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Since 1977 Güzelyurt in Northern Cyprus’s citrus-growing region has been the venue for a festival that originally celebrated the orange harvest. It has now expanded to include concerts, competitions and art exhibitions.

This intercessor between the feuding Greeks and the Turks became the richest man in Cyprus, until he was beheaded in 1809.

The double-headed eagle of Byzantium and the lion of Venice are carved above the doorway of this former home of an 18th-century dragoman. The collection includes glass, silver, pottery and furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries (see House of Dragoman Hadjigeorgiakis Kornesios).

Grilled halloumi cheese has a chewy texture and is strongly flavoured. It usually accompanies smoked pork, sausages or meat rissoles.

After Alexander’s death Cyprus fell to the Ptolemy dynasty of Alexandria until 58 BC, when the island was conquered by Rome. The saints Paul and Barnabas converted Sergius Paulus, the Roman governor of Cyprus, to Christianity in AD 45.

Behind Limassol’s water-front, where newly planted palms nod in the Mediterranean breeze in front of modern high-rise buildings, lies an historic city of old-fashioned workshops and markets. Around the bulk of Limassol Castle, built by the island’s medieval Lusignan dynasty, are the slender minarets of mosques built in the city’s Ottoman heyday, Byzantine churches, narrow shopping streets and a plethora of cafés, bars and restaurants to suit every taste. The medieval museum, within the castle, is a must-see, with its suits of armour and ferocious weaponry, and there are great rooftop views from the castle battlements. The recently refurbished Central Market, in a graceful arcaded building dating from the British era in the early 20th century, is a great place to shop for handmade reed baskets, olive oil, loukoumi (Turkish delight) and other Cypriot delicacies. It is surrounded by old tavernas that make a change from the modern eating-places in the city’s resort area (see 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).

The Holiday Inn is the best hotel within the ramparts of old Nicosia. The rooms are comfortable, and there’s an indoor pool, three restaurants and a rooftop bar.

With its zebra-striped crest of quills and pale pink plumage, the hoopoe is graceful and unmistakable.