Cyprus – Sunshine, Cats and U.N. Peacekeepers

Larnaca

We stayed in Larnaca, one of the less touristic areas. It is a laid-back seaside community. What it lacked in tourists it made up for with cats, thousands of them. Yes, there were cats everywhere. In fact, Cyprus has about 1.5 million cats vs a human population of 1.2 million. If you believe the legend, in the 4^th century, Helen of Constantinople sent a boatload of cats from Egypt to Cyprus to kill the snakes. Cypriots dote on the stray cats, leaving mounds of cat food everywhere. The cats are the fattest and laziest we’ve ever seen.

Besides the cats, Larnaca has a well-preserved old town, some beautiful beaches and a 3 km seaside promenade lined with restaurants. The promenade was perfect for early morning walks and runs. (Click here for a short video of scenery on the route.)

Nicosia

A pleasant 90-minute bus ride through the countryside takes you to the capital Nicosia. While it has some beautiful old buildings and places of worship, there are many homes, shops, mosques and churches decaying, abandoned after the 1974 conflict. Nicosia is the only divided capital in Europe. The United Nations’ Buffer Zone, known as the Green Line, separates Turkish Cypriots in the North from the Greek Cypriots to the South. The UN peacekeeping force still has over a thousand personnel in Cyprus.

A border checkpoint divides Ledra Street, the city’s main shopping street, in two. With our EU passports we were able to walk through the border checkpoint to the Turkish side, the capital of the disputed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. We were transported to a Middle Eastern city by just walking 50’ across the border. The magnificent Selimiye Mosque dominates the skyline as shoppers bustle in the old Arabahmet quarter. Sitting having a Turkish coffee in the Buyuk Han, enjoying the sunshine and the smell of spices wafting in the air had us transported to a different world.

Limassol and Paphos

The southwest end of the island has two contrasting destinations. Glitzy Limassol is Cyprus’s best-known holiday destination. Further west is Paphos, an ancient city that has recently become a major tourist destination.

Limassol

Limassol stretches along the oceanfront for kilometers. It has many large hotels and condo towers with striking architectural designs. The old town is adjacent to a new marina with lagoons where lines of superyachts are moored. (The mega yachts that ordinarily frequent Limassol were notable by their absence.) Rows of multi-million dollar condos, some with their own yacht berths, keep watch. Many high-end restaurants line the marina as patrons sip on champagne in the afternoon sunshine. We scanned the menus until we found a restaurant that fit our beer-budget, and whiled away the afternoon pretending we were rich and famous.

Paphos

Further along the coast is Paphos. It was a major city in the third century B.C., but fell into decline. The remains of what was the powerful Hellenic/Roman city are now part of the Paphos Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Nearby are the Tombs of the Kings, a 2,500 year old necropolis. Since the partitioning of Cyprus, Paphos has grown as a tourist destination. Unlike Limassol, it caters to budget, all-inclusive holidays for families. No champagne here, just beer and burgers. It was the busiest tourist spot we came across on the island. The ancient ruins and the new tourist zone sit side-by-side. What a contrast!

This ends our foreign travels for now. We’re back in Canada for the summer. Thanks for following along. Hasta luego!