Travel to Cyprus – Episode 798

Hear about travel to Cyprus as the Amateur Traveler talks to Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll of UncorneredMarket.com about their active Cyprus itinerary.

Dan and Audrey say, “It [Cyprus] actually does have some really great hiking not only in terms of coastal routes, where you have these beautiful, dramatic cliffs and crystal clear Mediterranean Sea beyond. But Cypress also has the Troodos mountains, which I think the summit is 2000 meters, so a little over 6000 feet. When we were there, at New Year’s, end of December, the beginning of January, there was actually snow in the mountains. So in the course of one week, we were hiking and t-shirts along the coast and sunshine. And then we were hiking in the snow in the mountains. We also found a canyon, and were climbing over rocks and boulders.”

“In addition to all the hiking, there’s also an incredible history in Cyprus, going back about eight to 10,000 years, so many layers of civilizations from the Greeks to the Egyptians. And so there are some very interesting archaeological sites, some geological sites also.”

Much of the tourism in Cyprus is because of its beautiful beaches but this episode focuses more on the hiking, culture and history of Cyprus. Audrey and Daniel flew into Larnaca. After exploring that city they headed to the southeast corner of the island at Cape Greco. Cape Greco is a national park known for its rocky coast, azure waters and sea caves. 

They then headed to the divided capital of Nicosia where they spent time on both the Greek and Turkish sides. They explored the markets, a great archaeology museum, and a caravanserai. They also took the time for Daniel to go to a local barber and get a haircut… and a bit more than he bargained for.

They drove to the snow covered Troodos Mountains where they hiked around Mount Olympus. 

Their final stop was Paphos which is a party town in the summer, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a recent European Capital of Culture. It has popular ruins and touristy souvenir shops. They recommend the beautiful Aphrodite Trail which follows the cliffs on the rocky shore and the Avakas Gorge hike. 

Cyprus can be a great beach vacation but it can also be so much more. It has a rich culture and deep history as well as spectacular scenery. It also does have some pretty nice beaches.

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Sponsors

This episode is sponsored by Cal-Am. With 12 properties across Arizona, Cal-Am Resorts offer experiences designed just for older audiences. Unlike a time share, you buy a home allowing you to come whenever you want and stay for as long as you want. Call Steve Ryerson at 888-883-4609 or visit discovercal-am.com.

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Show Notes

Uncornered Market
Cyprus
Annals of the Former World: McPhee, John
Larnaca
Ayia Napa
Cape Greco
kamoot.com
Nicosia
Cyprus Museum
History of Cyprus (1878–present)
North Nicosia
Shacolas Tower Museum and Observatory
Troodos Mountains
Atalante Trail
Ophiolite
Paphos
Aphrodite Trail-Akamas Peninsula
Baths of Aphrodite
Tombs of the Kings (Paphos)
Avakas Gorge
Hiking in Cyprus: Our Favorite Hiking Trails and Travel Itinerary

Community

on Travel to Antigua and Barbuda – Episode 796:

Randy wrote:

“During this episode there was mention of bat guano harvesting. At one time there was also a brief effort to harvest bat guano in a cave in western Grand Canyon. Like most mining operations in Grand Canyon the logistics and cost of retrieving such “precious gems” turned out to not be profitable. The cost of accessing it and transporting it out of such a remote difficult location was too much to be worth the effort.”

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