DK Travel : Cyprus : Places of interest

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Buffavento Castle

Almost 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level, Buffavento’s dilapidated square tower and keep were built by the Byzantines to watch for Saracen raiders and alert the defenders of Kyrenia. Long abandoned, its windy battlements offer breathtaking views of the coast – even with no pirate sails in sight.
Chapelle Royale

This village chapel, dedicated to St Catherine, was built by King Janus and his queen, Charlotte de Bourbon, in 1421. Within are colourful remnants of some unique frescoes.
Chirokitia Neolithic Settlement

An aura of almost unimaginable age hangs over Chirokitia, where archaeologists have discovered the foundations of a settlement that thrived on this hilltop almost 9,000 years ago. Some of the round stone houses have been reconstructed, and UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site.
Cyprus Museum

A treasury of archaeological finds here, uncovered from sites all over Cyprus, wonderfully illustrate the island’s historic past and make this the most fascinating of all its many museums. Exhibits highlight the marvellous skills of sculptors, metalworkers, potters, painters and other craftsmen across more than four millennia (see Cyprus Museum, Nicosia).
Dali

A lively farming village that comprises not much more than a main street lined with shops and a scattering of traditional cafés and a village church, Dali offers a taste of Cypriot life largely untainted by tourism. It takes its name from one of Cyprus’s most ancient city states, Idalion, which archaeologists are continuing to explore nearby. Also nearby are the much ruined, but still haunting, remains of a Gothic church and summer palace of the Lusignan kings, who came here to escape the heat of summer on the coasts (see Ancient Idalion).
Dora

Within the church of Panagia Fotolampousa, on a hillside above this tiny village, is an antique icon of the Virgin which must, according to Christian Orthodox tradition, remain veiled forever.
Drouseia

Overlooked by the limestone crags of Agios Georgios, Drouseia is one of the region’s prettiest villages, with graceful old stone houses standing above steep lanes.
Famagusta Walled City

Within Venetian ramparts, Famagusta conceals a wealth of Gothic and Islamic architecture. At its heart is the Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque, originally the cathedral of St Nicholas, with its graceful Gothic porticoes and sixpaned rose window. Huge stone cannon-balls, relics of the eight-month siege of the city in 1570, lie in the streets, while overlooking the harbour is the “Othello Tower”, so called because Famagusta was the main setting for Shakespeare’s play.
Fasouri Watermania Waterpark

With its high-speed chutes and slides, interactive games, pools for grown-ups, teens, sub-teens and toddlers, Cyprus’s largest and most exciting waterpark offers full-on family fun. A very welcome relief from the often blistering heat of high summer, and there are restaurants and shops on site too (see Fasouri Watermania, Limassol).
Fasouri Watermania, Limassol

Fasouri is the largest and best of the Cyprus water parks, with more than 50 different rides, slides and games, organized activities, thrills such as the near-vertical Kamikaze Ride and gentler paddling for toddlers. There are also two restaurants, three snack bars and a souvenir shop (see Fasouri Watermania Waterpark).