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Cyprus’s sea is sparklingly clean and crystal clear and ideal for swimming. Most beaches have lifeguards on duty in high season, but look out for red flags, which mean bathing is inadvisable at that time because of high waves or strong currents. Most holiday hotels have at least one large outdoor pool for serious swimmers and a smaller pool for toddlers, but only a few deluxe hotels have indoor pools for use in winter.

Agia Napa and Protaras have the best windsurfing conditions, but boards can be rented by the hour, half-day or day at all the island’s resort hotels and public beaches. The best time of day for windsurfing is often mid- to late afternoon, when a light breeze usually springs up.

This adrenaline-pumping, extreme version of windsurfing involves being towed at high speed by a giant, parachute-like kite. Skilled boarders can make spectacular and daring leaps high into the air before plunging back into the waves. It’s just beginning to catch on in Cyprus, and those who dare may find kiteboards for rent at some of Agia Napa’s beaches.

Bouncing from wave to wave on the back of a motorized “waterbike” in imitation of your favourite action hero is a popular beach pastime for locals as well as visitors. Jetskis can be hired at all the resort beaches but, because of the cost of fuel, it’s a relatively expensive activity. Lifejackets are compulsory and because of the risk to swimmers it’s essential to steer well clear of the lines of coloured buoys which designate swimmer-only stretches of inshore water.

Limassol, Larnaka and Agia Napa are the best spots for waterskiing, for beginners as well as for experts, because the sea tends to be calmer at these spots. There are dozens of competing water-ski outfits at each resort that will supply all the gear and take you out on the water, so look around for the best price.

You don’t need any special skills to strap on a parachute harness and soar into the air as you are pulled along by a fast-moving speedboat, but you do need a certain amount of nerve. The reward is a splendid bird’s eye view of your resort and an exhilarating ride. Again, most resorts have competitive outlets offering this activity.

There is plenty to see underwater, even within a few yards of the shore if you are a beginner at this sport. The shallows teem with tiny fish, sea anemones and urchins cling to the rocks and, if you are lucky, you may even see an octopus slithering past. But it’s well worth heading out to the more rocky shores where there is more to see than on the sandy bottom. One of the best places for snorkelling in Cyprus is the north coast of the Akamas Peninsula (see Akamas Peninsula), where rocky coves and tiny islands not too far offshore abound in a variety of sea life, including larger fish such as grouper.

Splendid underwater visibility makes Cyprus one of the best diving destinations in the Mediterranean, with some highly rated wreck dives and plenty of professional diving centres. The best diving is off the west coast, and there are dives at all depths and for all levels of expertise. There are PADI and British Sub Aqua Club-approved dive-training centres at all the major resorts (see Diving and Snorkelling Sites).

Skippered yachts can be chartered from island marinas (Larnaka and Limassol are the main centres) by the day or for longer cruises, and smaller dinghies and catamarans are available by the day or half-day from beaches around Agia Napa, Protaras, Limassol and Lakki.

Bright yellow inflatable “bananas” towed at speed by motor boats can carry half a dozen or so passengers. The challenge is to stay aboard while the boat’s movement makes the “banana” perform an increasingly extreme series of aquatic maneouvres. Life jackets are essential and most operators insist on an over-15s only policy.