About the Republic of Cyprus
Cyprus is an island of legends that basks year-round in the light of the warm Mediterranean sun. A storied past 10,000 years long has seen civilizations come and go and the likes of everyone from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra stake their claim here - but then, people do tend to get possessive when faced with such beauty. Aphrodite made her home on Cyprus, and travellers throughout antiquity came here just to pay her tribute.
Today Cyprus is a modern country that effortlessly marries European culture with ancient enchantment. Here you will discover a compact world of alluring beaches and fragrant mountain peaks, vineyards studded with olive trees and ancient ruins that stir the imagination, citrus groves and old stone villages where sweet wine flows as freely as conversations at the local cafes. A carefree place where a sense of timelessness is magnified by the kindness of the people.
The Cyprus Mystique The very name Cyprus, it has been said, shimmers with an ages-old mystique. Today, history and hedonism are comfortably intertwined on the island. Ravishing five-star resorts within walking distance of well-preserved Greek and Roman ruins offer every amenity the modern traveller has come to expect and more, from knock-out pools, gardens and beachfronts to state of the art thalassotherapy health spas. One of the most impressive archaeological sites, the ancient city kingdom of Kourion, overlooks a magnificent stretch of beaches with a sparkling blue sea beyond. Along the island's sun-kissed coastline., from Agia Napa in the east to Pafos in the west, world-class beach resorts alternate with settings untouched since antiquity. Venture away from the sybaritic shore - if you can bring yourself to - and succumb to the slow, seductive rhythms of the interior. There are old wine-producing villages with atmospheric winding streets and terraced vineyards. You can often stay the night for a song in cozy renovated traditional houses, part of the Cyprus agro tourism programme. Explore Greek Orthodox churches nestled in the hills whose walls conceal vibrantly painted Byzantine frescoes. Many are found among the pine-covered peaks of the Troodos, where a sublime silence can dissolve all sense of time, not to mention stress.
Love Goddesses and Sacred Mountains Along the route that leads from the port city of Lemesos (Limassol) to Pafos, the roadway opens up to reveal a magnificent stretch of coastline where chalky white cliffs stand watch over a dazzling aquamarine sea. Here sun worshippers make detours for a picnic and a swim at Petra tou Romiou, a boulder that marks the spot where Aphrodite emerged from the sea foam in ancient times. In the Akamas region, hikers exploring the area's rich flora can cool off at the grotto where the love goddess bathed after her amorous interludes. Throughout Cyprus, the typically Mediterranean landscape is still blessed with the timeless beauty of antiquity. There are tall cypress trees, Greco-Roman theatres carved out of cliffs; frame crusader fortresses and Byzantine monasteries perched improbably on mountaintops. Sophisticated cities successfully balance the ancient and modern. The capital, Lefkosia (Nicosia), is surrounded by Venetian walls with heart-shaped bastions; Larnaka, site of the major international airport, is also home to St. Lazarus Church and the crypt of the eponymous saint resurrected by Christ. Near the animated harbor at Pafos are the Roman floor mosaics of the Houses of Aion, Achilles and Dionysus, their depictions of mythological scenes amazingly well preserved.
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