Evelin Magnus · Pexels LicenseCyprus
“A divided island with mountains in the middle and 340 days of sun.”
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, with a UN buffer zone running across the island and through Nicosia, the last divided capital in Europe. The Republic of Cyprus controls the south and is in the EU; the north is administered by a Turkish Cypriot authority recognised only by Türkiye. Crossings are open and straightforward for visitors, and the division is the first thing to understand about travelling here.
What the island holds is a genuinely varied small country: the Troodos mountains rising to nearly 2,000 metres with painted Byzantine churches and skiing in February, Roman mosaics at Paphos, Neolithic Choirokoitia, and a coastline that runs from developed resort to the empty Akamas peninsula. It gets around 340 sunny days a year, and the summer heat inland is severe.
Highlights
The Troodos painted churches
Ten small Byzantine churches in the mountains, UNESCO-listed, with frescoes from the eleventh to sixteenth centuries under unremarkable barn-like roofs. Asinou and Panagia tou Araka are the ones to prioritise.
Nicosia across the Green Line
The last divided capital in Europe — the Venetian walls, the Ledra Street crossing, and a walk from the Cypriot to the Turkish Cypriot side in five minutes with a passport.
Paphos and the mosaics
Roman villa floors with mythological scenes preserved almost intact, the Tombs of the Kings cut into rock, and the whole archaeological park UNESCO-listed.
The Akamas peninsula
The undeveloped western tip — Lara Bay where loggerhead and green turtles nest, the Avakas gorge, and rough tracks that need a 4×4 or a long walk.
Entry requirements for Cyprus
Checking your passport…
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Before you fly
The detail
- Passport validity
- Most destinations want validity beyond your stay, and some want six months. Check yours against the return date.
- Onward travel
- Airlines may ask for a return or onward ticket at check-in.
- Health
- No vaccinations required. Healthcare is good; EHIC/GHIC covers EU and UK visitors in the south, and cover in the north is a separate question that insurance should be checked for. Tap water in the south is safe. Heat illness is the main summer risk. Sea urchins on rocky shores make water shoes useful.
- Money
- Euro in the south; the north uses the Turkish lira, though euros are widely accepted there. Cards work almost everywhere in the south and less reliably in the north — carry cash if crossing. Tipping is around 10 %. English is very widely spoken, another British legacy.
When to go
BestApr–May, Sep–Oct. AvoidJul–Aug.
The best month — warm, green and flowering, with Orthodox Easter.
The band above each month is our editorial verdict - it weighs crowds, prices and access as well as weather. The line is average daily temperature, the bars are monthly rainfall. Select a month for the figures. Climate figures: ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2005–2024 normals.
What it costs
A day in Cyprus
Comfortable · sample day
≈ $97
Line items are real prices we track. The daily budget is an editorial estimate for this level, not their sum.
Where this sits among 244 countries we have costed
Coastal accommodation doubles in July and August and is genuinely cheap from November to March, when many resort hotels in Ayia Napa and Protaras close entirely. The Troodos has a small winter ski season. Car hire rises sharply in summer and should be booked ahead.
Updated Aug 2026 · Editorial synthesis — Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Tourism, site tariffs, rental and accommodation sampling (2025–2026) · confidence high
Excludes international flights - they depend on where you fly from.
Regions to know
5Nicosia
The divided capital — Venetian walls, the Ledra Street crossing, the Cyprus Museum and the old town on both sides.
Paphos & the west
Roman mosaics, the Tombs of the Kings, Aphrodite's rock and the undeveloped Akamas peninsula.
Limassol & the south coast
The island's working city and food scene, Kourion's cliffside theatre and the Kolossi crusader castle.
The Troodos mountains
Painted Byzantine churches, Kykkos monastery, wine villages and Mount Olympus with winter skiing.
Larnaca, Ayia Napa & the east
The salt lake and its flamingos, Ayia Napa's beaches and nightlife, and the sea caves at Cape Greco.
Practical guide
Getting there
Larnaca (LCA) and Paphos (PFO) are well served by low-cost and charter carriers from across Europe. Ferries are limited; there is no regular passenger service from Greece. Arriving via northern Cyprus ports or Ercan airport is treated as illegal entry by the Republic and can create problems.
Getting around
Public transport is limited and infrequent — buses connect the main towns but not much else. A car is close to essential, and rentals are cheap. Driving is on the left. The motorway network links Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos; mountain roads to the Troodos are winding and slow.
Money & costs
Euro in the south; the north uses the Turkish lira, though euros are widely accepted there. Cards work almost everywhere in the south and less reliably in the north — carry cash if crossing. Tipping is around 10 %. English is very widely spoken, another British legacy.
Safety
Very safe with low crime. The practical hazards are heat, sun and the roads. The buffer zone is not a place to wander — it is a military area with restricted access, and photography of military installations on either side is prohibited. Wildfires are a serious summer risk in the Troodos and the hills.
Health
No vaccinations required. Healthcare is good; EHIC/GHIC covers EU and UK visitors in the south, and cover in the north is a separate question that insurance should be checked for. Tap water in the south is safe. Heat illness is the main summer risk. Sea urchins on rocky shores make water shoes useful.
SIM & internet
EU roaming applies in the south; the north uses Turkish networks and roaming there is charged separately and can be expensive — watch for your phone switching networks near the line. Coverage is complete and free wifi widespread.
Driving
Driving is on the left. Hire cars from the south are generally not insured in the north — buy the separate cover sold at the crossing points, which costs around €20 for a few days. Mountain roads to the Troodos are narrow and steep; the Akamas tracks need a 4×4.
Rules change - verify with an official source before you rent.
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From the Journal
Before you go
CyprusFrequently asked questions
Can I cross to the north?
Yes. Crossing points including Ledra Street in Nicosia are open to visitors, and you show a passport at each side. Note that the Republic of Cyprus considers entry to the island through northern ports and airports to be illegal entry, so arrive in the south and cross from there. Hire cars from the south usually need extra insurance bought at the crossing to be covered in the north.
Which coast should I stay on?
Paphos for archaeology and the Akamas, Limassol for a working city with a good food scene, Larnaca for convenience and the salt lake flamingos, and Ayia Napa for beaches and nightlife. The Troodos mountains are worth two nights of their own and are cooler by ten degrees in summer.
How bad is summer?
Nicosia regularly passes 40 °C in July and August and is one of the hottest capitals in Europe. The coast is more bearable and the mountains substantially so. Spring and autumn are far better — April and May bring wildflowers, and September and October have the warmest sea of the year.