My last trip (to a new country, at least) for the near future was to the island of Cyprus. I didn’t know much of Cyprus’s history before going, so here’s a short summary: they spent hundreds of year being occupied by the Ottoman Empire, then by Greece, then by the British, and then became independent. The population was made up of Greek and Turkish people, with a Greek government in power. Then in 1972, Turkey invaded and claimed a third of the island for itself, dividing the capital, Nicosia, right down the middle. And that is the current state of affairs. So my friend and I decided to go to the Greek part, and stayed down on the coast, in Larnaca and Pafos, with day trips to Nicosia and Ayia Napa, a beach town that is basically deserted in the off season.
While there are many things to do around the island, many of them are focused on beach-related activities, so we were able to have a more relaxing trip than previous ones (looking at you, Georgia). We flew into Larnaca but went immediately to Pafos, where we did swim one day when it was super sunny, but it was still only about 60 degrees (around 15 Celsius)! In Pafos there are numerous archaeological sites, and we spent one day completely outside going from one to the other, including the Tombs of the Kings, where dozens of tombs of rich people were excavated in the 80s, and then to the Nea Pafos Site, which houses mosaics, an agora and odeon, and a lighthouse. Pafos also has a castle, catacombs, an archaeological museum that houses many of the things that were excavated from the sites, the striking Panagia Theoskepasti church, and a 1-room folk art museum that focuses on the production of olive oil.
And of course, beaches. Everywhere we went, beaches. And a constant view of the sea. Lovely.
After three days there, we headed back to Larnaca, which had a cozy center and lots of cafes right in front of the beaches. Larnaca had less to do tourist-wise: a castle, a municipal art gallery and history museum, the Pierides Museum (an old mansion turned-museum), and a mosque that sits right on the salt lake, so after seeing those things, we used our time there to take a couple of day trips.
The first was to Nicosia, the capital, which I wish we could have spent more time in. In addition to a beautiful art museum featuring Cypriot, Greek, and French art, there was also the Shacolas tower, offering fantastic views of both sides of the city; the old city walls, built by the Venetians; and two museums: one featuring the history of Nicosia, and the other a large collection of statues and other artifacts found at archaeological digs all over the island. The center was quite walkable and picturesque, and even the border crossing in the middle of the city was tranquil. I actually ate lunch at a restaurant that had its terrace only about 20 feet from it!
Our final day trip was to Ayia Napa, known for its stunning beaches and not much else! There was a church or two, but the other things to see were cave formations and other beach-related things, so we had some coffees and took a walk before getting absolutely soaked in a thunderstorm. But overall, a nice relaxing day and 100% recommended in the summer time.
I would actually recommend Cyprus over Greece any day, because the prices for accommodation, souvenirs, and museum entry were all cheaper, and I can only assume that Cyprus receives way less tourists than Greece does, so that means easier beach access as well. I ate Greek salads for lunch and dinner almost every day, and they were only 4 euros! An economical place for summer vacation if there ever was one.
As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, this will be my last trip to a new country for quite a while, as after returning from my trip to the U.S. (I leave in a couple days!) I will be starting a new job and will have to be in León for at least the next few months, but at least it’s a new city for me to explore… 😉