What to do in Cyprus. What to do in Cyprus? Active recreation and entertainment
For advanced air passengers, he told me what things should be avoided in Cyprus if you want only positive memories from your vacation.
Perhaps this summer you will go on holiday to Cyprus. Perhaps even for the first time. And even if not for the first time, our advice may be useful to you. We have collected 10 things that you cannot do in Cyprus: it will not be the best waste of time and money. And each, of course, has an alternative.
So, once in Cyprus, you should not:
Buy halloumi cheese in hotel supermarkets
Halloumi can be fried either in a frying pan or on a grill. Delivering cheese packed in film - no problem
And in general in supermarkets in tourist areas. It is quite expensive there and often at the same time cheap - in the sense that in order to reduce the cost, cow's milk is added to halloumi, while the real one is prepared only from goat and sheep's milk. In hotels, by the way, they often fry it incorrectly, in thin slices - so it seems that the portion is larger. In fact, the correct thickness is about a centimeter.
For real halloumi, you can go, for example, to a donkey farm in the vicinity of Ayia Napa. No, that doesn't mean they add donkey milk to it, it's just a fun tourist attraction with a "village" theme. The cross-country donkey ride included in the program at first glance smacks of terry pop, but in fact it impresses even those who have always been indifferent to “riding a horse.”
Trying to get into Varosha
Varosha is an abandoned resort on the demarcation line between the Republic of Cyprus and the unrecognized territory captured by the Turks. Photos on the Internet attract lovers of post-apocalyptic landscapes, but in fact, the “object” is well guarded by the Turkish military, who, by the way, vacation there semi-legally, so it will not be possible to get there undetected.
If you need to “just look”, this can be done, firstly, during a boat trip from Ayia Napa: the boat comes quite close, everyone is given binoculars, and the line of gradually crumbling hotels along the beach can be studied in detail. Secondly, almost at the very “border” (Greek Cypriots do not consider it as such, because the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” is considered a temporarily occupied territory, much like Crimea by the Ukrainians) there is a museum of occupation, from the roof of which everything is also perfectly visible through binoculars, and here they will talk in detail about what happened in 1974.
Varosha from the Museum of Occupation. Grab your binoculars and go!
Thirdly, if you’re going to wander around, the Berengaria Hotel in the western part of the island looks much more interesting, where you can stop by on the way to the Kykkos Monastery, or even instead of the monastery.
Checkpoint at the “border” in Famagusta
Drive a rental car to Turtle Beach
This mosaic at Larnaca airport was actually taken from the abandoned Nicosia airport. Compared to the 1967 version, not all fragments have been preserved
Lara Beach is a place worth visiting. It is not a fact that you will see sea turtles that lay eggs there, but the place itself is quiet, deserted and surprisingly clean even by the standards of Cyprus, where the cleanliness of the beaches is one of the main advantages for vacationers. However, if you go there in a rental car, then, firstly, you will drive for a very long time. Secondly, there is a risk of breaking the road tires on sharp stones on the road (and this is an unpaved road that runs mainly on rocky soil).
On the beach, you will most likely only see fences around turtle nests. Large turtles come to lay eggs at night, and small turtles, as you understand, do not hatch every day either, but after hatching, they immediately crawl to the sea and swim away
Thirdly, although there is no outright off-road in the Russian sense (swamp), it is easy to put a bumper, threshold or muffler of a small car on uneven roads, for which you will then have to pay. An alternative is the so-called jeep safari. Of course, it’s just the same name as a safari, but riding on a bench in the trunk of a Defender is somehow more colorful. The main thing, if there is more than one jeep in your group, is to sit in the first jeep, because in the second you will swallow dust. By the way, choose trips that include a stop in the Avakas gorge along the way: these are natural beauties indescribable in the form of text, photos or videos (and there are no crowds of tourists there).
Check into a hotel on the coast of Ayia Napa
They specially posted the ugliest photo from the gorge so that you can go and see everything with your own eyes
It will always be crowded here in the worst sense of the word: crowds of vacationers will literally be lying under your windows, music will be constantly playing from beach bars, and the people at sea will be like in Simeiz.
Ayia Napa
Have you rented a room with a private terrace on the seafront in Ayia Napa? Well done, your territory is limited to a paved area
For a quiet, relaxing holiday, it is better to go to Paphos (we were at the Coral Beach Hotel and Resort: a wonderful place, although a little old-fashioned), and if you are in the eastern part of the island, then it makes sense to stay away from the sea.
