James Bedding reports on Cyprus
Posted On
10.04.08
Cyprus has bagged itself the best spot in the Med. Basking in the sun south of Turkey, the Mediterranean’s third-largest island extends further south than the whole of Greece, Italy, mainland Spain and Malta. It even lies further south than big swathes of North Africa. With its exceptionally mild winters, Cyprus can claim to be the only serious year-round destination in the whole of the Med.
It is also an especially welcoming one, offering the hospitality you’d expect in neighbouring Greece but with a little less of the chaos. That is the result of the island’s unique history. Ruled by Britain for more than 80 years, Cyprus still has the familiar red pillar boxes and zebra crossings Everyone drives on the left and English is an unofficial second language. It is easy to travel to the remotest corners of the island.
Most of the accommodation is in big resorts in the south – Paphos, Limassol, Larnaca and Ayia Napa. Most of the beaches tend to be in small, scattered coves. There are now some stunning resort hotels, often with world-class spas such as the Anassa on the north coast near Latchi, and the boutique Thalassa, on Coral Bay.
Wherever you stay, you are in easy striking distance of some of the Med’s finest classical sites. Paphos with its Roman mosaics is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ruins of Kourion are on a spectacular cliff top near Limassol.
To get a flavour for traditional Cyprus, though, you need to head inland. It’s well worth hiring a car for this. In the mountainous interior you will come across Cypriots making pilgrimages to monasteries thronging with Greek orthodox monks. You will see villages with stone houses surrounded by vineyards and sleepy tavernas serving traditional Cypriot cuisine. You will also get a strong sense of the island’s rich history. At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Cyprus has been invaded, visited and settled by everyone from Arab pirates to crusading knights and Venetian traders. They all left a very interesting heritage.
It is also easier now than ever before to visit the north of the island. It was occupied by Turkish forces in 1974 and for many years was virtually inaccessible. One of the conditions for Cyprus to join the EU in 2004 was an improvement of ties with the north. EU nationals can now cross the border in either direction and stay for as long as they wish on either side.
James Bedding is a half-British, half-Swiss journalist and travel writer with a natural affinity for anywhere that isn't flat. Cyprus, which rises to twice the height of Snowdon, was one of the first destinations that he visited in nearly twenty years of travel writing. Returning for Travel Counsellors, he was delighted to find the spirit of the island unchanged among the vineyards, villages and monasteries of the mountainous interior - while the coastal resorts now have some of the finest facilities in the Mediterranean.
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