Compare hotels in Cyprus. Book an airport transfer.
Cyprus gets sold on sunshine and beaches, which undersells it considerably. It is a small island with ten thousand years of history, a mountain range that holds snow, a food culture distinct from anything around it, and the longest swimming season in the Mediterranean.
The Short Answer
Come for the length of the season and the variety packed into a small space. You can swim in November, ski in February and cross the entire island in two hours, which means a single day can reasonably include a Byzantine church, a limestone gorge, a mountain village lunch and a beach.
It suits people who want the Mediterranean without committing to a single resort, who care about food, and who would rather drive somewhere than stay put. It suits people looking for nightlife too, though that is concentrated in a few specific places rather than spread across the island.
A History You Can Actually See
Human settlement here goes back to the Neolithic. The island’s position, closer to Beirut than to Athens, made it a crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa for most of recorded history, and everybody who passed through left something.
Phoenicians, Greeks, Persians and Romans all held it. In antiquity it was a major centre of the copper trade, exporting to Egypt and Greece, and the metal takes its name from the island rather than the other way round. Through the medieval period it passed between Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian and Ottoman rule, functioning as a trading hub throughout.
Independence from Britain came in 1960. Conflict between the Greek and Turkish communities in the 1970s left the island divided, and it remains so today, with a UN buffer zone running through Nicosia, the last divided capital in Europe. That history is visible rather than academic, and it is part of understanding the place. Our short history of Cyprus covers it in more detail.
What survives is genuinely worth seeing: the Greco Roman theatre at Kourion, the Tombs of the Kings at Paphos, the painted Byzantine churches in the Troodos, and Nicosia’s Venetian walls. Tickets and guided visits are available through Tiqets.
The Food Is the Underrated Part
Most visitors arrive expecting Greek food and find something related but distinctly its own: heavier, more focused on meat, and clearly influenced by the Middle East. Bulgur instead of rice, tahini as a staple, cinnamon in savoury cooking.
Halloumi is the export everybody knows. The better discoveries are sheftalia, afelia, kleftiko and the full meze, which runs to twenty or thirty plates and is an event rather than a meal. Our guide to the differences between Greek and Cypriot food covers why the two diverged, and the Cypriot diet explains what locals actually eat day to day.
The wine deserves more attention than it gets. Commandaria is frequently described as the oldest named wine still in production, and indigenous grapes like Xynisteri and Maratheftiko are producing genuinely good bottles almost nobody outside the island has heard of. Our guide to Cyprus wine is the place to start.
To eat well from the first night, start with our ranking of the best restaurants in Cyprus, and our guides to the best meat taverns and the best fish taverns.
The Coast
Around 650km of it, and more varied than the brochures suggest. Wide family beaches with every facility at Coral Bay and Fig Tree Bay. Party beaches at Nissi. Empty, undeveloped coastline on the Akamas where turtles still nest and there is no shade for miles.
The sea is swimmable from May into November, which is longer than almost anywhere else in Europe. Our guide to the best beaches in Cyprus breaks down which suits which kind of day.
The Mountains Change Everything
This is the part that surprises people. Drive ninety minutes inland from the coast and you are in pine forest at 1,900m, with stone villages, cool air and a completely different island.
The Troodos hold the best of the village food culture, the painted churches, the wineries around Omodos, and serious walking. In August they run several degrees cooler than the coast, which is where Cypriot families go. In winter there is snow and a small ski area on Mount Olympus.
Our guides to hiking in Cyprus and the best nature spots on the island cover the interior properly.
Practical Advantages
English is spoken more widely than in most of Greece, a legacy of British administration between 1878 and 1960. Road signs are bilingual, legal and business documents are frequently in English, and visitors find the island straightforward to navigate.
They drive on the left, the electrical sockets are British, it is an EU member using the euro, and the crime rate is low. Distances are short, so one hire car covers the whole island comfortably. You can compare cars on Auto Europe.
How Do You Get There and Where Should You Stay?
Most visitors fly into Larnaca or Paphos. Our Larnaca Airport review and Paphos Airport guide explain what to expect, and the transfer is short either way. The official taxi tariff from Larnaca Airport is about €54.50 by day to Limassol centre and about €42 by day to Ayia Napa Nissi.
- Larnaca: 10 minutes from Larnaca Airport. See our Larnaca guide.
- Ayia Napa and Protaras: 40 to 45 minutes from Larnaca Airport. See our Ayia Napa and Protaras guide and our Adams Beach review.
- Nicosia: 40 to 50 minutes from Larnaca Airport. See our Nicosia guide.
- Limassol: 45 to 60 minutes from Larnaca Airport, with the widest choice of hotels and restaurants. See our Limassol guide and our reviews of Amara, Parklane and The GrandResort.
- Paphos: 15 to 20 minutes from Paphos Airport, or about 1.5 hours from Larnaca Airport. See our Paphos guide.
For the full comparison, see where to stay in Cyprus. Book your airport taxi in advance, or collect a hire car at the airport.
Hotels across Cyprus
When to Come
September and October are the strongest months: warm sea, thinning crowds, comfortable temperatures. May and June are close behind. July and August are hot and busy and work well if you are building the trip around swimming and evenings. Winter is mild, green and very quiet, and the mountains come into their own.
Our guide to summer in Cyprus covers how to handle the heat if you are coming in peak season.
Who Cyprus Is Not For
Worth being honest. If you want island hopping, Greece does that and Cyprus cannot, because it is one island a long way from anywhere else. If you want a compact walkable city break, this is not it either, since you will need a car.
And parts of the south coast are heavily developed in a way that will disappoint anyone hoping for undiscovered Mediterranean. The good news is that the undeveloped parts are still there, and they are a forty minute drive away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cyprus Worth Visiting?
Yes, particularly if you want a long season, genuine variety in a small area and a food culture worth exploring. Less so if you want island hopping or a car free trip.
How Many Days Do You Need?
A week covers the coast and a couple of days inland. Ten days lets you do the Troodos and the Akamas properly without rushing.
Is Cyprus Expensive?
Mid range by European standards. Village taverns are inexpensive, the Limassol fine dining scene is not, and prices climb steeply in July and August.
Do You Need a Car?
Effectively yes. Public transport between towns is limited and does not reach the mountains or the Akamas at all.
Is Cyprus Safe?
Very. Crime rates are among the lowest in Europe and the island is comfortable for solo travellers and families alike.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Cyprus?
September and October are the strongest months, with May and June close behind. Winter is mild and quiet, and the mountains come into their own.
Do They Speak English in Cyprus?
Widely. English is spoken more than in most of Greece, road signs are bilingual and business documents are frequently in English.
How Do I Get From the Airport?
Larnaca Airport is 10 minutes from Larnaca, 40 to 45 minutes from Ayia Napa and 45 to 60 minutes from Limassol. Paphos Airport is 15 to 20 minutes from Paphos. Pre-book a taxi or hire a car.
Where Should I Stay in Cyprus?
Limassol for the widest choice, Paphos for history, Ayia Napa and Protaras for beaches, Larnaca for a short stay.
Where Should I Eat in Cyprus?
Eat in village taverns whenever you can, and book ahead in Limassol.
Final Thoughts
Cyprus rewards people who move around it. Stay in one resort and you will have a pleasant, unremarkable Mediterranean holiday. Hire a car, drive into the mountains, eat in the villages and find the empty parts of the coast, and it becomes something considerably better.
The island has been absorbing influences for three thousand years and it shows in the food, the language, the architecture and the pace of the place. That is what makes it worth the trip.