By plane

In total, there are two airports in Cyprus – in Paphos and in Larnaca. There are regular flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as charters from Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Ufa, Yekaterinburg and some other cities.

On water

You can also get to Cyprus by sea, from the ports of Israel, Egypt and Greece. There are regular cruise lines.

Transport

According to Animalerts, transport links on the island are not very good. There are few buses. Intercity buses run a few times a day only between the largest cities; on weekends they often do not travel at all.

City buses are available only in Nicosia, Larnaca, Paphos and Limassol. They take you to popular local attractions. By the way, tourists note that stops are not announced on the buses of Cyprus, so it is quite difficult to ride them. But the cities are small, you can walk around them on foot.

The lack of public transport is successfully compensated by a very convenient and developed taxi system – they are available in almost all cities and also run between cities.

If you are not afraid of left-hand traffic, then you can rent a car – you must have a driving experience of at least three years and be over 25. There are many rental offices, and the quality of roads in the country is quite good.

Many note that there are not so many attractions in Cyprus, and all the beaches are similar to each other, so there is no particular incentive to travel around the country

Money

In Cyprus, the euro is used, as well as throughout the European Union. You can exchange currency at banks, ATMs, hotels, transport agencies, post offices. There are often long queues for currency exchange, sometimes a passport is required. Be careful with banknotes of 200 and 100 euros – they are often counterfeited. Stores often don’t have change, so it’s a good idea to have a supply of coins and loose change with you. You can pay for purchases with Visa credit cards. It is unprofitable to withdraw money from ATMs.

Cuisine and restaurants

The cuisine of Cyprus, as we see it now, was formed under the influence of Turkish, Greek and British cultures. Here, vegetables, yogurt, oils, parsley, garlic, lemon, basil, coriander and many other recipes are actively used in cooking. And sweets with nuts and honey are similar to oriental ones.

Overall, the food is spicy but not spicy. Dishes are prepared either on lamb fat or on vegetable oil, mainly olive. Popular chicken soups. Salads are often prepared with vegetables, chicken and cheese, with seafood added. The side dish is usually served with vegetables, legumes, rice, pasta, bulgur. Beef, pork, lamb and poultry are prepared from meat, fish is less popular. Muslims live in Northern Cyprus, so pork is not eaten. Fish dishes are often local fish, also local crabs and squids.

The best way to understand what the national cuisine of Cyprus is is to try meze. In Greece, this is what they call an appetizer, but here it is a whole lunch – garlic-cucumber salad, pea mousse, eggplant, salad with cheese and vegetables, fish and meat dishes.

Moussaka is good – eggplant with vegetables and meat, baked under an egg and cheese. Rice is cooked deliciously – frying it with spices in olive oil, and then wrapping it in grape leaves.

Tourists like meat – kebab, tawas, souvlaki and beautiful. Lamb lovers will love kleftiko.

It is also worth trying local wines and halloumi cheese. For dessert, you should choose baklava, Turkish delight and glycol.

There are a lot of restaurants in Cyprus, and not only traditional ones, but also Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Thai, Italian and French. There are even Georgian and Russian establishments. Lots of places especially for vegetarians. If you want local cuisine, then you should opt for traditional Cypriot taverns. Usually these are small family restaurants with unique national dishes, a cozy atmosphere and authentic dishes.

Souvenirs

You will never forget your holiday in Cyprus if you bring good souvenirs from there. The choice of souvenirs here is very wide. The classic options are:

magnets

Here they are unbanal, often they are real works of art.

Olive oil

Olive oil and various products from it, including cosmetics – this oil is very high quality and inexpensive here.

Ceramics

Pottery, for example, figurines associated with ancient myths. Souvenirs with the image of Aphrodite are especially beautiful.

“Delicious souvenirs”

A great option would be “delicious souvenirs” – ancient local wines, fruit vodka, Halloumi cheese, sweets, for example, Turkish delight

Leather Products

Leather production is also developed on the island, so leather products here are inexpensive, high-quality and beautiful.

Christian symbolism

Many bring Christian symbols from Cyprus, as many here profess Orthodoxy

Silver items

Tourists also like amazing products made from local silver.

Clothing

Clothing in Cyprus is not cheap, but you can buy T-shirts with mythical characters or cotton dresses and Indian blouses

Chess

Very beautiful in Cyprus they make chess in the form of mythological characters

Pomos idol

Figurine similar to an Egyptian ankh. This symbol is very ancient – the original idol is about five thousand years old.

Cup of Pythagoras

Ceramic cup with a leg “inward”. If you pour too much liquid into it, the drink will flow out. An insidious invention, but very interesting – it makes you feel like an ancient Hellene

Figurine painting

In Cyprus, donkeys have been revered since ancient times, so their figurines made of various materials are sold everywhere.

Visa and customs

If you are planning a trip to Northern Cyprus on vacation, then you will not need a visa. To enter South, Greek Cyprus, which is more popular with tourists, you will need to apply for a visa. At the same time, you may be denied entry to the southern part if you arrive in the country through Northern Cyprus.

A tourist visa to South Cyprus is issued very quickly (sometimes even in one day), and if you have a valid Schengen visa, it is not required at all.

Customs rules are generally standard – there are restrictions on the duty-free import of alcohol and cigarettes, it is forbidden to import drugs and weapons, values must be declared. It is forbidden to export antiquities from Cyprus, but you can bring copies of antique works of art.