Cyprus

Home to the last divided capital city in the world. The perfect balance between culture and nature, all with great weather.

What originated as a last minute trip to catch some cheap winter sun soon developed into bussing around southern Cyprus, enjoying the Greek Cypriot cuisine. I came just at the start of 'off-season', December. The temperature was in the low 20c and was mostly sunny with some clouds. It felt warm under the sun, but pretty chilly in the shade and evenings, particularly along the coast with the breeze. As Cyprus moves into their off-season, there is a significant reduction in certain services; fewer restaurants open, fewer activities on, and reduced public transport services. This only affected me when I was looking to take public transport at late evening times, therefore having a taxi number saved on your phone would be important.

Paphos

I flew into Paphos, and had initially planned to stay there for my whole stay, but soon got bored. That being said, Paphos would be a very good place to set up base for a week-long trip and just use the public bus system to take day trips out. However, due to visiting in off-season, the frequency of buses were far less, making day trips a little harder to carry out.

Paphos has two very popular archaeological sites:

The Archaeological Site of Nea Paphos (€4.50)
The Archaeological Site of the Tombs of the Kings (€2.50)

I visited both, and personally would recommend Tomb of Kings over Nea Paphos. Nea Paphos is a large site and each ruin/attraction is a fair distance from another. I found this sort of led to a museum fatigue, where you get bored and tired wandering around. The Tomb of the Kings however is a smaller site, each tomb is very close to the other, and it is a little more interactive where you can go underground and walk into the tombs. Both sites are along the coast, which makes a beautiful backdrop. You can also download an app to accompany your visit, which will act as a guide and source of information for the sites.

There are also many other smaller archaeological sites that are free to visit:

Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa
The area around Fabrica Hill

Both the harbour and the old town area are nice to walk around, to admire some architecture, do some souvenir shopping or enjoy some food and drink. There are more higher-end restaurants and bars in the old town area.

I spent two nights staying in the Old Town area and two nights down by the harbour and enjoyed both areas. I stayed in hostels, which didn't meet the comfort level I would have liked, but good hostel choices are limited in Paphos.

Where to eat in Paphos

Hondros - The oldest traditional tavern. Stop by to try some traditional Greek dishes.
Zorbas Bakery - A chain that can be found all over Cyprus. They are usually open 24 hours and have delicious Greek and central European baked goods. I'd come here to pick up breakfast often.
Minas Tavern - Small grill, very affordable
Beeroom Craft Pub - I love trying craft beers in the countries I visit, so this was a given.
Agora Tavern - Beautiful restaurant at the top of a hill in old town that overlooks Paphos.

Other notes:

At the moment, Paphos Bus Station is located at the Municipal Market bus station, Petraki Yiallourou 10-11. This is despite signs within the city, and their online timetable, leading you to the Karavella Bus Station which is still under construction as of 2022. The Municipal Market Bus Station is where all intercity buses come and go.

Buses only take cash, so try to keep small change on you. They are also still currently requiring face masks for intercity buses.

Archaeological site of the tombs of the kings at sunset

Archaeological site of the tombs of the kings

Larnaca

After visiting the archaeological sites of Paphos, I'd had enough of looking at different piles of rocks and decided to venture out of Paphos. I took the intercity bus to Larnaca, via Limassol, in hopes of catching the flamingos located on the Larnaca Salt Lakes and spend some time on a beach.

The direct bus between Paphos and Larnaca runs only 3 times a day. However, you can always take a bus to Limassol and then change buses to Larnaca.

I ended up staying at an Airbnb here for one night as it was cheaper than any hostels on offer, and I enjoyed not having to wear shoes in the shower.

Larnaca has a really nice coastal path to walk along that runs from one marina to another. There are also a couple beaches near this path too. Finikoudes Beach is right in the city centre and therefore well positioned near restaurants, shops, and attractions. This beach also offers free public toilets and free changing rooms. There is also Kastella Beach and Mackenzie Beach further south.

I reached the Salt Lakes by foot, which is about 30 min walk from Finikoudes Beach, but I think a cycle would also be a nice alternative. The flamingos were quite far out, so initially hard to spot, but the salt lake itself was so beautiful and still. There is a nice walking path around the salt lakes with some view points.

Make the most of being in a port city and opt for a fish tavern for dinner.

Things to do in Larnaca

Larnaca Art Workshops Neighbourhood - for an alternative tour of Larnaca
StoArtos Coffee Bakery - great tasting coffee
Skala - old Turkish quarter with photogenic streets.
Kleanthi Kalogera street - aesthetically pleasing street of bars and restaurants.

Streets of Skala district in Larnaca in the art district

Nicosia

Nicosia, the split city. I took the intercity bus from Lanarca to Nicosia and stayed the night at NEX Hostel which I highly recommend.

For me, Nicosia was all about visiting the split city, being able to cross the border into Turkish-occupied Cyprus, and learn about the history of this city.

