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Another little-visited beach, with just one small beach bar and an admirable lack of visitors and noisy watersports to disturb its tranquillity.

The Mismaloya Reef abounds in shoals of bass and bream, as well as larger pelagic species. One of the remoter dive sites from Pafos, it takes longer to reach and is more suitable for experienced divers and those who don’t mind spending some time at sea.

The 1,362-m (4,470-ft) Mount Tripylos, the highest peak in western Cyprus, rises above pine and cedar forests. There are fantastic views over the Tillyrian wilderness to the west and Pafos Forest to the southeast, but it is a little harder to ascend than Mount Olympus.

You don’t have to be superfit to explore Cyprus by mountain bike. Around the resorts there is plenty of fairly flat farmland, and it doesn’t take long to find yourself among rolling fields and woodland. With its network of rugged tracks – suitable only for mountain bikes or 4WD vehicles – the Akamas Peninsula is ideal territory. Cyprus hosts two annual mountain bike races, the Afxentia International each spring and the Agia Napa International each November.

Walking through the cool forests and rugged valleys of the Troodos brings you closer to Cyprus’s natural beauty and wildlife than any other way of exploring the island. Spring and autumn are the best times to head for the hills.

“Golden Beach” lives up to its nickname – a south-facing, uncrowded sweep of golden sand backed by rolling dunes.

White and yellow narcissi, relatives of the daffodil, are brought into bloom by the first autumn showers.

This stretch of coast offers an arc of almost deserted, fine sand, backed by grassy dunes and pine trees and with craggy limestone headlands. One of the North’s best options, close to Kyrenia.