyprus.

The third largest island in the Mediterranean, Cyprus covers an area of 9,250 km2. It measures 240km from east to west and 96km from North to South.
There are six major towns: Nicosia which is the capital and is located inland in the middle of the Messoria Plain and the five coastal towns of Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, Kyrenia and Famagusta. The latter towns, Kyrenia and Famagusta that are in the north and east of the island respectively, have been under Turkish Occupation since 1974 and are inaccessible.

Air travel
The island’s two international airports are situated in Pafos and in Larnaca.
There are daily flights from most of the U.K airports in the summer whilst all the major U.K airports operate flights during the winter.

Sea Travel
Sea travel is also quite extensive in Cyprus thanks to the islands proximity to all three continents.
Cruises to Greece, Israel, Lebanon and Egypt are just some of the destinations you can visit from Cyprus. The two deep-water ports are in Larnaca and Limassol.

Driving in Cyprus
Driving in Cyprus is a pleasure compared to other European countries. Besides the lack of traffic and pollution, the roads and motorway networks are of an exceptionally high standard and the distances between towns in Cyprus literally means you are never more than 2.5 hours away from anywhere.
Driving in Cyprus is on the left and as mentioned previously, thanks to the new motorways, the distances between towns are relatively short. Protaras, Paralimni and Ayia Napa are all about 25minutes away from Larnaca, 45 minutes from Nicosia and about an hours drive from Limassol.
Visitors holding a valid driving license from their own country or an international driving license qualify to drive in Cyprus.

Climate & Temperature
With 340 days of sunshine a year, Cyprus has got one of the most enjoyable climates in Europe. The summers are warm and dry beginning in May and lasting till October with an average of 11.5 hours of sunshine a day.