Coral Beach in Paphos is quiet and peaceful. This is where you need to escape the noisy crowds
After all, you don’t run back and forth between the sea and your room, but come for a few hours. If so, you can get to the hotel in a few minutes using a free shuttle. And the beaches that such shuttles go to are not so crowded. An example of a good hotel of this type is St. Elias Resort, here you will live in small houses instead of multi-storey buildings, there are swimming pools with slides and, most importantly, Ultra All Inclusive, dear to the Russian heart, which is generally rare for Cyprus. Surprisingly, there are few Russians in the hotel - mostly English.
St. Elias Resort has swimming pools among two-story houses on a large area, only one and a half hundred rooms and many pools. Some houses have their own.
Eat in tourist restaurants on the shore
Oven for cooking kleftiko
This, however, is the advice of Captain Obvious, but, damn it, you go and there are people sitting there and eating who knows what. What should you eat in Cyprus? First, look for places where they cook “kleftiko” - this is lamb stewed in special vats in a special oven for so long that it loses the characteristic taste of lamb and melts in your mouth; It is difficult to find them in tourist areas; restaurants are located in areas where the local population is concentrated.
Another mandatory program is meze. Meze comes in fish and meat varieties, the latter being more typical for Cyprus. The idea is that one by one they bring you tiny portions of various dishes: ideologically similar to Spanish tapas, but here most of the dishes are hot. Ideally, you should also wash everything down with local wine, for which, by the way, it’s worth visiting the Kolios winery, where they also serve meze (meat). Locally bottled Persefoni wine at €5 a bottle is worth buying as much as you can take away.
The grapes grow on limestone; limestone is saturated with water during rains, and this is enough to feed the bushes; no one waters anything additionally. Therefore, the berry contains less water, which means the wine has a richer taste.
And if you want fish meze and still be on the shore, then you should at least once go to Sailor’s Rest on the territory of St. Raphael Resort in the vicinity of Limassol.
That ocean liner on the shore is actually not a liner, but a restaurant. A bit pricey, but worth it.
Go to the source of Aphrodite 
We don’t have any other source of Aphrodite for you.
No, if you live very close, then you can go, but in general you will most likely be disappointed. The “source” is a small puddle in a grotto with water flowing down its walls. You won’t be able to swim there, or drink the water - in a word, it’s just a beautiful legend from the authors of guidebooks who needed to write at least something else.
And by the way, here you can swim to the rock
But if you do go in that direction, then know that in the immediate vicinity of the source there is a rather interesting arboretum, and also a beautiful wild pebble beach, where there are never people. However, keep in mind that you will first have to go down a winding staircase from a high cliff, and then climb back up along it.
Give vodka to pelicans on the promenade in Paphos
Alas, this idiotic entertainment is typical only for “Russo tourists”. It’s better to just take pictures with the pelicans, but in general, since you’re on the embankment, go and look at the ancient mosaics.
Even if you hate museums and all these thousand-year-old antiquities with all your heart, and your favorite entertainment is the TV show “Dom-2”, then you can still at least say: “Hey, hey, swastika!”, because the characteristic ornament is repeated in most these mosaics. At the same time, they will tell you that it has nothing to do with prohibited symbols, if you didn’t know that.
Buy an adapter for UK sockets
Yes, the sockets in Cyprus are different. This is not Greece (not to be confused with Crete), but a former British colony, and the outlets here are of the English type. The store will charge you 5, 10, or 20 euros for it, depending on how popular the brand is, but in reality you don’t need it.
Firstly, decent hotels rent an adapter. Somewhere there’s even no deposit, and somewhere else they charge 5 euros. Secondly, even if you were not given an adapter, there is a life hack: insert any available object (for example, a pen refill, a cotton swab, etc.) into the central hole, thereby opening the curtains of the main contacts.
We insert a regular Euro plug into them and take out the auxiliary item. In order not to bother with this every time, take with you from Russia the simplest extension cord with a tee. Alas, in a number of hotels there are still sockets of the old British standard BS 546 with round holes; Euro plugs don't fit in them, and an adapter is hard to find (so, again, don't buy an adapter).
Buy something from Duty-Free at Larnaca Airport
Some drinks in the dutik can be tasted for free, but in homeopathic doses
All local products are much more expensive there than in regular stores. Foreign drinks in general are also not cheap.
Look better at non-food products - glasses, perfume, etc., because you can also have a drink in the business lounge, where, by the way, there is a wonderful terrace from where you can watch the planes (and smoking is also allowed there).
Terrace in the business lounge of Larnaca Airport where smoking is allowed.
This is not the entire selection of alcohol in the LCA lounge.
