Island of Two Lands: Traveling To Cyprus

Hotel Travel is a travel resource with an interactive map of Cyprus that provides profiles of the major tourist areas on the island. Consult this map for ideas of where to travel and a quick background on what makes areas unique.

CypNet is a simple site dedicated to teaching readers about Cyprus. A clear timeline explains the island's history, and the links to the left navigate you through topics such as "People & Life," "Arts and Culture," and "News." Explore the site to get quick facts on the island. 

Turkish Cyprus is a portal to the north of the island, and its introduction page will inform you of what makes this part of the island special. Learn about the political structure, flora and fauna, public holidays, economy, religion, and more. Check out the site's "Travel Tips" section for advice on traveling to the north.

Travel Mail is a site of destination guides brought to you by the United Kingdom's Daily Mail. You'll find a simple guide to Cyprus with practical information and a summary of interesting places to shop, eat, and tour. 

TravelPod is a travel blog network featuring photo galleries and written entries by vacationers around the world. On the Cyprus results page linked above, read entries and browse the photo collections of travelers to Cyprus to get a taste of the experience. 

Real Travel is more of an advice-based travel blog site dependent on user input. The format is similar to TravelPod, though the design and navigation is easier. Browse the Cyprus page to read recent anecdotes and browse travelers' photos.

The Cyprus Directory hosts a high-quality slideshow of over 60 photos of Cyprus that will entice you to the island's beauty. Browse images of the Troodos Mountains, home to a dormant volcano, the Aphrodite Baths and Temple, the resort of Coral Bay in Paphos, and more.

Searchforvideo has a few inspiring videos of North Cyprus. Type in "North Cyprus" to the search engine, and click on "Spring in Mediteranean." This promotional video for the Turkish Republic of Cyprus showcases the crystal clear waters, spectacular ruins, and art available to see on this unspoiled side of the island. Hilltop mosques, untouched beaches, and Byzantine relics are some of the features the north is known for.

Cyprus Hotel Link provides a country guide to the island, outlining some basic information for travelers, such as customs, embassy locations, weather and climate, electrical information, and even basic Greek expressions useful on the south of the island. 

What's on When is one of the best sites on the Web for event listings, simply because it includes dozens of countries and cities. Visit the Cyprus section for articles and listings on interesting activities year-round, including village festivals, the nightclub season, museums, fairs, and churches. 

CyprusTourism has gathered a collection of images and information on dozens of tourist spots on Cyprus, including castles, Byzantine ruins, beaches, churches, and temples. Consult this list for ideas of places to visit while in Cyprus. 

The Cyprus Weekly is the main English-language newspaper of Greek Cyprus, and its "Coming Events" section features listings of upcoming films, concerts, exhibits, and more. Explore the rest of the newspaper for a taste of Greek Cypriot culture, news, and opinion. 

The Cyprus Observer is one of the chief English-language newspapers in the north of Cyprus. Check out its "Culture & Art" section for the latest articles and listings on goings-on in the north, such as film festivals and art exhibits. 

Cyprus Forums , an offshoot of Cyprus Net, is a widely used online message board covering topics that interest Cyprus residents as well as visitors and prospective tourists. Chat with natives of the country, find out what events are happening on the island, get tips on travel, and check out the classifieds section.

"Top 10 Cyprus: Eyewitness Travel Guides" , according to one Amazon.com reviewer, is "packed with a wide range of info, from water sports, eating and family fun to the best of art, history and beauty," with unique suggestions that some guide books might not cover. But another reader advises supplementing it with a larger book from a series like Globe Trotter or the Rough Guide to Cyprus.

"Bitter Lemons of Cyprus" , by Lawrence Durrell, is a memoir about Durrell's stay on what is now the Turkish Republic during the years 1953-56, some 20 years before the Turkish invasion. This book provides some moving insight into the beauty and tranquility of this half of the island, so long off-limits and overlooked.

Cyprus Eat Out is a great database of restaurants in Cyprus, though it only covers the Greek half of the island. Search by type of cuisine, see pictures, read reviews, and get contact information.

Cyprus Restaurants is another part of the Cyprus Net collection of sites. You'll find contact information for many types of restaurants around the island, including familiar American chains, local taverns, foreign cuisine, and more.

Cyplon Holidays is a U.K.-based tour operator that plans packages to Cyprus, Greece, Dubai, and other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean locales. The choice of accommodation is plentiful on this site, and the company offers flights from several U.K. airports. 

Travelocity allows you to book many parts of your itinerary in one place, including insurance, airfare, accommodation, and car rental, though it does not specialize in any one destination and therefore cannot offer sightseeing trips or intra-island itineraries. 

Cyprus Travel Agencies is part of a larger group of sites called Cyprus Net, and provides links to the Web sites of many travel agencies around the island. This is valuable if you are looking to travel further once you reach the island and have not yet booked your itinerary. 

Eman Tours , established in 1987, operates jeep safaris, sightseeing excursions, and cruises around Cyprus and neighboring areas. Some of the safaris include the Turkish half of the island. The company also organizes car rental service.

Off to a Tee is a popular tour operator for golf and leisure travel in Europe. With an office based in Paphos, the company provides villa and apartment rental and/or golf excursions for aspiring golf vacationers. Though the Web site is currently being updated, contact information for the office is still available here.

