While in Cyprus, I have had the opportunity to go on three program-provided weekend trip to discover more of this beautiful island.
We first visited Paphos which is the mythological birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. I had a chance to see the rock in the Mediterranean where she was believed to have risen out of the foam of the sea. We also saw beautifully preserved mosaics and a Greco-Roman theater. Once hotel was located just a short walk from a beautiful beach and I spent most of the rest of the weekend there in the sun.
The next weekend trip was to Ayia Napa, the biggest tourist destination in Cyprus where some of the best beaches on the island can be found. This was my favorite spot so far because they have beautiful sea caves and we were able to go cliff jumping here. On Saturday, we spent most of the day on a boat that took us along the coast for some breathtaking views and stopped a few times to let us swim. On the way back to Nicosia, we stopped at Varosi, a sealed off “ghost town”, which used to be the most popular destination in Cyprus where many celebrities often visited. After the Turkish invasion in 1974, this place is unfortunately uninhabited and only members of the Turkish and UN military are allowed beyond the fence. Everything is just as it was when the people who once lived and stayed there left it in a rush. There is a lot of overgrowth and buildings are beginning to decay, but until a solution is reached this place will remain uninhabited.
Last, we spent a weekend in Limassol. On this trip, we visited a 13th century castle as well as the Limassol Marina and Old Port. In the rest of our free time, I mostly visited the beach that was just a two minute walk from the hotel.
I am looking forward to the rest of my time here and Cyprus and will most likely take a day trip to visit some of these places again by taking the local bus.