I didn’t plan to travel to Cyprus last year. I did it on the spur of the moment. I saw cheap tickets for the beginning of November, when I have my birthday, and I thought to myself: why not leaving everything behind and celebrate it there? I had just 5 days to see the island so the best solution was to rent a car. It wasn’t the economical way because I didn’t have anybody to share the costs with, however, I rationalized this expense as a birthday gift. The second obvious solution to visit the whole island in such a short time was getting up at unsocial hours, this was more difficult to rationalize 😀

I rented a Kia Rio from Budget rental company, the total cost for 6 days, including full insurance, was about PLN 1000. I decided to take out full insurance because there’s left-hand traffic on Cyprus. I have never driven this way before and I didn’t know if I would be able to manage it. Eventually it turned out that in less than 5 days I traveled around 850 km. My driving impressions? Cyprus is a very nice place to drive, especially the southern “tourist” part. The road infrastructure is designed in such a way to prevent driving against the flow. The center of the island is wilder, a 4×4 car may be useful in many places, while the Kia Rio also managed 😉 I enjoyed driving around the center of the island the most, especially because of the narrow, winding roads and amazing views, interesting routes also led through traditional Cypriot villages.

However, in the capital – Nicosia, road traffic was completely different. Driving was more dynamic, but I cannot say a bad word about the Cypriot drivers who, in my opinion, drive very well. The only problem on the road, especially in the south, can be tourists. Fortunately, the rental cars are equipped with red number plates, which allows you to anticipate possible complications.

Aphrodite’s Beach

I started exploring the island from the western part, namely the beach of Aphrodite.

Avakas Gorge Gorge

The place must-see is the Avakas Gorge, located in the western part of the island. It is an ideal place for a short trip, especially on a hot day. The white color of the limestone contrasts in an interesting way with the lush vegetation, and the various shapes of the rocks make an amazing impression.

Wrecks

The real highlight of southern Cyprus are the wrecks of two ships. The first, Edro III, is a popular destination, also because of its location. The rusty and damaged hull of the ship is an interesting background for the nearby rock caves and cliffs.

Edro III, under the Sierra Leone flag, finished its service in 2011 during a cruise to the island of Rhodes. Due to bad weather, and more precisely, strong winds, the ship hit the rocks near Paphos. The wreck is located a few meters from the shore, but so far it has not been decided to demolish it because any work could affect the local ecosystem, which is under protection. Anyway, the demolition would deprive Cyprus of one of the most interesting attractions.

A little further from the shore, near the Tombs of the Kings, you can see the wreck of the MV Demetrios II, its service under the Honduras flag, finished in 1998 during a cruise from Greece to Syria. An interesting fact is that the investigation into the accident revealed that the captain and the first officer had forged licenses.

Paphos

Paphos is a dream destination for relaxation. Wonderful views, a wide sandy beach and numerous pubs make this place perfect for sunbathing.

However, that’s not all, the entire city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main archaeological site located in the vicinity of Paphos are the Royal Tombs – a complex of over 100 underground tombs in which the aristocracy was buried.

From the underground perspective, Paphos can also be seen in the Agia Solomoni catacombs. The underground rooms were used by the first Christians as a place of prayer. I do not know what it looked like, but nowadays it looks like a devotional store. The entrance to the catacombs can be easily recognized by the characteristic tree covered with ribbons and other decorations, which are hung by the faithful in the intention of curing the disease.

In the city, it is worth seeing the Church of Panayia Chrysopolitissa Basilica, once one of the largest churches on the island. The church can be admired from a distance as it is surrounded by the ruins of an old basilica.

In the very center of the city there’s a huge archaeological complex where you can see the remains of the ancient city. You can see here, among others Roman villas, a lighthouse, mosaic floors, an odeon and a basilica.

Aphrodite’s Island

Less than 30 km from Paphos there’s an important tourist spot on the map of the island – the birthplace of Aphrodite. Supposedly, here, right next to the characteristic rock, the Greek goddess was born of foam. The place, I admit, makes an amazing impression just after sunrise, when there’s no crowd.

Being in the area, it’s worth stopping at the nearby observation decks along the B6 road, amazing views guaranteed.

Kap Aspro trail

Kap Aspro is a picturesque path, less than 8 km long, leading from the village of Pissouri to the beach of the same name. The way leads through a high cliff, from where you can admire an amazing view of the bay and the turquoise colour of the water. A must for those who can’t lay too long on the beach 😉

Kourion

Kourion is a special place, it delights not only with the scale of the ancient city but also with amazing views. You can see here: a rebuilt amphitheater, a house of gladiators, intricately made mosaics and in the background a fabulous cliff coast. However, the city’s location led to its fall. In 365, as a result of an earthquake, followed by a tsunami, most of its inhabitants lost their lives.

Limassol

Limassol didn’t captivate me, but it’s a perfect place for sunbathing and partying. Pubs, a long promenade and a pier are the main advantages of this city.

Traditional villages and a parcel locker

The real highlight of Cyprus are the small traditional villages of Lania, Lofou and Wuni located in the center of the island on the way towards the Troodos Mountains. Lania is an small village, practically not visited by tourists. Colourful houses, narrow streets and various decorations create a very homely atmosphere.

However, in my opinion, mailboxes are a hit. The town is so small that it was easy organize for each house one large parcel locker, which is located in a central point of the village, right next to the church.

The second town – Lofou, for sure I won’t forget because of the maze of narrow streets, until today I wonder if the road I was driving was intended for cars … it was quite narrow, but the car fitted 😉

The last town – Wuni, I visited to see the traditional Omodos Wine Press. Wuni, probably due to the convenient access, is a popular tourist village. There are many pubs and shops with souvenirs and local handicrafts, mainly stained glass and embroidered fabrics.

Troodos Mountains

The Troodos Mountains are the perfect place to admire the mountain views and hiking. There are many interesting routes and viewpoints here. The highest peak of the mountains is Mount Olympus, 1,952 meters (6,404 ft) above sea level.

Stawrowouni Monastery

Nevertheless, the Stawrowouni Monastery with a steep winding road has also a spectacular location. Its massive structure, located on the top of the mountain, reminded me of the Benedictine abbey – Sacra di San Michele Sant’Ambrogio di Torino, known from Umberto Eco’s book The Name of the Rose.

The monastery is closed to women, while the Church of All Saints of Cyprus below is open to everyone.

Salt lake and mosque

There’s a huge salt lake in the outskirts of the popular tourist resort – Larnaca. It seems to reach to the horizon, and in addition, a mirage-like effect can be observed in some places.

In some places there’s so much salt that the surface looks like if yt were covered with snow. Right next to the lake, there’s an important sacral building of the Muslim religion – Umm Haram Mosque or Hala Sultan Tekke. It’s said to be the fourth most important Muslim temple after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. This is where Prophet Muhammad’s aunt and companion, Umm Haram, died after she fell off the mule she was riding.

Cape Greko

Cape Greko is located on the far South-eastern part of Cyprus and mainly this location makes it so special. Apart from the amazing landscapes, underwater rock caves and the harsh landscape, this place is practically deserted. You can feel an amazing space all around, which is additionally emphasized by the waves hitting the rocky coast.

I won’t even mention the turquoise colour of the water and the high limestone cliffs 😉

Rock Caves

There are also phenomenal rock caves nearby, but here you should be prepared for a large number of tourists. It’s a popular snorkelling spot, and cruises route running from the nearby towns.