By the way, you can watch the planes from Mackenzie Beach not far from the airport: there are few people, pleasant sand, you swim right under the glide path, and the end of the runway literally goes out onto the beach. Just don’t come close to the airport fence: a security car drives up from the other side very quickly, and from it they look at you with silent reproach.
Travel on your own during the season to save money
Fresh 737-800 Rossiyas fly to Cyprus, some of the planes are not even a year old
Many people consider package tours evil and do not want to feed tour operators, but this is not about Cyprus and not about the season. Yes, all hotels can be booked through bookings or islands, and you can buy tickets yourself, but it will be more expensive. To understand: a Cyprus hotel gives rooms to a tour operator for about half the price it sells them “at retail” to online travel agencies.
Even taking into account the tour operator’s margin, for the price of a room, if you organize your trip yourself, you will at least also get a free ticket, and with a good airline. The main tour operator is Biblio-Globus, it cooperates with Rossiya, which flies to Cyprus mainly on fresh Boeing 737-800 and, by the way, feeds quite well (plus you can order additional food).
The standard flight meals are satisfying, although without frills, you can order additional ones for an additional fee if you are flying from Moscow
Among the regions, this is generally almost no alternative; regular flights will, as a rule, have a transfer in Moscow, and for a ticket from a decent carrier you can pay almost the cost of a package tour. Don't forget about the transfers included in the tour.
Plane "Russia" in Larnaca
Taxis in Cyprus are expensive (from Larnaca to Paphos, for example, 100 euros), and when renting a car, keep in mind that traffic is on the left, that is, cars are right-hand drive. Accordingly, the cheapest options with a manual transmission, where you will need to change gears with your left hand, are unlikely to suit you.
A number of hotels from Biblio-Globus even have separate children's animation in Russian.
At Larnaca airport there are many counters for Rossiya flights: the airport tries to ensure that you don’t stand in queues and spend your money faster.
update: everything is now much more expensive
I spent the last month in Cyprus. My family and I went there not to relax, but for reconnaissance purposes. They wanted to understand whether it was possible to live on the island long-term - a couple of months, a year, two. I worked no less than at home, maybe even more. I was doing all the usual household chores.
In this post I will describe life in Cyprus in the main areas. What is on the island, what is not, what costs, what are the features of life. I'll try not to drag it out.
It is very important - I do not pretend to be the truth, I am sharing my opinion.
Nature
Perhaps it’s worth starting with nature, because this is the main reason for traveling to the island. It never gets too cold here; in winter the temperature fluctuates around 15 degrees. In summer it's 30-35 degrees, really hot.
There is rarely bad weather; during the month of my stay there was not a single rain, even when it was reported. However, I even saw clouds only a couple of times, and then they went away within a few hours. As the locals say, even if it rains, after a few hours there is no trace left of it.
When we flew to Cyprus, we expected something like the Crimean steppe. When we left the airport, we were wildly surprised that everything around was green. Tall trees, a bunch of different flowers, lush bushes, palm trees.
A little later we learned that we didn’t understand anything at all about the nature of Cyprus, because it is very diverse there. You can now lie on the sand by the sea, and in 2 hours be on a mountain 2000 meters high.
There are also many animals living on the island; it’s worth a trip to the Akamas National Park. There are cool houses there where you come with binoculars and look at an endless number of wild birds.
Citrus trees on the city streets were especially delivered - tangerines, lemons, oranges. You can also find figs, papaya, and some small yellow berries like cherry plums. But you won’t find apricots, cherries and other fruits popular in the CIS - they are considered elite here, are expensive and protected.
We should also talk about the sea. It is very clean and warm here. Already in April the temperature was 20 degrees, and in the summer it reaches 25-28. It's also very salty, I don't know why. I didn’t see any jellyfish or other evil spirits, and there wasn’t much algae either.
But there are not many good beaches; in Cyprus, almost everywhere the sand is of some gray-black color, which does not inspire confidence. Therefore, you need to go to designated well-kept beaches. Just, if so, be prepared to pay 7.5 euros for 2 sun loungers and an umbrella, or take a towel/folding chairs with you, like many others. 🙂
Now let's move on to the material...
Road cost
A round trip flight for three from Kyiv cost me $550. A Schengen visa for Cyprus is not required, just write a letter to the embassy and they will send you a visa for 3 months. You just print it out on a piece of paper, show it at the airport and move on.
The road does not end at the flight. Since you will arrive in Larnaca, and will most likely go to another city to live, you need to take a taxi or rent a car. We lived in Paphos, the most distant city from Larnaca (an hour and a half drive).
