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There are equestrian centres and country clubs in Nicosia, Limassol and at Pegeia, near Pafos, all catering to experienced riders as well as offering lessons and equipment for beginners.

In the pine-scented heart of Cyprus’s largest forest, this is a 5-km (3-mile) uphill hike that is best done in spring or autumn, starting and finishing from the Platanouthkia spring outside Stavros tis Psokas.

All the rooms in this comfortable 3-star hotel have sea views and balconies, and there is a choice of accommodation in the main wing or in self-catering bungalows around the pool.

Genuine antique icons are rare and costly, but many galleries offer beautifully painted copies of museum pieces.

Massive walls guard this hillside Bronze Age site, where archaeologists have unearthed statues of Aphrodite (see Ancient Idalion).

Cyprus won independence from Britain on 16 August 1960 after a violent national liberation struggle by Greek Cypriots. However, friction between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities continued and in 1974 Athens engineered a coup against the Cypriot government with the aim of uniting Cyprus with Greece, while Turkey invaded to protect Turkish Cypriots. Since a ceasefire, the “Green Line”, patrolled by UN troops, divides the Turkish-occupied North from the south.

Basket-weaving was once a universal skill in Cypriot villages but is now a vanishing art. This museum displays the marvels produced by skilled weavers – not only baskets but trays, wall decorations, containers and even fish traps.

Just when everywhere else is thinking about closing – around 4am – Insomnia opens, and plays garage music until sunrise.

One of a chain of Internet cafés, Intencity is also noisy with the sound of gaming machines.