DK Travel : Cyprus : Places of interest

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Prodromos

The highest settlement in Cyprus, at 1,440 m (4,725 ft) above sea level, Prodromos commands the pass between Mount Olympus in the east and Agios Ilias, in the west. It stands among cherry and apple orchards that enhance the area with their pink-and-white blooms in spring and early summer. Nearby, the artificial lake of the Prodromos reservoir attracts trout fishermenand, in spring and autumn, migrant waterfowl.
Protaras

On the east coast of Cyprus and only 8 km (5 miles) from Agia Napa, Protaras has mushroomed into prominence around a clutch of sandy beaches where the warm, shallow water is a vivid turquoise. During the day, the beaches are lined with sunbathers while the sea is dotted with the bright sails of windsurfers and catamarans. At night, Protaras comes into its cosmopolitan own, with a main street lined with bars, cafés and restaurants to suit all tastes. There are plenty of excursions to be made to nearby sights and attractions, such as Fig Tree Bay (see Fig Tree Bay, Protaras and Beaches).
Reptile House, Limassol

Kids with a taste for scaly critters and creepy-crawlies will love this collection of snakes, lizards, tortoises (sometimes including newly-hatched babies), scorpions and hairy spiders. Nervous mums and dads may be less enthusiastic.
Salamis

Graceful columns, rising from a honeycomb of toppled walls, mark the site of the greatest of Cyprus’s ancient cities. Founded more than 3,000 years ago, Salamis dominated the island until its near-destruction by earthquakes in the 4th century AD. Archaeologists have found Hellenistic mosaics, the remains of Roman baths, a fine amphitheatre and the foundations of two Byzantine basilicas.
Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates

Stone fragments and toppled columns mark the site of this 7th century BC shrine to the sun-god Apollo in his role as “Hylates”, or god of the woods and forests. It is one of many examples of the way in which Cyprus blended the deities of each new religion that came to the island with the cults that were already established. The site has been partially restored by archaeologists and treasures found here are on display in the island’s museums.
Silikou

Handy for the picturesque Byzantine churches of the Kourris valley, Silikou is still a working village, not just a tourist spot. Surrounded by olive groves, there is an olive oil museum displaying traditional tools and techniques.
St Barnabas Monastery

The imposing monastery with its sturdy dome was built in 1756, but its main attraction for Orthodox pilgrims was a much older relic: the tomb of St Barnabas, who brought Christianity to Cyprus. Within the monastery is an archaeological museum housing delicate Bronze Age pottery.
St Hilarion Castle

Built in the 11th century for the Lusignan kings and steeped in history, St Hilarion would be the perfect setting for a medieval romance, with its elaborate defences built around steep mountain crags. Legends, indeed, surround it, including tales of a hidden treasure-room, an enchanted garden, and stories of Byzantine treachery and medieval intrigue. It was last occupied in the 16th century by the Venetians.
Stavrovouni Monastery

This impressive monastic eyrie, founded by a Byzantine empress (the mother of Constantine the Great) is poised high above the coastal plains on a 700-m (2,300-ft) crag in the foothills of the Troodos mountain range. Still home to a community of 20 monks, it claims as its most holy relic a fragment of the True Cross – its name in Greek means “Cross Mountain” (see Stavrovouni Monastery).
Strovolos

The unique Pancyprian Geographical Museum – the only one of its kind in Cyprus – within an attractively restored traditional building is the main reason for visiting Strovolos. It is dedicated to the island’s geology, with displays of minerals, especially copper, which made Cyprus wealthy in pre-Christian times, and semiprecious stones. The town itself is built around the 18th-century church of Agios Georgios (one of half a dozen churches named after St George in this part of Cyprus). Like Aglandjia, Strovolos is now on the verge of becoming a suburb of Nicosia.