"Welcome to Cyprus - The Island Of... " a Cyprus Travel Page by cheekymarieh

This is a view of the island from the air. This is the island (and birthplace) of Aphrodite. Having spent so much time on the island I can understand why she chose this place to rise out of the sea. It lies in the North Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. The nearest neighbours are Turkey (about 50 miles away) and Syria (about 70 miles away).

Cyprus is an island politically divided. The northern part is occupied by the Turks and the southern by the Greek Cypriots. The northern part is not recognised by most countries as it is deemed to be illegally occupied by the Turkey since 1974. For this reason, all flights to the nothern part of the island must land first in Turkey ... and be warned ... check with your travel insurance company that you are covered for trip here ... because the chances are that you won't be.

In April of 2003 the border was opened for the first time in over twenty years to permit Greek Cypriots to cross to the Turkish occupied part of the island and vice versa. At first it seemed to be a one off event but the border crossing has remained open ever since. Opinions on crossing over the border seem to be divided. One friend of mine refuses to cross because he had to show his passport to visit his home, while my ex landlord eagerly returned to see his old home. I have to admit that I recently crossed the border out of curiosity while I was in Nicosia. I particularly wanted to see the church of Ayia Sofia and also where my friend's parents used to live.

To learn more about this subject, visit www.kypros.org/Cyprus_Problem There is more to the situation than meets the eye.

For me, this is my second home as I spent two summers from May until the beginning of November working over there. I have also had numerous holidays on the island at differing times of the year which has introduced me to the local way of life over there.

The island was admitted to the European Union in May 2004. One thing that is certain is that since they joined the prices have already increased and now that the Euro is here it gets worse!

From Ayia Napa up to the green line there are many sandy beaches. In the height of summer (July and August) some of the more well known beaches can get very full. Head instead to the more remote ones.

Some of my personal favourites include: Macronossis Beach in Ayia Napa, Ayia Thekla (also Ayia Napa), Konnos Beach (close to Protaras), Green Bay (where there is an excellent water sports run by Christos) and another beach close to the Kapparis area of Paralimni. The name of this beach escapes my mind.

For those who don't like the beaches there is plenty of history to be found on the island. Of course there are landmarks and reminders of the troubles of the island, but there are also improtant historical spots such as Halle Sultan in Larnaca and the spot in Paphos where the disciple Peter was said to have been to have been tied to a post and lashed.Then of course there are the ancient areas of Kourion and the baths of Aphrodite to see as well.