Places to visit in Cyprus
Wherever possible, one of the main cities is used as a base from which to make a series of day trips. Even if you are not actually staying overnight in the base town, it is a good idea to get to it early in the morning for a comfortable day trip.
The six sections are: Nicosia, the lively, historic capital, with trips south to the ancient tombs of Tamassos, the monasteries of Ayio Heraklei¬dos and Macheras; west into the mountains to see the famous frescoes of Assinou church; Larnaca, port and resort, and points west to Hala Sultan Tekke's Moslem shrine, the great Byzantine church at Kiti, Stavrovouni monastery, the Stone Age settlement at Khi-rokitia, and the handicraft vil¬lage of Lefkara; east out to the resort of Ayia Napa, the beaches at Protaras, and Dherinia to see across to Turkish occupied Famagusta; Limassol, proud and cos¬mopolitan port city, and west to the Crusaders' castle of Kolossi, the ancient Greek site of Kourion, and Aphrodite's birthplace; south to Akrotiri beaches and monastery, and a gourmet expedition east to Germasogeia; Troodos Mountains.
If you are not staying overnight in Troodos, the most convenient base is Limassol, within easy reach of the villages of Omod¬os and Platres, Troodos resort itself, Kakopetria, and west to Kykkos monastery and Cedar Valley; Paphos, ancient capital and modem resort, and east to neighbouring Yeroskipos, north to the beaches of Coral Bay, Ayios Neophytos monastery, and mountain villages at the western end of the Troodos range Fyti, Pano Panayia (birthplace of Archbishop Makarios') and Panayia Chrysorroyiatissa monastery and winery; and for walking tours of the Akamas peninsula; Northern Cyprus the starting point for this area is Nicosia from where you can go to the port of Fama¬gusta, ancient Salamis, Kyrenia harbour resort, Bellapais abbey and Crusaders' castles such as St Hilarion.
Those wanting really to get to know Cyprus rather than just to soak up the sun on its beaches should plan to stay in more than one place. If your main destination is at one of the island's extremities ¬Paphos or Ayia Napa it is particularly important to stay at another, more central, loca¬tion such as Nicosia Limassol and Larnaca car hire Although you can pick up car hire from Nicosia, Limassol or Larnaca, the best place to hire a car is Larnaca Airport, where you can pre-book a rental car to save time and money when you arrive in Cyprus.
When you are planning your travels, it is reassuring to know that it is very easy to get from one end to the other of the Mediterranean's third largest island, not least be¬cause of the excellent network of roads. Nicosia in the interi¬or and the south-coast towns of Larnaca and Limassol are linked by motorways (express ways), which are constantly being extended. The coastal highways west to Paphos and east to Ayia Napa are also first rate.
You will find un-paved roads only between the remotest mountain villages. Our Blueprint section at the back of the book gives de¬tailed information about the practical business of getting around. Wherever possible, try to plan your trip with the special events calendar listed in our Festivals section in mind.
Limassol is the place to be if you are on the island for. the pre-Lenten Carnival. The leading monasteries organize spectacular candle light pro¬cessions for Easter (check the Orthodox calendar) and grand pilgrimages on Assumption. Day (August 15).
And wherever you choose to go, your path will be smoother if you take the trouble to learn just five words of Greek: Kalimera, 'Good morning'; Kalispera, 'Good afternoon'; Kalinikta, 'Good night'; Parakalo, 'Please' and Efcharisto, 'Thank you'. Amid the animated prosperity of the town's southern sector, it is easy to forget the stretches of wall and barbed wire that make the divided capital a reluctant successor to Berlin.
Although you can visit it only as part of the Turkish occupied zone, include northern Nicosia to maintain a sense of the town's single identity. Nicosia (Lejkosia in Greek, Lejkosha in Turkish). Cyprus's only inland city, with excellent hotel, restaurant, shopping and entertainment possibilities while for tour¬ists, Nicosia makes a good base for sightseeing excursions.
Nicosia Cyprus car hire
The best way to look around Nicosia is to hire a car in the city or from Larnaca Airport, Cyprus.Nicosia's history goes back to Neolithic times. Situated near the ancient site of Ledra, today's city was founded in the 4th century Be by Lefkon, son of Ptolemy I of Egypt. The origins of the name Lefkosia are uncertain. It could have been inspired by Lefkon him¬self or by the word lefki ('pop¬ular' in Greek). With the arrival of the Lusignans in the 12th century AD, the city was dubbed Nicosie (transformed by the British into Nicosia).
When coastal towns like Paphos and Salamis came under attack in the early 7th century AD, the population shifted to the interior and Nicosia became the chief city of the island. Under the Lusig¬nans, Nicosia evolved into a splendid capital city. From the 12th to the 15th centuries, Nicosia's golden age, castles, churches and monasteries in French Gothic style were constructed. Just prior to the Turkish invasion of 1570, Venetians built the massive defensive wall, which is still standing.
When the Ottoman Turks took over after a sixweek siege, 20,000 citizens lost their lives. Resistance to Ottoman rule flared up into outright re¬bellion in 1821, but the Turks suppressed the revolt. Nicosia suffered an outbreak of cholera in 1835 and a disas¬trous fire in 1857.
And the heaviest fighting of the 1974 Turkish invasion took place here (some old bombed build¬ings are still deserted or serve as warehouses). But the buoy¬ant city has survived all that to retain fascinating architec¬tural reminders of past rulers, whether Lusignan, Venetian, Turkish or British. Indepen¬dence and the post partition era have spawned an array of functional office blocks that do at least testify to the town's economic vigour.
