In first-class hotels, nightclubs and restaurants, it is customary to appear well dressed - for example, in evening attire.

Cypriots generally have a negative attitude towards naked or topless sunbathing on public beaches. Such liberties are appropriate only in secluded bays.

It is prohibited to lift archaeological treasures from the bottom of the sea or remove them from the territory of Cyprus without special permission from the authorities.

You should definitely keep your bank receipt for the currency exchange, as without it, only £100 can be exchanged back. Credit and payment cards of all major systems are accepted for payment in Cyprus. It is more profitable to use cards specifically to pay for purchases. When withdrawing cash from ATMs, a considerable amount is lost.

The conditions for renting a car are the availability of an international driver's license and passport. The driver must be at least 21 years old and have at least 3 years of driving experience. The minimum rental period for a car is 2 days.

Cyprus is the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean Sea. Geographically it belongs to Asia. Cyprus is located in the eastern Mediterranean at a distance of 380 km from Egypt, 105 km from Syria and 75 km from Turkey. The island stretches for 240 km from east to west, and reaches a width of 100 km from north to south. Area - 9251 km². In fact, the island is divided between three states: 36% of the territory is controlled by the partially recognized state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, 3.7% by the UN (buffer area), 2.7% by Great Britain (military bases Akrotiri and Dhekelia), the rest 57.6% by Republic of Cyprus. Briefly about what tourists need to know about Cyprus in this article.

For tourists about Cyprus - useful and practical information

Relief of Cyprus

Most of the island is occupied by mountains. It stretches along the northern coast in a latitudinal direction. Its width in the western part is 15 km, to the east it expands to 25 - 30 km. The western part of the Kyrenia ridge is higher; individual peaks exceed 1 thousand m. The highest point of the ridge is Mount Akromanda (1023 m). The southwestern half of the island is occupied by a wide mountain range, indented by longitudinal river valleys. Its northern part is the highest; the highest point of Cyprus is also located here - (1952 m).

Climate of Cyprus

Population of Cyprus

The population of Cyprus has for several centuries consisted of two ethnic groups: Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. After the division of the island, the vast majority of Greek Cypriots live in the south, while the Turks live in the north. The total population is about 900 thousand people, of which Greeks - 650,000, Turks - 160 thousand. Also in Cyprus live 17 thousand Englishmen, from 20 to 50 thousand Russians, 4 thousand Armenians. After the 1974 war, some 180,000 Greek Cypriots fled or were forcibly resettled to the south. About 42 thousand Turks moved to the north. And only in the village of Pyla in the district, under the administration appointed by the UN, both groups of the population live.

Religion of Cyprus

The majority of the population of Cyprus is made up of ethnic Greeks who practice Orthodox Christianity and ethnic Turks who practice Islam.
The Cypriot Orthodox Church has the status of a quasi-state institution and plays a prominent role in the socio-political life of the country; Primate of the Church of Cyprus - Archbishop of New Justiniana and. In addition to the temples (more than 500) found in almost every village, the church has 11 monasteries in Cyprus, which own significant and most fertile lands on the island, with year-round artificial irrigation, and other large property.
The Armenian, Catholic, Maronite churches are represented, as well as Judaism and other faiths.

Political system of Cyprus

After gaining independence, the Republic of Cyprus became one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, despite the fact that all three guarantor powers (Great Britain, Greece and Turkey) were members of NATO. In 2004, Cyprus left the Non-Aligned Movement in order to join the European Union, but retained special observer status in this organization. The 1960 constitution envisioned a presidential republic with separation of powers between executive, legislative and judicial, and quotas to protect the interests of ethnic Turks. The President and Vice-President were elected by the Greek and Turkish communities respectively for a five-year term, and had the right to veto certain initiatives of the legislative and executive branches.

The House of Representatives was elected on the basis of separate votes from both communities. Since 1964, the seats of the Turkish community have remained unoccupied. After the split of the island, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is headed by a President and a Prime Minister, responsible to the National Assembly. The TRNC authorities reject the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus over the entire territory of the island, and call it “the Greek authorities of Southern Cyprus”. Accordingly, the Republic of Cyprus and other UN member countries, with the exception of Turkey, do not recognize the TRNC, and designate it as “territories occupied by Turkish troops.”

Since May 1, 2004, the Republic of Cyprus has been a member of the European Union. The legal route of arrival to the island, according to the jurisdiction of the Republic of Cyprus, is through or, or the seaports of Larnaca or Limassol. Legal under the jurisdiction of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus - through Turkey, and the ports of Northern Cyprus, sea or air. Since January 1, 2008, the Republic of Cyprus has been part of the eurozone, that is, its national currency - the Cypriot pound - has been replaced by the euro.

