It was a terrible period: a lot of people suffered for covid, we all had to stay at home and i had no trips for more than a year, i counted 554 days without going abroad. There are new rules now: green pass, covid tests, and the risk to don’t come back home if you are positive while you are abroad. But i couldn’t wait more time. My first trip of this “new era”: Cyprus. I just need a small bag, a cheap flight (17 euro!) and i land on the island on july 2021.
Something important to know about Cyprus. The only access points to Cyprus are Paphos, Limassol or Larnaca: any other access is considered illegal for EU citizens. The northern part of the island is occupied by Turkish, and not recognized as a state by international comunity. A “green line” divides the island, and the acces from one side to another is possible only through specific checkpoints. Otherwise, additional covid tests are required in this period to visit North Cyprus, so many travellers had problem to come back: for those reasons i decided to visit only South Cyprus.
Paphos
My first destination is Paphos, located in south-west, a zone rich of archeological websites.
The first interesting place to visit was… my hotel! Even if I usually don’t pay attention to visual decorations, I apreciated the sensation to live in an ancient roman villa.
The archeological zone called Kato Pafos (the old town) has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, thanks to mosaics representing the classic Greek mithology.
The castle dominates the bay on the harbour.
The tomb of the kings are sculpted in the rocks: some important people and aristocrats (not real kings!) were buried in those tombs.
it’s time to move to other cities, the best way is to rent a car, even if it’s the first drive on the opposite side of the road 😀
Aphrodite’s Rock
I still have no feeling with this kind of car, so i have a brief trip to one of the most famous places: on this beach there’s the rock where Aphrodite (Venus Goddess in latin mithology) was born.
Limassol
On my way to Ayia Napa, i had a fast stop in Limassol. I took my time for a tasty lunch and a tour in the center.
Ayia Napa
I established my base here for all the rest of the trip, using car to make fast day-trips to near cities. It’s a city made for fun: it’s possible to enjoy beautifull beaches and crazy nightlife
I went to the further eastern point in Europe: Cape Greco. It’s the first place where the sun rises in Europe 🙂
The landscape was beautifull, and i made stunning pictures, but…
…but after that an accident ruined my trip. I hit my head on the rocks and i went to hospital: i had 3 stitches on my head…
Nicosia
It’s the capital of Cyprus, cutted in 2 by the “green line”. As i wrote before, i didn’t pass through the green line, but it was very weird to see the checkpoint in one of the most important shopping streets of the city, with the possibility to watch people walking on the other side. Making pictures was absolutely prohibited there.
Nicosia, in the center of the island and far from the sea, was looking different than the rest of the cities i saw in Cyprus.
Larnaca
Larnaca is the last destination of my trip: i had a fast tour before going to airport
Food
Cypriot food is very tasty, typical mediterranean cuisine
In conclusion, this trip will not be the best of my life, cause of some bad events that made me a sad mood for several days. But i have to admit that Cyprus is a nice destination, a good mix of archeological sites and stunning beaches. I will remember as my “restart” after covid.