Cyprus has a gentle charm, with a rich and diverse history.
It is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean and has attractive beaches, mountain peaks lively resort towns, authentic villages, and friendly people.
Flight time from the UK is approx 4 hours. There are airports at Paphos and at Larnaca (for Limassol and Pissouri).
Facts About Cyprus
Cyprus is located in the eastern Mediterranean and is the third largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily and Sardinia.
Greek and Turkish are the two official languages of Cyprus. English is also widely spoken.
Cyprus has a rich and ancient history. It has been inhabited since the Neolithic period, and it prominently features in Greek mythology as the birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite. According to Greek mythology, the sea foam near Petra tou Romiou (also known as the Aphrodite’s Rock) on Cyprus’s southern coast is where the ancient Greek Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, emerged from the waves.
Due to its British Colonial history, Cyprus is one of the few places in Europe where cars drive on the left-hand side of the road, just like in the UK.
Cyprus is renowned for its cheese, Halloumi. This versatile cheese, made from a mix of goat’s and sheep’s milk, can be grilled or fried without melting.
Weatherwise
Being one of islands furthest east, the summer season is longer than most other resorts. June to mid-October generally have the most consistent warm days – with July and August having the peak temperatures, highest prices and demand – but for value, late spring or early autumn are worth considering.
The winter months might be more suited to spa and golf activity rather than sea and beach.
Cyprus holds the record for the most annual sunny days in Europe. Some areas receive more than 300 days of sunshine a year!
Why Cyprus?
A combination of scenic variety, history and classic warm Mediterranean style. Resort activity if you wish, but still plenty of space to escape and enjoy the quieter moments. Enjoy these hotels but also try to see something of the island.
English is widely spoken. Paphos on the Southwest coast and Pissouri on the south coast are family-friendly tourist resorts with restaurant options. Latchi (Polis), the nearest village to the Anassa, is located on the central west coast. Whilst there is a similarity between each destination, they do have their own highly individual personalities.
If We Were To Be Critical…
The beaches in Paphos tend to be small rocky coves, with a certain ‘ouch factor’, so sea entry is usually from pontoons. Pissouri and Latchi have superior beaches but are much quieter.
Like most islands, there are areas where the authentic flavour has been lost to the pursuit of volume and hedonistic tourism. Paphos has its own “Bar Street” as well as numerous English-style restaurants.
"There's no such thing as the best hotel, just the right one..."
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All price guides are Per Person Sharing Double Room (Entry level), based on travel between May and/or June when prices are generally at their lowest and include promotional offers. Supplements will probably apply at other times, particularly mid-summer in the Med, and for rooms and/or transfers arranged for single travellers.
For example, the Caribbean and Indian Ocean prices for winter can be approximately double the May - June level and about 50% more in Asia. For the Mediterranean & Canary Islands, Caribbean, Arabia and the Indian Ocean (except Sri Lanka) price guides generally include airfare and transfers.
*For Sri Lanka and Far East we show a per-person, per-night hotel guide, excluding air fare, as arrangements tend to be individually tailored multi-centre itineraries.
Please refer to Travel Advice on our home page or look at www.fco.gov.uk as the Foreign Office may have issued specific destination information on safety and terrorism.
All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong.
Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk.
Some of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. This website will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected.