It can be useful

The Republic of Cyprus adheres to a policy of non-alignment and is not a member of NATO.
The Turkish sector is indicated on maps of the Republic of Cyprus as “territory inaccessible due to Turkish occupation”, the same on the map of the northern part. The names of the cities in Northern Cyprus are given as of 1974; there are no road signs for these cities.

Properties located in Northern Cyprus, which were owned by ethnic Greeks until 1974, continue to be considered their property. The purchase of such real estate may be considered legal in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, but the authorities in the Greek sector may regard such a step as buying stolen property. Formally, 98% of the island’s territory is under the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus, minus the British military bases. De facto, 38% of the territory is occupied by the partially recognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. islands are free, provided you have a visa from the Republic of Cyprus, but only in certain areas.

A visa for the partially recognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is issued upon entry. Insurance coverage may not apply to Turkish territory. When returning from the northern part of the island, a customs inspection may be carried out. Since prices in Turkish territory are significantly lower, the import of goods from it is limited. The Republic of Cyprus may refuse entry to persons who have a stamp in their passport indicating a visit to the Republic of Macedonia. This fact is connected with the dispute between this state and Greece over its name.
The Republic of Cyprus established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in August 1960. On April 7, 1992, the Republic of Cyprus recognized the Russian Federation as the legal successor of the USSR. Russian embassies are located in cities

Persons with a visit visa are prohibited from working. A work permit must be obtained before arriving in the Republic of Cyprus. In April 2004, referendums were held in both Cypriot republics on unification into a single state. The proposed plan for unifying the island was named after its author, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. 65% of TRNC citizens participating in the referendum supported Annan’s plan, 75% of Greek Cypriots rejected the plan.

Economy of Cyprus

The economy of Cyprus is greatly affected by the division of the island into a Greek sector (Republic of Cyprus) and a Turkish sector (partially recognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus). The Greek sector's economy experienced a speculative boom driven by offshore capital inflows between 1990 and 2008, but is heavily exposed to external risks. Growth rates in the 1990s reflect the island's dependence on fluctuations in tourist numbers and changes in economic conditions in Western Europe.

In January 2008, the Republic of Cyprus entered the eurozone, and its monetary policy is dictated by the European Central Bank, which reduced the republic's competitiveness in world markets and ultimately brought the country to the brink of a financial and economic crisis in 2012 - 2013. As a result of the crisis, prices for residential real estate have decreased significantly. Thus, in the municipal housing sector, the cost of housing ranges from 400 euros per square meter of construction. In the private sector, the cost of land per hundred square meters varies on average from 1,700 to 50,000 euros.

The Turkish sector represents one fifth of the population and one tenth of the GNP compared to the Greek part of the island. Due to the fact that it is only recognized by Turkey among UN member states, Northern Cyprus has difficulty obtaining international financing and foreign firms generally avoid investing there. Half of the workforce is employed in agriculture, government and military service. In circulation in the northern part of the island is the Turkish lira. Turkey also provides direct and indirect assistance to tourism, education, industry, etc. In the Turkish sector, there is a problem with water supply, and the construction of desalination plants is planned.

Transport in Cyprus

The roads in Cyprus are among the best in the European Union, and are divided into main, auxiliary asphalt, country roads and motorways. Driving is on the left. The main 4 roads run along the southern coast from Larnaca to Limassol and lead to Nicosia. The only form of public transport is buses. you can drive almost anywhere. There are three international airports in Cyprus, two are located on the Greek part of the island in Paphos (16 km from the city) and Larnaca (2 km from the city). There is also a full-fledged operating airport in Nicosia - Ercan. All flights to Northern Cyprus pass through Turkey. The main airline serving the Greek part of the island is Cyprus Airways. Larnaca Airport opened in 1975, following the forced closure of Nicosia Airport, and is partly located on land previously used by Britain as a military base. Large seaports, after the closure, are and.

Tourism in Cyprus

The tourism industry is one of the main sources of national income. The Cyprus Tourist Organization (CTO) is responsible for it. A significant part of the population works in this sector, and the profit brought by tourism is the main source of foreign currency income to the republic’s budget. Over the past 4 years, the number of tourists visiting Cyprus has increased by 29%, and income from tourism has increased by 40%.

Largest resorts:

Many beaches in the Republic of Cyprus have been awarded the Blue Flag of the European Union for environmental cleanliness and infrastructure. Most of these beaches are municipal; there is a fee for renting sun loungers and parasols. The city of Nicosia (Leukosia) is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is located in the center of the island and is divided by the “green line”. The urban areas to the north of it are controlled by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The second largest city in Cyprus is the seaport of Limassol, founded in Byzantine times. To the west of it is the British sovereign base of Akrotiri.