The six sections are: Nicosia, the lively, historic capital, with trips south to the ancient tombs of Tamassos, the monasteries of Ayio Heraklei¬dos and Macheras; west into the mountains to see the famous frescoes of Assinou church; Larnaca, port and resort, and points west to Hala Sultan Tekke's Moslem shrine, the great Byzantine church at Kiti, Stavrovouni monastery, the Stone Age settlement at Khi-rokitia, and the handicraft vil¬lage of Lefkara; east out to the resort of Ayia Napa, the beaches at Protaras, and Dherinia to see across to Turkish occupied Famagusta; Limassol, proud and cos¬mopolitan port city, and west to the Crusaders' castle of Kolossi, the ancient Greek site of Kourion, and Aphrodite's birthplace; south to Akrotiri beaches and monastery, and a gourmet expedition east to Germasogeia; Troodos Mountains.
If you are not staying overnight in Troodos, the most convenient base is Limassol, within easy reach of the villages of Omod¬os and Platres, Troodos resort itself, Kakopetria, and west to Kykkos monastery and Cedar Valley; Paphos, ancient capital and modem resort, and east to neighbouring Yeroskipos, north to the beaches of Coral Bay, Ayios Neophytos monastery, and mountain villages at the western end of the Troodos range Fyti, Pano Panayia (birthplace of Archbishop Makarios') and Panayia Chrysorroyiatissa monastery and winery; and for walking tours of the Akamas peninsula; Northern Cyprus the starting point for this area is Nicosia from where you can go to the port of Fama¬gusta, ancient Salamis, Kyrenia harbour resort, Bellapais abbey and Crusaders' castles such as St Hilarion.
Those wanting really to get to know Cyprus rather than just to soak up the sun on its beaches should plan to stay in more than one place. If your main destination is at one of the island's extremities ¬Paphos or Ayia Napa it is particularly important to stay at another, more central, loca¬tion such as Nicosia Limassol and Larnaca car hire Although you can pick up car hire from Nicosia, Limassol or Larnaca, the best place to hire a car is Larnaca Airport, where you can pre-book a rental car to save time and money when you arrive in Cyprus.
When you are planning your travels, it is reassuring to know that it is very easy to get from one end to the other of the Mediterranean's third largest island, not least be¬cause of the excellent network of roads. Nicosia in the interi¬or and the south-coast towns of Larnaca and Limassol are linked by motorways (express ways), which are constantly being extended. The coastal highways west to Paphos and east to Ayia Napa are also first rate.
You will find un-paved roads only between the remotest mountain villages. Our Blueprint section at the back of the book gives de¬tailed information about the practical business of getting around. Wherever possible, try to plan your trip with the special events calendar listed in our Festivals section in mind.
Limassol is the place to be if you are on the island for. the pre-Lenten Carnival. The leading monasteries organize spectacular candle light pro¬cessions for Easter (check the Orthodox calendar) and grand pilgrimages on Assumption. Day (August 15).
And wherever you choose to go, your path will be smoother if you take the trouble to learn just five words of Greek: Kalimera, 'Good morning'; Kalispera, 'Good afternoon'; Kalinikta, 'Good night'; Parakalo, 'Please' and Efcharisto, 'Thank you'. Amid the animated prosperity of the town's southern sector, it is easy to forget the stretches of wall and barbed wire that make the divided capital a reluctant successor to Berlin.
Although you can visit it only as part of the Turkish occupied zone, include northern Nicosia to maintain a sense of the town's single identity. Nicosia (Lejkosia in Greek, Lejkosha in Turkish). Cyprus's only inland city, with excellent hotel, restaurant, shopping and entertainment possibilities while for tour¬ists, Nicosia makes a good base for sightseeing excursions.
Nicosia Cyprus car hire
The best way to look around Nicosia is to hire a car in the city or from Larnaca Airport, Cyprus.Nicosia's history goes back to Neolithic times. Situated near the ancient site of Ledra, today's city was founded in the 4th century Be by Lefkon, son of Ptolemy I of Egypt. The origins of the name Lefkosia are uncertain. It could have been inspired by Lefkon him¬self or by the word lefki ('pop¬ular' in Greek). With the arrival of the Lusignans in the 12th century AD, the city was dubbed Nicosie (transformed by the British into Nicosia).
When coastal towns like Paphos and Salamis came under attack in the early 7th century AD, the population shifted to the interior and Nicosia became the chief city of the island. Under the Lusig¬nans, Nicosia evolved into a splendid capital city. From the 12th to the 15th centuries, Nicosia's golden age, castles, churches and monasteries in French Gothic style were constructed. Just prior to the Turkish invasion of 1570, Venetians built the massive defensive wall, which is still standing.
When the Ottoman Turks took over after a sixweek siege, 20,000 citizens lost their lives. Resistance to Ottoman rule flared up into outright re¬bellion in 1821, but the Turks suppressed the revolt. Nicosia suffered an outbreak of cholera in 1835 and a disas¬trous fire in 1857.
And the heaviest fighting of the 1974 Turkish invasion took place here (some old bombed build¬ings are still deserted or serve as warehouses). But the buoy¬ant city has survived all that to retain fascinating architec¬tural reminders of past rulers, whether Lusignan, Venetian, Turkish or British. Indepen¬dence and the post partition era have spawned an array of functional office blocks that do at least testify to the town's economic vigour.
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