#01 Turtle-watching
Beaches in both the south and the north represent some of the last Mediterranean nesting places of green and loggerhead turtles.
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#02 The Akamas Peninsula
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.
#03 Girne (Kyrenia)
Undoubtedly the most picturesque port on the island, with a perfect harbour backed by the majestic Kyrenia Mountains.
#04 Hiking
Cyprus has some top-quality hiking trails, particularly in the Troodos Massif – even in high summer, the altitude makes for a pleasant walking climate.
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#05 Lemesos Restaurants
The south’s great multicultural port is developing a reputation as the gourmet capital of the island.
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#06 Buyuk Han
This beautifully renovated “Great Inn” at the heart of Lefkosa’s old town is a great place to shop or simply unwind.
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#07 Painted Churches of the Troodos Mountains
These beautifully painted wooden churches have been granted UNESCO World Heritage status.
#08 St Hilarion
A fantastical castle whose crumbling walls, meandering steps and ruined buildings blend into the craggy heights upon which it is built, offering spectacular views of the coast and mountains.
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#09 Kykkos Monastery
Of the dozens of monasteries in Cyprus, Kykkos is the most captivating.
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#10 Ancient Salamis
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.
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#11 Mouflon
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.
#12 Diving
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.
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#13 The Cyprus Museum
The best museum in Cyprus, just outside the walls of Lefkosia, containing treasures from across the island and the ages.
#14 Hala Sultan Tekke
A perfectly proportioned mosque, sitting among elegant palm trees on the edge of Larnaka’s blinding-white salt lake.
#15 Café Culture
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.
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#16 Pafos Mosaics
These stunningly vivid mosaics give an insight into the life of the Roman elite on the island.
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#17 Gazimagusa (Famagusta)
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.
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#18 North Coast Beaches
Cyprus has hundreds of beaches, though arguably the finest – such as Golden Sands – are strung along the north coast and Karpaz Peninsula.
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#19 Wine tasting
Follow one of six wine-tasting routes, drop into the Cyprus Wine Museum or throw yourself into the bacchanal of the Lemesos Wine Festival.
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#20 Bellapais
Made famous by Lawrence Durrell, who once lived here, Bellapais is beautifully set around its medieval monastery.
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#21 Easter
Easter is the most important festival in the Greek Orthodox calendar, and it is celebrated across the republic, often with lavish processions.
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#22 Omodos
A wonderful hill village boasting not only a winery but also a pretty, cobbled central square, a venerable monastery, and a range of restaurants and shops.
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