Cyprus

If you’re looking for sunshine, hospitality and plenty of sites of historical interest, Cyprus ticks all the boxes. There are, of course, plenty of flights to Cyprus so you should be able to find a good deal without too much trouble. If you’re travelling at the height of summer you might be well advised to steer clear of the busy resorts like Larnaca and head instead for the quieter resorts of Coral Bay or Pissouri Bay which boast fabulous beaches. 

If you’re travelling in late August or September, Paphos will be a little quieter and is a good centre to stay. Indeed, its beach at Aphrodite’s Rock is listed by lonely Planet as one of the world’s most romantic hotspots. It was here, as legend has it, that Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, rose from the sea. There are countless modern hotels to choose from, all of them spotless and providing excellent facilities. But to discover the real magic of Cyprus, you have to get out of the tourist resorts and head for the small villages. If your budget allows, hire a car and motor off to the Troodos mountains. Here, away from the beaches and bustling tourist resorts, you’ll discover charming traditional villages nestling in the verdant hills. Take a deep breath and you’ll take in that unmistakable scent of citrus groves.

Some of the most stunning  Byzantine churches on the island are also to be found here. The Kykkos monastery is perhaps the finest of ten in the region that have together been classed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

For walkers, there are plenty of nature trails to be discovered too. These will satisfy the most enthusiastic ramblers, and the local Tourist office can supply you with enough maps and recommendations to keep you here for weeks on end. You might, for instance, want to set off in the direction of the Caledonia Falls – an impressive waterfall set against the backdrop of the craggy mountains.

On the other hand, if you simply want to chill out on the beach after a challenging day of walking in the Troodos mountains, get yourself down to Pissouri Bay where crystal clear waters and pristine beaches are set off by glorious sandstone cliffs. This is a quiet spot and you can sometimes feel that you have the entire place to yourself. If you have the energy, venture back up to Pissouri village; the climb is well worth it. This quaint whitewashed village with its picturesque, narrow streets and pretty square that becomes animated at night, is perched precariously on the mountain. It would make a perfect location for a feature film, and almost certainly has done many times over.

After all this walking in the Troodos mountains, you may well feel like a bit of pampering, so why not try the Omeriye Hamam, the old Turkish bath housed in the 14^th century church of St Mary in Nicosia? But perhaps ‘pampering’ is the wrong word to use since the technique employed here is hardly gentle massage but rather more vigorous pummelling to banish those unwanted toxins. This said, the experience is strangely therapeutic nonetheless.

Alex Pearl is a freelance copywriter and author of ‘Sleeping with the Blackbirds’.
http://alexpearlmini.carbonmade.com      http://sleepingwiththeblackbirds.co.uk