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Bellapais Abbey, Cyprus

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Things to see and do in Cyprus

Ayia Napa

Party hard in Ayia Napa, which has an increasingly boisterous reputation as a major clubbing resort. It also attracts families to its beaches, Waterworld leisure centre and Go-Karts track.

Bask on the beach

Find perfect sand-castle building south of Limassol: the Akrotiri Peninsula's Lady's Mile Beach is a vast stretch of golden powder. On the coast north of Pafos, Coral Bay is a fast-growing resort around a good beach.

Baths of Aphrodite

At the edge of the Akamas Peninsula, witness where, so legend has it, the Greek goddess of love bathed. The Baths of Aphrodite is a grotto containing a freshwater pool, and the surrounding area is virtually untouched.

Castles

Explore one of Cyprus' ancient castles. Saint Hilarion castle towers out of the limestone rocks of the Besparmark mountains, and is one of the finest sights in northern Cyprus. Kolossi Castle, near Limassol, is entered via a reconstructed drawbridge, and has an extremely impressive opening hall.

Daytrips from Nicosia

From the capital, take an excursion to the Royal Tombs and Agios Irakleidios Monastery at Tamassos, the five-dome church and the mosque in Peristerona, and the Panagia Chrysospiliotissa Church found in a cliff-side cave near Deftera.

Eat chocolate

Indulge your taste buds on the slopes of the Troodos Mountains at the Platres chocolate workshop. The owners import all chocolate from Venezuela, and have entered the Guinness Book of World Records for making the world's most expensive Easter egg.

Family outings

On the coast south of Famagusta lie busy resorts, speckled with golden sand beaches, that are ideal for children; try Fig Tree Bay and Flamingo Bay. Family-oriented Protaras and Pernera resorts also boast good beaches, with cafés and beach bars.

Feast of Kataklysmos

Celebrate the feast of Kataklysmos (the Greek Orthodox Whitsun); although celebrated throughout Cyprus, there is special enthusiasm in Larnaca, where crowds throng the shore for watersports, singing, dancing, eating and drinking.

Hala Sultan Tekke

Near Larnaca Airport, enjoy the Hala Sultan Tekke: a historic mosque standing in beautiful gardens on the edge of Larnaca Salt Lake - dry in summer, and a winter home of migratory flamingos.

Hiking

Hike through the many unspoilt areas in Cyprus. Recommended nature trails include Atalante, Kaledonia and Persephone in the Troodos area; Aphrodite and Adonis in the Akamas area; and several trails through the forests of Machairas and Limassol.

Kouklia

At Kouklia visit the ruins of ancient Palaia Pafos and the Temple of Aphrodite. At the coast is Petra tou Romiou (Rock of Aphrodite).

Kourion

In the ancient city of Kourion, on a steep hillside near Episkopi, discover a Graeco-Roman theatre, where concerts and Shakespearean plays are performed in summer. See also the House of Eustolios, which has beautiful mosaics; the Acropolis; the ruins of the Roman-era forum; and the Christian Basilica.

Kykkos Monastery

Kykkos Monastery is the largest and most famous monastery in Cyprus. Founded in AD1100 by the Byzantine emperor Alexios Komnenos, the monastery is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is home to one of the three surviving icons painted by the Apostle Luke. Kykkos Monastery is ornately decorated and covered in a silver gilt, enclosed in a tortoiseshell shrine. It is also famous for its museum, located within the monastery grounds, which houses an impressive collection of icons, woodcarvings and manuscripts, and other Cypriot antiquities. The nearby Troodos Mountains, with magnificent hills and valleys, should also be explored as they are home to nine Byzantine churches, included on UNESCO's World Heritage list, and richly decorated with murals and Byzantine paintings.

Nicosia

Take a walking tour of the capital Nicosia and visit the Cyprus Museum - a storehouse of the island's archaeological treasures - the Folk Art Museum, the new Archbishop's Palace, St John's Cathedral, Byzantine churches, the Byzantine Museum/Makarios Cultural Centre and the Ömeriye Mosque.

Pafos medieval fort

Be serenaded whilst gazing at Pafos' beautiful medieval fort. It's worth seeing anytime of the year, but particularly during the three days each summer when operatic sounds reverberate around the ancient walls.

Skiing

Both Platres and Kakopetria are conveniently placed for the skiing season on Mount Olympus, which usually lasts from January to mid March, but Troodos is actually the nearest resort to the skiing area.

Take a bet

Get your wager on at the Nicosia Race Club. It's the only licenced racetrack on the island, and has a pleasant colonial atmosphere as well as the chance to back a favourite.

Troodos Mountains

Take in the the spectacular scenery and 10 Byzantine churches of the forested (or, more accurately, reforested) Troodos Mountains. Platres, 1,200m (3,937ft) above sea level on the southern slopes, is the ideal base for excursion, and lies on the approaches to Mount Olympus (at 1,952m (6,404ft), the highest peak in Cyprus).

Yoga

Look after your soul with a dose of yoga at Sumeru Resort. Located near Kritou Tera, one of the oldest villages in Cyprus, Ohm your way to enlightenment from a beautiful vantage point surrounded by rugged terrain.

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