A country steeped in history and mythology, Cyprus is one of the most promising vacation destinations around. The island is divided into 3 main regions; Pentadactylos mountain range is to the north, Troodos spans over the central and south western part of Cyprus while Messaoria plains cover the middle.
Being the largest eastern Mediterranean island, Cyprus is situated south of Turkey and the land of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, boasts something for everyone. There are beaches that captivate you with their golden sands, skiing locations, hiking excavations and slopes covered with vines that capture the imagination. That land is just that, a sight to look at, enjoy and never forget.
There is nothing you can dub to be the main tourist attraction in Cyprus, the beaches make you want to spend the rest of your days soaking your feet and the mountains have a magnetic pull to them with their sheer natural splendour. The country however, has more than just natural beauty to boast. Historical structures dating from before 11th century BC attract some, others lose themselves in the Greek architecture or the Roman theatres while the Byzantine monasteries and structures and castles are also worth touring for their distinct style.
The hospitable natives of Cyprus are a proud folk, and quite rightly proud of their coffee. Served with different names according to the sugar content, coffee in Cyprus is a daily ritual of sorts and the men get together almost each day in the kafenes, coffee houses, to chat and have coffee. As per tradition, the kafenes remain a men only affair to this day; women and children are only welcome in the kafenes when there is a village puppet show or some event of the sort.
While the food usually is diverse, with influence from Romans, Turks, Greeks and even Syrians, the Meze is something to experience while you are in Cyprus. With fifteen to thirty dishes served in tandem, the Meze actually requires you to even have a good strategy for eating as well; if you have too much of one dish, you might miss a taste.
When they are not fasting, for one reason or another, the people of Cyprus have delicious meat dishes as well, but most of the year, they eat vegetables fresh and even raw from their own gardens. The fertile land is a great producer of fruit as well as vegetables and the people certainly know how to enjoy them.
Cyprus is mainly a tourist destination; the natives earn from tourism and their professional craftsmanship when it comes to embroidery, copper-work and pottery. The peak tourist season for Cyprus is in the summer from July to August.
That, of course, is also when the prices hike up and the hustle bustle in the streets increases. The shoulder months to the peak season, are always considered good for cheaper vacations but for those looking to visit Cyprus, make sure you tour the country with time on your side, there is a lot to see and, if you are willing to spend some time there, this might just be the perfect vacation filled with a variety of things to do to match the diversity of the land itself.
