Cyprus, a tourist favourite, offers so much to see and do

What can I say about Cyprus, I hadn’t visited that Island nation since 1989, at the time my mother and I had sought refuge briefly on the island, staying at a friend’s place. We had barely escaped the horrendous final act of the 1975-90 Lebanese civil war, talking a night ferry out of Jounieh Bay in late March. This time my visit was more relaxed, it was a mini-vacation of sorts, I decided that both my mom and I hadn’t taken a break in a long time and Cyprus was a familiar place and only a short hop away, perfect for a ten-day jaunt.

A lot had changed over the past 25 years, I, for one, was now middle aged searching perhaps and trying to recapture the happy memories of my youth and our family summer vacations. In the 80s, we made four trips in total, all of which pleasant, apart from the sunburn that is! Agia Napa was a favorite of mine, its pristine beaches and crystal clear waters were inviting to a teenage Aquarian. It is said that water is the natural element for our sign. Snorkelling was a joy and still is there.

This trip, however, was tinged with some melancholy as I remembered my younger days and as I stared at the aging couples across the breakfast table thinking “will this be me in a few more years, greying, my skin hanging loosely about me”. But enough depressing stuff!

What impressed me most about this island was that despite its dearth of resources, its hard economic burdens and its confining geographic precincts, Cyprus has managed to create an infrastructure geared towards pleasing the tourist, whether working class, pint guzzling Brits, or young and hip Russian, Dutch, German and Scandinavian couples with baby/s in tow. The airport was actually a pleasant experience, rarely the case when travelling. Efficiency and a professional attitude was the general overwhelming impression I got, both at arrival and departure. The only blemish, if I could call it that, is the half hour delay at the gate on departure due to a delay in the arrival of our plane. This was stressful, not least because that particular day was very long. But the Cyprus Airways captain and crew were very understanding of our frustration; explaining the reason for the delay and apologising for it on two occasions, at take off and at landing.

The island, to put it delicately, is quite arid if I were to compare it to Lebanon’s coastal strip and mountains. Sparse vegetation, the result of millennia of deforestation, has not dissuaded the locals from making every effort to plant trees along road sides and in particular along the Troodos mountain range, to preserve and augment the island’s natural beauty and prevent further soil erosion along the mountain slopes. The main highways and roads are in perfect condition, although not fully lit up, cat’s eyes along the asphalt made nighttime navigation safe and pleasant, and after all, too much light pollution only obscures the beauty of the star studded night sky, something we rarely see in Lebanon except when there is a power cut!

Irish Coffee, a favourite indulgence

Our hotel, an all-white five-story structure, beautifully appointed, overlooking a bay on one side and a sandy beach on the other along the Agia Napa coast, was a time capsule of sorts. The interior design was reminiscent of the late eighties, early nineties, not a negative I might point out, it actually added to its charm, or maybe its just because I am a child of the 80s that I wax poetic about such things.

Service was impeccable; the smiling staff was warm and welcoming. The only blemish I would mention is the rather inflexible room service menu, which lacked food options for dieters and people on a healthier food regimen. But, it’s a vacation, right! So, screw the diet! I have to say; I loved the bacon in the morning and piled my plate up high J. Yum! The scrambled eggs left a lot to be desired, however. Otherwise, pasta, meaty options and French fries were available aplenty, as were canned fruits and soups. Not really complaining here, as I said, I was reliving the holidays of my youth, and in that respect the menu was spot on. I did, however, miss our Lebanese food, which, arrogantly, I assumed would be widely available in Cyprus. It wasn’t. In fact, even local Cypriot food choices were very limited on many menus in Agia Napa, Protaras, Limassol and Paphos, which is a shame. I think tourists would enjoy a wider choice of local fare, its one of the reasons we travel after all, to explore all facets of a local culture, especially the food.

Our hotel and Agia Napa in general was a mecca for the sun seekers, the sun starved Northern Europeans, many of them would lounge for hours soaking up the hot sun. I must say, the Cyprus sun is super intense, more so than in Lebanon. I don’t know why that is, I am not scientifically minded. I could not do what the ‘human lobsters’ do, but they seemed to enjoy it. To each his own I say.

Troodos, natural beauty

The purpose of my trip was two fold: to take a break, was one, the other was to explore the island as a tourist would, but also as a prospective property buyer. I have thought of buying a second home in Cyprus for the practical purpose of having a safe haven a short way away just in case things get really bad in Lebanon. I found Cyprus to be expensive, private taxis were prohibitively so, something I learned first hand to my detriment. Organized tours are readily available and well organized, but could be better, some stops on certain tours at certain tourist traps seemed unnecessary. I thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Troodos, although I wished we had more time. The tour itself was combined with a short stop over at Nicosia, which was unnecessary I thought. I would love to return to Cyprus in the winter for the ski and winter sports season at Troodos, its forested mountain sides and climate made me feel truly at home.

Traveling around the island, I found quite a lot to see, which was pleasantly surprising. I got to see more of Cyprus, probably, than most beach-focused tourists. The island is full of archeological sites and beautiful ancient mosaics, which I found truly impressive. The strategic location of the island meant that many conquerors over the millennia had passed through it and left their mark, the Crusaders, Venetians, Ottoman Turks, British and Turkey. Yet, despite still being divided in two between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, and considering the de facto Turkish occupation of a third of the island, as well as the hard economic situation it still languishes under, Cyprus displays an irrepressible can do attitude. It’s a Eurozone member, its very environmentally oriented with solar water heaters on every rooftop, and solar panels and wind turbines dotted across the landscape.

Mosaics, Paphos

That said, Cyprus still has a village feel, vast expanses of the island outside the urban centres are sparsely populated. Considering the island’s total population, including resident foreigners does not reach one million, this is hardly surprising. So, if you are a jaded city dweller from the world’s financial centers and you are searching for a quiet vacation, you can’t go wrong in Cyprus. 

Thank you Cyprus for helping recharge my batteries.