Most visitors base themselves on the coast. Staying inland around Ergates and Nicosia is an unusual choice and it suits some trips better than others. This is what it actually puts within reach, with honest drive times rather than optimistic ones.
Where It Is
Ergates sits just outside Nicosia in the centre of the island, in the industrial and residential belt around the capital. It is not a tourist village and does not pretend to be. The appeal is position rather than charm.
Honest Drive Times
Cyprus is small and it is not that small, so it is worth being accurate. From the Nicosia area you should allow roughly:
Larnaca around 45 minutes, and the airport a similar time. Limassol around an hour. Troodos villages 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending which. Ayia Napa and Protaras around an hour and fifteen. Paphos around an hour and a half.
So a day trip to anywhere on the island is genuinely realistic, which is the real argument for a central base. Paphos and back in a day is a long drive rather than a casual outing.
The Wine Routes
This is the strongest reason to consider staying inland. Cyprus is one of the oldest wine producing regions anywhere, and several of the designated wine routes are easily reached from the centre.
The Commandaria route covers the villages producing the dessert wine frequently described as the oldest named wine still in production. The Pitsilia route runs through the higher villages on the eastern side of the Troodos. Indigenous grapes like Xynisteri and Maratheftiko are producing genuinely good bottles that rarely leave the island.
Most wineries welcome visitors for tastings and many are family run, so you will often be shown round by the person who made the wine.
The Mountains
The Troodos are the nearest thing to the region and the main reason to be inland in summer, when the range runs several degrees cooler than the coast.
Within reach you have the UNESCO listed painted churches with their Byzantine frescoes, Cedar Valley with its endemic Cypriot cedars, waterfalls and a serious network of walking trails. Our guides to hiking in Cyprus and the Troodos mountain taverns cover both.
Nicosia Itself
Underrated and largely skipped by visitors, which is a mistake. The old city sits inside 16th century Venetian walls, with narrow streets, craft shops, cafés and taverns, and the Cyprus Museum holds the most significant collection of antiquities on the island.
It is also the last divided capital in Europe. The buffer zone runs through the centre and crossing between the southern and northern sections is straightforward on foot at Ledra Street. That is a genuinely unusual thing to experience and it is the main reason to give the city a day.
Where to Eat
The area around Nicosia has some of the best traditional food on the island, precisely because it is not a resort market. Our review of Taverna tou Theodosi in Pano Deftera covers what we rate as the best souvlaki anywhere in Cyprus, and it is a short drive from Ergates.
Who It Suits
Good for anyone touring rather than staying put, anyone here primarily for wine, mountains or history, and anyone visiting outside beach season.
Less good if you want to walk to the sea. Nicosia is the only European capital with no coastline, and every beach is a drive. If the trip is built around swimming, base yourself on the coast.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Nicosia from the beach?
Around 45 minutes to Larnaca, the nearest coast. Nicosia is entirely landlocked.
Is central Cyprus a good base for a first visit?
Only if you are touring. For a first trip built around beaches, the coast is the better choice.
Can you visit northern Cyprus from Nicosia?
Yes. Crossings operate in and around the city, including on foot at Ledra Street. Bring your passport and check current requirements before going.
Is it hotter inland?
Considerably. Nicosia regularly exceeds 40 degrees in July and August, well above coastal temperatures. The Troodos are the escape.
Final Thoughts
A central base trades beach access for reach. If you are the sort of traveller who hires a car and treats the island as something to drive around, it works well and puts the wine routes and the mountains closer than any coastal town does.
If you want to swim before breakfast, stay on the coast and drive inland for the day instead.