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Food & Drink

Cyprus Specialities

If you are looking forward to some popular Greek dishes in Cyprus, then you won’t be disappointed; Greek Cypriot food and drink and Greek food is largely identical with some differences here and there for those in the know.

Halloumi is a rubbery cheese that when fried or grilled can be added to most dishes or eaten on its own. Deliciously salty, you will be hard pushed not to try it on your trip. Cypriots love combining it with melon in the hot summer months.

Meze is Cyprus’s equivalent to tapas and contains a wide range of small plates from dips to potatoes, halloumi to fish.

Tiropittes are considered more in the street food category and are flaky pastry cheese pies. Try the spinach ones - Spanakopittes - too, delicious!

Loukaniko are sausages, often flavoured with orange peel, fennel seed, and various other dried herbs and seeds. You’ll often get them on meze boards.

Souvlakia is an extremely popular dish for Cypriots. It consists of small pieces of pork or lamb, skewed and cooked – with or without vegetables – on charcoal and served in pitta bread with tomatoes, cucumber parsley and onion.

Daktyla, or lady fingers, are sweet treats filled with ground almonds and cinnamon sugar.

Ekmek Kadayif is a Turkish bread pudding desert and served with a type of clotted cream.

Favourite Drinks

Frappe is perfect for a hot day; usually a concoction of instant coffee, foam and ice.

Cypriot Coffee is an island speciality and a strong one at that. It’s served with a glass of water alongside and it’s best to sip it slowly and not to drink the dregs at the bottom.

Ouzo is the popular anise-flavoured aperitif made by distilling grape juice. Drink it neat or with water/ice.

Brandy Sour is considered the unofficial national cocktail of Cyprus and is a delicious long drink made from Cypriot Brandy and lemon flavourings.

KEO is the Cyprus beer and you’ll see it everywhere. Take a sip!

Commandaria is the well-known and well-loved rich, fruity, sweet desert wine.

Currency

Banks

Currency

The currency of the Republic used to be the Cyprus pound (CY£), but from 1st January 2008 this was replaced by the Euro as the legal tender money of Cyprus. It was exchanged at a fixed exchange rate € 1 = CY£ 0,585274.

Currency Exchange

All banks operating in Cyprus offer foreign currency exchange services and quote the exchange rates of the Euro against all major foreign currencies daily. Foreign currency can also be exchanged at hotels. More detailed information concerning exchange rates can be obtained from the Central Bank of Cyprus.

Click here for a currency Converter

Banks

General

The main domestic and foreign banks are the Alpha Bank Ltd, Bank of Cyprus, Co-operative Central Bank Ltd, Cyprus Popular Bank, Emporiki Bank (Cyprus Ltd), Hellenic Bank, National Bank of Greece (Cyprus) Ltd, Société Générale (Cyprus Ltd) and Universal Bank Ltd.

There is a charge for some banking transactions in Cyprus banks. A list of charges is available from local branches or via the banks website.

Cyprus banks generally don’t open at weekends and are always closed on Bank Holidays.

Commercial Banks

Monday to Friday 8.15 – 13.30

Monday 15.15 – 16.45

Co-operative Central Banks

Monday to Friday 14.30 – 17.15

Saturday 8.00 – 13.30

Airport Banks

Banking facilities are available at the island’s two international airports (Larnaca and Paphos) up to 24 hours a day.

Climate & Weather

General Overview

Cyprus enjoys an intense Mediterranean climate of hot dry summers starting in mid-May and lasting until mid-September and rainy, quite mild winters from November to mid-March. Spring and autumn are effectively short intervals in between, characterised by smooth weather. With almost year-round clear skies and sunshine, daylight length ranges from 9.8 hours in December to 14.5 hours in June.

Average Temperatures

In broad lines, Cyprus's climate is characterised by hot summers and mild winters. There is a significant seasonal difference between mid-summer and mid-winter temperatures that ranges from 18°c inland to about 14°c on the coast. The difference in daily maximum and night minimum temperatures is also quite significant. In winter they range from 8°c to 10°c on the lowlands and 5°c to 6°c on the mountains and in summer from 16°c on the central plain and 9° to 12°c elsewhere.

