Agapinor, Paphos, Cyprus - Interactive Hotel Directory - Hotel & Location Chat - Local Businesses - Pictures

Small in size but bulging with all the personality of a sassy Mediterranean hotspot, Cyprus woos visitors with profound legends of love, epic tales from over 10,000 years of colourful history, and a veritable smorgasbord of culinary treats.

After dining on salty halloumi, tangy dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) and chunks of kleftiko (seasoned slow-baked lamb), visitors will find many an all-night party pumping throughout Cyprus' main towns - Ayia Napa in particular - and an assortment of pristine beaches on which to revive and rejuvenate the next day.

For an altogether slower pace, the cafe culture of Nicosia is well worth sampling, as are some gentle wanders around the country's fascinating selection of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Whatever speed you choose to go, Cyprus is guaranteed to leave you wanting more.

Accommodation

Hotels:
Most hotels and hotel apartments offer discounts during the low season - generally Nov-March at seaside resorts and Oct-June in the hills. There are often discounts for children occupying the same room as their parents. Some hotels may only charge 80% of the daily room rate for single occupancy of a double room. Visitors should check discounts with their hotel prior to arrival.

Grading: Hotels range from deluxe 5-star to 1-star. Hotel apartments are classified A, B or C.

Bed and breakfast:
These are located mainly in Limassol, Pafos, Troodos and Larnaca. The Cyprus Agrotourism Company (see Accommodation Information below) offers traditional countryside accommodation.

Camping:
There are several camp sites in Cyprus licensed by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation and include washing facilities.

Other accommodation:
Youth hostels are dotted around many parts of Cyprus, and are open to members of the International Youth Hostels Association. Non-members are also accepted, but on arrival at the hostel they will be provided with a guest card.

Getting There

Flying to Cyprus
The national airline is Cyprus Airways (CY) (www.cyprusair.com). All flights to the north are via Turkey with Turkish Airlines (TK) (www.thy.com) or Cyprus Turkish Airlines (YK) (www.kthy.net). Tourists can also now fly into the south and travel across the border in Nicosia into the north.

Flight times:
From London to Pafos and Larnaca is 4 hours 30 minutes, to Ercan, in the north, via Turkey is five hours 30 minutes.

Getting to Cyprus by boat
Since 1974, the Cyprus government declared the ports of Famagusta (Ammochostos) and Kyrenia, and the airport of Ercan, all in the northern part of the island, as illegal ports of entry to Cyprus.

Ferry operators:
For detailed information on ferry boats and shipping lines, contact the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (see Contact Addresses). One-day cruises are organised from May to October, weather permitting. Several cruise lines call at Cyprus.

Things To Do

Ayia Napa
Party hard in Ayia Napa, which has an increasingly boisterous reputation as a major clubbing resort. It also attracts families to its beaches, Waterworld leisure centre and Go-Karts track.

Bask on the beach
Find perfect sand-castle building south of Limassol: the Akrotiri Peninsula's Lady's Mile Beach is a vast stretch of golden powder. On the coast north of Pafos, Coral Bay is a fast-growing resort around a good beach.

Baths of Aphrodite
At the edge of the Akamas Peninsula, witness where, so legend has it, the Greek goddess of love bathed. The Baths of Aphrodite is a grotto containing a freshwater pool, and the surrounding area is virtually untouched.

Castles
Explore one of Cyprus' ancient castles. Saint Hilarion castle towers out of the limestone rocks of the Besparmark mountains, and is one of the finest sights in northern Cyprus. Kolossi Castle, near Limassol, is entered via a reconstructed drawbridge, and has an extremely impressive opening hall.

Daytrips from Nicosia
From the capital, take an excursion to the Royal Tombs and Agios Irakleidios Monastery at Tamassos, the five-dome church and the mosque in Peristerona, and the Panagia Chrysospiliotissa Church found in a cliff-side cave near Deftera.

Eat chocolate
Indulge your taste buds on the slopes of the Troodos Mountains at the Platres chocolate workshop. The owners import all chocolate from Venezuela, and have entered the Guinness Book of World Records for making the world's most expensive Easter egg.

Family outings
On the coast south of Famagusta lie busy resorts, speckled with golden sand beaches, that are ideal for children; try Fig Tree Bay and Flamingo Bay. Family-oriented Protaras and Pernera resorts also boast good beaches, with caf�s and beach bars.

Feast of Kataklysmos
Celebrate the feast of Kataklysmos (the Greek Orthodox Whitsun); although celebrated throughout Cyprus, there is special enthusiasm in Larnaca, where crowds throng the shore for watersports, singing, dancing, eating and drinking.

