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  • Cyprus
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Beaches in both the south and the north represent some of the last Mediterranean nesting places of green and loggerhead turtles. With no main roads, few people and a spectacular coastline, this area is a pleasant contrast to the more developed and crowded parts of the island. Undoubtedly the most picturesque port on the island, with a perfect harbour backed by the majestic Kyrenia Mountains. Cyprus has some top-quality hiking trails, particularly in the Troodos Massif – even in high summer, the altitude makes for a pleasant walking climate. The south’s great multicultural port is developing a reputation as the gourmet capital of the island. This beautifully renovated “Great Inn” at the heart of Lefkosa’s old town is a great place to shop or simply unwind. These beautifully painted wooden churches have been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. A fantastical castle, said to have been the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Of the dozens of monasteries in Cyprus, Kykkos is the most captivating. In an idyllic setting lapped by the sea, ruined Salamis is at once one of the most impressive and most significant archeological sites anywhere on the island. The handsomely horned and increasingly rare mouflon, a subspecies of a wild sheep found across the Middle East, can be seen at Stavros tis Psokas in the Tilirian forest. The wreck of the Zenobia, a modern car ferry which sank in mysterious circumstances off Larnaka, is one of the Mediterranean’s premier dive sites. The best museum in Cyprus, just outside the walls of Lefkosia, containing treasures from across the island and the ages. A perfectly proportioned mosque, sitting among elegant palm trees on the edge of Larnaka’s blinding-white salt lake. From small village kafenions occupied by old men sipping strong coffee to smart Nicosia establishments packed with the young and stylish, café culture flourishes across the island. These stunningly vivid mosaics give an insight into the life of the Roman elite on the island. One of Cyprus’s great cities, where modern life takes place among ruins generated by the Ottoman siege of the city over four centuries ago. Cyprus has hundreds of beaches, though arguably the finest – such as Golden Sands – are strung along the north coast and Karpaz Peninsula.