DK Travel : Cyprus

Cyprus packs a remarkable array of sights and attractions into such a small space: museums and archaeological sites that span more than five millennia of history, throbbing beach resorts, medieval fortresses, age-old temples standing on empty hillsides, cool mountain forests and pretty valleys chequered with vineyards, grain fields and olive groves all complete the landscape. On an island where one can swim and ski all in the same day, this is truly a holiday paradise with something for everyone.

1. Nicosia Walled City

The divided city, within medieval ramparts, is full of interest. With a clutch of museums, historic buildings, a lively morning market and authentic cafés and restaurants, it merits a leisurely visit (see Nicosia Walled City).
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2. Cyprus Museum, Nicosia

This superb museum has a collection of finds from ancient and medieval sites all over the island. The display of clay figurines is just one of its fascinating items (see Cyprus Museum, Nicosia).
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3. Agia Napa

This resort has a reputation as the liveliest spot in Cyprus, with great beaches, water sports and a huge number of bars, cafés and restaurants catering to every taste (see Agia Napa).
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4. Pierides Foundation Museum, Larnaka

Founded by a 19th-century philanthropist to rescue Cyprus’s vanishing heritage, this collection includes remarkable ancient idols and early 20thcentury traditional costumes (see Pierides Foundation Museum, Larnaka).
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5. Ancient Amathous

It takes a little imagination to conjure up an image of Amathous in ancient times from the fragments of walls that still remain, but this hillside temple site, just a short distance from the busy coastal highway, is proof of the city’s glorious past (see Ancient Amathous).
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6. Historic Limassol

Narrow market streets full of food stalls and craft workshops surround the sturdy medieval castle in the heart of the old quarter. Mosques and minarets are reminders of the island’s multicultural history (see Historic Limassol).
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7. Kourion

The multi-tiered stone theatre of ancient Kourion is often the summer setting for concerts; when not in use it offers views over the peninsula (see Kourion).
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8. Troodos Painted Churches

The plain stone walls of these old Orthodox sanctuaries, hidden in remote valleys and glens of the Troodos mountains, conceal a unique treasury of vividly coloured frescoes depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments (see Troodos Painted Churches).
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9. Kato Pafos Archaeological Park

The superb mosaics that adorned the floors of lavish villas built at Pafos in its Roman Imperial heyday are now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today they are one of the island’s top historical attractions (see Kato Pafos Archaeological Park).
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10. Akamas Peninsula

The hillsides and headlands of the Akamas form the island’s last undeveloped frontier. Here, on Cyprus’s only uncrowded beaches, turtles come each year to nest (see Akamas Peninsula).
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