Health Upgraders

Cyprus has been home to many cultures over the ages, but what it is best known for is its spectacular climate, which has made it a very popular destination for Europeans, with over 2.4 million visiting the republic. Cyprus basks is more than 330 clorious days of sun each year, which has given it the name The Island of the Sun. There is no shortage of travel companies providing Cyprus holidays and low cost airlines including Monarch offering routes to Paphos and Larnaca, getting there is cheaper than ever.

Cyprus attracts tourists from all over the world, but the majority come from Europe. Affluent eastern Europeans and Russians have also joined the crowd in recent years. The British Armed Forces have long has a presence in Cyprus. With quick and easy access to the Middle East, this is likely to be the case for some time to come. As such the Brits are now almost as local and the locals, and this has in turned resulted in areas that are less traditional and more contemporary in culture. From English being spoken everywhere you go, to driving on the left side of the road. No doubt the similarity to the UK makes us Brits feel more at home, but we also get to bask in the sun.

For many reading this, the prospect of taking a holiday away from England only to be greeted at the airport by a hire car representative hailing from Croydon and being served an authentic Mediterranean dish of steak and chips will not appeal. However, this side of Cyprus, that continues to attract millions of tourists year after year, is only one aspect of the island and is concentrated around the tourist hotspots of Paphos, Larnaca and Ayia Napa. Fortunately as you venture off the beaten track, your are soon reminded of the character that has made this island a popular destination for millennia.

A trip well worth taking is into Cyprus largest mountain range, the Troodos Mountains. In the heart of the mountains you will find the Kykkos monastery, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1998. Housing art and exhibits on ancient Greece, the monastery has the twin function of being a museum for visitors and a practising monastery lived in by worshiping monks. Kykkos even has its own winery where the monks bottle and sell their wine. A daytrip to the Troodos Mountains can be a welcome change from the beach and with overnight accommodation available in many of the authentic villages dotted about; you might want to spend a few days here sampling another side of Cyprus.