Cyprus is a relatively small island in the Eastern Mediterranean, nearer to Turkey than Greece by far, (see it on a map here) but having a natural affiliation with Mother Greece, it is still divided by a green line, with a Greek speaking and a Turkish speaking population (which used to be a mix of 80% Greek speaking to 18% Turkish speaking, 2% other nationalities such as English, Maronite etc ) with a United Nations presence to 'keep the peace'. This site is about Cyprus , mostly the Greek speaking side as the 'other' side was illegally occupied by Turkish troops since the invasion in 1974. Now that the Greek 'Republic of Cyprus' has joined the European Union it looks as though we may all come to live happily with each other again , as it was in the past. There will still be disputes about land and ownership of property, but the most important aspect, communication between people, is on the up.
If you are doing a project on Cyprus, take a look at the part of Window on Cyprus which is dedicated to that, which you can find here.
If your interest is politics - it is not ours, so you wont find the party kind here, just what we consider to be the real * politics of life , saving the planet, improving the standard of living for all creatures on our planet, including humans and achieving a fairness which would mean true equality for all.
*(Politis is a Greek word meaning citizen or sales person, depending on the type of 'o' you use and the accents you put in - hmmm that explains a lot! Combine it and you have, selling the citizen - take it as you like but I think that would be an more interesting definition )
If you would like to visit Cyprus, either for a holiday or on business, we will be happy to point you in the right direction for hotels or self catering accommodation ranging from villas and apartments to quaint old houses in authentic settings. We can also tell you where to get information on and book all kinds of activities here from simple pleasures such as sightseeing, cycling, climbing, flying, dancing, dining, diving, riding and all the other outdoor activities which are a pleasure in this climate to the lesser know available services from getting married here to hiring a disabled scooter for the duration of your stay.
For those interested in archaeology or history, this is a wonderful place to find remnants of many civilisations from thousands of years before the start of our calendar to recent colonial times.
It is useful to knowwhat's on , and where, you will find recommendations for outlets and servicess that we have experienced to be good in their particular field and would recommend to our friends.
Post or find local events on the events in Cyprus pages,or try the section for the area or town you intend visiting on the Cyprus art site.
There is so much to do in all areas of Cyprus that it's not easy to know where to start, but because we live on an island the sea is first in line.
You can get here by ferry, but at the moment only in the summer months, unless you have your own boat, in which case we have a growing number of marinas.
CruiseCyprus.com offers ferry passages in and out and has a number of short cruises to the nearby countries of Egypt, Israel, Syria and Jordan as well as having a number of longer cruises to Rhodes and the Greek Islands in the summer months, which are from April to November.
Visit our Shipping and Boats sections if that is what you are looking for
The beaches mostly on the southern side are generally sand. Bboys mark swimming areas and boat corridors. It is easy to find a safe and sheltered place for your children to swim, and in the more touristy areas you can enjoy a drink or a meal practically at the waters edge while you watch them.
Ayia Napa has become a popular tourist destination, mainly because of its nice beaches, the colour of the water (that inviting turquoise blue) and the intense night life. Most of the tourist areas have the seaweed cleared from them in the spring and are generally clean and presentable. If it's not sunny or if the children get bored take a look at kids stuff for an alternative or a bedtime story. (Do you or your kids have a birthday whilst you are here?)
If youare a water sports enthusiast, Cyprus has loads to offer, for starters we have Windsurfing and Boat trips or Yacht charter and you can learn to dive with the help of our Diving section
We have a large selection of boats for sale and wanted, and if you don't yet have your own but either know what you are doing or want to learn we can help you find the right yacht to have fun with on our crew wanted and available spot, the waters around Cyprus are perfect for sailing, water sports and water skiing.
Harping on about water for a moment, we used to have to conserve water in Cyprus, it is a small island with a population that fluctuates drastically in the summer months. The way we used to cope with the problem was by rationing water to residents (usually supplied only 3 days a week) We then built the desalination plant, which has made a big difference to the supply and availability.
Coarse fishing in fresh water dams is another activity we cover, whether you want bait and takle or to have a day fishing for carp we can arrange licences and everything else you may need for a successful day out.
If you are like riding either horses or donkeys, then check out riding and trekking in Paphos, Protaras or Larnaca and a very exciting horse racing day at the Nicosia Race club, which is ranked as one of the most picturesque courses in the world. The friends of the Cyprus Donkey are doing a great job to retire our old and unwanted donkeys.
