Cyprus

We found Cyprus in between some of our Greek visits & have subsequently visited 3 or 4 times. All the atmosphere of Greece but driving on the left & UK plug sockets! You also get the mix of Mediterranean climate and, if you go to the mountains, almost an alps feeling.

Aside from the resort locations, you have varied scenery and history, with archeological sites such as Kurion, dating back thousands of years. On top of all of this, you have the divided country aspect; most noticeable in the capital, Nicosia where, within 100 yards or so, you go from plate-glass fronted multi storey designer shops, across the green-line into the Turkish part of the city & feel as if you've stepped back into the 70's. The shops are very different but the people are warm & friendly still.

Part of the richness of the island, in keeping with many locations in this part of the world, is the depth & variety of its history; having been fought over and occupied by many of the religions and dynasties over the millennia. Whilst in the Turkish part of Nicosia, we visited a Mosque which was a classic demonstration of the shifting sands of possession on the island. Originally built as a Christian Church, possibly by the Crusaders, it had been used by a variety of different religions as dynasties occupied the island through time. This was our first visit to a Mosque, which was open to the public outside of prayer times, & it had a serene, very calming atmosphere & in a very different way to a Christian Church. Cool as a result of the thick stone walls, it provided relief from the mid-day heat. Rather than the flag-stone floor of a church, the whole space was carpeted with a very plush, red carpet which seemed to add to the welcome.

I touched briefly on the mountains earlier but they do merit further commentary. The main range is the Troodos Mountains, which we've visited a couple of times. The climate is very different from the coast; not least since the temperature is several degrees lower - very welcome in high season. The mountains are heavily forested, mainly with pines, and so have a very alpine feel. Small communities appear dotted all over the hillsides & no matter how small the village, almost all have a stunning church as their centre-piece. Towards the top, we found the village of Platres which is a great place to stop for lunch in the cooler mountain air. Apparently, in the winter it actually snows in the hills so, as locals told us, its possible to ski in the mountains in the morning then head to the beach in the afternoon!

If you haven't been to Cyprus yet, it's well worth adding to your list as there's something for everyone and the season is pretty long. A former colleague of mine went in April most years & we've been in both the height of summer, when it can be incredibly hot on the coast, and mid-late October when, whilst still pretty warm during the day, daylight hours are very much skewed with sunrise probably not much after six but the power of the sun dropping in early afternoon and setting by around five. This is very much the end of the season & so in some of the resorts, you'll find the businesses gradually closing up for the winter so do bear this in mind if you go late season - probably ok in some of the larger resorts such as Paphos but west of there in Coral Bay, we very much witnessed this gradual hibernation.