GEOGRAPHY

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . Its 3,572 square miles include citrus and olive groves, pine forested mountains, and some of Europe 's cleanest beaches.

Cyprus is 60 miles west of Syria , 47 miles south of Turkey and 200 miles north of Egypt . The nearest Greek point is the Greek island of Rhodes which is 200 miles to the west.

Troodos mountains occupy most of the southwestern part of the country, the Pentadaktylos mountains range in the north around Kyrenia and the Messaoria Plain in between them. It is here that the capital city, Lefkosia ( Nicosia ), is located.

The extended Karpasia Peninsula occupies the northeast part of Cyprus , while the southeastern point terminates in Cape Greco . The southern coast is where the major towns of Larnaca and Lemesos (Limassol) are located. Pafos and the Akamas Peninsula are on the far western edge.

The latitude of Cyprus is 34º 33´-35º 34´ North, and its longitude 32º 16´-34º 37´ East

Either you are in Cyprus for holidays or to stay permanently, your experience can be as varied and rewarding as the geography of the island itself.

The mountainous interior, the Troodos, offers an attractive contrast to the coast that shouldn't be overlooked. Pine-scented air, hiking trails and Byzantine churches are just some of the treasures to be found in Cyprus . The village life of the hill towns can also be the ultimate experience.

There are beaches in Cyprus to suit just about everybody, from families with young children to seekers of solitude and diving lovers. Protaras and Ayia Napa beaches are of the most well-known beaches of Cyprus , offering crystal clear blue waters, and golden sandy beaches.

CLIMATE

The sun is a resilient force in Cyprus, shining high and bright for more than 340 days of the year and enough to keep the sea warm for swimming from early April to early November.

Even in the middle of winter, when temperatures get on the cool side, the sun usually shines for the better part of the day. Climatic conditions in Cyprus can be termed as excellent from a health point of view. Therefore, the climate here is ideal for holiday travelers throughout the year.

Sunrise & Sunset / Time Differences
Sunrise and Sunset times are given for the 15th of each month with the hours and minutes at 5 minutes approximation).

(April to October: Summer Time)

FOOD AND WINE

Whenever Cypriots meet with other people, for work or entertainment, they eat meze and drink wine all together. Anyone who comes to Cyprus has something to say about the Cypriot cuisine.

Cyprus cuisine is closely related to that of Greece , but the island's position at the crossroads of three continents has added exotic tastes that make it particularly varied and delicious. Emphasizing fresh local ingredients, regional herbs and spices, and the light use of natural olive oil, the Cypriot cuizine is essentially Mediterranean in character.

Cypriots know how to cook their food and enjoy it fresh and hot. Meze is the traditional type of food consisting of many different kinds of food e.g. greek salad, Koupepia (grape leaves stuffed with minced meat and rice), Lountza (smoked pork, often served in sandwiches) with halloumi, a delicious soft cheese, (usually grilled) made from thyme-fed sheep and sometimes spiced with peppermint; Sheftalia, grilled pork sausage, Afelia , pork marinated in wine and coriander; Stiphado, beef or rabbit stew casseroled with wine vinegar, onions and spices; and Ofto kleftiko, chunks of lamb cooked in a sealed clay oven and seasoned with bay leaves; cool mint and cucumber flavored yogurt with a dusting of garlic, a variation on the Greek tzatziki
etc.

Cyprus wines are among the world's oldest, their production dating back to 2000 BC. Mosaics at the House of Dionysus in Pafos prove to the long history of the Cyprus wine. Dionysus, the pleasure-loving god who taught Icarius how to plant vines in exchange for the hospitality he had shown him, is seated on a chair holding grapes. An inscription that reads “the first wine drinkers” in Greek accompanies a mosaic depiction of two shepherds quite drunk on Icarius's wine. Many renowned wines of the world are made from vines brought to Europe from Cyprus after the Crusades - champagne, for example, may have originated from a choice cutting taken from Mount Olympos , in Cyprus .
Today no Cypriot wine enjoys greater renown than Commandaria , a sweet, robust dessert wine that is said to be the oldest named wine in the world. Called “Nama” in antiquity, it so reminded Marc Antony of Cleopatra's kisses that he gave the whole island to his legendary lover because of it.

Nowadays, many Cypriots have started to produce their own “house wines”.