Things to do

Cyprus has a wide variety of activities for both children and adults, from water sports and horseback riding to gambling and skiing.

By Camilla Kaas Stock and Nils Bjørnæs

FAMILY ATTRACTIONS
If the kids enjoy water-parks then head to the south of the island, where you can find Paphos Waterpark, Water World in Ayia Napa, Water Mania and Wet n'Wild near Lemesos. In the north, you have Octopus water-park in Catalcoy and the newly opened Lapethos Aqua Park in Lapta. At the Oscar and Acapulco Hotels there are water-parks for residents and non-residents. There are also beach clubs with various activities for kids springing up all over the island. You can find them at most of the major hotels.

BEACHES
In South Cyprus the sandy beaches around Agia Napa are considered to be some of the finest, which is why the area is so popular among tourists. The beaches along Limassol have dark coarse sand and pebbles, Dassoudi being the most popular. The main beaches in Larnaca are Mckenzie and Dhekelia beach. In the area around Protatas you can also find some top-class beaches.
In the North you will find the Karpas peninsula where beautiful, deserted beaches stretch on and on. Golden Sands is perhaps the most special, fringed with sand dunes and populated by breeding sea turtles. Closer to Kyrenia you may catch a glimpse of the sea turtles at Alagadi, better known as Turtle Beach. West of Kyrenia you will find Altinkaya beach, which is perfect for children, and to the east you can (for a small fee) enjoy Acapulco Beach.

WATERSPORTS
The beaches in Cyprus offer ideal conditions for all sorts of watersports. You will find the biggest choice in the family-orientated resorts like Paphos and Protaras, or in the bigger resorts at Ayia Napa, Limassol and Larnaca. In the north of the island, around Kyrenia, a variety of watersports like wind-surfing, parascending and jet-skiing are available.

DIVING
With its warm seas and year-round sunshine, Cyprus offers one of the longest diving seasons in the Mediterranean. There are diving schools all over the island, and there is plenty of underwater life with a huge variety of fish to enjoy for both beginners and the more experienced diver.

CLUBBING
If you enjoy clubbing then head south for Ayia Napa or Nissi Bay. These legendary resorts rival other famous Mediterranean clubbing destinations.

SKIING
You can go skiing on Mount Olympus, which has four ski-lifts. The season lasts from January until the middle of March.

HORSE RIDING
There are quite a few horse-riding centres, where you can enjoy trekking through stunning scenery. All centres have professional training facilities and instructors who provide lessons for riders at different levels.

GOLFING
Cyprus is fast becoming a favourite with many golfing travellers because of its superb climate. There are several golf schools, golf development classes and academies to help you improve your game.

CASINOS
Gambling has been allowed in North Cyprus since 1975, but didn't really take off until the 90's. Today there are more than 20 casinos, spread around the northern part of the island and new ones are being planned. Many have their own bus service to take you to and from the casino. They are open late and often provide live entertainment.

HIKING AND MOUNTAIN-BIKING
Cyprus offers plenty of unspoiled, stunning scenery for those who enjoy walking. Recommended nature trails include Atalante, Kaledonia and Persephone in the Troodos area, and Aphrodite and Adonis in the Akamas area, with other trails in the forests of Machairas and Limassol. The Trudos mountain range has plenty of dirt tracks, ideal for mountain-biking. Or you can hike or bike along the 220km-long Bespamark and Kyrenia mountain range, where you will find amazing views, ancient relics, craggy castles, and hidden monasteries and churches.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SIGHTS
Cyprus is full of beautiful monasteries, Byzantine churches, castles and a lot of historic buildings. For those of you who want to see the sights, here are our highlights of the best places to visit.

Monasteries:
In the South you'll find Trooditissa, Machairas and the 11th century Kykko Monastery, the largest and most famous in Cyprus.

Trooditissa:
About 5-10km from Platres, is the small monastery of Trooditissa. This monastery is a popular place of pilgrimage. Prayers to the holy icon of Virgin Mary are said to give hope to childless couples who wish for a child.

Machairas:
About 40km southwest of Nicosia, on top of the Machairas Mountain (1423m), stands the secluded monastery of Machairas. Machairas is a popular place for excursions, not only because of the quiet atmosphere of the monastery, but also due to the museum of Giorgios Afxentiou. Giorgios was a Cypriot freedom fighter who fought against the British colonial power. Giorgios Afxentiou died after defending himself in a nearby hideout.

