Panagia Forviotissa

Cyprus

　　This Unesco-listed church is in a stunning setting on the perimeter of the Adelfi Forest 4km southwest of Nikitari village. Dedicated to the Virgin of ‘Phorbiottissa’, it has arguably the finest set of vibrant and colourful Byzantine frescos in the Troödos Mountains. They date from the 12th to the 17th...

Lady’s Mile Beach

Cyprus

　　This 7km stretch of hard-packed sand and pebbles is a popular weekend beach. Named after a horse belonging to a colonial governor who exercised his mare here, it runs south beyond Lemesos’ New Port and along the eastern side of the British-controlled Akrotiri Peninsula. Keep driving away from the blight...

Kykkos Monastery

Cyprus

　　The island’s most prosperous and opulent Orthodox monastery was founded in the 11th century by Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komninos after a bizarre series of events. Over the centuries, a series of fires all but destroyed the original monastery. The surviving building, an imposing and well-maintained structure, dates from 1831....

Venetian Walls

Cyprus

　　Defining the Old Town, these imposing ramparts were constructed by the Venetians in the early 16th century. Although over 15m high and up to 8m thick, and surrounded by a now-waterless moat, the ramparts failed to keep the Ottomans at bay in 1571. 　　Like their counterpart in Nicosia (Lefkosia), Famagusta’s...

St Hilarion Castle

Cyprus

　　The full fairy-tale outline of St Hilarion Castle only becomes apparent once you’re directly beneath it. The stone walls and half-ruined buildings blend into the rocky landscape, creating a dreamscape castle plucked from a child’s imagination, complete with hidden rooms, tunnels and crumbling towers. 　　The site has three main parts:...

Ancient Kourion

Cyprus

　　Defiantly perched on a hillside, with a sweeping view of the surrounding patchwork fields and the sea, Ancient Kourion is a spectacular site. Most likely founded in neolithic times due to its strategic position high on a bluff, it became a permanent settlement in about the 13th century BC, when...

Pantahou Beach

Agia Napa

　　Starting from Agia Napa’s fishing harbour, this strip of sand swings east for 1km. It has loads of eating and snacking options, and bundles of activities on offer. Be aware that it gets extremely crowded in July and August. ...

Makronissos Tombs

Agia Napa

　　Overlooking the sea, this ancient necropolis of 19 tombs cut into the rock is attributed to the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The chambers are practically identical, with wide steps leading down into the simple tombs, which have stone benches originally designed to hold sarcophagi. The site was heavily looted during...

Agia Napa Monastery

Agia Napa

　　Surreally surrounded by modern temples to partying, this beautiful monastery is a serene reminder of the great history of Agia Napa. Built in 1500 by the Venetians, it protects a cave in which an icon of the Virgin Mary was hidden during the iconoclasm of the 7th and 8th centuries....

Thalassa Municipal Museum of the Sea

Agia Napa

　　Dedicated to all things relating to the sea, this contemporary museum shows the enormous impact the ocean has had on Cypriot life and culture. 　　The museum covers more than 700 years of maritime history, and is home to an exact replica of the famed 3rd-century BC Kyrenia shipwreck, the remains...

Kermia Beach

Agia Napa

　　Ideal for those who prefer a quiet spot where they can find a sunbed, Kermia Beach is about 2km east of Agia Napa towards Cape Greco. This is a wonderfully secluded beach with golden sands and a rock break. A great choice for families. ...

Nissi Beach

Agia Napa

　　Agia Napa's main attraction, Nissi Beach boasts shallow crystal-clear water, soft white sand and a picturesque rock island about 60m from its shore. It's widely regarded as one of the prettiest stretches of sand on the island, but do be aware that its fame means in summer it gets jam-packed....

Ağa Cafer Pașa Mosque

Kyrenia (Girne)

　　This mosque was built in the 16th century by Cyprus governor Ağa Cafer Paşa. ...

St Andrew's Anglican Church

Kyrenia (Girne)

　　Built in 1913, this unassuming, whitewashed church still holds Sunday services for Kyrenia's small Anglican community of foreign residents. ...

Greco-Roman Tombs

Kyrenia (Girne)

　　These ancient tombs, carved into the rock face, and usually partially obscured by parked vehicles, are thought to have been used in the Hellenistic and Roman eras. ...

Chysopolitissa Church

Kyrenia (Girne)

　　This small roofless ruin is Kyrenia's oldest church, dating back to the 1500s. It's usually kept open so you can check out the two intricately carved wood beams inside. ...

