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The lemon-growing village of Lapta throws a lively annual party in honour of the yellow citrus fruit that has been emblematic of Cyprus for centuries

Larnaka takes its place in the limelight when musicians, dancers and actors – many of them from Greece, Balkan and eastern European countries and the former Soviet Union – make the pilgrimage to what has become one of the island’s leading cultural events.

This is the perfect time to sample Cyprus’s dozens of wines in depth, at length and, best of all, for free. Limassol’s wine-makers celebrate by sponsoring 10 days of wine tastings, held in the city’s attractive municipal gardens. The whole event is accompanied with outdoor live music and dancing in the evenings.

In the heart of northern Cyprus’s vine-growing region, the farming village of Mehmetcik marks another successful wine-producing season with music, dancing and, of course, wine.

Dancers and musicians revive the all-but-vanished traditions of Cyprus’s villages during this event, which aims to keep the spark of the island’s culture alive. The week offers a glimpse of village life as it was before tourism, television and mobile phones came to places such as Kilani, Omodos, Pera Pedi, Troodos and Mandria

Open-air performances and events in historic venues are the keynote of Northern Nicosia’s annual festival of theatre and dance.

Bellapais is once again the stunning venue for this annual event, with performances by world-famous artistes.

A month after the Greek drama festival, the area in front of Pafos castle comes alive again as the setting for three days of opera, performed by an esteemed international cast. This popular autumn event is one of the highlights of the country’s cultural calendar.

Feasts and family reunions mark the end of the Muslim religion’s annual Ramadan fast. At this time everyone dons new clothes and makes up for a month of abstinence.

Kourion’s amphitheatre with its magnificent hillside location (see Kourion)makes the perfect venue for this summer festival of drama. Kourion is also used regularly for concerts, often featuring internationally-known Greek artists, such as Nana Mouskouri, Vicky Leandros and Demis Roussos.