City Go

According to myth, goddess Aphrodite was born in Paphos, giving rise to the cult that lasted for centuries. The Myceneans were the first to build a temple in honour of Aphrodite in the 12th century BC. In Roman times the town moved to New Paphos, located 10 km from the old site. The Romans contributed to the prosperity of Paphos, making it culturally and architecturally rich. Saint Paul visited Paphos in 46AD, converting it to Christianism. After being attacked by the Arabs, the island was conquered and ruled by the Byzantines for about 700 years until it was taken over by King Richard Lion Heart during the 3rd crusade. King Richard eventually sold the island to the Lusignan dynasty. It was conquered by the Venetians in the 16th century and by the Ottoman Empire in 1571. The importance of Paphos eventually declined and it was only with tourism that development once again took off. How to go: You can take an intercity bus from other cities, namely Nicos...

Kyrenia is a city in northern Cyprus. Evidence shows that it has been inhabited since 5800-3000 BC but it's traditionally accepted that the city was founded by the Achaeans after the Trojan War. By the late 4th, early 3rd century BC there was a lively maritime activity, evident in an ancient shipwreck discovered in 1965 and now exhibited in Kyrenia castle. During the Roman period, Kyrenia continued to be a populous and prosperous city and it was during this period that the first castle was built. With the division of the Roman Empire Kyrenia fell under the Bizantine rule. During the crusades, King Richard I of England became the master of the island but eventually sold it to Guy de Lusignan in order to get more funding for his crusade. Under Frankish rule, Kyrenia again became the commercial and administrative centre of the region. The castle was enlarged and walls and towers were built around the town. In 1489 Cyprus was conquered by the Venetians who remodelled the castl...

In Cyprus, there are two types of buses to move around, local buses that will transport you within a municipality's limits ( I stayed in Larnaca where  Zinonas buses  operate) and the  Intercity buses , that will take you from city to city. You can find further information on this site:  Local and intercity buses information. However, if your visit involves taking more than one intercity bus it's better to take an excursion, as changing buses can be really time-consuming. While in Cyprus I did a couple of excursions wi t h   Explore Cyprus , which can be booked online and paid to the guide on the day of the excursion.

Kykkos monastery is one of the richest and well-known monasteries in Cyprus. The Holy Monastery of the Virgin of Kykkos was established around the 11th century by the Byzantine monarch Alexius I Komemnos. It is located in the Troodos mountains, at an altitude of 1318 metres. There are no remains of the original monastery, as it burned down several times. Archbishop Makarios III, the first president of Cyprus, begun his ecclesiastic path there in 1926, as a monk, and is buried 3km away, in Throni hill . Opening hours : 10 am to 4 pm; to 6 pm Jun. to Oct. Entrance fee : free (museum costs €5) How to go: By car or bus tour. I used Explore Cyprus , which can be booked online and paid on the day of the excursion to the guide.

The sanctuary of Apollo Hylates is an ancient monument dedicated to the god Apollo, thought to have been the protector of the ancient city of Kourion, located near Limassol. During ancient times it was one of the most important religious centres in Cyprus, where Apollo was worshipped as the god of the woodlands. The earliest evidence of worship of Apollo dates back to the 8th century BC and continued until the 4th century AD. However most monuments at the site date from the 1st century AD. The temple was destroyed by a severe earthquake in 364-5 AD and abandoned. Opening hours : mid- Sep. to mid-Apr. 8.30 am to 5 pm; mid-Apr. to mid-Sep. 8.30 am to 7.30 pm. Entrance fee : €2.50

This monument is located in Throni Hill, about 3 km from Kykkos monastery in the Troodos mountains. Before his death, in 1977, Archbishop Makarios III, the first president of Cyprus, asked to be buried on the summit of Throni Hill, which is near Kykkos monastery and his hometown, Panagia Village. The massive bronze statue located at the entrance of the site was moved from the Archbishop Palace, in Nicosia, to its current location in 2008.

Limassol is the 2nd largest urban area in Cyprus. It was built between the two ancient cities, Amathous and Kourion, and prospered after these cities were destroyed by an earthquake. Limassol became famous due to events that happened during the third crusade, featuring the King of England, Richard Lionheart, and his fianceé, Berengaria. Berengaria was going to the Holy Land by sea when a storm made her ship end up in Cyprus. The governor of Cyprus invited the princess ashore, with the intention of holding her to ransom and when she refused he denied her fresh water. He later also refused to give any help to liberate the Holy Land and King Richard eventually conquered the island, putting an end to centuries of Byzantine dominium. The island was sold to the Knights Templar in order to help finance the crusade. What to visit in Limassol : Archaeological Museum Ayia Napa Cathedral Castle Folk Art Museum Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates Zoo

The archaeological museum in Limassol was founded in 1948 and was initially located in the castle. The modern facilities started being built in 1972 and opened to the public in 1975. The museum presents local findings from the pre-neolithic period to the late roman period. Many artefacts come from Amathous and Kourion sites nearby. Opening hours : Mon.- Fri. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed on weekends) Entrance fee : € 2.50

The current castle results from a reconstruction made in 1590 during Ottoman rule. The original castle was built by order of Guy de Lusignan on top of Byzantine buildings, namely an early Christian basilica. Opening hours : Mon. to Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. sat.  9 a.m. to 5 p.m. sun. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Entrance fee: €4.50

Larnaca is the third largest city in Cyprus, after Nicosia and Limassol. The name of the city might come from the many sarcophaguses (larnakes) found in the area. The city-kingdom of Kiteon, the predecessor of Larnaca, was founded around the 13th century BC with the first Greek colonists arriving between 1200 and 1000 BC. The city was rebuilt by the Phoenicians around 1000 BC, becoming an important centre of Phoenician culture. It was later dominated by other powers but the earthquakes of 322 and 342 AD completely destroyed the city forcing the population to move to the seafront. It eventually became an important commercial port starting in the Middle Ages through Ottoman occupation. The main points of interest in Larnaka are Saint Lazarus church, the medieval fort , the Hala Sultan Tekke, the Archaeological Museum , the Pierides Museum , the Ancient Kition site and Finikoudes Avenue (pictured below).

This mansion was built by  order of  Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios in the late 18th century. It currently houses an Ethnological Museum. The furnishing of the mansion is not original, it dates from the late 19th, early 20th century. Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios was the Dragoman, an interpreter between the Turkish rulers and their Greek subjects. He did a god job but the wealth and strength he was able to build as dragoman arose much envy; he was slandered in Istanbul and eventually beheaded. Opening hours : Tue. to Fri. 8.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m.; Sat. 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.; closed on Sun. and Mon. Entrance fee : €2.5