Cyprus is an island of legends that basks year-round in the light of the warm Mediterranean sun. A story past 10,000 years long has seen civilizations come and go and the likes of everyone from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra stake their claim here - but then, people do tend to get possessive when faced with such beauty. Aphrodite made her home on Cyprus, and travellers throughout antiquity came here just to pay her tribute.

Today Cyprus is a modern country that effortlessly marries European culture with ancient enchantment. Here you will discover a compact world of alluring beaches and fragrant mountain peaks, vineyards studded with olive trees and ancient ruins that stir the imagination, citrus groves and old stone villages where sweet wine flows as freely as conversations at the local café. A carefree place where a sense of timelessness is magnified by the kindness of the people.

Cyprus's landscape is one of infinite contrasts, from its fertile central plain to the cool vine-clad foothills; the majesty of the cedar valley in which wild indigenous moufflon roam; mile after mile of sandy shores with secluded beaches to seek out, and hundreds of villages to expore each with its own tradition and charm.

There are six major towns Nicosia, the capital situated inland in the middle of the Mesaoria plain, and the 5 coastal towns of Limassol, Larnaca, Pafos, Kyrenia, and Famagusta. The latter two, in the north nad east respectively, have been under Turkish occupation since 1974 and are inaccessible to visitors. Nicosia has been the capital of Cyprus for 1000 years since the 10th century. The origins of Nicosia date from the Bronze Age and it has had a tumultuous history. The Mycenaeans brought their civilisation here, establishing the first Greek roots, thousands of years ago. Many others passed through, including Phoenician, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, Crusaders, Venetians, Ottomans and the British. The disciples of Christ walked this land. The splendour of Byzantium, founded by Constantine The Great at Constantinople, encompassed the island of Cyprus. The Lusignans made Nicosia a magnificent city with a Royal Palace and about fifty churches.

The climate of Cyprus never fails to delight her visitors and every season has a charm and beauty of its own. In summer, sandy beaches and clear turquoise waters beckon swimmers and provide the perfect conditions for sailing, skiing and all watersports under the sun. Yet a complete contrast awaits in the cool, pine covered mountains of Troodos, with delightful hill resorts.