Among the resorts in the Republic of Cyprus, Ayia Napa is the center of club life and is aimed mainly at young people. For family holidays, mainly Paphos and Protaras are suitable. Ayia Napa is the only resort in the Republic of Cyprus where the surface layer of the beaches consists of white imported sand. , and from dark volcanic sand. The beaches of Portaras are mixed, mostly yellow sand.

included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, and is also famous for the fact that Aphrodite’s Bay is located nearby. According to legend, in this place the goddess of love and beauty was born from sea foam.

The British heritage includes, in addition to driving on the left, a power supply standard - three-pin sockets (one of them is grounding, analogous to the side contact of a Euro plug), but the voltage is not 230 V, as in the UK, but 240 V.

Many shops and banks on the island are closed on Wednesday afternoon and all day on Sunday, and on weekdays only from 8:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 17:30 in winter, from 16:00 to 19:00 in summer.

There remains some tension in relations between the two communities. When communicating with people, it is not recommended to mention the Turkish occupation of the northern part of the island. A particularly painful topic is the “ghost town” of Varosha. Among the ethnic Greeks in Cyprus you can find a certain number of immigrants from the former USSR (Pontic Greeks).

Procedure for entry into the Republic of Cyprus

On January 1, 2004, a decree introducing a visa regime for Russian citizens came into force. According to the decision of the Consulate General of the Republic of Cyprus, citizens of the Russian Federation who have a valid Schengen visa (category C with multiple entry), and who have already visited the Schengen country on it, can travel to Cyprus without a national Cypriot visa and stay there for the period provided for by the Schengen visa in accordance with the rules for obtaining a Schengen visa stamped in their passport, and leave Cyprus no later than the expiration of the Schengen visa.

It is necessary to check the number of days to stay in the Schengen country. Days of stay in Cyprus are not deducted from the Schengen visa.
European Union passport holders do not need a visa to enter Cyprus, but are required to carry a valid passport or identification card, provided it includes a photograph and nationality.

Countries whose citizens are not required to obtain a visa to enter Cyprus for a stay of no more than 90 days, provided they are well-intentioned visitors to the country, include the following: Australia, Austria, Andorra, Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Britain, Brunei, Vatican City, Hungary, Venezuela, Guatemala, Germany, Holland, Honduras, Hong Kong, Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Costa Rica, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Norway, Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, El Salvador, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, United States, Uruguay, Finland, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia, South Korea, Japan.

If citizens of the Russian Federation are flying from outside Russia, they need to apply for a tourist visa in their passport; If a tourist has an open, valid Schengen visa, he can visit the territory of Cyprus with this visa.
Citizens of the Russian Federation need to enter the Republic of Cyprus.

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Best hotels in Cyprus

Protaras Hotels

Ayia Napa is a prestigious and very popular resort among tourists from all over the world. Today, this picturesque corner of the earth seamlessly combines natural beauty with vibrant nightlife. Therefore, a holiday in Ayia Napa is more suitable for young people. The city has a huge number of bars, nightclubs, taverns, restaurants, and shopping centers. Any entertainment establishment can boast a variety of Cypriot wines and delicious national cuisine.

Larnaca is the third largest city in Cyprus and the main air tourist gateway of the island. It is here that tourists from all over the world most often fly. Of all the resort towns in Cyprus, holidays in Larnaca are the simplest and most economical. The city is very democratic and therefore everyone will feel good here: families, young people, elderly couples, business people, and single tourists too. Everyone will find something to suit their taste here.

The city of Limassol is the second largest city in Cyprus. This is a modern and business resort center. Limassol and its surroundings are the center of industrial corporations of foreign companies, as well as the Commandaria district, the center of Cyprus winemaking. Geographically, it is very attractive for tourists who want to visit different parts of the island. Larnaca, Paphos and Ayia Napa can be reached by bus in just 1.5 hours.

Paphos is the most elite resort in Cyprus and is located on the west coast of the island. On the one hand, it is a classic old European resort town, and on the other, fashionable and modern. In general, the resort is aimed at the recreation of wealthy people. Many artists and businessmen who want high quality in everything come to vacation in Paphos. On the other hand, there are hotels and entertainment for people of different ages and incomes.

Cyprus is a small island located in the Mediterranean Sea, divided into two parts, all tourism is concentrated on the Cypriot side, many call it Greek, although it has nothing to do with Greece, the second part is Turkish, there is no tourism as such, there are some offers in on the Internet, but how real this is, I can’t say for sure. Therefore, I will talk about Cyprus, which is known to many.

Is it worth going on holiday to Cyprus?

I would definitely say yes. This is a no-win destination for beach tourism. The weather here is always good, and the swimming season lasts quite a long time, so those who were unable to get to the sea in the summer can easily extend their warmth in the fall by purchasing a trip to Cyprus. And the undoubted advantage of the destination is that the flight here, if we talk about Moscow, takes 3 hours. Even those who do not tolerate the flight very well can afford to stay for such a short time for the sake of their own vacation. Mothers with small children, especially infants, can fly to Cyprus quite calmly, since during the 3-hour flight, the children will not have time to get very tired and will not torment the surrounding passengers with their whims. Of course, all children are individual, but I assume that the average child is moderately active and curious.