There were 2 options - 80 euros for a taxi or 75 euros for renting a small car on an automatic machine for 3 days. There’s nothing to think about here - we took a car not only to get to the residential complex, but also to drive around the island for a couple more days, although right-hand drive cars are a different story.
As a result, over these few days we drove 400 kilometers and paid 28 euros for gasoline. The total cost of renting a car is 113 euros (another 10 are charged at the airport for parking).
Housing cost
Here it’s worth starting with the fact that in the minds of compatriots, Cyprus is some kind of wildly expensive country, an offshore zone, villas for millions of dollars... All this is not true. In fact, there is now a housing crisis in Cyprus, entire complexes stand soullessly, rent whatever you want. All this happened due to the crisis in the last decade, when a bunch of investors set up luxury housing on the island in the hope of reselling or renting it out at a high price. And then bang, and a crisis.
As in any tourist country, housing prices are very dependent on the rental period. You can rent the same apartment for 1000 euros per week in the summer and 300-400 euros per month when renting for a year. Moreover, budget apartments are, by our standards, “European-quality renovation”, everything is clean, tidy and with decent furniture.
As for me, I rented an apartment with a piece of my own territory for 600 euros per month. Small, but two-story. With new plumbing, good repairs, panoramic windows, human kitchen. If I want to shoot it again, it will cost 400 euros, because I already understand the market, plus next time I will do without intermediaries.
Utilities are more expensive than ours. Usually people fit into 70-80 euros per month, in winter it will be more expensive, because you have to heat it with air conditioning. There is no gas heating at all, no traditional radiators. There are some generators from gas cylinders, but that’s just it.
But you still have to heat it in winter, despite the warm climate. The houses are cold, built for warmth. And when it’s 8 o’clock outside at night in January, it will be harsh inside. So the air conditioner will have to be turned on for heat.
You can immediately discuss the Internet with utilities. This is the problem here: if at home I pay 3 euros per month for it, then in Cyprus it will be 40 . At the same time, the quality will be an order of magnitude lower, you can count on ten megabits and a terrible ping. This is enough for work, watching videos on YouTube, downloading large files overnight. But relative to the money that has to be paid, this is a big failure in relation to the homeland.
Cost of products
Products are about 2 times more expensive than ours. The most important principle of buying food in Cyprus is to know which supermarket chain has which products at good prices. For example, at Papantonio it is profitable to buy vegetables and fruits, and sometimes meat. At Lidl we had good luck with baked goods and milk.
Special mention should be made of the promotions. Every week supermarkets launch new promotions, you can see an example on the Lidl website. Discounts range from 15 to 50%, but they apply to really needed products. Not like ours - for rotting meat, sour milk, or something that is not sold at all. Promotions like these make shopping trips even more interesting. 🙂
Now prices for the main categories of products (in spring):
- eggs - 3.3 euros / 30 pieces
- meat - 3 euros/kg
- milk - 1.2 euros/liter
- apples - 1 euro/kg
- cucumbers - 0.33 euro/kg
- whole chicken - 2.5 euro/kg
- chicken fillet - 6 euro/kg
- yoghurts - 2 euros/kg
- young potatoes - 0.6 euro/kg
- pears - 1.3 euro/kg
- chocolate - 0.69 euro/100 g
- flour - 0.5 euro/kg
- sugar - 0.6 euro/kg
- strawberries – 0.5 kg – 1 euro
Separately, it is worth noting the quality of the products. For example, these apples cost euros per kilogram - these are our “Golden”, “Premium”. There are none of those dirty, bruised and tasteless shit apples that we sell to people, but in normal countries feed to pigs.
All buns are 2 times more expensive, but the filling is 2 times more. 🙂
We spent about a month on groceries 250 euros. Out of curiosity, we asked friends who live in Cyprus for a long time - they have the same expenses.
Cost of things
There are two opinions here. Branded clothing costs the same as ours or even cheaper, for example, Lacoste sneakers from this year’s collection can be bought for 30-35 euros in the official store. I saw Levi's jeans for 25-35 euros. T-shirts are around 8-10 euros. In general, there are no fundamental differences from the CIS.
But some franchises are expensive, for example, in Kyiv I bought a sword for a guy from a cartoon for $10, but here it costs 35 euros. Transformer toys cost from 30 euros, ours again cost around 10 bucks. But all this applies only to brands. Transformers of the same quality, but without a famous name, cost around 1-2 euros apiece. 🙂
Household goods are generally cheap, high-quality cups cost euros, a good yoga mat in a case costs 4 euros, gloves for cycling cost 3 euros. In reality, you go to a Jumbo store, pick up a bunch of small things and leave with a check of 20-30 euros. On average, everything is 2 times cheaper, even than in Ukraine. I'm not talking about the difference in quality. 🙂
Cost of services
Considering that even simple workers such as shop assistants receive ~1000 euros, all services in Cyprus are much more expensive than ours. This manifests itself in absolutely everything. Even if you look at a chicken in a store, you can buy a whole chicken for 2 euros, and a fillet from it for 6, and that’s if you’re lucky. Just because someone took the time to chop up that chicken.
