Traveling Rockhopper

The Holy Monastery of the Virgin of Kykkos (Orthodox) lies at 1318 m above sea level, in a nice mountain scenery.
The monastery was founded in about 11th century.

Cyprus is a home of a delicious cheese called Halloumi.
Try it while being in Cyprus!
In general, the Cypriot cuisine offers many tasty dishes.

On today’s picture, you can see a unique road we found while driving through the mountains in Cyprus – with a tree in the middle of the road! 😀

Cyprus is an island, so it’s surrounded by water. However, because of its location, it actually suffers from a chronic shortage of water.
Well, not enough rain; too many people; not so easy…

Well, Cyprus is a very interesting and nice island, so you don’t really need a reason. 😉
But two main things that probably drive people to go to Cyprus are coast and history.
You can enjoy the weather, relax by the sea and explore the ancient sites (well, dating from the New Stone Age through to the Roman Empire).

Learn more from visitcyprus.com.
As they write: “Cyprus is an open-air museum of prehistoric settlements, classical Greek temples, Roman theaters and villas, Early Christian basilicas, Byzantine churches and monasteries, Crusader castles, Gothic cathedrals, Venetian fortifications, Moslem mosques, and British colonial-style buildings.” 🙂

Spring and autumn are the best periods to visit Cyprus.
It’s still nicely warm, but not extremely hot; and it’s usually not so crowded as in summer.
In winter, some places may be closed, so check details before planning your holidays.
I was in Cyprus in May and it was perfect. 🙂

Nicosia has an International Airport, however it’s been closed since 1974.
It’s located inside the UN Buffer Zone.

Currently, Larnaca serves the main airport of the Republic of Cyprus.

Nicosia (Lefkosia) is a nice city and worth visiting from both sides.
It should be easy and not problematic to cross “the boarder” on foot; but you should start from the Republic of Cyprus.

Enjoy small streets, old buildings and nice cafes.

Nicosia (Lefkosia) is a divided capital of Cyprus.
The city is “cut” in two, i.e., its northern part is a capital of Northern Cyprus and the southern part is a capital of the Republic of Cyprus.

The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is kind of border line between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It was established in 1964. It covers about 4% of the island’s area.

Cyprus is divided between two countries and cultures of Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
The situation is complicated and affects travelers, that’s why I mention about it.
Otherwise, it’s a travel blog, so I avoid to talk about politics.

And also while being in Cyprus, it’s better to avoid discussions about it…

The official languages of Cyprus are Greek and Turkish.
English is also widely spoken, that is very convenient for tourists.

Sanctuary of Apollo is another Archeological Site in Akrotiri, Cyprus. It’s located about 2 km from Kourion. So don’t forget to visit is, while being in Kourion.
Sanctuary of Apollo is a relatively small place, and I had the impression that not so many people visit it; at least it felt quite calm. 🙂

Kourion is a world heritage Archeological Site located in Akrotiri, Cyprus.
It’s one of the most famous tourist attraction of Cyprus, with many mosaics.
Definitely, it’s worth visiting!

Akrotiri and Dhekelia are actually 2 sites; Akrotiri is located nearby Limassol; Dhekelia is near Larnaca. They both have open borders with the Republic of Cyprus and a few tourist attraction are located there as well.

Akrotiri and Dhekelia is the Sovereign Base Areas or a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus. It was created in 1960; covers about 3% of the land area of Cyprus; and includes British military bases.

When you’re in Cyprus, it’s still easy to have the impression that the UK had something to do with the island. 😉
The most obvious examples are left side of driving and British plugs.

Cyprus spent many years under British administration.
It gained its independence in 1960.

It would be natural to think that island of Cyprus belongs to the Republic of Cyprus.
But it’s not true…

There are actually 4 political areas on the island of Cyprus:
-the Republic of Cyprus (recognized internationally);
-the occupied part of Cyprus – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (not recognized internationally);
-the UN buffer zone – kind of border line between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (it’s about 4% of the island’s area);
-Akrotiri and Dhekelia – the British military sovereign base areas.

Cyprus is treated like a European country, however, geographically, it rather belongs to Asia.

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia).