Cyprus: A Complicated Country

We are nearing the end of this year’s “Schengen Shuffle.” After touring the country of Georgia we still hadn’t reached the requisite 90 days outside the Schengen Zone to enable us to return in the Fall. We were delighted to find an inexpensive direct flight from Tbilisi to Larnaca, Cyprus, a member of the EU but importantly not part of the Schengen, allowing all our plans to fall nicely into place!

Historically, along with modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and southwestern Turkey, Cyprus was part of the region known collectively as the Levant. As an island strategically situated in the eastern Mediterranean, it has been occupied by the usual cast of characters: Greeks, Assyrians (from regions within modern-day Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey), Egyptians, Persians (Iran), Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Venetians, Ottomans, and Brits. I’ll admit delving into the ancient history of this part of the world can get a bit repetitive – not for me, of course, though possibly for our readers. The slightly more recent past might pique your interest more.

In 1570 CE, the Ottoman Empire swallowed this island, with the Turks controlling it until the 19th century. In 1821, Greek revolutionaries began to push back against Ottoman rule in their nation, and many Greek Cypriots left their island to support Greece in its fight for independence. By 1828, the Greeks could see victory on the horizon (the war formally ended in 1832), and suggested they form a union with Cyprus. Unfortunately, although there were numerous uprisings on the island, by both Greek and Turkish Cypriots, the Ottoman governors managed to suppress every single one. As the 19th century progressed, the Ottomans continued to lose territory elsewhere. In 1878, following the Russo-Turkish War, an agreement was reached to lease Cyprus to the British Empire as a naval base, on the condition the Brits would offer protection against further Russian aggression. The Ottomans made a critical error in 1914, siding with the Austro-Hungarian Empire when it declared war on Serbia (the start of WWI). Britain immediately annexed Cyprus, although it was not formally named a crown colony until 1925. Ethnic Greek Cypriots, who comprised two-thirds of the population, hoped that British administration would be short-lived and ultimately lead to the island’s unification with Greece. Ethnic Turkish Cypriots felt differently, opposing any such union unless they were granted a sovereign territory. In 1960, the Republic of Cyprus was born and neither side was happy, leading to some pretty ugly altercations. In 1964, the UN created a buffer zone between the two Cypriot ethnicities: the “Green Line” so named for the colour of marker used to denote an arbitrary boundary on a map. This no-man’s land stretches for 180 km / 112 miles from the east coast to the west coast, directly through the city of Nicosia.

In July 1974, a military coalition from Greece launched a coup d’état intending to unite the entire island of Cyprus with their country. Five days later the Turkish army invaded, citing their interpretation of articles contained in the Treaty of Guarantee (signed by Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom back in 1960) which granted any guarantor the right to restore the status quo. Notwithstanding fairly quick action by the international community to reach a cease-fire, thousands of Cypriots, Greek and Turkish, were displaced, with hundreds of civilians injured or missing. Not much was resolved by this skirmish, the Green Line (also known as the Attila Line following that 1974 conflict) continues to divide the country – the southern Republic of Cyprus, which joined the European Union in 2004, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a republic which is largely unrecognized by the international community. And as an added wrinkle, the UK retains sovereignty over its two military bases on the island.

The north/south division has some serious implications for foreign visitors. You cannot enter the Republic of Cyprus (southern Cyprus) if you first land on the island in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Official border crossings are easy to pass through but do require you to produce your passport. Officials on the southern side are specifically looking for proof that you entered the EU through the Republic of Cyprus (typically the Larnaca or Paphos airports). If that proof is missing, you will be denied entry. If you do manage to cross at an uncontrolled checkpoint and then attempt to leave from southern Cyprus, things will get dicey as you are now in the EU illegally. Conversely, if you land in southern Cyprus and then leave from the Turkish side, there will be no record of you having left the EU, which will cause all sorts of headaches when/if you try to return to a member state.

Multiple attempts have been made over the decades to resolve this dispute, including easing checkpoint restrictions in 2003, which allowed Cypriots to cross between the two territories for the first time in 30 years. Sadly, a resolution continues to be elusive as neither side seems willing to capitulate. Greek Cypriots want the island unified as a single country. The Turkish government insists on recognizing two separate states, leaving Nicosia holding the distinction of being the last divided capital city in the world.

Dollars – We averaged roughly $100/night CAD / $74 US for accommodation in Cyprus, putting us well above our desired housing budget. Coupled with groceries, which was some serious sticker shock after spending seven weeks in Georgia, we just resigned ourselves to accepting that these 26 days were going to be hard on our bottom line. Then we threw caution to the wind with a day of scuba diving and renting a car for a few excursions, so were pleasantly surprised to see the final tally, while still high, was not horrifyingly so.

Environment – We divided our time in Cyprus between Larnaca (7 nights) and Paphos (19 nights). The streets of Larnaca had a bit more character than Paphos, but Paphos wins, hands down, for archeological sightseeing. Both cities have beaches, yet again, Paphos comes out the winner with more to choose from – Larnaca has one, wedged between the main marina and the smaller fishing marina (out of which the dive companies operate). We were very happy with the Airbnbs we booked in both cities. Spacious (Larnaca was a two-bedroom unit), well equipped (Paphos had a pool), comfortable furnishing, and peaceful (both had large terraces to enjoy a glass of wine as the sun set). What no one tells you is that much of the sewage system on the island consists of narrow aging pipes that are easily clogged. Accordingly, you cannot flush toilet paper and must dispose of it in a garbage receptacle beside the commode – ick!

Tips, Tricks & Transportation – The airport in Larnaca is the main gateway for international visitors traveling to the Republic of Cyprus. More than 8M holiday-seekers moved through its gates in 2023, versus 3.5M passengers at the Paphos International Airport. That higher volume of traffic generally translates to better choices both in terms of flight times and prices, which was certainly the case when we were researching flights from Tbilisi to Cyprus – the cost of a flight to Paphos was ridiculous, yet into Larnaca was quite reasonable. Looking at our options to get from Cyprus to Greece, we discovered that several low-cost carriers, like Ryanair, Easyjet, and Transavia, fly in and out of Paphos with VERY attractive fares – the only catch being their flights do not operate on every day of the week, nor do they offer an exhaustive list of destinations. Taking that into account, if you can work your schedule around their schedule the savings can be significant. For us to fly from Larnaca to Chania, Crete was roughly $300 CAD/pp, with a layover in Athens. From Paphos, we have a direct flight with Ryanair and are only paying $108 CAD/pp!

We initially planned to take a bus between Larnaca and Paphos, then discovered the economics of that were offset by the hassle. We opted instead to rent a car for a few days (picking up in Larnaca and dropping off in Paphos) which was not only a more pleasant way to travel between the two cities, it also allowed us to explore more of the Cypriot countryside. Cyprus is one of only four European countries with left-hand drive (UK, Ireland, and Malta are the other three). Recognizing that most of their clientele will be vacationers, the car rental agencies helpfully identify their fleet with red license plates which encourages locals to exercise a higher degree of caution around those vehicles. After navigating Georgian roads for a month, driving on the “wrong” side of the road didn’t even faze Howard.

Out and About – If you thought you would get away without any ancient history, surprise!

Larnaca sits atop the remains of the Greek colony, Kition, established in 1200 BCE. The newly renovated (2022) Archeological Museum of Larnaca District houses an impressive collection of artifacts not only from Kition but the surrounding region as well. Admission is free and the museum is a well-organized glimpse into the past with exhibits dating between 8000 BCE and the 12th century CE.

The palm tree lined Finikoudes promenade, running for 600 meters (a third of a mile) along Finikoudes beach, is a lively walk between the marina and the 12th-century fort built to defend the harbour. The fort ceased to be useful as a defensive structure and was abandoned in the 18th century, although the Brits would later repurpose it into a prison, complete with gallows – the last execution took place in 1948!

We have done some diving in the Mediterranean and while the turquoise water is lovely for swimming and floating, there is little compelling aquatic life below the surface. By sheer happenstance I was reading an article mentioning the Zenobia Wreck, one of the top 10 wreck dives in the world, and realized it was just off Larnaca’s coast. We figured we better not miss this opportunity.

On May 4, 1980, the Swedish-built ferry MS Zenobia, carrying 104 tractor-trailers loaded with cargo, embarked on its maiden voyage from Malmö to Tartous, Syria. On its way to Athens, issues with the ballast tanks were discovered and rectified. When she docked in Larnaca on June 2nd, her last stop before Syria, it became apparent the ballast problem had not been solved; a software error was continuing to pump excess water into the tanks. On June 4th, Zenobia was towed out of the Larnaca harbour as a precaution against the worst-case scenario. She was left at anchor roughly 2.4 km / 1.5 miles offshore. The next day, the captain dismissed the entire crew. In the wee hours of the morning of June 7th, Zenobia capsized and sank to a depth of roughly 42 m / 138 ft, taking an estimated £200M / $360M CAD worth of cargo with her. Curiously, no salvage attempts were ever made, nor was an insurance claim filed. Urban legend says the first divers on site were Mossad (Israeli intelligence). She is an enormous vessel, measuring 172 m / 565 ft in length, and we did two separate dives. First spending time around the bow and then, after the appropriate surface interval, a second dive at the stern. Very cool, and we highly recommend visiting the wreck with Mario, from Drive & Dive with Mario.

To see a bit more the island, we rented a car for a few days. The capital of Cyprus, Nicosia, is about a 45-minute drive north of Larnaca. The city itself wasn’t the draw for us, we wanted to experience crossing the Green Line. Doing so on foot was quick and efficient (FYI, you cannot take a rental car over the border). You walk up to the booth, show your passport, and off you go. No stamps in the passport, just a flip through the pages to ensure you’ve already got a stamp confirming you’re in the Republic of Cyprus legally.

Both sides of the border are hoping to capitalize on tourist dollars and mostly you’ll just find shops and restaurants. We didn’t spend very long on the Turkish side, stopping in a cafe for a brownie and a lemonade after wandering through the Büyük Han, a 16th-century Ottoman inn.

En route to Paphos, we detoured into the mountains to the village of Pana Lefkara, one of the 30 most beautiful villages in Europe according to the Japanese Travel Agents Association. It is very picturesque, and renowned for its lace-making tradition, lefkaritika, a combination of hemstitching, cutwork, satin stitching, and needlepoint edging on white cotton fabric. Leonardo da Vinci supposedly brought back an altar cloth for the Duomo di Milano following a visit to the village in 1481. Locals also insist the tablecloth in Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” was modeled on lefkara lace. Tablecloths and napkins are traditional Cypriot wedding gifts.

Stepping much farther back in time is the Neolithic settlement, Khirokitia (circa 7000-4000 BCE), the earliest known culture in Cyprus. Discovered in 1934, it is evidence of a highly organized and developed society engaged collectively in farming, hunting, and herding. They weren’t very tall people – 5’3″ was the average height for men, and most women didn’t reach more than 4’11″.

A 20-minute car ride north of Paphos, off the coast from Peyia, lies the wreck of the ERDO III. Another cargo ship, minus a mysterious origin story, she ran aground during heavy seas in October 2011. Standing on the shore, her size is impressive and gave us some perspective on the size of the Zenobia – the EDRO III is half the size of the Zenobia at only 80 m / 260 ft.

According to Greek mythology, Aphrodite (aka Venus) rose from the sea and came ashore in Palaepaphos. While that site would continue to play a significant role in the Cult of Aphrodite, in the 4th century BCE the king of Palaepaphos founded a new city on a natural harbour 16 km / 10 miles northwest, and moved his court to Nea Paphos. The Paphos Archaeological Park covers much of ancient Nea Paphos. The signage in the park isn’t great, and fortunately we found a free audio guide on the Visit Cyprus site that provided extensive details on the site. To date, the most significant discoveries are the Roman-era (Cyprus became a Roman province in 58 BCE) mosaic floors. They are exquisite, with a level of intricacy that is astonishing – the designs are, for the most part, created using 1 cm square tesserae cut from marble or stone.

Discovered entirely by accident in 1962, by a farmer plowing a field, these works of art date from the 2nd to the 4th century CE. More than 100 floors have been discovered at the site and a team of conservators works diligently to protect and maintain them. It is simply not feasible to build shelters to cover them all.  Once the conservation work is complete, many of the floor are reburied for their protection and only unearthed for public viewing on a seasonal basis. We admired the mosaics in the House of Dionysos (a permanent display) and the House of Theseus.

