Go Cyprus:The sun, warmth and lack of rain may set it apart from our island, but in other ways Cyprus is oddly similar to Ireland, writes MICHAEL PARSONS
TAKE A PROUD island nation, subject it to waves of invasion, add a spell of British colonial rule, sprinkle with ethnic tension and civil strife, achieve independence, see the country partitioned, join the EU and experience unheralded prosperity, a tourist boom and a property bubble. Sound familiar? Ah, yes. Cyprus.
“Mad dogs and Englishmen,” Noel Coward once sang, “go out in the midday sun.” Maybe curs do. But the ruling elite of the British empire had a knack for ferreting out desirable spots in the shade. During the Raj the viceroy and his entourage escaped to the Indian hill town of Simla to escape the ferocious summer heat of Calcutta. After all, those doughty ladies – the memsahibs of the subcontinent – needed to shield their porcelain complexions from vulgar tanning.
In Cyprus, a British colony from 1925 to 1960, officials discovered the agreeable pine-clad Troodos Mountains, to which many decamped in summer. Today the hillside villages retain a sprinkling of opulent villas, and the area is popular with wealthy Cypriots; pasty-faced northern Europeans baste on the beaches below.
The average daytime temperature in coastal areas during July and August is 33 degrees (closer to 40 inland), which can occasionally overwhelm even the most devoted Irish sun worshipper.
A day trip to the Troodos Mountains, on the eastern side of the island, is a pleasant way to escape the swelter. The range peaks at 2,000m – and occasionally gets snow in winter, when a small ski resort functions. On a baking summer’s day the nature trails amid the pine forests offer welcome relief. The mountains are also home to the “painted churches” of Cyprus – 10 splendid examples of Byzantine art and architecture that are Unesco World Heritage sites.
The pretty hillside villages are not quite undiscovered, but they’re not yet ruined by tourists, either. One of the prettiest is Omodos, home to the Monastery of the Holy Cross.
The Roman emperor Constantine sent his mother, Helena (later sainted), to the Holy Land in 325 to search for Christian relics. She reputedly found the cross on which Jesus died, along with the nails and ropes used in His gruesome Crucifixion. During a stop in Cyprus en route home to Rome she left some relics at the monastery, including a piece of the Cross and a section of rope. Pilgrims still flock to see them at the monastery’s gorgeous Greek Orthodox church.
Afterwards you can sit in the cobbled, tree-lined square and enjoy an iced coffee while watching the world go by. If you’re lucky you’ll meet the local priest, Fr Neophytos, who is happy to chat to visitors.
In the narrow streets off the square shops sell local lace, loukoumi (or Turkish delight), bottled preserved fruit, and confectionery made with the powder from pods of the carob tree, which flourishes on the island. Lunch might include the local speciality: trout from a mountain stream.
For an alternative midday venue, try the nearby village of Foini, famous for its pottery, where Neraida Family Restaurant (00-357-25-421680) serves delicious home-cooked food. A substantial meze lunch costs about €14 and includes a selection of lovely dishes, including tavas (a lamb casserole), kouperia (stuffed vine leaves) and crisp chargrilled chicken. Cypriot food is similar to Greek, though somewhat richer and more highly spiced and seasoned.
Greek-speaking Cyprus has a population of about 750,000 and attracts almost two and a half million tourists a year. As a result of British rule, cars drive on the left, English is widely used and all signposts are bilingual. The country is a member of the EU and adopted the euro last year.
Almost 50 years after Cypriot independence, Britain retains three sovereign bases on the island. These, infamously, provided the justification for Tony Blair’s claim on the eve of the Iraq War that his country was just 45 minutes from being attacked. That’s how long it would take a missile-mounted weapon of mass destruction – or a flying carpet – to whiz through the stratosphere from Baghdad.
Most Irish tourists visit Cyprus between May and October, when hot weather is guaranteed and there are charter flights from Dublin. (The principal resort towns are Limassol, Paphos and Ayia Napa.) But Cyprus is now being marketed as “the year-round island”. Even in January the average daytime temperature in Limassol is an agreeable 17 degrees. Rain falls on only about 25 days a year. Getting there out of season involves flying via London on scheduled flights with BA or Cyprus Airways.