Cyprus House

Kyrenia (Girne)

　　This lovingly restored old carob warehouse on the harbour contains interesting ethnographic exhibits of traditional clothing, furniture and Cypriot textile craftwork. There are also displays on the harbour’s history as a major trading port exporting carob to Europe. ...

Archangelos Michael Icon Museum

Kyrenia (Girne)

　　The 19th-century Archangelos Michael Church, with its white bell tower rising up above the surrounding harbourside buildings, displays icons dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. The collection is made up of icons salvaged from Orthodox churches throughout Northern Cyprus. Notable depictions include Saint George and the Dragon, the beheading...

Old Town

Kyrenia (Girne)

　　Wrapping around the Old Harbour, the diminutive Old Town is an atmospheric area for a wander. Its winding alleyways hold a jumble of abandoned stone buildings slowly slipping into disrepair, mixed with newer concrete additions. 　　Modest remnants of Kyrenia's long history are speckled throughout the lanes. Two of the major...

Kyrenia Castle

Kyrenia (Girne)

　　If the grand fortifications of Kyrenia Castle could talk, they could sure tell some tales. The castle was first built by the Byzantines – possibly over the remains of an earlier Roman fort – and every era of conquerors from Richard the Lionheart to the Ottomans has added its own...

Medieval Museum

Lemesos (Limassol)

　　This museum is an interesting hotchpotch of Byzantine and medieval artefacts, including tombstones, weaponry, Ottoman pottery, religious objects and a suit of armour (sadly a copy). ...

Lemesos Zoo

Lemesos (Limassol)

　　This small zoo is well maintained and has a selection of animals ranging from giraffes to crocodiles. Pony rides are available for kids (€3) and there's also a handy large playground right next door. The zoo is within Lemesos’ leafy Municipal Gardens, 1.5km from the central old town by walking...

Cyprus Theatre Museum

Lemesos (Limassol)

　　This former private collection belonging to an enthusiastic amateur actor offers a fascinating glimpse into the history of theatre in Cyprus through photographs, scale models, costumes, posters and audiovisual exhibits. The collection stretches back to the ancient theatres of the Hellenistic and Roman periods and ends with the current theatre...

Grand Mosque

Lemesos (Limassol)

　　At the heart of the old Turkish quarter, the Grand Mosque is surrounded by palms almost as tall as its minaret. It is used by Lemesos' remaining Turkish Cypriot population and resident Muslims who have come from the Middle East. As with any mosque, visitors are requested to dress conservatively;...

Archaeological Museum

Lemesos (Limassol)

　　This museum includes an extensive collection of pottery, and a selection of items dating from neolithic and Chalcolithic times through to Mycenaean pottery. A multitude of terracotta figures on show are thought to be the remains of votive offerings. There is a display of classical pottery, jewellery and oil lamps,...

Limassol Marina

Lemesos (Limassol)

　　With haute-couture boutiques, world-class art galleries, gourmet restaurants, stylish bars and, if that's not enough, a place to park your luxury yacht, Limassol Marina provides a visual feast of unabashed opulence and is worthy of a wander around. ...

Municipal Folk Art Museum

Lemesos (Limassol)

　　Spread over six rooms and a past winner of the prestigious Europa Nostra Award (EU prize for cultural heritage), this museum hosts beautiful ethnographical displays of traditional costumes, furniture and agricultural implements as well as some stunning examples of tornaretto embroidery (a traditional style of silk needlework) and other textiles....

Lemesos Castle

Lemesos (Limassol)

　　This 14th-century structure, built over the remains of a Byzantine castle, has been utilised by conquerors throughout Cyprus’ turbulent history. The Venetians vandalised it; the Ottomans gave it a facelift for military use; and the British used it as a colonial prison. It is said that Richard the Lionheart married...

Grand Mosque

Larnaka

　　Located at the beginning of Larnaka’s Turkish quarter, with its maze of sleepy whitewashed streets, the Grand Mosque is the spiritual home of Larnaka’s Muslim community. Left untouched when the Turkish community dispersed in 1974, it now predominantly serves Muslims from North Africa. 　　Originally built in the 16th century as...

Larnaka Fort

Larnaka

　　Built in the Lusignan era, the fort stands at the water’s edge and separates the Finikoudes promenade from the old Turkish quarter. Its present form is a result of remodelling by the Ottomans around 1605. 　　The courtyard is home to some medieval tombstone exhibits and old cannons, and you can...

Turkish Quarter

Larnaka

　　Strolling the streets of the old Turkish neighbourhood of Skala is a glimpse into the Cyprus of old. This quaint district is a watercolour-worthy scene of squat cottages with peeling whitewash, coloured window shutters and flowerpot-studded doorways. Road signs here still carry their Turkish names, a reminder of Larnaka’s mixed...

