Have you ever imagined having a holiday on a small island where the sun kissed beaches are gently lapped by turquoise seas, where you can enjoy over 300 days of sunshine every year, where there is very little crime and where women and children can safely walk along its streets and beaches at night, where you can visit many ancient churches and archeological sites, where you can find charming rustic villages with traditional shops and houses, where the people are friendly and hospitable, where old meets new, an island steeped in tradition and legend.  Such an island is Cyprus.

The main gateway to the island is through Larnaca International Airport, from here any destination in Cyprus is no more than two and a half hours by car.  Getting around the island is easy, the motorway and main roads are well signposted in English and there is the added benefit of driving on the left hand side of the road.

The best time to visit Cyprus depends upon the kind of experience you wish to have.  The summer months of June to September are hot and the island is awash with tourists.  This is the time of the year to take advantage of the Island’s wonderful beaches.  October and November are quiet months and the temperatures are much more bearable though still quite warm.  December to the end of February are the so called winter months when you can ski on the slopes of the Troodos Mountain Range.  In reality winter doesn’t really start until January, when during the day the sun shines but at night you experience a sudden drop in temperature.  During the winter season the island gets its much needed rain.  March through to May is Spring-time when there is an explosion of colour, the landscape is a sea of green dotted with the various colours of wild flowers.   Cyprus is home to 1800 species and sub species of plants which can be found growing in various parts of the Island.

For bird watchers many migratory species use Cyprus as a stepping stone on their path between Africa and Europe.  Flamingos and other migratory birds can be found on the Larnaca Salt Lake during the months of autumn.
Since 1974 when the island was invaded by Turkish forces there has been a division between the North occupied by Turkish Cypriots and Turkish settlers and the South occupied by Greek Cypriots.  In recent years the restriction of traveling between the South and North of the island has been relaxed and it is now possible, once passing through one of the four checkpoints on the island, to visit places like Kyrenia and Famagusta where a completely different culture and cuisine can be experienced.

Whether it is sightseeing, bird watching, experiencing different cultures, visiting historical sites, skiing or just relaxing on one of the island’s many sun soaked beaches, Cyprus is indeed an island of contrast.