Cyprus Country Guide
From the tempting beaches and verdant, rolling mountains, the ruins of past empires to the old stone villages, citrus groves, vineyards and olive trees, Cyprus is a compact country that packs a lot in.
Use our Cyprus country guide below for all the important travel information you need to plan your holiday to Cyprus to see the best of this island. The Cyprus destination guides has links to various cities around Cyprus, and clicking on these gives information and tips specifically relating to things to do and see in these locations. Also check our Cyprus tours page for information on things to do whilst in this beautiful country!
We recommend you check out the Cyprus travel information from fellow travellers on the RealTravel web site.
Check out the latest Cyprus travel features on You Tube.
Cyprus Country Guide
Useful information on this page includes:
Climate/Weather
Medium-weight summer apparel is recommended for the daytime and light woollens or long-sleeved cotton clothes for the evenings.
June – July – August: The weather now is perfect for outdoor activities such as swimming and water sports. They are the warmest months of the year and the busiest tourist season too.
Lightweight summer clothes are recommended.
September – October: This season is still ideal for swimming and water sports. The days are warm, though October evenings can be quite cool.
Lightweight clothing is recommended for daytime while slightly warmer clothes will be required for the evenings.
November: Days are pleasantly warm. Sunbathing, swimming and most outdoor activities can still be enjoyed. It is now lovely weather for open-air lunches.
Medium-weight clothing and light woollens are recommended.
December – January: Winter is here! However, it still feels like autumn for overseas visitors. Lovely sunshine interspersed with a little rain marks this season. Outdoor activities and little trips can still be part of your plans.
Winter clothing is recommended though heavy coats are not required.
February: Warmer days are already here. Everything indicates the approach of spring – light showers now and then, pleasant daytime temperatures, and blossoms on the almond trees. Evenings can be quite cold, though. Skiing on the snow-covered Troodos Mountains is a favourite activity in this season.
Winter clothing is recommended.
March: Nature is at its best at this time of the year. Lots of sunshine and temperate weather can be enjoyed this month.
Winter wear – but without heavy coats – is best.
Click on this Weather link to look at the current conditions in Cyprus, then click on the region you wish to view.
Communication
Emergency phone numbers for Cyprus are given below. Note that 112 is the Pan-European emergency number, and works in any European country from any telephone.
Ambulance: 199/112
Police: 199/112
Fire Service: 199/112
Hospital Information: 1400
Drugs/Narcotics/Poison Emergency: 1401
Doctors on Call: 90 90 1432
Directory Enquiries: 192
Lost & Stolen Credit Cards: 22 868 100
Telephone – There is a good network of public telephones distributed throughout the towns and villages of Cyprus. You can use them either by inserting coins (2, 5, 10, 20 cent coins) or with Telecards. Telecards are available in denominations of £3, £5 and £10. Establishments such as banks, post offices, souvenir shops etc. sell telecards.
Internet – Internet cafes are becoming a common sight in Cyprus. The rates may vary, but they usually charge around 2 £/hr. You may find lower rates too if you hunt around. With internet access so easily available everywhere, hotels and resorts are increasingly making it available to guests.
Postal Service – There are four main sorting centres in the postal system of Cyprus. These centres service around fifty postal outlets, most of which are in rural Cyprus. When the postal outlets are closed, the hundreds of postal agencies spread all over Cyprus can be used. International postage is not very expensive though the cost of sending parcels to certain countries can be steep. Working hours of post offices vary depending on the location and the season.
Electricity
Embassy Locations
General Information
Population: 780,000 people
Total Area: 9,250 square kilometres
Capital: Nicosia - 186,000 people (and lies in the middle of the country, close to the Turkish Cypriot border)
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +2 hours
To view the current time in Nicosia, click on this link to TimeAndDate.com.
Language
Greek is the official and main language of Cyprus. Greek spoken in Cyprus differs in its pronunciation to that spoken in Greece.
English is widely spoken in all major towns and tourist centres, especially by those in the tourist industry. It may be difficult to find English speakers in smaller towns.
