Cyprus Overview

There are many good reasons why Cyprus is an incredibly popular holiday destination. A trip to Cyprus offers visitors the chance to relax in the sun, immerse themselves in local history and enjoy the wide variety of water sports that are on offer.

The historic city of Nicosia has been the island’s capital for over 1,000 years and is brimming with historical and cultural delights. The city is uniquely divided by the 'green line', dividing the north from the south. The line was agreed in 1974, when Turkey invaded the island and took over the north. The divide has not however put anyone off travelling to the island and the tourist industry continues to grow.

Visitors will find an abundance of attractions suited to all ages and interests. Children will not be short of entertainment and there are ample opportunities for family days out. Festivals take place throughout the year and if you are lucky enough to experience one, you will get a taste of the island’s unique culture.

Cyprus also offers remote picturesque mountain villages which are home to serene monasteries, stunning churches, impressive castles and fascinating museums. The local people are extremely friendly, making every visitor feel very welcome.

Modern, luxury hotels can be found in the coastal resort towns and there are over 500 hotels and apartments to be found throughout the island. Most hotels and apartments offer discounts during the low season, from November until March. You will find discounts for children sharing the same room as their parents and some hotels may only charge 80 per cent for single occupancy of a double room.

Regardless of budget, visitors are guaranteed to have an experience that will stay with them. You will never be short on something to do, but at the same time, if it’s rest and relaxation that you are after, the beaches offer an idyllic setting.

Cyprus is lucky enough to enjoy a Mediterranean climate. There is sunshine year-round, long summers with little rain and mild winters. Autumn and spring are very short seasons, but still warm enough for sunbathing and swimming, making it the ideal time to visit if you want to avoid the main peak season crowds.

The rainy season is from January to February, with the highest parts of the Troodos Mountains seeing snow. However, even during these wet times, temperature remain a warm 17°C. July and August are the hottest months of the year, when temperatures can be uncomfortably hot, reaching 32°C. If you choose to visit during the summer, expect the island to be busy and come prepared with sun block, sunglasses and a hat.

The country of Cyprus has been a settlement since 5800 BC. Egyptians, Mycenaean’s, Phoenicians, Persians and Romans have all used it for either political or economical reasons, but the influence from the Greeks has been the most lasting. 

Cyprus was a very unsettled country for many centuries, partly due to being ruled and influenced by so many people, but in 1571 AD, a large Turkish colony descended on the island and ensured some stability for many centuries to come.

During WWI, when the allies experienced hostilities with Turkey, Britain occupied the island and it was named a crown colony in 1925. This upset the Greek population of Cyprus, as they felt that Greece was their mother country, not Britain, and a Guerrilla war began in protest to British rule. 

In 1958, a Greek Cypriot nationalist leader, Archbishop Markarios, started to call for Cypriot independence, which prompted Turkish Cypriots to call for a partition between Greek and Turkish Cyprus. 

Cyprus became an independent nation on 16th August 1960, with Markarios being its first president. He was to stay president for 14 years until he was overthrown by a military coup led by the Cypriot National Guard. On 20th July 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus in order to protect the Turkish Cypriot community and gained 30 per cent of northern Cyprus. Over 180,000 Greek Cypriots found themselves without a home after this invasion. In December 1974, Markarios re-established himself as the country’s president, Turkish troops were permitted to stay in the north and the island was partitioned into Greek and Turkish territories, separated by a UN buffer zone.

In 1983, Turkish Cypriots proclaimed their area of northern Cyprus to be a separate state and named it the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The UN declared this illegal. No country, except for Turkey, has ever recognised it as being a separate state. 

Throughout the 1990s, Greek and Turkish Cypriots continued to fight, while the possibility of EU membership was hoped to be an incentive for both groups to put an end to their differences. It did not work. In May 2004, the Greek area of Cyprus joined the EU on its own.

In April 2005, as step towards reunification, Turkish Cyprus elected Mehmet Ali Talat as their president. He is in favour of reunification, but Greek Cyprus' president, Tassos Papadopoulos, remains firmly against it.