We didn’t really use the services of Cypriots, but we found out how much it costs. For example, a men's haircut costs 10 euros. A trip to the doctor - 30-50 euros. A taxi around the city costs a couple of tens of euros. And such orders are in everything. In general, it's expensive.
It is better to try to solve your problems yourself. 🙂
Entertainment
Here you need to start with your desires. If you are interested in clubs, parties and fun, you need to go live in Ayia Napa.
And there are unreal beaches there. Many say that they are the coolest on the island.
If, on the contrary, you want peace, then go to Paphos. It's like a big village, with fields and caves in the middle of the city. There are places to walk, people are more relaxed, everything is quiet and peaceful. Well, the sea is also steep, but you need to drive 15 minutes to Coral Bay to get there. There are good, but less colorful beaches within walking distance.
Now we have to answer the question - What exactly is there to do on the island?
The first is to travel. You can go to the Troodos mountains - it’s very beautiful there. There is Akamas Park, which I wrote about above, which generally has its own wild life. There is a cool zoo, tours of wineries, diving, jeep safaris and more. The island may be small, but there is plenty to do.
Secondly, yes. There is a lot of traditional food here, all of it mainly meat. For example, cabbage rolls made from grape leaves. Or swordfish. Or the coolest “taramas” sauce made from some kind of fish roe, I really liked it. To try everything local at once, you need to order meze. Costs 15 euros and includes 15 traditional Greek dishes. Just keep in mind that almost half of them are different sauces. 🙂
Third, pursue your hobbies. I really missed a bicycle, Cyprus is simply made for cycling. The road is of very high quality and mostly smooth. If you need a gym, there are plenty of them. The pool - even more so. There is already someone who loves what. In terms of physical activity, I noticed one thing - everyone walks a lot here. We didn't go a day without walking for at least a couple of hours.
People, the situation in the city
I really liked Paphos. The city can be divided into tourist and urban zones. In the tourist area, everyone is always sitting in cafes, sharpening sea fish and drinking wine. The people are very impressive, friendly, everyone smiles. After my homeland (especially current realities), this is surprising and very pleasant.
You walk down the street and see an English grandfather driving something like this:
It was very nice to see a lot of stylish old cars. All well-groomed, with big beautiful rims, ehh... And they won’t fall apart - there is no temperature difference, no bad roads, no constant precipitation. If anyone is interested, the most popular cars in Cyprus are Mercedes C, E class 7-10 years ago.
In the urban area it’s already a little more tense, everyone is in a hurry somewhere, doing something. Although I don’t know what they are doing in a country that doesn’t produce anything and only makes money from tourists and offshore companies. 🙂
The roads are narrow, it is clear that the city is old. There are very decent shops, but there are also ruins. My wife liked walking the streets, but I didn’t appreciate it. I had a blast in the tourist area, where everything was done for visitors, and not for local residents who are ready to endure tired houses and crooked infrastructure.
conclusions
Morally, Cyprus is created for a relaxed and imposing life. For me personally, it is also a place of high concentration. Nothing distracts you, you are completely within yourself. There are few household chores, few acquaintances, it’s very cool to work in the flow.
Financially - you need to count on a minimum budget of about 1200 euros per month. Housing with utilities will cost about 400-500 euros, about 300 must be budgeted for food, another 300 for other expenses that will arise in any case. You can save and live cheaper, or you can rent a car, eat one sea fish and not even spend 3,000 euros. Here it’s up to anyone.
I tried to write honestly and for normal people. I hope this was informative and you enjoyed it.
Nuances
join us
The sunniest island in the Mediterranean - the sun shines here 320 out of 365 days. The island is a holiday, where once a week there is a carnival or festival. An island on the coast of which, according to legend, the goddess of beauty and love, Aphrodite, emerged from the depths of the sea. This is all about Cyprus - a country that makes you fall in love with its stunning beaches, the Phinikoudes promenade and the special local meze snack. Why tourists go there and what the 2017 summer season has in store, read our material prepared jointly with specialists from the tour operator Mouzenidis Travel .