Some common Greek phrases that are handy for travellers include (spelling is for pronunciation only):
Good morning - kalimera
Good afternoon - kalispera
Good night - kalinihta
Hello or goodbye - yassou (greeting to one person/friend)
Hello or goodbye - yassas (greeting to more persons/unknown persons)
Goodbye - adio
How much? - poso kani
Thank you - ephkaristo
Religion
Visas/Passports
All Passports of travellers to Cyprus must valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all except for EU/EEA nationals (EU + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), and Swiss nationals holding a valid national ID card. Transit passengers continuing their onward journey by the same or first connecting aircraft within 24 hours, provided holding valid onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport do not need Transit Visas (except nationals of some countries) who require an Airport Transit Visa.
Note: EU and EEA nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU/EEA nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU/EEA Member State. This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card. Either is acceptable. Possession of a return ticket, any length of validity on their document and/or sufficient funds for the length of their proposed visit should not be imposed.
Note: Holders of Former Yugoslav Republic passports bearing the stamp 'Macedonia', Holders of passports issued illegally by the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus', and other nationalities having stamps or visas of the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' in their passports are only allowed to enter Cyprus after the visas/stamps are cancelled by the Immigration Authorities of the Republic of Cyprus.
Types of visas include: Tourist/Business - US$15 (free of charge to nationals of Egypt, Russian Federation, Syrian Arab Republic and Ukraine, provided holding onward or return tickets and sufficient funds to cover the duration of their stay). This visa is valid for 3 months. Multiple-entry visas - these are only issued to those who require it for business purposes and cost US$45. Transit: US$15. (Valid for 5 days).
It is advisable to check this information with your relevant embassy prior to travel.
Location
Shopping
Geography
The highest point in the island, Mount Olympus rests in the centre of the Troödos mountain range. The peak is 1,952 metres (6,404 feet) high. To the north of the Mesaoria, the central plain, you’ll find the Pentadactylos and Kyrenia mountains. The Troödos range borders the west and south. The southern coast is dotted with random but significant plains.
Health/Safety
History
The UK made Cyprus its crown colony in 1925. The Cypriots, pawns in various invasions, were fed up and began rebelling for independence. The groundwork for the current Greek-Turkish disagreement began at this point. Enosis was a movement by several Greek Cypriots who were keen on forming a union with Greece; the Turkish population, however, opposed this. 96% of the Greek Cypriots as well as the Cypriot Orthodox Church supported Enosis by 1950. The British reacted by drafting a new constitution that the Turkish people accepted; however, the National Organization of Cypriot Fighters opposed it stating that they desired only Enosis or no government at all. They lashed out against the British in a guerrilla war.
Cyprus was liberated from Britain in August 1960. The President was Makarios, a Greek Archbishop, and the Vice President was Fazil Kücük, a Turk. Makarios established stronger ties with Greece by 1964, leading to a rise in inter-communal violence. A peace-keeping force was sent by the United Nations. A military junta moved in and overthrew the Greek government in 1967; thereafter, even the ardent Greek patriots did not favour an alliance with such a despotic reign. Greece, however, was still fighting for control.
A coup sponsored by the CIA on 15th July 1974 removed Makarios from power, placing a puppet instead. In response, Turkey launched an attack and Greece retreated in haste. This still did not satisfy the Turks; they occupied 1/3rd of the northern part of the island, driving 1, 80,000 Greek Cypriots out of their homes. The Turkish Cypriots declared it a separate state in 1983 and named it the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Besides Turkey, no other country accepted this ‘state’.
People
Cypriots are warm and hospitable, and traditional people. They feel honoured when people visit their island and respond with whole hearted warmth. This is explained with ‘philoxenia’, a Greek work meaning ‘friendship towards the guest’. Although Greek is the native language of the land, English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants, shops and other places. Despite the fact that violence is on the rise globally, Cyprus has a considerably low crime rate. One trip to the island explains the reason.
People are friendly and cooperative, greeting you with smiles and the atmosphere is relaxed. They are diligent workers and resilient people who have endured the presence of invaders all through their turbulent history.
