Cyprus Travel Guide

This island republic of spectacular beauty offers sandy beaches, rugged cliffs and cool pine forests. Its 9,000-year-old cultural heritage blends East and West.

Attractions in Cyprus

Cyprus Archaeological Museum, Lefkosia. Cypriot antiquities and art treasures from the Neolithic Age to the early Byzantine period.

Byzantine Museum and Art Gallery, Lefkosia. Largest collection of 9th- through 18th-century icons on the island.

Kolossi Castle, Lemesos. Medieval military architecture.

Kourion. Site of an important city-kingdom whose Greco-Roman amphitheater was built in the 2nd century B.C. Twelve miles from Lemesos.

St. Lazarus Church, Larnaka. One of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture, built in the 9th century and restored in the 17th century.

Mosaics of Pafos, Kato Pafos. The 3rd-century mosaic floors, portraying scenes from mythology, are considered the finest in the eastern Mediterranean.

Kykko Monastery, Troodos mountains. The country's most famous monastery was founded in 1100 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Assinou Church, Troodos mountains. Frescoes of the 12th century and later periods are the finest Byzantine murals on the island.

Panayia Chrysopolitissa Church, Pafos. Built in the 13th century; contains St. Paul's Pillar.

Food & Drink in Cyprus

The traditional meze (appetizers) is usually some of everything that is available that day in the restaurant - as many as 30 dishes, starting with soup and salad; then such traditional hot dishes as haloumi, moussaka, afelia, stifado, souvlaki, sheftalia and calamari; ending with sweets. Good but inexpensive wines accompany this lingering repast, and as a finale, try a local brandy with a cup of Cypriot coffee.