The swimming season in Cyprus lasts 8 months - no other maritime country in Europe can boast such a long beach holiday season. And this is not surprising, because Cyprus is the southernmost point of the European Union. If already in April you suddenly yearn for turquoise sea water, warm surf, fresh fruit and fish dishes, then you will find all this in Cyprus. Just like in early November, the sea on the island will still be warm, and the fruits will still be sweet and juicy.
The best time for your first visit to Cyprus is May, when the resorts are filled with the aromas of blooming greenery, and poppies and wildflowers bloom outside the cities.
Prince Harry was once captivated by the beauty of the island, and British singer James Blunt was captivated by its youth life. And this is the special charm of Cyprus - for each guest it will prepare its own discovery: for party lovers - its own Ibiza, gastronomy - wine and amazing cuisine, beach holidays - the most beautiful beaches of Coral Bay, Nissi Beach and 54 more beaches with EU Blue Flags. But first things first.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOUR TRIP
Cyprus is an island with a very deep history. What kind of peoples have walked across this land, what religions have ruled. And each period of history left its signs and reminders here in the form of ancient temples and theaters, English fortresses, medieval castles, Byzantine churches and Venetian monasteries. Even the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque near Larnaca has been preserved. And this is a unique feature of Cyprus - respect and love for its history, careful attitude towards monuments, regardless of nationalities and religions. Today, the overwhelming majority of Cypriots are Orthodox Christians, people very close to us in worldview and mentality. Today you can go to Cyprus without the slightest fear, because, in addition, the problem of migrants has bypassed this country.
HOW TO GET TO CYPRUS
The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia, but from Minsk you can conveniently take a direct flight to Larnaca, right on the coast. Flights are now carried out once a week, from May the frequency of flights increases and by June the flight flies 4 times a week, so you can plan a convenient rest period. Travel time is 3 hours 25 minutes. Belarus and Cyprus are located in the same time zone, thanks to which you will quickly adapt upon arrival on the island - you will not have to change the clock and adapt to other rhythms.
VISA FOR CYPRUS
Another pleasant feature of a holiday in Cyprus is the easy process of obtaining a visa.
For a holiday in Cyprus, three visa options are suitable for you:
- multiple-entry Schengen visa, with which you have already visited one of the Schengen countries at least once,
- National Cyprus visa
- multiple entry Bulgarian or Croatian visa
To obtain a Cyprus visa you need:
- passport,
- salary certificate,
- photos,
- consular fee of 30 EUR.
There is no need to submit biometric data (fingerprints) to obtain a Cyprus visa; documents are submitted without personal submission.
CYPRUS HOTELS
Have you heard about the special Cypriot hospitality? You will definitely feel it when you check into a hotel, go to a restaurant, or anywhere else on the island - everywhere they will try to serve you and provide you with the best service they can. The fact is that Cyprus is a very small island where only a little over a million people live. Every second Cypriot owns a small business related to tourists. And every first Cypriot values his reputation. And negative reviews on such a small island fly away very quickly. That is why the owner of a hotel, restaurant, car rental or yacht will make every effort to ensure that you are satisfied with the quality of services. And, of course, it’s not just a matter of reputation; there is no doubt that he will do it sincerely.
Many hotels have their own orchards - orange, pomegranate, banana. Every morning on your tables there will be freshly picked fruits, fresh juices and confitures.
The peculiarity of the Cyprus hotel base is that hotels on the island offer a little more than the stars promise. And this is not an exaggeration: in Cyprus there are a lot of 2* hotels, the quality of service in which corresponds to 3*, just as 3* hotels provide 4* level service, and 4* hotels provide 5* level service. There are hotels “16+” - only for adults. One of the popular ones is Pambos Napa Rocks Hotel 2*+ in Ayia Napa, which in the evening turns into a private club for 2,500 guests with foam parties and performances by world-famous DJs. Hotel guests receive a card for free entry to all nearby clubs.
Important! Adapters are required for our chargers in Cyprus. They can be purchased on the spot or taken as collateral from your hotel.
When choosing a hotel, Mouzenidis Travel specialists will tell you which hotel to choose at a particular resort.
CYPRUS BEACHES
Perhaps the main advantage of Cyprus, for which most tourists love the island, is its beaches. With yellow sand, gray - with an admixture of black volcanic sand, beaches in tiny picturesque bays, with a gentle entrance to the sea and with rocky slopes - very different, but always beautiful. The most picturesque beaches are Nissi Beach in Ayia Napa, Coral Bay in Paphos and, of course, the famous Kourion Beach, where Aphrodite herself came out of the water to land a long time ago. 56 beaches of Cyprus have been awarded EU Blue Flags for cleanliness and environmental friendliness - this is a lot for such a small island. And, of course, the islanders are very proud of this fact.