In addition to quality beach holidays, Cyprus has great potential as a hotel base. I can’t say that the choice is very rich, but every tourist will find something to suit his taste and budget. There are hotels of world chains, ordinary simple ones... read more

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Cyprus weather map:

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10 things you shouldn't do in Cyprus

12/06/2018

Perhaps this summer you will go on holiday to Cyprus. Perhaps even for the first time. And even if not for the first time, our advice may be useful to you. We have collected 10 things that you cannot do in Cyprus: it will not be the best waste of time and money. And each, of course, has an alternative. So, once in Cyprus, you should not:

1. 1. Buy halloumi cheese in hotel supermarkets. And in general in supermarkets in tourist areas. It is quite expensive there and often at the same time cheap - in the sense that in order to reduce the cost, cow's milk is added to halloumi, while the real one is prepared only from goat and sheep's milk. In hotels, by the way, they often fry it incorrectly, in thin slices - so it seems that the portion is larger. In fact, the correct thickness is about a centimeter. For real halloumi, you can go, for example, to a donkey farm in the vicinity of Ayia Napa. No, that doesn't mean they add donkey milk to it, it's just a fun tourist attraction with a "village" theme. The cross-country donkey ride included in the program at first glance smacks of terry pop, but in fact it impresses even those who have always been indifferent to “riding a horse.”

      Halloumi can be fried either in a frying pan or on a grill. Delivering cheese packed in film - no problem

   2. Drive a rental car to Turtle Beach. Lara Beach is a place worth visiting. It is not a fact that you will see sea turtles that lay eggs there, but the place itself is quiet, deserted and surprisingly clean even by the standards of Cyprus, where the cleanliness of the beaches is one of the main advantages for vacationers. However, if you go there in a rental car, then, firstly, you will drive for a very long time. Secondly, there is a risk of breaking the road tires on sharp stones on the road (and this is an unpaved road that runs mainly on rocky soil).

      

      On the beach, you will most likely only see fences around turtle nests. Large turtles come to lay eggs only in July and only at night, and small turtles, as you understand, do not hatch every day either, but after hatching, they immediately crawl to the sea and swim away.

      Thirdly, although there is no outright off-road in the Russian sense (swamp), it is easy to put a bumper, threshold or muffler of a small car on uneven roads, for which you will then have to pay. An alternative is the so-called jeep safari. Of course, the safari has the same name, but riding on a bench in the trunk of a Defender is somehow more colorful. The main thing, if there is more than one jeep in your group, is to sit in the first jeep, because in the second you will swallow dust. By the way, choose trips that include a stop in the Avakas gorge along the way: these are natural beauties indescribable in the form of text, photos or videos (and there are no crowds of tourists there).

      

      We specially posted the ugliest photo from the gorge so that you can go and see everything with your own eyes.

   3. Check into a hotel on the coast of Ayia Napa. It will always be crowded here in the worst sense of the word: crowds of vacationers will literally be lying under your windows, music will be constantly playing from beach bars, and the people at sea will be like in Simeiz.

      

      Ayia Anapa

      

      Have you rented a room with a private terrace on the seafront in Ayia Napa? Well done, your territory is limited to a paved area

      For a quiet, relaxing holiday, it is better to go to Paphos (we were at the Coral Beach Hotel and Resort: a wonderful place, although a little old-fashioned), and if you are in the eastern part of the island, then it makes sense to stay away from the sea.

      

      Coral Beach in Paphos is quiet and peaceful. This is where you need to escape the noisy crowds

      After all, you don’t run back and forth between the sea and your room, but come for a few hours. If so, you can get to the hotel in a few minutes using a free shuttle. And the beaches that these shuttles go to are not so crowded. An example of a good hotel of this type is St. Elias Resort, here you will live in small houses instead of multi-storey buildings, there are swimming pools with slides and, most importantly, Ultra All Inclusive, dear to the Russian heart, which is generally rare for Cyprus. Surprisingly, there are few Russians in the hotel - mostly English.

      

      St. Elias Resort has swimming pools among two-story houses on a large area, only one and a half hundred rooms and many pools. Some houses have their own.

   4. Eat in tourist restaurants on the shore. This, however, is the advice of Captain Obvious, but, damn it, you go and there are people sitting there and eating who knows what. What should you eat in Cyprus? First, look for places where they cook “Kleftiko” - this is lamb stewed in special vats in a special oven for so long that it loses the characteristic taste of lamb and melts in your mouth; It is difficult to find them in tourist areas; restaurants are located in areas where the local population is concentrated. For example, this one.