Daily temperatures during the hottest months of July and August range between 29°c on the central plain and 22°c on the Troodos Mountains. The average maximum temperatures for these two months range between 36°c and 27°c. In January, the coolest month, the indicative daily temperature is 10°c on the central plain and 3°c on the higher parts of the Troodos Mountains while the average minimum temperatures are 5°c and 0°c.

Sea Temperatures

The temperature in the open sea hovers above 22°c from June to November, climbing to 27°c in August. Even during the three coolest months of January to March, average sea temperature are an acceptable 16°c or 17°c. Near the coast, the temperature of water three or four metres deep is similar to that of the open sea, ranging from 15°c to 17°c in February and from 23°c to 28°c in August. There are no significant daily fluctuations in sea water temperatures, except in very shallow waters less than one metre deep.

Air Humidity

During the days in winter and at night throughout the year, humidity ranges from average to slightly low (65% - 95%). During summer it is very low near midday, ranging from 15% to 30% on the central plain. Fog is rare and typically occurs in early morning. Visibility is normally very good or excellent. There is an exception over a few days in spring when the atmosphere is very hazy due to dust from the Arabian and African deserts.

Sunshine

Cyprus enjoys a very sunny climate compared with most countries with 11.5 hours of bright sunshine per day over the six summer months. Even during the months of December and January, there is 5.5 hours of sunshine.

Winds

Winds over the island are relatively variable in direction and strength depending on the elevation of the land and local temperatures.

Clothing During Different Seasons

Clothing requirements vary, depending on the length and the period of your visit. During April and May, days are pleasantly warm, but temperatures may drop at night. Spring and summer apparel and long sleeved tops or light jackets for the evenings are recommended. From June to the end of August, very light summer clothing is a must. September to October see quite a few warm days and cool evenings. Light apparel for the day and long sleeves for the evenings in October is recommended. November has pleasantly warm days that can be enjoyed in jumpers and light jackets.

December and January will be the only winter you will get, even though it feels more like autumn for most visitors. It may rain occasionally, yet the promise of glorious sunshine is still there. Winter clothing is necessary, but not heavy coats. The possibility of fairly warm days is always there during February, as is the occasional rainfall. Mild day time temperatures are the harbingers of spring but it can get quite cold in the evenings and winter apparel will be needed. Winter wear will also be appropriate during March with its moderate but sometimes unpredictable weather inviting you to enjoy Cyprus nature at its best.

HISTORY

1) Cyprus is known as the playground of the gods, and for good reason too! Aphrodite is said to have risen out of the water near Paphos.

2) Archaeological evidence suggests that people first settled on the island of Cyprus 10,000 years ago.

3) Cyprus was once a nation of incredible wealth. It was during the Copper and Bronze Ages when the island's rich natural copper resources were exported to other countries. The word copper, in fact, derives from the Greek name for the island, Kupros.

4) King Richard the Lionheart – the English crusader king – wed Berengaria of Navarre at Limassol Castle on 12 May, 1191. To this day it is the only foreign venue at which an English Royal Wedding has been hosted.

5) Famagusta was once the island’s most important port city, with its natural harbour and high protective walls, and it was from where the Silk Route merchants transported their goods to the west of Europe.

6) There are 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cyprus - Paphos, the Painted Churches in the Troodos Region and Choirokoitia.

7) The Neolithic settlement of Choirkoitia is one of the most important Neolithic sites in the eastern Mediterranean.

8) Cyprus is a divided country. A UN buffer zone – known as the Green Line – separates the self-declared Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Greek controlled South.

9) There are two British military zones in Cyprus. Known as United Kingdom Sovereign Base Areas, the two zones are a legacy of the British occupation of Cyprus which ended in 1960.

10) Cyprus Independence Day is celebrated on 1st October.

11) The Byzantine Museum in Nicosia holds the largest collection of Byzantine Art in Cyprus.

12) Stavrouvouni Monastery in the Troodos Mountains is the oldest monastic site in Cyprus. It was founded in the 4th century by St Helena.