Most beaches in Cyprus are municipal, which means that entry is free. You only need to pay for the rental of beach equipment - 2.5 EUR per item and from 7 EUR per set (2 sun loungers and an umbrella).
7 things you must do in Cyprus:
- Visiting Aphrodite's rock and finding a heart-shaped pebble there is a sign of great love awaiting you.
- Visit the Kykkos Monastery, venerate the icon of the Mother of God, which, according to legend, was painted by the holy Apostle Luke.
- See the “ghost town” of Famagusta in Northern Cyprus.
- Watch the singing fountain show in Protaras, which is comparable in beauty to similar ones in the UAE.
- Take a boat cruise along the coast, wave to the dolphins and catch fresh fish during sea fishing.
- Ride donkeys and even get a license to drive them.
- Bring a souvenir to remember the island: lace tablecloths and napkins woven by Cypriot craftswomen in the village of Lefkora using 16th-century techniques, healing cosmetics based on olive oil, carob syrup - the elixir of youth and beauty, Cypriot Commandaria wine or a bottle of Zivania grape vodka ", sweets made from candied nuts, halva, silver jewelry.
SHOPPING AND CURRENCY EXCHANGE IN CYPRUS
The currency of Cyprus is the euro. You can exchange money at the reception of your hotel, at exchange offices in the city and at banks. Banks in Cyprus are open on Mondays until 17.00, on other days until 13.30. Commercial banks work a little longer. Most establishments in Cyprus are open from 8.00 to 19.00 with a siesta from 13.00 to 16.00.
Shopping in Cyprus can be called interesting, varied, exciting, but it is unlikely to be very profitable. Prices in the island's shopping centers can be compared with average European prices; sales take place in sync with Europe. The amount required to issue Tax Free checks in Cyprus is 50 EUR. One of the most popular shopping centers is Kings Avenue Mall in Paphos, where you can find all the popular European brands.
CYPRUS CUISINE
Fresh, light, not spicy at all, and therefore very healthy. The cuisine of Cyprus is based on fresh seafood, vegetables, fruits and herbs. Ideal for families traveling with small children. You should definitely try the Cypriot meze appetizer, fish or meat - an assortment of 12-18 dishes. One serving can satisfy two people, and it costs from 12 to 21 EUR. Experts from Mouzenidis Travel tried the best meze in the Ocean Basket restaurant chain and highly recommend visiting one of them - there are restaurants in every resort in Cyprus. From street food, be sure to take the Cypriot pita, which will be stuffed for you with any ingredients of your choice. Cypriot pita is so filling that it’s worth an entire lunch. And the price is only 4 EUR. You can take sesame sauce with you as a souvenir from Cyprus.
In addition, it is worth trying halloumi, a fried Cypriot cheese. When it comes to sweets, everything is delicious - try sweet nuts, halva, candied fruits, and local fruit jam.
Commandaria is considered the best wine in Cyprus, and the local grape vodka, Zivania, is also famous.
Important! In Cyprus, smoking is prohibited indoors. The hotel has balconies for this, and bars have special areas. The fine for violating the ban will be 299 EUR.
HOLIDAY WITH CHILDREN IN CYPRUS
Cyprus is very friendly to children - there are practically no hotels here that do not have at least a sea slide. Each hotel has children's animation, children's pools, and the menu always has dishes suitable for young tourists. There are many sandy beaches with a gentle entrance to the sea. If the beach is located in a rocky cove, there will definitely be a causeway leading to the sea.
- Hylatio Tourist Village Apart. 3* (Pissouri), all inclusive – 649 EUR
GUIDE TO CYPRUS RESORTS
Larnaca
The closest resort to the airport, which, thanks to its fast transfer, is good for families with small children and elegant tourists. Larnaca is a relatively calm city with stunningly beautiful Phinikoudes promenade and sandy beaches overlooking Larnaca Fort, a 14th century castle. But the main attraction of the resort is the Byzantine Church of St. Lazarus, a place of pilgrimage for believers from all over the world. In Larnaca, it’s worth taking a ride on the “kissing buses” – that’s what Cypriots call small double-decker sightseeing buses. There is a sunken ship near Larnaca - note for divers.
