CYPRUS
An introduction
to Cyprus
OVID was what pushed me to explore homeland. I was born in Cyprus, in 1991 but in no way this means I knew my country well. I knew well-known travellers love the beaches and British people loved Ayia Napa’s parties, I knew it combined great natural landmarks and history, but I never had the chance to discover its beauties. That was until the first lockdown.
From crystal clear waters to ancient ruins and stunning landscape, Cyprus has everything, for everyone
As soon as the COVID restrictions loosened, we made road-trips around Cyprus a Sunday family activity. The majority of our trips happened during the two years of COVID but it did not stop there. If I had to sort our stops by distance, we got to the newly opened, Zaha Hadid designed, Eleftheria Square (which had been under constructions and renovations since 2009) and the incredible Kakkaristra Gorge with hills covered with thousands of fossils near an urban, inhabited area, to the end of Akamas and the crystal-clear waters of Blue Lagoon.
The exploration of Cyprus evolved into something greater than an activity to pass on COVID time and a simple tick in my bucket list’s checklist. At some point we were covering five stops in Paphos – a city full of history – in one day and none of us was tired. I finally got the chance to walk Avakas Gorge, to see the wonder of the boulder stuck between the gorge’s walls. Steps through ponds and over big rocks, sweat dripping down, forming endless streams on my face because for no apparent reason we decided to walk the trail in a midday during summertime.
For fans of nature, make sure you visit Teichia tis Madaris. While the area is known as that, Teichia tis Madaris is also one of the three nature trails you can choose from, If you choose the parking lot near the fire lookout station as a starting point. Even though the trails can sometimes be tricky and uphill, whether you choose ”Doksa Si O Theos” or ”Teichia tis Madaris” you will come across outstanding, panoramic view of Troodos, the villages of Kannavia, Agia Eirini, Lagoudera and Polystipos, the Xyliatos dam and the Pitsilia region.
The picture below is from the actual Teichia tis Madaris nature trail, but you can get similar views from various spots throughout the trails. It is commonly believed that it took its name from the word ”tichos” meaning ”wall”, as some rock formations resemble the walls of a fortress
Every stop had a necessary stop for a Cypriot coffee, made with finely ground coffee beans in a teaspoon in boiling hot water and with optional sugar, but those trips were enriched by various tastes.
Spoon sweets, for example, became a new treat for me. Those sweets, also known as sweet preserves, can be made from any fruit (or vegetable) dipped in water and sugar for several hours. It’s a treat that spans decades and it has now become part of Cyprus’s history. But we, in Cyprus, love sweet treats almost as much as we love meat, a quick overview of our cuisine will prove it. In 2021 I got to meet our traditional soutzoukos from scratch. Soutzoukos is a row of threaded walnuts or almonds dipped in a mixture of grape juice, must, flour and water three times. That mixture alone gives us palouze.
October is the ideal time of the year for grapes, and when various festivities with this treat front and centre take place. In October 2021, a good friend of mine and I headed to Chandria village to watch the preparation of palouze and soutzoukos and even help with the process. I was stirring the big wooden spoon in the cauldron filled with grape juice, thinking how that was a moment I never thought I would live, let alone experience. Not that it was something extraordinary, but it certainly never passed through my mind. By 2024, I had experienced this once more and it was as enjoyable as the first time. When you take the first spoon bite of that freshly made, hot palouze hits different in such environment.
And we still haven’t talked about the villages. In this island you will come across famous and well visited ones (like Lefkara or, to a lesser extent Omodos which you can see in the big picture on the left), some others that are now gaining traction like Episkopi in Paphos, with the tall, 70m high and 250m long steep rock often called ‘’The Meteora of Cyprus’’ and some in ruins and, of course, uninhabited Filani in Nicosia district. It is said that Filani’s inhabitants never wanted to abandon it until an infectious disease occurred and decimated them all. Almost every single village in Cyprus has something to offer, either landmarks, monuments or pure traditional sceneries.
However, if you’re visiting Cyprus there’s a good chance you’re coming during summer and rightfully so. Cyprus is an island, and it has plenty of beautiful beaches but as a person who doesn’t like crowds, I’m here to give you the more quiet spots. These are definitely my four favorite – and free – ”beaches” though none of them is the typical beach.
The first one is on the White Stones at Governor’s Bay in Limassol: scenic, quiet spot where you can chill under the sun, on the white rocks, very little sand though. The second is right next to the most popular beach in Cyprus, Fig Tree Bay in Protaras. If you drive past the crowds and park behind the hotels, you can walk to the wharves and enjoy the crystal clear water. Very few people stay there, most dive and go because the wharves are narrow but if you’re looking to spend most of your time in the water, you will love it.
The next one is similar, but its a pier. Located in the village of Argaka, in Polis Chrisochous, Limni Pier is a big T-shaped pier with stunning views of both the Polis shoreline and Paphos Forest, often visited by fishermen but also popular with swimmers. There are ladders to help you get in the water, and then you’re basically in the middle of nowhere.
The last one is probably the most popular. Aphrodite’s Rock (also known as The Rock of the Roman) is a sea stack in Paphos, located off the shore along the main road from Paphos to Limassol. To get there you have to pull your car over to the cafe / souvenir shop across the street, go down the stairs and pass through a dark, quite claustrophobic corridor. However, when you come out of it, you will face a stunning location, with giant rocks and pebbles that make you feel as if you stepped on an uninhabited planet. According to the legends, the rock is the site of birth of Aphrodite, who emerged from the sea foams in a big shell, for dramatic purposes I suppose. Generally, swimming around Aphrodite’s Rock is not a very good idea as it could be dangerous but you can enjoy the sun or the shallow waters if you’re seeking a peaceful beach.
Next to Aphrodite’s Rock in Paphos, you will find this unique installation. Ten Points of Vision, created by the world renowned Kostas Tsoklis, includes ten frames like the one above. The concept behind it is to isolate ten natural beauties of Cyprus without cutting them from their surroundings (by taking a picture, for example). Pictured is Aphrodite’s Rock, framed.
To close this post, we need to go back to Paphos again. This city basically holds the largest amount of history, so if you’re this type of a traveller, this is your destination. Considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Cyprus, Tombs of the Kings is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list since 1980 and includes underground tombs carved in rocks.
Contrary to popular belief – mainly due to its name – they used to bury high ranking officials and aristocrats in the area, instead of kings. The name was given basically because of the size of the tombs, with some of them curved to resemble the houses of the living. In addition to the historic nature of the site, the location of the monument is also special if you wish to marvel at the view below.
The point of this post is to give you a glimpse of how beautiful Cyprus is, and that its so much more than beautiful beaches. From crystal clear waters to ancient ruins and stunning landscape, Cyprus has everything, for everyone. The longest road trip you can take is from Ammochostos (Ayia Napa, Protaras) to Polis Chrisochous, and that’s 2 hours and a half, so it can become a big road adventure. Naturally, I will continue to post about my island in smaller posts, with road trips and ideas but I did my best to cover all areas in an introductory post.