      

      Oven for cooking kleftiko

      Another mandatory program is meze. Meze comes in fish and meat varieties, the latter being more typical for Cyprus. The idea is that one by one they bring you tiny portions of various dishes: ideologically similar to Spanish tapas, but here most of the dishes are hot. Ideally, you should also wash everything down with local wine, for which, by the way, it’s worth visiting the Kolios winery, where they also serve meze (meat). Locally bottled Persefoni wine at €5 a bottle is worth buying as much as you can take away.

      

      The grapes grow on limestone; limestone is saturated with water during rains and this is enough to feed the bushes; no one waters anything additionally. Therefore, the berry contains less water, which means the wine has a richer taste.

      And if you want fish meze and still be on the shore, then you should at least once go to Sailor’s Rest on the territory of St. Raphael Resort in the vicinity of Limassol.

      

      That ocean liner on the shore is actually not a liner, but a restaurant. A bit pricey, but worth it

   5. Go to the source of Aphrodite. No, if you live very close, then you can go, but in general you will most likely be disappointed. The “source” is a small puddle in a grotto with water flowing down its walls. Here, according to legend, Aphrodite met with Adonis. You won’t be able to swim there, or drink the water - in a word, it’s just a beautiful legend from the authors of guidebooks who needed to write at least something else.

      

      We don’t have any other source of Aphrodite for you.

      But if you do go in that direction, then know that the source itself is located in a rather interesting arboretum with a 5-kilometer route, and nearby there is a beautiful wild pebble beach, where there are never people. However, keep in mind that you will first have to go down a winding staircase from a high cliff, and then climb back up along it.

      

      And by the way, here you can swim to the rock

   6. Give vodka to pelicans on the promenade in Paphos. Alas, this idiotic entertainment is typical only for “Russo tourists”. It’s better to just take pictures with the pelicans, but in general, since you’re on the embankment, go and look at the ancient mosaics.

      

      Pelicans just walk along the embankment

      Even if you hate museums and all these thousand-year-old antiquities with all your heart, and your favorite entertainment is the TV show “Dom-2”, then you can still at least say: “Hey, hey, swastika!”, because the characteristic ornament is repeated in most these mosaics. At the same time, they will tell you that it has nothing to do with prohibited symbols, if you didn’t know that.

      

      We’ll ask you to show us the mosaics...

   7. Trying to get into Varosha. Varosha is an abandoned resort on the demarcation line between the Republic of Cyprus and the unrecognized territory captured by the Turks. Photos on the Internet attract lovers of post-apocalyptic landscapes, but in fact, the “object” is well guarded by the Turkish military, who, by the way, vacation there semi-legally, so it will not be possible to get there undetected.

      

      Varosha from the sea

      If you need to “just look”, this can be done, firstly, during a boat trip from Ayia Napa: the boat comes quite close, everyone is given binoculars, and the line of gradually crumbling hotels along the beach can be studied in detail. Secondly, almost at the very “border” (Greek Cypriots call it the demarcation line, because the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” is considered a temporarily occupied territory and this pseudo-state is not recognized by any country in the world except Turkey) there is a museum of occupation, from the roof which is also perfectly visible through binoculars, and here they will tell you in detail about what happened in 1974.

      

      Varosha from the Museum of Occupation. Grab your binoculars and go!

      Thirdly, if you’re going to wander around, the Berengaria Hotel in the western part of the island looks much more interesting, where you can stop by on the way to the Kykkos Monastery, or even instead of the monastery.

      

      Checkpoint at the “border” in Famagusta

      

      This mosaic at Larnaca airport was actually taken from the abandoned Nicosia airport. Compared to the 1967 version, not all fragments have been preserved

   8. Buy an adapter for UK sockets. Yes, the sockets in Cyprus are different. This is not Greece (not to be confused with Crete), but a former British colony, and the outlets here are of the English type. The store will be able to charge you 5, 10, or 20 euros for it, depending on how popular the brand is (the red price is 2), but in reality you don’t need it. Firstly, decent hotels rent an adapter. Somewhere there’s even no deposit, and somewhere else they charge 5 euros. Secondly, even if you were not given an adapter, there is a life hack: insert any handy object (for example, a pen refill, a cotton swab, etc.) into the central upper hole, thereby slightly opening the curtains of the main contacts.

      

      The adapter you don't need

      We insert a regular Euro plug into them and take out the auxiliary item. In order not to bother with this every time, take with you from Russia the simplest extension cord with a tee. Alas, in a number of hotels there are still sockets of the old British standard BS 546 with round holes; Euro plugs don't fit in them, and an adapter is hard to find (so, again, don't buy an adapter).

   9. Buy something from Duty-Free at Larnaca Airport. All local products are much more expensive there than in regular stores. Foreign drinks in general are also not cheap.

      

      Some drinks in the dutik can be tasted for free, but in homeopathic doses

      Look better at non-food products - glasses, perfume, etc., because you can also have a drink in the business lounge, where, by the way, there is a wonderful terrace from where you can watch the planes (and smoking is also allowed there).

