Entry requirements | Organizing your trip | Visiting | Eating | Paying | Speaking |

Entry requirements

Passport and visa service

Travel informations for foreign visitors of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Visa HQ

Diplomatic representations

Information about Cypriot embassies abroad

For more information

Embassy of Cyprus in Greece
16, Hérodotou
106 75 Athens
Phone: 2107237883, 2107239377, 2107232727
Fax: 2107231927, 2107258886
cyempkl@hol.gr

Organizing your trip

Means of transport recommended in town

Recommendation

Traveling within the cities is mostly done by taxi, bus or rental cars. The transportation system is quite efficient and bus and transurban bus and taxi services are a good and cheap way to connect cities. The fares of taxis are regulated by the government and all taxis have meters.

Maps of urban networks

Mapblast
Maporama
Mappy

Means of transport recommended in the rest of the country

Recommendation

Transurban buses link all towns on a daily basis with frequent routes. Rural buses link most villages to the nearest city but less frequent. In the same way, transurban taxis also exist and link the different cities ; transurban taxis are seven-seat taxis. Roads have a fairly good conditions except for remote parts of the island.

Rail companies

No railway in Cyprus

Flight from Greece

Flights in departure from Athens and Thessaloniki join Larnaca and Paphos Airports. Two airlines regularly join Cyprus from Greece : Cyprus Airways and Olympic Airlines. For low cost company, check Aegean Airlines. To find out air connections from Greece to Cyprus click here

Traveling by yourself

Recommendation

Renting a car is possible for someone who has a driving license for more than 3 years or is aged over 25. Road signs are displayed both in Greek and English. It should be noted that driving is on the left-hand side.
For more information, consult the Cyprus Tourism Office website.

Road maps

Choose the section about maps

Find an itinerary

Mappy

Visiting

Different forms of tourism

Historical

Four large cities on the island offer interesting historical sites. Lefkosia (Nicosia), the capital of the island, has kept from the past the walls which were surrounding the city. In Pafos, a Unesco World heritage site is found and which is named the "Tombs of the Kings" (Hellenistic and early Roman style tombs). In Lemesos, a medieval castle is found among other historical sites. Larnaca hosts an important mosque which is a pilgrimage spot. Consult the Cyprus properties inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Cultural

All the island's main cities have an archeological museum to house the regional findings. We can cite the museum of Kykkos monastery in Kykkos, Troodos region which houses an important collection of Christian and other exhibits, the Agios Lazaros Byzantine museum in the city of Larnaca (located near the church of Agios Lazaros), the Cyprus museum of Natural history in Lefkosia which is the largest of its kind in Cyprus and many others. All information about these cultural sites can be found at: Visit Cyprus.

Nature

Cyprus is an interesting country for nature lovers. Cape Greko National forest park is a good illustration of a natural site which is worth seeing because of its sea cliffs and indigenous flora. 36 different orchid species are found in the park. The areas of Dasaki Tis Achnas serve as a stopover for migratory birds in autumn and spring.

Religious

Religious tourism is quite developed in Cyprus because of its numerous churches and cathedrals. The majority of the population belongs to the orthodox church and therefore religion is present in different forms on the island. The most impressive monastery of Cyprus is the Kykkos monastery found in the region of Troodos. It was founded in the 11th century. The Faneromeni church in the capital is also very impressive as it is built within the old city walls and dates back to 1872. Many other churches are found in the other cities of the island like Larnaca and Limassol.

Thermal

Thanks to its climate, thermal and medical tourism is developing in the country. Health spas and wellness centres exist and offer high range possibilities.

Beach

For a beach holiday, Cyprus is an ideal destination. Phinikoudes beach in Larnaca is one of the most famous of Cyprus. The beach has fine grey sand and the coast is surrounded with small palm trees. Other well known beaches include: Pernera A Beach (Ammochostos), Pachyammos beach (Pafos), Kapparis beach (Ammochostos). For more information, consult the Cyprus Tourism Organisation.

Winter sports

Because of the climate, winter sport in Cyprus is not as developed as in other countries.

Outdoor activities

Outdoor activities are enjoyed all year long in Cyprus. Hiking at Troodos mountains, bird watching, diving at different spots of the island, sailing, cycling are among the most popular activities. 

Shopping

Modern shopping exist along with more traditional shopping (handicrafts) in different regions of the island.

Tourism organizations

Cyprus Tourism Organisation

Eating

Food specialties

Local dishes include kebabs (lamb or other meat skewered and roasted over a charcoal fire) and dolmas (vine leaves stuffed with minced meat and rice). Charcoal-grilled meat is generally very popular, as is fresh seafood. One of the best ways of enjoying Cypriot food is by ordering mezze (snacks), a large selection of a number of different local dishes. Fresh fruit is plentiful and cheap, and very sweet desserts such as baklava are widely available.
For more information, you can consult:
- Cyprus Food;
- Ayianapa;
- Cyprus Restaurants;
- Cyprus Tourist Travel Guide.

Drinks

Cyprus produces excellent wines, spirits and beers. Well known drinks are Ouzo (an aromatic white spirit made of aniseed), Commandaria (the oldest wine in the world) Coffee is Greek-style (short, strong and unfiltered), though cappuccino is available in most restaurants and bars. Traditional English tea can be bought everywhere. Airani drink is also very popular in Summer as it is very refreshing (made of yoghourt and salt - to be drunk cold)

Dietary restrictions

There are no taboos with the exception of a small part of the population who follows a strict Muslim rule on which the consumption of alcohol and pork is forbidden. 

Paying

Domestic currency

Euro

ISO Code

EUR

To obtain domestic currency

The currency of the Republic is the Euro (EUR) since January 1st, 2008. It used to be the British pound. All banks operating in Cyprus offer currency exchange services. Foreign currency can also be exchanged at hotels.

Possible means of payment

Hotels, restaurants, large shops accept credit cards, travellers cheques, Eurocheques and banknotes.

Exchange rate on

Automatic Teller Machines (ATM)

To find out the locations of ATMs in in Cyprus, click on the link to your credit card: Visa, Mastercard or American Express

Speaking

Official language

Greek and Turkish

Other languages spoken

English is widely spoken. French and German are also spoken within the tourism industry.

Business language

English, French, German

Getting some knowledge

Greek can be learned with the help of the following websites:Xanthi and Kypros.

Free translation tools

Eurodicautom - The European Union Dictionary (12 languages available)
Systran - Free English-Greek-English translator of texts and web pages
Tranexp - Free English-Greek-Turkish-English translator of texts and web pages
Ectaco - Free English-Greek-Turkish-English Dictionnary
lexicool - Free Greek-Turkish-Greek translator
hexagone - Not Free Greek-Turkisk-Greek translator

We can translate your foreign-language documents.

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Last updates: May 2012