Best deal
May from
Mouzenidis Travel:
Costantiana Beach Apartments without meals – 497 EUR, breakfast – 529 EUR
Cactus Hotel 2* (Larnaca), without meals – 453 EUR, breakfasts – 469 EUR, breakfasts + dinners – 531 EUR
Protaras
A small calm resort 10 km from Larnaca. Cypriots themselves love to come to the sandy bays of the resort for a tan and clear turquoise water. Capo Bay Beach is famous for its special beauty. And the Show of Singing Fountains, which may well compete with its famous counterparts in the UAE, deserves a huge portion of fame. Protaras is more of a family vacation than a party. It's a good place to stroll along the beautiful promenade that runs through the entire resort. If you want bars and discos, you can always go to neighboring Larnaca.
Aya- Napa
The city is located 30 minutes drive east of Larnaca. Ayia Napa is called the “Cypriot Las Vegas” or “the second Ibiza”. There is a whole street of clubs here, the most popular of which are Castle and Soho. Crazy Frog and Bedrock Cafe are favorite bars among tourists. A water park based on the myths of Ancient Greece, Water World, is enjoyed by not only children, but also adults. In the very center of the resort is Luna Park - it divides the city into Upper, party, youth, and Lower, where respectable hotels for family holidays are located. Thanks to this, Ayia Napa is a universal resort, where both young people and older tourists have a great time without interfering with each other. The beaches in Ayia Napa are sandy, with a gentle entrance to the sea.
Featured hotels: Okeanos Beach 3*, Makronisos Village 3*, Petrosana Hotel 3*, Pierre Anne Beach Hotel 3+*, Nestor Hotel 4*
Limassol
To the west of Larnaca is Limassol - a resort and business center rolled into one. Most of the offices of large companies and corporations are located here. The representative office of the tour operator Mouzenidis Travel is also located in this city. If foreign languages are not easy for you, you will feel comfortable here - in Limassol many speak Russian, the signs of many establishments are translated into Russian. This fact is especially important if you want to give your parents a tour to Cyprus - in Limassol they will not feel the language barrier. The advantage of Limassol is its versatility; both your parents and you will like the resort. This is the largest city on the island after Nicosia - thanks to this it can offer a wide variety of entertainment, hotels, establishments for all ages and incomes. Zoos, water parks, amusement parks, clubs, festivals and carnivals take place here almost every week - this is the life of Limassol. The most popular clubs in Limassol are Dolce Club, Guaba Beach Bar, Breeze.
Mouzenidis Travel hotels are located in green areas of parks - an excellent option for families with children. The beaches in Limassol are gray - due to a mixture of white and black volcanic sand. Mouzenidis Travel specialists recommend the Yacht Club restaurant in Limassol Marina. You can also try local craft beer at Carob Mill establishments.
Featured hotels: Navarria Hotel 3*, Park Beach Hotel 3*
Pathos
An hour and a half transfer from Larnaca - and you are in the historical and cultural center of Cyprus. In 2017, Paphos will become the cultural capital of Europe and you will see for yourself how responsibly the resort is preparing for this honorable mission. Paphos was the first capital of the island in the Roman era, Cicero acted as procurator here. Since those times, the Old Port has been preserved in Paphos. Near Paphos there is the famous Aphrodite Beach, and in general the most beautiful beaches of the island are sandy, with a rocky entrance to the water.
The best Ocean Basket taverns are located in Paphos - they always have the freshest seafood due to the proximity of the port. Be sure to take your children to the Pelican restaurant – real pelicans live on its territory.
ENTERTAINMENT IN CYPRUS
When you step out of your hotel in Cyprus, regardless of the resort, your eyes will run wide with the choice of all kinds of entertainment and interesting holiday destinations. Water parks, zoos, clubs, discos, sea safari and jeep safari, donkey rides, excursions to monasteries and historical monuments of the island - what Mouzenidis Travel guides will offer you. When the most interesting places in your resort have been explored, rent a car and go to a neighboring city - car rental in Cyprus costs approximately 40 EUR per day. And if you want to change the scenery and expand the boundaries of the world for yourself, you can go on an excursion to Jerusalem - by plane or ferry. Such an excursion will cost about 350 EUR.
Important! In Cyprus, driving is on the left side, so in a car the steering wheel is on the right side.
The island has an excellent bus service. A bus ride from Protaras to Ayia Napa will cost 1.5 EUR. A taxi costs 1 EUR per kilometer.
If you have any questions about your holiday in Cyprus or are planning to purchase a tour at a special price with departure from Minsk, call directly the specialists in the area:
Valentina Biryukova
375 17 392-88-88
office on the street Kalvariyskaya, 17
[email protected]
Margarita Shakhlovich
37517 306-05-05
office on the street Romanovskaya Sloboda, 3a
[email protected]
*Prices for tours in euros are indicated for non-residents of the Republic of Belarus.
There is also an online consultant on the website www.mzt.by.
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