May, June, September and October are the best months for a traditional beach holiday. July and August may be too hot for many Irish visitors, particularly children and the elderly – although the young party crowd attracted to Ayia Napa and its nightlife don’t mind the sizzling heat.
Walking holidays in spring are also popular: the island is lush with blossoming trees and a dazzling display of wild flowers. There are four 18-hole golf courses on the island.
If you rent a car you’ll find very good roads and that bilingual signposting. But take care: the Anglicised versions of town names used by tourists are not the same as those used by Cypriots themselves: Nicosia, the capital, is called Lefkosia, Limassol is Lemesos and Ayia Napa is Agia Napa.
A final word of Basil Fawlty-style don’t-mention-the-war advice. Don’t get into an argument about the reunification of Cyprus unless you know your current affairs. The division of the island is, of course, the, em, turkey in the drawing room. Here’s a brief summary of what you need to know.
Cyprus is engaged in a major ongoing spat with Turkey. Traditionally, Cyprus had a Turkish- speaking minority concentrated in the north of the island. When the British left, in 1960, simmering ethnic tensions were unresolved. Following a political crisis in 1974, Turkey invaded northern Cyprus and partitioned the island. The border runs through Nicosia. About a third of the island declared itself to be the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus – recognised only by Turkey and effectively boycotted by the rest of the world. Since then UN peace-keeping forces (including many Irish soldiers) have patrolled the border and kept the situation under reasonable control. On May 1st, 2004, during the Irish presidency, Cyprus became a member of the EU. Talks are ongoing to reunify the island. The issue is one of the major stumbling blocks in Turkey’s efforts to also join the EU.
** Michael Parsons was a guest of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation. See www.visitcyprus.com, e-mail cyprusinfo@eircom.net or call 01-6629269
Go there
There are no scheduled flights from Ireland. (Cyprus Airways and British Airways fly from London.) Charter flights operate from Dublin during the summer. Sunway Holidays (www.sunway.ie), Concorde Travel (www. concordetravel.ie), Falcon (www.falconholidays.ie), Budget Travel (www.budget travel.ie) and Panorama Holidays (www.panorama holidays.ie) offer direct charter flights and package holidays between May and October.
Where to stay for a touch of luxury
Limassol
The country’s second city and main port, 70km from Larnaca, has a 15km coastline dotted with hotels and holiday apartments.
The five-star Le Méridien Limassol Spa Resort (www.cyprus.lemeridien.com) has 329 rooms and suites and 100,000sq m of landscaped gardens. Children will love the rambling complex of pools; there’s also a private beach. The hotel has a large thalassotherapy spa.
The 239-room Amathus Beach Hotel (also five-star), a member of the Leading Hotels of the World (www. amathus-hotels.com), serves very good food.
The four-star, 174-room Elias Beach Hotel ( www.kanikahotels.com), which has less bling, is an Irish favourite. A very popular venue for weddings.
Paphos
The resort is just 15km from the airport, which is great for transfers. The area is best known as the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty; you can swim at Petra tou Romiou, the rock where she emerged, dripping, from the Mediterranean.
The lavish Aphrodite Hills is a luxury five-star complex with an InterContinental hotel, an 18-hole championship-standard golf course, competition- standard tennis courts, fitness facilities, holiday villas, apartments and town houses for sale and rent. Golf widows (and widowers) can avail of the decadently luxurious and sophisticated retreat spa. If you want to push the boat out, book a suite with private pool.
Ayia Napa
The island’s best-known resort, 50km from Larnaca airport, has a reputation for wild nightlife and is hugely popular with young people. But away from the bars and clubs there are some very good, peaceful hotels and the best beaches in Cyprus.
Well-heeled families might like the five-star, 296-room Adams Beach Hotel (www.adams.com.cy), set on the sandy beach of Nissi Bay. Great pools, a spa and very good facilities for children.
Honeymooners and sophisticated singles might prefer the five-star Grecian Park Hotel (www.grecianpark. com). Very good food, a stylish spa and a wonderful pool overlooking Cape Greco.