About Cyprus
The very name Cyprus, it has been said, shimmers with an ages-old mystique. Today,
exercise, history & pleasure are comfortably intertwined on the island. Luxurious
five-star resorts within walking distance of excellent training facilities, on &
off road cycling routes, exciting running trails, well-preserved Greek and Roman
ruins and a wide variety of dinning & night life options offer every amenity
the modern traveller has come to expect and more. 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. The latest co-operation of the island authorities
and the private sector with the British Olympic Association led to a major improvement
in the infrastructure for sports tourism, with Pafos alone boasting 2 Olympic size
50m pools, 3 athletics stadiums and a variety of other training venues and facilities.
Venture away from the seductive 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. 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. Throughout Cyprus, the typically
Mediterranean landscape is still blessed with the timeless beauty of antiquity.
There are crusader fortresses framed by tall cypress trees, Greco-Roman theatres
carved out of cliffs and Byzantine monasteries perched improbably on mountaintops.
Sophisticated cities successfully balance the ancient and modern.
Cyprus is as much a product of its legendary beauty as it is of millennia of competing
empires, all unable to resist the island’s strategic allure of the island.
The perfect location, of course, never goes out of style. Nestled into the eastern
Mediterranean Sea and a veritable crossroads of three continents, Cyprus is the
third largest island in the Mediterranean and one of the 10 new members that joined
EU only last year.
Abundant copper in antiquity put small Cyprus on the map. In fact Cyprus (Kypros
in Greek) gave copper its Latin name: cuprum. As centuries drifted by, the island
came variously under Persian, Assyrian, Egyptian, and Roman rule. It was during
the latter era that Marc Antony, enraptured by the island's sweet wines, gave Cyprus
as a gift to his lover, the matchless Cleopatra. After a long period of Byzantine
domination, European awareness of Cyprus surged with the Crusades. In 1191 a fierce
sea storm led Richard the Lion-heart to put his ship into port at Lemesos. He claimed
the island as his own. From 1489 to 1571 the flag of Venice flew in Cyprus, until
which time the Ottoman Turks moved in. That era ended in 1878 when Cyprus became
part of the British Empire. Despite a turbulent past, or perhaps because of it,
the Cypriots themselves are a resilient people. They have always remained a distinct
culture - different even from their closest cousins, the Greeks - and retained their
unique character. The Republic of Cyprus achieved independence in 1960.
From independent travellers to honeymooners, archaeology enthusiasts to friends
of nature, elite & amateur athletes to sun lovers, to food & wine lovers,
every visitor to Cyprus finds the island offers layer upon layer of discovery. All
these wrapped up in golden sunshine - there are generally 300-plus sunny days per
year - is something few can resist. Even mid-November can feel like summer. It is
still possible to enjoy swimming, while inland excursions to villages and vineyards
for wine tasting can be very enjoyable.
Add it all up and you have an ideally-situated island that truly has no equal.
www.visitcyprus.com