In the Troodos mountains you can go skiing in the winter when there is snow (from November until March, but of course it is not exactly scheduled that well) with lovely cool days in the summer, there is a wealth of impresive scenery and some very interesting villages to visit, and if you didn't bring the right footwear or clothes for these activities, don't worry, we have an answer, take a look at our clothing section to find an outlet.
If you are interested in history or archaeology or you just like old things, then there is almost too much for you to see and do here, quaint little churches where you have to get the key from the old priest in the village, ruins that you can walk through, exploring without fences or barriers.
You will find places of interest and museums on the page relevant to the area you are going to visit. Maps can be perused at www.cyprus
Maybe you would like to go flying and get a birds eye view if the island, or take a safari tour or adventure trek through the Akamas, or Troodos. Hire a car or go on one of the many coach trips that are available
The night life here is anything you want it to be, you can find anything from English pubs, restaurants, cabarets, disco's and theme bars to all night restaurants and places of entertainment with live music and shows. The streets are not deserted here at 3am, especially in Ayia Napa
Booze and cigarettes here are still cheap and it is not the best environment to give up smoking (C£1,75 a pack of 20 in 2006), The wines here are improving in quality and experimentation with cocktails and mixes will play a large part of your holiday if your'e a drinker at all, we certainly have the facilities at prices that make it viable, even since we joined the EEC.
In fact I would say that Cyprus has just about everything that you could want, from a holiday destination or as a retirement home, No longer so useful as an offshore company base, but is still a safer place to bring up your children they can still play on a beach and talk to strangers, who if they are locals are being friendly because they like children. Children are not only tolerated in Cyprus, they are actively encouraged, you will find children in the restaurants and bouzouki halls, they are included in their parents recreation time and not just left at home with the babysitter. See schools and education here for personal reviews and some of the schooling options.
If you go to the Cyprus page, you will discover camping and caravan sites, Youth hostels, Tourism offices information, daily exchange currency conversion rates, medical care info, alternatives, how to buy a duty free car , or rent one for your holiday and where to not to fill it up with petrol. (You can even get your weekly sidereal horoscope done here as long as Pete has not gone walkabout) hire a villa, apartment or old agrotourism house and more. These are what sponsor this site.
There are animals and wildlife pages where you can find Cyprus' own Mouflon, passing flamingo's and the Pasha butterfly. The marine life you are likely to encounter is going to be added to as soon as we see some, and the fishing section is growing. If you are interested in the fate of the sea, please sign our online petition if you agree with it. And the PinkPeace pages are here, do peek.
If you wish to buy or rent a property in Cyprus, we have a new section for you where you can find New properties, older properties and rentals. You can also fill in an online form so that we can notify you when the property with your name on it comes up. Check our buyers guide on the pitfalls to avoid when purchasing. If you are moving to Cyprus, or you are an alien here already, or if you are a Cypriot in outer space come and tell us in this aliens section.
To order a book online, with everything from The Cyprus Business Guide to that elusive Robert Service Anthology that you've just remembered.
We would love you to sign our like it or hate it page, and if you have any comments or questions will try to get back to you, leave your email if you want a personal reply.
We also have a views page in which you are welcome to air your views on any subject which is related to Cyprus, and we invite you to give a mention to anything of interest about Cyprus that we have not already covered and especially to provide feedback, recommendations or comments on any services which you find in Cyprus that you think people would be interested to share or avoid. Please also comment on the services and holidays which we have delivered to you via the holiday page.
If you want any help in finding a holiday package to suit your needs, fill in our holiday form, and we promise to do our best ! Here you can specify your interests and we will send you info and prices. And from there, you will find links to lovely old houses to rent for your ...Agrotourism. or Hotels or Villas
Cyprus-shopping is a general shopping site, do tell us what you would like to see in there and we will do our best. Gosh this page is getting long, time to move on I think.We have provided a search page, and it works now we hope ! happy hunting. We also have many classified sections, find them all, from penfriends to educational vacancies.
Our new 'Disabled facilities index leads you to find out where the facilities are, the trips, the hotels that really do cater for your needs etc. So a family holiday in a villa or hotel in Cyprus is a distinct possibility, and as awareness grows, so will the facilities provided. We now have a small fleet of mobility scooters to call on, but do be aware that in the summer months they are booked up well in advance, so the best thing to do is reserve your rascal as soon as you know your dates.
