Travel to Cyprus

Browse listings of  Home Exchange, Vacation Rentals, Homestay, B&B, (furnished apartments, villas, cottages, condos, farmhouses and other types of accommodations) of Cyprus:

Vacation Rentals

Home Exchange

Bed and Breakfast

Homestay

Last Minute Tips Before you Travel to Cyprus

• Time Zone:GMT/UTC GMT +2
• Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz (bring an adapter/transformer for your hair drier, laptop, cellular phone etc.)
• Weights & measures: Metric

Must See - Properties on UNESCO World Heritage List

• Paphos
• Painted Churches in the Troodos Region
• Choirokoitia

Cyprus

Location:
Island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey

Capital
Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkosa)

Population
1,138,071 (July 2012 est.)

Cyprus Districts:
Cyprus consists of 6 districts
Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos; note - Turkish Cypriot area's administrative divisions include Kyrenia, all but a small part of Famagusta, and small parts of Lefkosia (Nicosia) and Larnaca

Largest cities of Cyprus
Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta, Paphos, Kyrenia

Climate
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Ethnic groups
Greek 77%, Turkish 18%, other 5% (2001)

Religions
Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, other (includes Maronite and Armenian Apostolic) 4%

Languages
Greek (official), Turkish (official), English

Government type
Republic

Background
A former British colony, Cyprus became independent in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capital of Nicosia. Despite the deployment of UN peacekeepers in 1964, sporadic intercommunal violence continued forcing most Turkish Cypriots into enclaves throughout the island. In 1974, a Greek Government-sponsored attempt to seize control of Cyprus was met by military intervention from Turkey, which soon controlled more than a third of the island. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot-occupied area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" ("TRNC"), but it is recognized only by Turkey. The election of a new Cypriot president in 2008 served as the impetus for the UN to encourage both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to reopen unification negotiations. In September 2008, the leaders of the two communities began negotiations under UN auspices aimed at reuniting the divided island. The talks are ongoing. The entire island entered the EU on 1 May 2004, although the EU acquis - the body of common rights and obligations - applies only to the areas under the internationally recognized government, and is suspended in the areas administered by Turkish Cypriots. However, individual Turkish Cypriots able to document their eligibility for Republic of Cyprus citizenship legally enjoy the same rights accorded to other citizens of European Union states.

Flag of Cyprus
White with a copper-colored silhouette of the island (the name Cyprus is derived from the Greek word for copper) above two green crossed olive branches in the center of the flag; the branches symbolize the hope for peace and reconciliation between the Greek and Turkish communities note: the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" flag retains the white field of the Cyprus national flag but displays narrow horizontal red stripes positioned a small distance from the top and bottom edges between which are centered a red crescent and a red five-pointed star; the banner is modeled after the Turkish national flag but with the colors reversed

Cyprus Travel and Accommodation – Your Tips for Travelers

If you would like to share your experiences of traveling to Cyprus or to any other country, please send us your article and we will gladly post it at this website.

A Road Trip in Cyprus by Alyssa Betts