      

      Terrace in the business lounge of Larnaca airport where smoking is allowed

      

      This is not the entire selection of alcohol in the LCA business lounge

      By the way, you can watch the planes from Mackenzie Beach not far from the airport: there are few people, pleasant sand, you swim right under the glide path, and the end of the runway literally goes out onto the beach. Just don’t come close to the airport fence: a security car drives up from the other side very quickly, and from it they look at you with silent reproach.

      

      Mackenzie Beach - a spotter's paradise

   10. Travel on your own during the season to save money. Many people consider package tours evil and do not want to feed tour operators, but this is not about Cyprus and not about the season. Yes, all hotels can be booked through bookings/islands, and you can buy tickets yourself, but it will be more expensive. To understand: a Cyprus hotel gives rooms to a tour operator for about half the price it sells them “at retail” to online travel agencies. Even taking into account the tour operator’s margin, for the price of a room, if you organize your trip yourself, you will at least also get a free ticket, and with a good airline. The main tour operator is Biblio Globus; it cooperates with Rossiya, which flies to Cyprus mainly on fresh Boeing 737-800s and, by the way, feeds quite well (plus you can).

       

       Fresh 737-800 “Russia” fly to Cyprus, some cars are not even a year old

       

       The standard flight meals are satisfying, although without frills, you can order additional ones for an additional fee if you are flying from Moscow

       Among the regions, this is generally almost no alternative; regular flights will, as a rule, have a transfer in Moscow, and for a ticket from a decent carrier you can pay almost the cost of a package tour. Don't forget about the transfers included in the tour.

       

       Russian plane in Larnaca

       Taxis in Cyprus are expensive (from Larnaca to Paphos, for example, 100 euros), and when renting a car, keep in mind that traffic is on the left, that is, cars are right-hand drive. Accordingly, the cheapest options with a manual transmission, where you will need to change gears with your left hand, are unlikely to suit you.

       

Let me make it clear right away that I am not going to force my opinion on anyone. How many people - so many tastes.

But for those who have never been to Cyprus and are planning to go there, I think my information will help make their vacation enjoyable. We are talking about May-June in Limassol and Ayia Napa.

1. Flight.

There is no big difference between the quality of charter and regular flights. Moreover, the 3 - 3.5 hour flight from Sherematiego-2 to Larnaca passes quite unnoticed. Buy a magazine at the airport and read it during the flight. Food and drinks are typical; charters do not serve alcohol. All flights are non-smoking. Even in IL-86.

2. Larnaca Airport and transfer.

After leaving the plane, you will be driven to the airport entrance. You will walk through the doors and see passport control booths right in front of you. The main problem is that there can be a very long queue at passport control. If you are not traveling alone, stand in different queues for different booths. Then figure out where it goes faster. Do not queue for the booths on the far left where there is a blue EEC sign with stars. they serve only European Commonwealth countries.

While you are standing in line, pick up a tourist entry card from any booth. It must be filled out in English. Flight number, first name, last name, country of residence, date of birth, date of departure from Cyprus. When it's your turn, present your passport, card and airline ticket to the officer at the booth. He will put a stamp and give you the documents. Then you will go out into the hall, where you will pick up your luggage and then to the exit to the city.

At the very exit on the right side there are counters of various travel companies. Your meeting guide should be there. He will mark your arrival on his list and tell you the bus number. When you find the bus you need in the parking lot right in front of the airport (the airport is small and so is the parking lot), go up to the driver and name your hotel again - let him confirm that this particular bus goes to your hotel. Then the paths diverge - some to Limassol, some to Ayia Napa. The distance is approximately the same and it takes 40 - 50 minutes to get there and there. Maybe a little less. Depends on the driver. At the hotel you need to fill out a form in English (they love these cards!). First name, last name, arrival-departure, home address, profession, etc. If you really get stuck, don’t hesitate to ask the “receptionist” how to fill it out. In the best cases, guides help fill it out.

3. Hotel.

Do not choose a hotel because of its beautiful name or on the advice of a travel company. This is clear. Surf the Internet, look at hotel descriptions on different sites. Look at the maps showing the location of the hotels. If you want a restful sleep, do not choose a hotel near the road. Buses, trucks and motorcycles emit sounds that will make you feel like you're in Formula One. Or book a room with a sea view. But it costs more. The floor also matters. The higher you go, the quieter it is. Don't forget about the "folklore evenings" that will be held at your hotel. This is when a couple of singers with an electronic piano perform in a restaurant from 21.00 to 24.00. About the "star rating" of hotels. My experience has shown that this makes a big difference. The more stars, the more expensive it is, but also the better. This is true. The breakfast is better, the service, even the little things, such as soap, shower gel, napkins, etc., change of linen, room interior, serviceability and quietness of the air conditioner, availability of hot and cold (!) water. If you don’t want to look at shabby walls and sleep on stained sheets, choose 4-5*.