Hala Sultan Tekke
Near Larnaca Airport, enjoy the Hala Sultan Tekke: a historic mosque standing in beautiful gardens on the edge of Larnaca Salt Lake - dry in summer, and a winter home of migratory flamingos.

Hiking
Hike through the many unspoilt areas in Cyprus. Recommended nature trails include Atalante, Kaledonia and Persephone in the Troodos area; Aphrodite and Adonis in the Akamas area; and several trails through the forests of Machairas and Limassol.

Kouklia
At Kouklia visit the ruins of ancient Palaia Pafos and the Temple of Aphrodite. At the coast is Petra tou Romiou (Rock of Aphrodite).

Kourion
In the ancient city of Kourion, on a steep hillside near Episkopi, discover a Graeco-Roman theatre, where concerts and Shakespearean plays are performed in summer. See also the House of Eustolios, which has beautiful mosaics; the Acropolis; the ruins of the Roman-era forum; and the Christian Basilica.

Kykkos Monastery
Kykkos Monastery is the largest and most famous monastery in Cyprus. Founded in AD1100 by the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos, the monastery is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is home to one of the three surviving icons painted by the Apostle Luke. Kykkos Monastery is ornately decorated and covered in a silver gilt, enclosed in a tortoiseshell shrine. It is also famous for its museum, located within the monastery grounds, which houses an impressive collection of icons, woodcarvings and manuscripts, and other Cypriot antiquities. The nearby Troodos Mountains, with magnificent hills and valleys, should also be explored as they are home to nine Byzantine churches, included on UNESCO's World Heritage list, and richly decorated with murals and Byzantine paintings.

Nicosia
Take a walking tour of the capital Nicosia and visit the Cyprus Museum - a storehouse of the island's archaeological treasures - the Folk Art Museum, the new Archbishop's Palace, St John's Cathedral, Byzantine churches, the Byzantine Museum/Makarios Cultural Centre and the Omeriye Mosque.

Pafos medieval fort
Be serenaded whilst gazing at Pafos' beautiful medieval fort. It's worth seeing anytime of the year, but particularly during the three days each summer when operatic sounds reverberate around the ancient walls.

Skiing
Both Platres and Kakopetria are conveniently placed for the skiing season on Mount Olympus, which usually lasts from January to mid March, but Troodos is actually the nearest resort to the skiing area.

Take a bet
Get your wager on at the Nicosia Race Club. It's the only licenced racetrack on the island, and has a pleasant colonial atmosphere as well as the chance to back a favourite.

Troodos Mountains
Take in the the spectacular scenery and 10 Byzantine churches of the forested (or, more accurately, reforested) Troodos Mountains. Platres, 1,200m (3,937ft) above sea level on the southern slopes, is the ideal base for excursion, and lies on the approaches to Mount Olympus (at 1,952m (6,404ft), the highest peak in Cyprus).

Yoga
Look after your soul with a dose of yoga at Sumeru Resort. Located near Kritou Tera, one of the oldest villages in Cyprus, Ohm your way to enlightenment from a beautiful vantage point surrounded by rugged terrain.

Transport

Car hire: Cars are one of the best ways to explore the island. They should be reserved well in advance during the summer season.

Taxi: These run 24 hours between all the main towns on the island. Fares are regulated by the government and all taxis have meters. Shared taxis operate every 30 minutes between major cities. Rural taxis can only be hired from the base station and do not have a meter.

Motorcycles: Riders and pillion passengers must wear crash helmets if the motorcycle is over 50cc.

Regulations: The minimum driving age is 18, but drivers often need to be 21 years old and to have held a valid license for three years to hire a car. The maximum speed limit is 100kph (63mph) on highways, 80kph (50mph) on most other roads and 50kph (32mph) in built-up areas. Road signs are in both Greek and English. There are strict repercussions for those not wearing seat belts or a crash helmet, or using a mobile telephone/under the influence of alcohol whilst driving. Children under the age of five must not sit in the front passenger seat. Children aged between five and 10 may sit in the front seat but only if an appropriate child's seat belt has been fitted. Use of mobile phones while driving is strictly prohibited.

Documentation: An International Driving Permit or national driving licence is valid for one year. Visitors wishing to bring their car to Cyprus can do so for up to three months provided the car has a valid registration licence for its country of origin.

Getting around towns and cities:
Nicosia Buses operates an efficient bus service in the capital. Services in Limassol are run by the Limassol Urban Bus Company (E.A.L.) Limited. Smaller operations service other Cypriot towns and cities, though few services are frequent or used often by tourists. Taxis are widely available; a 15% surcharge is in operation from 2300-0600. Tipping is expected.