Traveling to Cyprus in March might be the best thing to do if you want to avoid the crowd! It’s also the perfect time of the year in terms of the weather!
My ultimate impression? I really enjoyed my 3 days in Cyprus and highly recommend it as a sun and beach destination. All the people i met were so welcoming and friendly!
My friends & I had scheduled programme in advance and we chose to split our trip into 2 parts, Limassol and Famagusta. We only saw a small part of Nicosia, the main city. If you’re interested in what Cyprus looks like, i have attached a video at the end of this blog putting together some attractions we visited. And if you’re interested in a guide on places to visit in Cyprus, this is my guide for travelling around on a budget.
Fun Fact About Cyprus: did you know that Cyprus beaches have continuously received an award of the cleanest beaches in Europe for the past decade?…
Limassol – Most Beautiful City in Cyprus.
A purely peaceful city, streets buzzing but quiet, if you get me. Its almost safe to walk around at night. The city offers a variety of restaurants from local cuisine to Italian to Greek to sea food to Vegan/vegetarian restaurants. Not the best I’ve had, but really impressive!
What To Do: Take a walk down the old city of Limassol and the Marina, a place built for the wealthy, no doubt, with many yachts. Limassol is a visually attractive place, charming and peaceful, which means you wont find the young noisy crowd here. Visitors are mostly families, and old travelers. Its probably the most quiet town in Cyprus.
One of the oldest attractions in Lemesos (Limassol) is the Medieval castle, which is in the middle of the old town, where Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre and crowned her Queen of England in 1191.
The Kurion Archaeological site is one of the most beautiful attractions in Limassol with a lot of rich history. It was the island’s most important city-kingdoms in the ancient times. The city-kingdom was built on the hills around, and overlooked the rich valley of the river Kouris. According to archaeological finds, evidence suggests that Kourion was associated with the Greek legend of Argos of Peloponnese, and that its inhabitants believed they were descendants of Argean immigrants. The once-flourishing kingdom was eventually destroyed in a severe earthquake in 365 AD.
Nicosia – The Last Divided Capital in Europe
Brief history of Nicosia: Cyprus declared independence in 1960 which was immediately followed by disagreements between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots. And as a result, Nicosia split along the middle of Cyprus by the United Nations. The city was divided using a green pen on the map and is now known as “The Green Line.”
Things to do in Nicosia: Visit the main city centre – Liberty Square. This part of the city has much of a European feel, with shops like Subway, H&M, Zara, McDonald’s and Starbucks lining on the main streets. Best place for shopping would be street shops.
Visit the Statue of Liberty Monument and the Venetian walls of Nicosia – which are side by side at one location. The stature of Liberty Monument was built in 1973 by Ioannis G. Notaras in memory of the Cypriot Hellenism’s fight for freedom, and in honor of those who fought in the liberating struggle of 1955-1959. The monument was recognized in 1987 by the House of Representatives as ‘The Monument of the E.O.K.A. Struggle.’ Altogether, it presents a number of small mysteries.
Liberty Monument 
Venetian Walls
Famagusta – The Ghost Town
In the late 1960’s, Famagusta was a well-known tourist attraction, until the Turkish Invasion in 1974. During the Turkish invasion, the inhabitants fled, intending to return when the situation calmed down. However, the resort was fenced off by the Turkish military and has been a ghost town ever since. The Cypriots moved to South Cyprus and never went back to their homes again. Nobody lives in most of those areas anymore. The houses and buildings are all empty and looked very much like a ghost town, hence the name. Since then, Famagusta has been under the Turks and Cypriots and tourists need to pass through border control.
What to do: Explore the local markets and people. Take a stroll down the small streets of Famagusta and you’ll come across many souvenir shops and local restaurants. The people are so welcoming! The hospitality was absolutely shocking and exceeded my expectations.
Visit the Greek churches, mosque, the sea gate, Venetian Palace, restaurants. The old city is surrounded by Venetian Walls and jam packed with ruins, like Othello’s Castle, St Sophia Mosque, the Venetian Palace, and at least three churches.
Actually, here’s a new fact: There were 365 churches built in Famagusta in the 14th century.
St. George’s of the Greeks Orthodox Church
The view over the Sea Gate from the Venetian Walls.
Lala Mustafa Paşa Camii
Verdict: There were a lot more abandoned buildings in Famagusta than I was expecting, even just watching from the outskirts. I’ve heard, together with the ghost town at Varosha, you can get a better idea of the actual reality of the echo of the past sadness. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make it to Varosha, the main ghost town in Famagusta. But if you’re going there, would be great to visit!
Places To Eat 🍛🍹
Every morning, I started off my day with the hotels continental breakfast!
Visit Thymari Greek Restaurant, 2 minutes from Harmony Bay hotel. They served the best Greek salad with lots and lots of olives and spicy cooked potato chips. I came across a number of cafes and restaurants just outside the hotel. Cafe Pascucci was an absolute delight. They recommended a mind-blowing banana chocolate cookie smoothie. For pizzas, I would recommend Pizza Mine. Its 2 minutes away from the hotel I stayed at and makes pizzas just the way you like, exactly Italian! I made mine half vegan, half vegetarian with different toppings on each side. Tzeiri’s pizza wasn’t the best, but good food 😀
FYI: Food in Cyprus was pretty affordable considering the quantity served.
If you’re in for some high service rated restaurant, ‘The Garden’ restaurant was just next to the hotel and is perfect for a classic dining. It was absolutely beyond my expectations – hospitality, ambiance and food. My cheesy lasagne and lime mojito was definitely a great combination recommended on the menu. Give it a try!
Where To Stay:
Harmony Bay Hotel – 4-star rated, by the beach, poolside, gym, car park, close to the main town, many restaurants and souvenir shops around.
Advice:
Passport: Do not forget to carry your passport when traveling from Southern to Northern Cyprus! You will not be allowed to enter into the Turkish region of Cyprus without a passport.
Internet & Mobile Data: Once you enter into Famagusta, be sure to turn off your mobile data. The internet connection in Famagusta comes under the Turks and will be charged extra on using your data.
Currency: Euros. Do not carry too much green with you, just in case. You can find a few ATM’s and banks around Limassol and Nicosia.
Pictures and Security: Avoid taking pictures around border crossings. Be sure to read board signs anywhere you go around Famagusta.
Practical Travel Info:
– Wear comfortable shoes at archaeological sites.
– Do not talk too much politics around the Cypriots – since many Cypriots know/have been displaced since the Turkish invasion in 1964.
– Do not touch or take anything from the Archaeological site.
Overall: The Best Thing To See In Cyprus?
The sunrise and sunset!
Before Sunrise 
During Sunrise 
After sunrise
Perceptions before vs Actual reality
My personal perceptions upon visiting were almost about the same, only a little low from what I had read online beforehand. It was a lot simpler than I imagined. Everything in Cyprus is Greek themed, from the restaurants, to the graffiti on the walls, the language and all the people living there, except for Famagusta. I could stay longer, probably a few more days, until I’m bored and miss home again.
One of the things i had not expected of Cyprus was the security check on the checkpoint to entering Famagusta and not allowed to take pictures at certain attractions. It seemed odd, and i personally do wish if i could have taken pictures as memories.
Cyprus is definitely a destination worth visiting. Its going to feel different from other European countries which are always buzzing. Watch my video below which captures the places i visited and fun things to do!
Full portrait screen on your mobile device: https://vimeo.com/336364738
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsUPQqzaQXY
Khushali's Travel Blog 