Ledras street is the main pedestrian street lined with shops and cafes. Just off Ledras street is the Shacolas Tower Museum (€2), which is basically a one room viewpoint of both North and South Nicosia that also provides a detailed account of this city's history, if you are prepared to read or listen to the detail. You would probably spend a maximum of 20 minutes up here, 5 minutes if you are just here for the view.

If you follow Ledras street to its end, you will reach the border control between Turkish occupied and Greek occupied Cyprus. You will need a passport to cross here, as Turkey is not part of the EU. This may be noticeable to some once they cross over, as the lack of EU funding has left more buildings derelict and run down. However, the area immediately outside the border is well-developed to cater towards tourist, and there are plenty of nice places to eat and drink outdoors.

Of note, once you cross the border the dominant currency becomes the Turkish lira would suggest using a card or exchanging money before hand as there have been many complaints of tourists being overcharged under the guise of conversion rates.

It is also possible to walk along the city walls that divide the two regions. I walked along the Greek side, which I would recommend doing in the daylight as these areas seem to be a lot quieter and are often patrolled by armed military which can be intimidating.

Things to do in Nicosia

Ermou and Ektoros street - art district
Hamam Omerye - authentic Turkish baths (prices start at €30) which includes your own day bed to change and relax in, soap and loafer, towels, flip-flops, disposable swimwear, Turkish tea and light bites
NEX Hostel - the best hostel I stayed in Cyprus. Great rooftop patio, comfortable beds that come with lockable drawers (locks are provided) and separate bathrooms (no cubicles).
Piatsa Gourounaki - known for their great souvlaki
Zanettos - recommended for its set menu meze. However, as a solo traveller, you often cannot take part in meze meals (min. 2 people).

Historical ottoman courtyards with shops and restaurants

Samanbahce historical council houses held by Ottoman Turks

Sheftalia kebabs with pitta from local tavern

Peyia: Avakas Gorge & Sea Caves

After Nicosia, I took the bus back to Paphos where I rented a car with Arenda Car Rentals for about 30 hours to explore some nature sites in Peyia.

Avakas Gorge was a hike I was most looking forward to. To get the most out of the daylight I left early and drove up and parked my car at a church, Agios Matrona i Roasida, and chose to walk the rest rather than tackle the gravel track with my small rental.

The walk from here to the official park entrance is about 20 minutes. At the park entrance there is a map, public toilets and water taps. Maybe 30 minutes into the trail, you will reach the area that you would most associate with a gorge, where the cliff walls encroach around you and daylight dims. It can be slippery here and does require a bit of scrambling in sections if you want to avoid walking through the shallow river. Once out of this 'gorgy' area, I carried along the trail for another 30 minutes. At times, it wasn't clear where the path was, but as long as you stay close to the water you should be alright. At some point I couldn't make out a path any more, and I couldn't follow the water due to large boulders in my way, so I turned back. I hiked here around 9am in the morning and met no one else on the trail, however on my walk back I bumped into many others groups.

After hiking, all I wanted to do was get into the sea. So I headed towards the Sea Caves, aiming for Kimera Napoli beach, where I knew I would be able to reach the water. I would recommend coming here to see the Sea Caves as at this point you can walk down to the shore and swim in the water, and also stay atop the cliff and walk along the cliff tops to get a better view of the Sea Caves. This is a stone beach, so not the nicest on your feet, but the views, hiking and scrambling opportunities are great. After an hour or so of swimming and sun bathing I walked along the coastal path to the Nature Cafe restaurant to grab a late lunch.

I had more or less completed all that I wanted in Peyia, but still had a decent amount of hours left with the rental car. So I decided to drive across Peyia, take on the hilly countrysides of central Cyprus, and visit the north coast at Poli. I parked at Aphrodite Nature Trail and went on a short hike to view the sunset.

Avakas Gorge nature trail, Peyia, Cyprus

Anogyra & Oleastro Olive Park

I drove through the village of Anogyra on my way to the olive park, and it was beautiful. All the buildings and roads are made of stone, and there are lots of local and independent businesses that you can visit, such as wineries and local crafts workshops.

For the olive park, I was initially really looking forward to visiting this site to learn more about the process of growing olives and pressing into olive oil. However, I felt this park catered more to families and children. The small park had a couple farm animals, installations demonstrating how olives were grown and pressed in the past (the sort of installations you would see in a village museum). There was only one member of staff on site, which is probably due to it being the off-season, and so not a great deal of information available. I will say that the tasting plate that is included in your ticket price was worth the money. The olive oil was delicious, as were the olives. They also serve drinks. So for the food and the view, it was worth it.

Complimentary olive tasting platter at Oleastro Olive Park and Museum, Anogyra

Need to knows

Have transport planned for the airport, as public transport buses mainly run during working hours and so may not cater for early or late flights.

Special Recommendations

Food: Zorbas bakery - try some Greek and Turkish goods. My personal favourite is the kouba.

Attractions: Peyia’s natural beauty

Accommodation: NEX Hostel

R’s take

As a woman, there was increased unwanted male attention, mostly in the form of staring. I would feel guarded passing a large group of men. Cyprus was very diverse, and I felt comfortable in this sense.