Byzantine Museum

Larnaka

　　Located in the courtyard of the Agios Lazaros complex, this museum originally contained many priceless relics and artefacts. Unfortunately, much of the collection was on loan to Lemesos’ Archaeological Museum in the 1960s when sectarian violence broke out and the museum was looted. All that remains is the original catalogue...

Makenzy Beach

Larnaka

　　Larnaka's most popular beach has all the facilities needed for a day in the sun, including plenty of cafes and restaurants rimming the promenade. It’s about 2km south of the central city, straight down Piyale Pasha. 　　Seaside snoozes on your sunbed can be somewhat interrupted by the planes taking off...

Pierides Archaeological Foundation

Larnaka

　　This museum was established in 1839 by Demetrios Pierides as a protective answer to the region’s notorious tomb raiders and the illegal selling of the area's precious artefacts. 　　The collection, expanded by Pierides’ descendants, is housed in the family mansion, built in 1825. It features artefacts from all over the...

Agios Lazaros

Larnaka

　　This 9th-century church is dedicated to Lazarus of Bethany, whom Jesus is said to have resurrected four days after his death. The church itself is an astounding example of Byzantine architecture, and further restoration in the 17th century saw Latinate and Orthodox influences added to the building, most prominently in...

Zenobia

Larnaka

　　For divers, the one reason to come to Larnaka is to explore the Zenobia, a Swedish-built cargo ship that sank just off the coast of Larnaka in 1980. Classed as one of the top five wreck dives in the world, the Zenobia and its cargo of trucks lie scattered across...

Grivas Museum & Monument

Pafos

　　This unusual museum is located 4km north of Kato Pafos on the spot where the caïque Agios Georgios (now the museum’s prime exhibit), captained by EOKA rebel Georgios Grivas, landed in November 1954. It carried a large supply of arms and munitions, with the aim of overthrowing British colonial rule....

Pafos Castle

Pafos

　　This small fort guards the harbour entrance and is entered by a small stone bridge over a moat. In 2017, to commemorate Pafos' stint as European Capital of Culture, the former dungeons used by the Ottomans were transformed into spaces for contemporary-art installations, an initiative that is set to continue....

Ecclesiastical Museum

Pafos

　　This noteworthy museum is worth visiting for its ecclesiastical vestments, vessels, copies of scripture and collection of impressive icons, including a 9th-century representation of Agia Marina, thought to be the oldest icon on the island, and an unusual double-sided icon from Filousa dating from the 13th century. Also of note...

Agia Paraskevi

Pafos

　　One of the loveliest churches in the Pafos area is this six-domed Byzantine church in Geroskipou, 4.5km east of Pafos. Most of the surviving frescos date back to the 15th century AD. The first frescos visible when entering are the Last Supper, the Washing of Feet and the Betrayal. A...

Sanctuary of Aphrodite

Pafos

　　A World Heritage Site, the sanctuary is recognised as being one of the most important ancient sites related to Aphrodite in Cyprus and yet it is arguably the least known. The sprawling site includes the 12th-century conical stone that represented the goddess until Roman times, the ruins of a Roman...

Hrysopolitissa Basilica

Pafos

　　This fascinating site was home to one of Pafos’ largest religious structures. What remains are the foundations of a 4th-century Christian basilica, which aptly demonstrates the size and magnificence of the original church, destroyed during Arab raids in 653. Several magnificent marble columns remain from the colonnades, while others lie...

Tombs of the Kings

Pafos

　　Imagine yourself surrounded by ancient tombs in a desertlike landscape where the only sounds are waves crashing on rocks. The Tombs of the Kings, a Unesco World Heritage Site, contains a set of well-preserved underground tombs and chambers used by residents of Nea Pafos during the Hellenistic and Roman periods,...

Pafos Archaeological Site

Pafos

　　Nea Pafos (New Pafos) is, ironically, the name given to the sprawling Pafos Archaeological Site, to the west of Kato Pafos. Nea Pafos was the ancient city of Pafos, founded in the late 4th century BC and originally encircled by massive walls. Despite being ceded to the Romans in 58...

Samanbahçe Quarter

North Nicosia (Lefkoşa)

　　This neighbourhood of whitewashed terraced cottages, tucked off Girne Caddesi, was Cyprus' first social housing project. Built in the early 20th century, the 70 houses were all constructed using local materials and with careful consideration given to the island's climatic conditions, resulting in traditional mudbrick walls and hasır (thatched reed)...