The location of the hotel in relation to the city center, the beach and the tourist area matters. If you want to live in a hotel on the first line from the sea, not far from the city center, but not so close to it, then in Limassol I would give preference to the hotels Apollonia Beach 5*, Four Seasons 5* Amathus Beach 5*, Mediterranean Beach 4*, Holiday Inn 4*. In Ayia Napa these are Grecian Bay 5*, Nissi Beach 4*, Adams Beach 4*.

4. Structure of cities.

Both Limassol and Ayia Napa consist of three belts. If we go from the sea, we will cross: a strip of beach, then here and there a strip of green space, then the main road, then the city itself begins - houses, shops, offices, banks, etc. Ayia Napa is such a small town that there is only one serious intersection and a single traffic light on it. Souvenir shops and cafes are located along the road and in the very center of the city. Also in the center there are several nightlife establishments - clubs, discos. There are no markets. Limassol is larger in size and has more shops, offices and traffic lights. In both cities there are a huge number of taxis that can take you from one end of the city to the other. There are also regular buses. The cities are clean, but here and there on the beaches there are cigarette butts, cocktail straws, and peanut bags. In cities, something is being built all the time and you can see heaps of construction waste. There are small abandoned vacant lots with elements of garbage and weeds. But all these negative aspects are insignificant.

5. Services and prices.

The currency in Cyprus is the Cypriot pound. Consists of 100 cents. In May - June, the exchange rate of the Cypriot pound to the dollar is 1:1.62. Those. for 1 dollar you will get 0.62 Cypriot pounds. Beaches are paid. Some hotels have their own free sun loungers on the beaches, but there are few of them. A sun lounger with mastras costs 1 pound, the same price for an umbrella. There are cafes on the beaches. There you can buy sandwiches, ice cream, salads, chips, hot dogs, drinks, etc. Much of what is in the cafe can be bought in shops near the beach - it’s cheaper there. There are showers on the beaches - 20 cents per shower. Shops for tourists in the tourist area and in cities sell absolutely original souvenirs and products. In the center of Limassol there are several shops selling branded goods (clothing, shoes, cosmetics), as well as a couple of department stores with European quality goods.

There are no similar stores in Ayia Napa. There are jewelry stores with exclusively 750 gold and silver. I can't say anything about the quality, but it looks very nice. In Limassol there are a couple of “fur and leather” stores that sell good things. There is no fur or leather in Ayia Napa. There are several stores with leather goods, but the quality of the products is very average. Lots of wonderful fruits and vegetables. Watermelons, cherries, strawberries, peaches, apricots, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes - all grown in Cyprus and of excellent quality.

Cafes and restaurants serve local dishes - leftiko, aphelia and other meat dishes. The quality is good and worth a try. Be sure to try fish dishes in fish restaurants. Cypriot dry white and red wines are good. The average cost of dinner for two with salad, hot food, alcohol and dessert is 20 -40 pounds. Depends on the restaurant and the amount of alcohol.

Products in stores:
mineral water 1.5 l - 0.45 lbs,
natural orange juice 1l - 1.20 pounds,
pistachios 150g - 3.15 pounds,
sliced ​​cheese 150g - 1.9 pounds,
sliced ​​ham 150g - £1.60,
yogurt - 0.60 lbs, 1kg cherries - 3 lbs.

Souvenirs:
ceramics - 2.50 - 20 pounds,
lace - 2 - 160 pounds,
small sculpture - 0.95 - 8 pounds,
T-shirts, scarves, caps - 3-15 pounds.

If you want to read something, bring literature with you. In Cyprus, popular Russian reading material is sold, but it is expensive - 6 pounds for a small book. Telephone conversation with Russia - 25 cents per minute. Any store sells telephone cards. After 23.00 and on weekends there are discounts. There are car, motorcycle and bicycle rentals in the cities. On the beaches there is jetskiing, scuba diving, parasailing.

6. Cautions.

There is practically no crime in Cyprus and you don’t have to worry about your wallet or things in your room. However, I would not recommend taking a lot of cash, mobile phone or jewelry to the beach. There is a safe in the room, which can be used for a fee. You can walk the streets all night long without fear for your life. Cypriots are Orthodox and treat Russians well. Many people in Cyprus speak Russian.

Be careful driving on the left.

There are no scary insects or reptiles to be wary of in Cyprus.

In May-June it is very hot in Cyprus and there is practically no rain. Temperature is about +35C. Be careful in the sun. Use sunscreen and after-sun lotion. This is especially dangerous for children. It's very easy to get burned.