Beyond the mosaics, most of the site is rubble (Cyprus is rather earthquake-prone) and much as I like ruins, it was pretty hard to get any sense of what you were looking at (restoration work is ongoing). A few blocks east of the archeological park, is another excavation site that while not open to the public is only surrounded by wire fencing. Here, built into the hillside, was an 8,000-seat theatre (my favourite type of ruin!) dating from the 3rd-1st centuries BCE. It, too, was not in particularly good shape, a mere whisper of its original elegance.

The Archaeological Museum of the Paphos District was very similar to the museum in Larnaca (and free too), with exhibits spanning a similar time frame – Neolithic through the Middle Ages. Ancient Paphos was far more cosmopolitan than its eastern neighbour and that was reflected in the quality, and quantity, of artifacts on display. I never get tired of museums and almost always come away with a new fascinating tidbit. The Paphos museum has a collection of terracotta hot-water bottles discovered at the Nea Paphos site. These clay vessels, which date from the 3rd to 1st centuries BCE, were shaped to correspond to specific body parts, and once filled with hot water (or sometimes heated oil) were the ancient version of a heating pad providing soothing relief to aching muscles.

Approximately 2.5 km / 1.5 miles north of Nea Paphos is a necropolis overlooking the Mediterranean. The Tombs of the Kings, which is a bit of a misnomer since no kings were actually entombed here, are burial chambers likely dug for high-ranking officials.

Dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE, these underground graves carved from solid rock were rather grand homes for the dead with atriums, decorative columns, and frescoed walls (hence the inference that these must have been for kings). The earliest tombs coincide with the Ptolemies of Egypt ruling Cyprus, and that Egyptian influence is evident in their style of construction. Eight tombs have been excavated and much like the Neo Paphos park, the signage is minimal, but we downloaded another great audio guide from the Visit Cyprus website to accompany our walk.

Us – We enjoyed Cyprus. Initially it felt like a holiday destination … a lovely holiday spot with good infrastructure (except for the pipes), beaches, and a bit of sightseeing, just not somewhere we thought we’d want to return to for an extended stay. We changed our tune the longer we stayed in Paphos. It’s a bit hard to quantify exactly why, sometimes it truly comes down to vibe; Paphos felt right. It is walkable, clean, laid-back, and fairly bug-free. Grocery shopping was easy with lots of choice and prices were on par with the rest of western Europe, which we found interesting given that it’s an island with limited transportation routes – gasoline was comparable too. As one of the few EU member states that has not joined the Schengen Zone, and thus not subject to its restrictions on length of stay, it would be a very pleasant place to spend time during the winter when the average temperature along the coast hovers in the high teens Celsius. Off to Crete!

Restaurants – As we were stretching the limits of our budget we tried to eat most meals at home and dinner was generally accompanied with a glass of white wine made from native Xynisteri grapes. While wine production on the island can be traced back thousands of years, it was 12th-century Crusaders who recognized the value in exporting this nectar. In particular, it was a dessert wine made from xynisteria and mavro (red) varieties that Richard the Lionheart supposedly proclaimed was “the wine of kings and the king of wines” that proved to be highly lucrative. Named Commandaria, in reference to the Knights Templar/Hospitaller who controlled the region, this fortified wine holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest named wine still in production. Cyprus wineries nearly disappeared under Ottoman rule. They experienced a resurgence in the 19th century once the Brits took control of the island, although certainly have not become a powerhouse in that industry, ranking 47th out of the 69 top wine-producing countries – Canada ranks 28th, the US 4th and Australia 6th.

Speech – Until 1960, when Cyprus declared its independence from British colonial rule, English was the one and only official language. Now there are two, Greek and Turkish, with some slight dialectal differences from their respective parents. A recent report estimates that 80% of Cypriots still have a reasonably good command of the English language. The idiom “that’s Greek to me” is well-earned; it’s a challenging language for English mouths to master and impossible to read. We asked a British expat with whom we’d been chatting whether he’d learned to speak it with any fluency. He laughed and said there was no need because locals slip into English so easily, besides, he was firmly convinced they didn’t want him to learn their language so they could talk about him, in front of him! These basics, once written phonetically, did slip off the tongue without too much difficulty:

• Γεία σας (Ya sas) – Hello;
• Παρακαλώ (Parakalo) – Please, also You’re welcome;
• Eυχαριστώ (Efharisto) – Thank you;
• Όχι (Ohi) / Ναί (Ne)  – Yes / No.

• Costs
• Cyprus
• Tips