CYPRUS

Six days in Cyprus.

The birthplace of Aphrodite, the land of cedars, halloumi and much more.

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, definitely worth visiting for the varied nature, food (yes, halloumi) and monasteries. 

Historical events led the island to be split in a Greek and a Turkish part - the Republic of Cyprus, member of the UE, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, not recognised by the UE.

The capital Nicosia lies on the between the two and will embrace you with its authenticity and complexity, so make sure to spend at least a couple of days there.

Cyprus is a tourist destination and as such, you’ll stumble into commercial and less authentic attractions and restaurants. And we all know how disappointing it is to leave your country for the holidays (for us, the UK) and end up looking at menus offering mainly pizza or fish and chips.

Our suggestion is to use Paphos and Larnaca as home base to explore the gems that the island has to offer. We haven’t personally explored the Turkish northeast part of the island, but we’ve heard it has beautiful wild beaches and viewpoints, so definitely try to make some time for it!

OUR HIGHLIGHTS

CEDAR VALLEY: EXPLORING CYPRUS MOUNTAINS

For a fairy-tale day in the green, set from Paphos for a 2-hour drive through the magnificent Cedar Valley.

The Cyprus cedars, cousins of the cedars of Lebanon, grow at altitudes of 1000-1200 metres and are only found in a few levantine countries (Cyprus, Lebanon, Morocco and Turkey). 

Step out of the car to smell the intense aromatic scent, enjoy the panoramic views across the Paphos Forest, and feel small among these huge trees.

As we were walking through the trees, we could hear a thunderstorm approaching, which made the entire experience even more magical…

In the Troodos Mountains at an altitude of 1.318 metres you’ll find Kykkos Monastery, established in the 11th century and dedicated to the Panagia (the Virgin Mary).

It’s the wealthiest monastery of the island, easy to believe by looking at the golden decorations and paintings covering every inch of the walls.

The monastery is an important centre of Orthodox faith that still attracts pilgrims from all over the world; it does attract many tourists as well, and this combined with its tangible richness makes the experience less “spiritual” and more visual, from our perspective.

Still worth a stop.

If all this wandering around makes you feel hungry but you can still survive for approximately one hour and a half, head back towards Paphos and stop at the Fountain of Gerolakkos.

This family-run taverna has a terrace with a stunning view over the valley and a rustic homey decor.

We reached the taverna late afternoon, a bit late for lunchtime and definitely too early for dinner for the Greek standards! Nonetheless, we were welcomed by a kind lady and her daughter who in less than five minutes set up a table for us on the terrace. We were the only guests at the time and enjoyed the sunset all for ourselves. 

We ordered for starters warm pita bread with a superb tzatziki, a tasty loukániko – a traditional pork sausage - and halloumi, then we moved our way up to the mains – slow cooked, heart-warming beef stifado and moussaka, both totally recommended.

QUAD SAFARI: OFF-ROAD ON THE GREEN LINE

A quad tour is probably the best way to enter the UN Buffer zone and observe the more rural inland areas of Cyprus.

We recommend the 2-hour village tour by Quad Bike Safari & Rentals.

This tour company is located at eastern front of Larnaca, close to the sea and the Green Line.

We booked a few weeks in advance, the price was around 50€ pp for a 150cc quad in good conditions - but you can also ask for a more powerful 300cc beast!

We ended up in a group of 10 people, mostly inexperienced with quads, so we spent 30 minutes trying the ATVs out in an empty parking space, making big circles and quick 8's to show the guides we were able to control them on the road.

Don’t worry if you're not comfortable driving them, the guides will let you sit behind another group member for a reduced price.

The tour starts at a slow pace, everyone in a single line, steadily increasing the speed as you get comfortable with it.

Our average cruising speed was about 45 kmph. At the end of the day you'll have driven almost 50 km without even realising it!

You'll definitely love the route planned for this tour, as it starts in the suburbia of Larnaca and almost immediately turns into hilly dirt roads, crossing a quiet countryside touching the picturesque villages of Boroklini, Kellia and Troulli, before arriving to the communal village of Pyla.

The village lies within the buffer zone and the only settlement inhabited by the original mix of Turkish and Greek Cypriots. 

There are a few short breaks to rest the gang in the first kilometres and then a longer stop in Pyla in front of a small United Nations headquarters, where the guide talks about the current situation in Cyprus. 

We felt safe all the time, and the vibration under your bum is actually bearable. Something funny happened as by accident the tank of my quad wasn't filled and I run out of gas in the middle of the road. It was quickly fixed but for a few minutes it was amazing to be left alone, behind everyone, in the middle of nowhere in the Green line.

LARNACA SALT LAKE: FLAMINGOS HOTSPOT

Driving southwest from Larnaca to reach our beach destination of the day, we casually came across the Larnaca Salt Lake, the second largest salt-lake in Cyprus – a solid 2.2 square kilometres! 

According to the legend, the salt originated from Saint Lazarus himself, as an old woman refused to feed him. The irritable saint then made her vines completely dry, transforming her land in the current salt lake.

On the other end, scientists are adamant insisting that the saltiness comes from the proximity with the Mediterranean sea and are due to the porous rocks of the area. Boring! We prefer the legend by far.

During the winter it fills with water and is home to migrating birds, but as it was mid-autumn the lake presented itself as a white stretch of bright white crystallised salt.

We immediately jumped out of the car, camera in hand, and started walking and jumping on this thick crust of salt.

The sunlight reflecting on the surface was just too bright, but far from us on the other side of the lake we could spot a mosque, the Hala Sultan Tekkesi mosque. We felt like stepping on another planet.

A detour here is totally recommended.