Kykkos:
At the top of a mountain about 1318m high, in the north west of Troodos, stands the most splendid monastery in Cyprus, Kykkos Monastery. Kykkos was founded in the 11th century. Unfortunately, it has been burned down several times and nothing remains of the original building, in contrast to other Cypriot monasteries. Near this famous monastery is the monument to Archbishop Makarios III, the first president of the Republic of Cyprus.

In the North we recommend:

Apostolos Andreas Monastery:
On Cape Zafer, at the very tip of the Carpas Peninsula, is the Apostolos Andreas Monastery - named after the apostle Andreas, who apparently was called for by Jesus to spread the gospel. This monastery is accepted to be sacred by both Turkish and Greek Cypriots.

Sourp Magar Monastery:
This monastery, one mile west of Alevkayasi, was build around 1000AD and was dedicated to St Makarius of Alexandria. In the 15th century, it became a resting point for pilgrims on their way to and from Jerusalem.

Castles
There are lots of castles in Cyprus, we will just mention a few.

In the North:

Kyrenia Castle, on the eastern corner of the harbour, was constructed in 7th century by the Byzantines in order to protect the city from Arab raids.

St Hilarion Castle, located on a mountain high above Kyrenia, is thought to be named after a saint who escaped Jerusalem after the Arab conquest and moved to Cyprus, where he lived and died in a mountain cave. In the 10th century a church and a monastery was built on the site. If you want to read more about St Hilarion, see our special feature.

In the South:

The castle of Paphos (Pafos Castle), located at the harbour of the city, was a part of the coastal defense system of Cyprus. It was originally built as a Byzantine fort to protect the harbour and rebuilt by the Lusignians in the 13th century. It was then dismantled in 1570 by the Venetians, who found themselves unable to defend it against the Ottomans, who in their turn restored and strengthened it after they captured the island.

The Castle of Limassol (Lemesos Castle) was rebuilt under Turkish domination in 19th century. The architectural features of a much more extended Medieval Museum are included. The castle dates back to around 1228, when Frederick the Second of Germany used it as a prison.

Historical buildings in the North:

Kyrenia Gate, the northern entry gate into Nicosia, was built in 1567 when the Venetians were in charge of Cyprus. It is now home to the tourism information centre in Nicosia.

The Great Inn is a beautiful building, dating back to 1572. It lies in North Nicosia and currently is a place where you can enjoy good food, listen to music and do a bit of shopping.

Selimiye Mosque houses some interesting examples of Gothic architecture in Cyprus. Built between 1208 and 1326, it was originally St Sophia Cathedral but it was changed into a mosque back in 1570.

Dervish Pasha's House is a cultural anthropology centre in the recently restored mansion that was once owned by Dervish Pasha. Pasha started the first Turkish newspaper in Cyprus and the house is truly stunning.

The Armenian Church is believed to date back to the 8th century, built by refugees from Jerusalem.

The Gambler's Inn has a medieval gothic arch and the inner courtyard has many interesting rooms to explore.

Famagusta is an impressive old city, encircled by walls dating back to medieval times.

Historical buildings in the south:

Chrysaliniotissa Church, considered to be the oldest Byzantine church in Nicosia.
House of Hadjigeorgakis Kornessios, a pretty Venetian building from 18th century.

Famagusta Gate, now the Nicosia Municipal Cultural Centre.

Omeriyeh Mosque, believed to be the original 14th century Augustinian church of St Mary's.

Ayios Ioannis Cathedral was built by Archbishop Nikiforos in 1662 and has recently restored wall paintings.

In Paphos you can see The Tombs of the Kings, while in Larnaca you will find the Church of Saint Lazarus and the Turkish Fortress.

Museums:

North Nicosia:

Mevlevi Museum houses significant examples of Turkish art in Cyprus, and the building dates back to 17th century.

South Nicosia:

Cyprus Museum has a fascinating collection of Cypriot antiquities.

Byzantine Museum and Art Galleries contain a large collection of icons, covering the period from 9th to 18th century.

Folk Art Museum holds a wide collection of Cypriot folk art from 19th and early 20th century collections.

MARKETS AND FESTIVALS

The atmospheric markets are great fun and you can find anything from fake designer clothes to jewellery, pottery and old lace. You can also buy fantastic, locally grown fruit and vegetables, Turkish Delight confectionary and other delicacies.
In September, Limassol's wine festival is a good opportunity to sample Cypriot wine with lots of free wine samples, while the 10-day pre-Lenten carnival in the summer is also great fun.
In Larnaca you can celebrate the Feast of Kataklysmos (the Greek Orthodox Whitsun) with plenty of singing, dancing, eating and drinking.

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