13) The Sanctuary of Apollo Hylatis was one of the main sites of religious worship on Cyprus. The site covers over 15,000 square meters and lies near Kolossi in the south.

14) Cyprus became a province of the Roman Empire in 22 B.C.

GEOGRAPHY / GEOLOGY / NATURE

15) Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is now the only capital in the world to be divided between two nations; North Cyprus and South Cyprus.

16) Cyprus is one of Europe's most southerly ski resorts.

17) There are around 370 species of bird recorded on the island of Cyprus. Due to the island’s location on one of the major migration routes across the Mediterranean, many species can be spotted in spring and autumn.

18) In geological term Cyprus is an ophiolite and is made up of three distinct geologic regions.

19) Cyprus is home to 20 rare species of orchid.

20) There are more than 1950 species of flowering plant in Cyprus, 140 of which are found nowhere else in the world.

21) 260 species of fish circle the warm Mediterranean waters around Cyprus.

22) Cyprus is one of only a few places in the world where Green Turtles and Loggerhead Turtles nest.

23) Cyprus is the easternmost island in the Mediterranean Sea.

24) The Cyprus mouflon is a wild sheep that is only found in the Troodos and Paphos mountains.

25) More than 55 beaches on Cyprus have been awarded the Blue Flag for high water quality, cleanliness and safety.

26) The highest peak in the Troodos Mountain Range is Mount Olympus, which reaches up to 6402ft above sea level.

27) Around 10,000 flamingos temporarily stop over to feed at Larnaca Salt Lake every autumn during their migration south to warmer climes.

ECONOMY

28) Southern Cyprus joined the European Union on May 1st 2004.

29) The major industries that contribute to the Cypriot economy are tourism, fruit & vegetables, wine, cement, clothing and shoes.

30) The population of Cyprus is approximately 1.141 million.

31) Life expectancy is just over 79 years.

PEOPLE / CULTURE & FOOD

32) Lefkara Lace is hand made in Cyprus.

33) Kolokasi – a type of sweet potato – is a speciality root vegetable grown on Cyprus.

34) Commandaria is a sweet desert wine produced in the foothills of the Troodos mountains. It is reputed to be the oldest wine in the world.

35) During August every year the villages in Cyprus host the August Village Festivals. At least 20 villages take part.

36) George Michael (musician), Fatima Whitbread (Olympic athlete) and Muzzy Izzet (English premiership soccer player) were all born in Cyprus.

SPORTS/ART & ENTERTAINMENT

37) Marcos Baghdatis, one of the most talented junior tennis players in the world, comes from Cyprus.

38) The first sporting contact between Turkey and Cyprus since the 1974 Turkish invasion was a Champions League 2nd round qualifying match between Famagusta Anothosis and Trabzonspor on July 26th 2005. Famagusta won 3-1.

39) There are 5 golf courses in Cyprus.

40) The Cyprus Rally is a rallying competition held yearly in Cyprus since 1970.

41) The largest freshwater fish caught in Cyprus was a 31lb 4oz Mirror Carp. It was caught in the Dhypotamos reservoir between Larnaca and Limassol.

42) Ayia Napa in Eastern Cyprus is one of the most popular nightclub districts in Europe.

43) The Pafos Aphrodite Festival takes place each year in August or September in front of the medieval castle in Kato Paphos.

44) The only horse racetrack in Cyprus can be found in Nicosia. Approximately 60 race meetings are held there throughout the year.

OTHER FACTS

45) One of the world's most famous shipwrecks lies off the Cypriot coast near Limassol Harbour. MS Zenobia, with its cargo of vehicles, sunk in 1980.

46) Traffic in Cyprus drives on the left-side of the road.

47) Cyprus has 1 of the top 10 wreck diving sites in the world.

48) Easter is the main holiday of the island; almost 80-pecent of residents worship the Autocephalous Greek Orthodox faith.

49) Cyprus has two international airports; one at Larnaca and the other at Paphos.

50) London Olympics 2012 gave Cyprus its first Olympic medal: a silver in men’s laser sailing.