MILITZIS TAVERN: FOR HALLOUMI LOVERS

We all know, Cyprus is famous for its halloumi - milky, soft, tasty.

The city of Larnaca, where we stayed for 3 nights using it as a home base to visit the eastern part of the island, is pretty commercial and it’s easy to fall into touristy traps as you stroll along the promenade.

This is not the case for the Militzis Traditional Tavern. 

Located on the promenade with a nice seaside view and slightly detached from the centre, it’s less known by tourists and less crowded. We went there for dinner without a booking and chose a table outside by the sea.

The vibe is relaxed and quite traditional. The old fashioned windmill and stone arch at the entrance; the wooden chairs with straw seats; the green and white checkered tablecloths.

Portions were generous and served with no frills, in simple white dishes.

We went for the house special, the lamb kleftiko cooked in an authentic clay oven, so tender and juicy that literally fell of the bone, and of course a big portion of extra-thick grilled halloumi slices with warm pita bread.

The staff is great and… fun fact! Carolina had decided to wear a short dress for the night - not the wisest choice as sitting bare legs on the wooden chairs with straw seat was pretty uncomfortable. The waiter saw that and brought her a cushion, without saying a word but with a smile on his face.

NICOSIA: THE LAST DIVIDED CAPITAL 

We spent our last day in Nicosia, driving from Larnaca in the morning (1 hour). The moment we left the car and stepped into the Old City we sensed an unexpected vibe, a mixture of cultural richness, tradition and strive for modernity and for change.

The Old City is surrounded by snowflake-shaped walls that were erected by the Venetians as a defence against the Ottomans (spoiler, the defence didn’t work).

The island and the city are physically divided into two parts along the UN Buffer Zone, called the Green Line.

The division is tangible: dead-ends streets, tall white and blue oil-barrel barricades with military surveillance and abandoned houses on the brink of decay.

On each side of the barricade there’s Greek, Cypriot and Turkish flags waving in the wind. You can walk along the Line but no pictures are allowed, the soldiers will scream at you if you point your camera at them.

Away from the Green Line, in the Greek side, the vibe is quite artistic and hipster, with locals playing backgammon in picturesque cafes, tourists visiting museums and churches and cool souvenir shops.

Stop for a break at the charming cafe Pieto in Ledra Street - this pretty place has a vintage retro vibe and offers great coffees, drinks (try the Koups) and traditional cakes.

For a great panoramic spot hit the Shacolas Tower: the 11th floor is an observatory and museum overlooking the whole capital (from there you can see in the mountains the famous flag of Northern Cyprus).

Now make your way to the Turkish side through the Ledra Street pedestrian crossing. This crossing opened in 2008, after 44 years of barricades that made it impossible to move across the occupied areas.

We queued with few other tourists for a quick and painless passport check, and in 10 minutes we were through.

In all honesty, the vibe we were expecting of an area under occupation, poor and in decay was – partially – just a bias.

We spent a couple of hours walking around, but a similar feeling of cultural and historical heritage was there, as it was in the Greek Cypriot area. Yet we must say that it felt less touristy, and not surprisingly poorer.

We visited the beautiful Büyük Han, Cyprus’ best-preserved example of Ottoman caravanserai architecture.

The courtyard is home to cool cafes, while the first floor balcony and cells that originally served as the inn’s sleeping areas have been converted to traditional crafts workshops selling jewellery and textiles. This bit was touristy but still nice.

Worth visiting also the Omeriye Mosque, a former church converted to a mosque in 1571.

Non-Muslims can visit it outside of prayer time by observing the general etiquette: leave shoes at the door, act and dress conservatively (there are scarves at the entrance to cover up your legs, shoulders and head).

The inside of the mosque is very simple, with nearly no decorations other than some Kuran verses painted on the walls. Yet and because of this, it felt like an authentic place for prayers.

PETRA TOU ROMIOU: APHRODITE’S ROCK

If you are moving from one side of Cyprus to the other driving from Paphos to Larnaca (like we did), you can make your first stop of the day at the Aphrodite’s Rock (Petra tou Romiou).

Tips: arrive before noon at Petra tou Romiou, as the bay (pebbles only) is fairly small and gets quickly crowded with tourists eager to see where the Greek goddess of love and beauty was born.

If you like to take panoramic pictures just follow the road that goes up to the Aphrodite Viewpoint.

After a break at Aphrodite’s Rock, get back in the car and drive 40 minutes to your second stop, the Agios Georgios Convent.

If Kykkos Monastery was not enough for your spiritual side, we recommend you visit this ancient convent, founded almost 900 years ago and beautifully surrounded by flower and herb gardens.

The convent is run by a community of nuns who make and sell their own honey and jam there! We bought a jar of delightful fig jam and finished it the following day…

Remember to check the opening hours if you plan to head there in the late afternoon and bring something to cover your legs/shoulder or you will not be allowed in.

TRAVEL TIPS

We flew Thomas Cook from London to Paphos, rented a car with Sixt and spent a few days in Paphos to explore the western part of the island, then made our way to Larnaca to explore the central and eastern part of the island. We left from Larnaca, leaving the car at the airport by paying a small fee.

Driving in Cyprus is on the left and the riving standards are quite poor. You’ll find many one-way streets that are actually not signalled as such on Google Maps.

In case you think of starting your trip from the Turkish area of the island, be aware that any entry to the territory of the Republic of Cyprus via any other port or airport in the Turkish areas of Cyprus is illegal. Therefore make sure you travel via the recognised ports of entry (Larnaca and Paphos International Airports or seaports of Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos and Latsi).

We always slept in AirBnb flats in the city centres, as there’s plenty of choice and a great way to meet the locals.