7. Back to Russia.

When you arrive at the airport, you will go to your airline's check-in counters. After registration, you will need to take a green card from the counter and fill it out in English. The same as when entering, only a different color. Then pass passport control and you will find yourself in the departure hall, where you will see a large cafe, Duty Free and TVs hung here and there with information for departing passengers. Find your flight and find out the Gate number. And then, with peace of mind, you can go to Duty Free or sit in a cafe.

Thank you for reading my story. I hope you find it useful. Ask questions - I will be happy to answer them.

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38 comments

Question about luggage...
what is the best thing to do in Sh-2: stuff all the junk into a couple of small bags and take them as hand luggage, or dump everything into one large one and calmly check it in as luggage?? How long will you then have to wait for your luggage in the arrivals hall? I read here how in Sh-2 they manage to send things on the wrong flights - you don’t want to find yourself in Cyprus without things during your vacation and devote all your time to figuring out the fate of your junk :(

questions
Are there safes on the beaches so you can put away your gold and money before swimming? Do they sell our vodka or will you take it with you? Will three pieces be enough for me and my friend for a week, or should I take more? Can our mobile phones be picked up there?

Reply to Sergei
Of course, if all the junk fits into small bags, it’s better to take it with you to the salon. Moreover, if you fly on an IL-86, there are spacious shelves. I have not experienced any loss of luggage. The wait won't be long. The transfer bus will wait for you anyway.

Reply to Vitya
There are no safes on the beach. Vodka - 15 Cypriot pounds for half a liter of Stolichnaya. If a friend likes jewelry with diamonds or a dress from Dior and you want to buy something from them, then three pieces will not be enough for a week. Restaurants are cheaper compared to Moscow, an excursion to Israel-Egypt - 100-120 Cypriot pounds per person. Mobile reception is no problem if you are connected to roaming.

Untitled
Everything is written correctly, only we vacationed in Ayia Napa in the Kermia Beach luxury apartments and used sunbeds and umbrellas for free. I completely agree with the author that you need to take 4-5 star hotels (we have never taken anything lower), then there will be no disappointments. But if you are traveling in early May, take warm clothes - we were freezing for the first week from May 8-15 - there were strong hurricane winds, rain and cool. But from 15-22 it was hot.

Ayia Napa
I bought a ticket to Ayia Napa, but judging by your story, there is nothing to do there. Is it really that bad or have you simply not given Ayia Napa the attention it deserves?

Reply to Lena
No, no, I never said that Ayia Napa is bad. There are discos and night clubs there. But there are few of them and they are concentrated in the very center. There is a small water park. Folklore evenings are held in hotels, but, to be honest, this is more suitable for those over 50. On the beaches you can scuba dive, rent a jet ski, and fly with a parachute. But Ayia Napa is a very small city. Much smaller than Limassol. If you have the means, you can always rent a car and go to Larnaca or Limassol. A taxi to Larnaca will cost you about 20 pounds. Of course, if you are a fan of luxury holidays, it is better to go to Nice or Aspen. They say you can have a lot of fun in the Canary Islands.

excursions
As far as I know, almost all the monasteries there are active. Will they let you in in trousers or is it necessary to go there in a skirt?

Reply Jane
They'll let you in in trousers. Shorts, swimsuits, too open T-shirts and short skirts are unacceptable.

From the author: How to relieve sunburn
After talking with many people who have been to resorts and received sunburn, I realized that this topic is relevant not only to me. My skin is very sensitive to the sun, however, I love to sunbathe and I do it quite well. My recipes are tested from my own experience and I share them with you: Sunscreen (Johnson, Nivea, Garnier) is good, but using it constantly, you will hardly get a tan. There can be no talk of any “bronze” skin. Use it for the first 2-3 days. Let your skin get used to the sun. Then, if you want to tan, use the following method: Take with you to the resort: Oil solution of vitamins E and A, sea buckthorn oil, tea tree oil, aloe tincture, brewer's yeast in tablets. Buy Nivea after sun lotion for sensitive skin (if you buy in Cyprus - after sun lotion for sensitive skin Nivea). I prefer this milk to all others. Throughout your trip, take yeast as directed on the label - it contains a full complex of B vitamins, which helps skin and hair regenerate and resist the sun. Mix the oils with milk (a little oil, more milk), add a few drops of aloe. Mix and apply sparingly to the skin of the body and face morning, afternoon and evening. After every swim and shower. The skin gets very dry in the sun, even oily skin, and you will see for yourself how your skin literally absorbs this “cream”. Take cool showers whenever possible, use only the mildest shower gels, and avoid lotions containing alcohol. If the burn is severe, take aspirin. Don't forget to fuel your body with vitamin C - fruits and vegetables. Kefir and yogurt are good, but it is better to take them internally. All this helped me a lot in Cyprus. Remember that my recipe is good for those who are not allergic to the listed components, but for children it is still better to use children's sunscreen throughout the trip.