Hi, I would like to venture to Cyprus as it is three check marks on the TCC list. Can anyone tell me if it is easy for a Canadian female to travel to the three areas listed on our TCC list. I didn't see any members on our membership list from Cyprus. I would love to hear if anyone has any advice for travelling around this country!
Thanks Caroline Keyes- Kingston, Ontario, Canada
email - carokeyes@gmail.com
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OMG...I have been to Cyprus! It was wonderful but I went in January 2025! SO COLD to visit that place! But I truly enjoyed seeing it! Didn't do much because the weather was too cold!
Hope you had amazing weather when you were out there!
Yes, no trouble at all with border crossings, and I was able to travel by bus all over both the south and north. Northern Cyprus was definitely the highlight with its stunning historical sights and beautiful old cities. Basic but clean and fun hostels; the hostel owner in Limassol decided to drive me out to Kourion, Kolossi Castle and the 'beach' area to the south of Limassol himself in his mum's beat up little bomb, smoking weed the whole way...
I was also able to get a direct flight out to Malta, where I'm currently exploring more history :)
The photos are New Year's Day sunrise in Ayia Napa which I enjoyed on my morning run.
Ayia Napa sunrise 1.jpg
Ayia Napa sunrise 2.jpg
Good to know. Thank you for the information!
Thank you for all of the tips, Mark! I'll be in Cyprus 18 Dec - 2 Jan and booked hostels in Larnaka, Limassol, Paphos and Nicosia. I plan to take the local buses between the cities and to make day trips to mountain towns and archaeological sites. I have a few days left at the end, so I was thinking of looking for a guide / trip for two days in North Cyprus. Some of the historical/archaeological sites in the north look amazing.
Do you know about other border crossings or does it need to be Nicosia? Ideally I'd like to stay a night in Famagusta then cross to Ayia Napa for a night (New Year's Eve, actually) before heading back to Larnaka for the flight out. It would be nice to follow the coast rather than having to go back to Nicosia to cross.
We rented a car and drove around the island very easily. Seeing the "ghost town" of Varosha Famagusta was amazing and being able to walk across the border at the Ledra Street crossing in Nicosia is really a cool experience. Seeing the UK Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are accessible to drive to, but you can't get access into them. As with many areas in Cyprus, the ruminants of the civil war are fenced off and locals don't like you taking photos, so you have to be careful. Some of the areas guarded by the military such as Nicosia International Airport which look spectacular to visit are not open to the public. That said, when we approached the guard station we were told you could apply to the government to get access, so if you had time in advance of your trip to reach out you might get access. We unfortunately were only there for two days, so were not able to, but I recommend reaching out.
We stopped for a nice beach break at Ayia Napa / Nissi Beach with had beautiful sand and water.
The Cyprus Museum in Nicosia is great! We walked there, an easy walk from the Turkish border crossing. It is in Cyprus. Our hotel in Turkish Cyprus was near a 10th century Benedictine Monastery. We also spent time at a Roman site with a coliseum living areas and toilets. History is everywhere Many early Christian sites. We enjoyed our few days there. If I were going again I’d split two weeks between Cyprus and Malta.
Thanks for the info Herb! Let me know about any particular historical sites you recommend - I simply love history. I haven't had a chance to book anything yet, but I'm thinking maybe two weeks in Cyprus...
My wife and I travelled around Cyprus in 2019, Pre-Covid. We spent 4 nights in the Turkish Cyprus and did all three TCC check marks. We flew to Larnaca Cypress and were picked up by our female tour guide who provided transportation and guidance while we were there. Our guide was Cemaliye Mustafa, we communicated by What's App her number is +90 533
076 29 05. She made all our arrangements for hotels and was very accommodation for our desires We liked to explore on our own especially, in Nicosia ,and she gave us guidance on how to find our way through the divided city. we were interested in history so concentrated on that. No beaches..
Hi there,
Hope all are doing well! The above information is very helpful. I'm also planning to head to Cyprus (just before Christmas, followed by some other Mediterranean islands) and what I'm seeking is an idea about how much time I should put towards experiencing it properly. I'm a DIY backpacker so would be looking to take public transport, walk to the hostels, etc., so taking bus timetables/regularity and journey time into account. I'd like to visit the main sights, with an emphasis on places with historical/archaeological significance (I teach and present in ancient history), and also love hiking. I'm not fussed about beaches and so forth. Willing to splash out a little extra to access any worthwhile but out of the way historical sites and take advantage of knowledgeable guides at such places. I do also dance, and have been told Limassol is the place to go for the salsa scene, so that would have to be in the mix!
Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.
Have a great week everyone!
Raquel