About Cyprus

When you visit Cyprus, you follow in the footsteps of historical giants from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra to the apostles of Christ.


Throughout history important leaders have seized upon the strategic location of the island, at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, in forging and defending their empires.

Cyprus knew periods of tumult as it came variously under Assyrian, Egyptian, Roman, Islamic, Crusader, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman domination, but the inhabitants always remained singularly Cypriot.

It was in the late Bronze Age that Mycenaean Achaeans came to Cyprus, establishing the roots of Greek civilization now more than 3,000 years old. Copper was the hot commodity of the age and trade links were established with Egypt and the Aegean islands.


The love goddess Aphrodite had a growing cult of followers. A sense of continuity with history is the most distinct Cyprus signature, from evocative temple ruins that blend naturally with the landscape to contemporary crafts and festivals that take their inspiration from antiquity.

Climate and Temperature


With 340 days of sunshine a year, Cyprus has got one of the most enjoyable climates in Europe. The summers are warm and dry beginning in May and lasting till October with an average of 11.5 hours of sunshine a day. A cool breeze accompanies the coming of autumn whilst the sun remains high in the clear blue sky.


On the areas of Famagusta for example, people can enjoy swimming nine months of the year, in the remaining time, the sea is only appropriate for the passionate yearly swimmers. On the other hand, the winter is short and mild, and the sun usually shines even just after a big storm.

The summer season basically begins from the end of March, and stretches up to the middle of November.

Customs & Traditions


Many folk traditions, such as the Carnival and Kataklysmos (Festival of the Flood) have overtones of ancient themes. Carnival Festivities take place 50 days before Greek Christian Orthodox Easter and it means the beginning of Lent, a period of fasting before Easter. The centre of Carnival festivities is Lemesos, but some festivities take place in Larnaka and Pafos as well.

The annual Kataklysmos (Festival of the Flood) is a festival celebrated for five days fifty days after Easter in all the coastal towns, but the biggest event takes place in Larnaka. At the heart of the festival is a joyful procession to the sea where people sprinkle each other with water.


Whether this is in memory of Noah’s survival of the flood, or the coming ashore of resurrected St. Lazarus - or a celebration of the birth of Aphrodite - is sometimes debated, but in any event Kataklysmos is a spirited and uniquely Cypriot festival.

On June 28 and 29, St. Paul’s Feast is feted in Pafos, where the Apostle journeyed after leaving Jerusalem.

Every September the Wine Festival takes place in Lemesos, a tribute to the fruit of the vine as it grows and thrives in Cyprus. With ten days of free-flowing locally produced wines, Dionysus would surely approve.

Cyprus also has rich musical and dance traditions quite distinctive from those of Greece. Instruments that typically accompany folk dances are the violin and laouto, a lute with four double strings played with the quill of an eagle or vulture.


Many dances are performed face-to-face and as a suite. Both men and women are very nimble-footed and the dances often allude to village courtship rituals - and are therefore most popular at wedding ceremonies.