Avraam Tours plans packages in Cyprus and to nearby countries via air and cruise travel. The company does not plan your flight to Cyprus, but can arrange sightseeing activities, hotel accommodation, and car hire for your arrival.

Dohop is one of the most reputable sites for international airplane travel, scanning more than 650 sites to find its results. You will find the most common options available for flights to Cyprus are Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, and Cyprus Airways, and often the itinerary includes more than one airline.

Kelkoo is a U.K.-based flight search engine that consolidates results from other search engines like Opodo, a popular British site. You will find results from smaller airlines like Greece's Olympic Airways and Dutch airline KLM, as well as standards like Cyprus Airways and British Airways.

Atlas Jet is a regional airline covering a couple of Greek islands, several places in Turkey, and Ercan, Cyprus. This is a wise choice for anyone looking to travel regionally between Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus, but there are no long-haul options yet available.

Cyprus Turkish Airlines flies out of several points in Turkey and a handful of U.K. airports to Ercan in the north of Cyprus. For Americans looking to travel to Ercan this is the optimal itinerary.

Cruise Cyprus covers listings for Louis Cruises and Salamis Cruises, two major Greek cruise lines, as well as ferry crossings from the islands of Rhodes and Crete, and a few mainland European destinations. Car ferry bookings are also an option on this site.

Louis Cruises is a popular company for Mediterranean cruises. Explore their site for options to and around the region of Cyprus, including Turkey, Egypt, and the Greek Islands. Note that cruises depart from Italy, France, Greece, and Cyprus.

Expedia remains one of the best hotel search engines. Search results appear quickly, include thorough pricing information, and have a large selection of listings for Cyprus. The site also provides maps, amenities, and star ratings.

Cyprus Select Hotels is a hotel search engine that also includes insurance packages and car hire. There are about 50 hotels included in the listings, spanning the whole of the south of the island to include the popular destinations of Paphos and Agia Napa as well as lesser-known villages and resort spots. 

Luxury Hotels has an extensive selection of the best resort hotels on Cyprus. All of the hotels are five-star, though the selection here is confined to the Greek side of the island. The choices here include Le Meridien in Limassol, the Hilton Nicosia, and Coral Beach Hotel & Resort, one of the most popular resorts in Paphos.

Go North Cyprus is one of the top hotel booking sites for the Turkish side of the island. The results page will list up to 30 hotels, along with photos, a list of amenities, and pricing charts for each day of the week. 

Book Hostels is part of the site BootsnAll, and has extensive listings of hostels around Cyprus, including the Turkish side. Prices average at $30 per night and can be booked directly through the site. This site is also useful for finding travel insurance, flights, and hotels.

European Explorer has a sparse design but is a good search engine for hostels around Cyprus, particularly on the Greek side, though some Turkish destinations are included. See pictures, ratings, amenities, and book online through this site.

Why Cyprus is a Cyprus holiday guide that provides contact information for seven campsites in Cyprus. These sites range in location from the beach, to the mountains, to the forest around Larnaca. 

Cyber Rental is a clear, easy-to-use Web site with dozens of listings of rental properties around Cyprus. The listings include the Famagusta region of the Turkish Republic, as well as Larnaca, Limassol, and Paphos, three popular hubs of the south part of the island. Customize your results with the tools on the left-hand sidebar.

Cyprus Agrotourism is a site specializing in house and apartment rentals in the more secluded areas of the island-inland villages, mountain villages, and other rural areas. Pictures, descriptions, and contact information accompany listings, and you will often find the choices here to be more affordable than beachside destinations and just as beautiful.

Sun Rent a Car is the premier rental service for the Northern half of the island. The company has several offices in the north and offers pickup at a location chosen by the customer. Sun Rent a Car also provides free real estate and hotel brochures for the north of the island in most of their offices. 

Drive Cyprus is a large rental car service operating in the Greek half of the island. Agia Napa, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos, Polis, and Protaras all have pick-up locations. Rentals are in pricing groups according to car model, and prices start around 160 pounds (approx. $350) per week.

Cyprus Taxi Reservations is an offshoot of a larger taxi reservation site, and allows online taxi reservation from multiple airports to many different towns around the Greek half of the island. Simply select your airport and destination, and book your taxi online. 

Turkish Cyprus has an extensive listing of taxi services in multiple cities in the Turkish Republic. Take note of the phone numbers when traveling around the north side. 

Bus Station is an international resource with a listing of a handful of major bus companies in Greek Cyprus, including Inter-City Buses, which operates between Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Agia Napa, and more. The Web sites and contact information for these bus companies are provided on Bus Station's site.

Wheelie Cyprus operates guided mountain bike tours and bike rentals in Cyprus for groups of two to eight. Operating from Chrysochou Bay in the west of the island, the tours extend cross-country. Bike holidays with accommodation at the company's villa are also an option.

Relax Cruises is a company that runs small cruises, charters, and special events cruises around the Greek half of the island. Docked in Paphos and Limassol, the cruises can specialize for a party, family event, or day out for two. It often offers water sports activities, and has special night and adult-only cruises.