Discover CYPRUS & Pafos, EU’s Capital City of Culture, 2017

CYPRUS is a magical place. After 9000 years of history from the Neoclassic era, the Bronze Age, the BC era, the age of the conquerors, Greece and Rome, Constantinople and the Western empire, the Turkish invasions of the sixth, seventh and eight centuries, the Crusades of the ninth and tent centuries, the era of the Republic of Venice, the Middle Period and the  time of the Ottoman Empire of the 16th to 19th centuries, followed by the period of British Colonialism from 1878 to 1959, and finally to the era of Independence under Archbishop Makarios III of the Greek Orthodox Church in 1960 to the present, CYPRUS has survived and even prospered, For today’s seasoned traveler CYPRUS has a lot to offer and the major air carriers from all parts of Europe, the Middle East and Africa get you there. Try the low-cost airlines,i.e., Ryan Air or EasyJet or some of the major carriers like Lufthansa, BA, KLM, Swissair or Alitalia. One recent reports has it that you can enjoy an off-season weekend for as little as $138 euros in CYPRUS. What a deal! This year you can take in the new Seven Stories & Lace exhibit in the capital district, a bevy of monasteries for which CYPRUS is known for, join the Strollers Club if you’re a hiker or walker like myself or participate in the Fourth CYPRUS Walking Festival.  Dance at the Ayandada Night Club in Castle Rock, or get in on Nicosia’s Harriers weekly meet-ups.There’s the Bieredes Museum in Laranka, the Lithography Workshops in Larnaka, the Planetarium in Kition, the Tomb of St. Barnabas, an early Christian evangelist, the site of St.Matthew’s gospel, and the charming villages of Polis, Foini and Limassol are all worth seeing. Limossol’s annual Wine Festival  in October, and the Almond, Strawberry and Sun-Eyed festivals are most popular. In PAFOS you’ll find The House of Dionysis, St.Paul’s Pillar, the Pafos Zoo, the Kelefos Bridge, St.Bernard’s Beach, the Tomb of Kings, the monasteries of Aylos and Christos, the Kato Paphos of Archeological Park and the site of  the birthplace of the mythical queen, Aphrodite, close by.  CYPRUS is best known for wine. More than 40 wineries abound. And the olive produced here is said to be the best in the Aegean. You’ll find the days sunny and bright, the nighttime cooler and invigorating and the customs and traditions of its people warm and friendly. CYPRUS is also know for Medical Tourism and a variety of health services. Some of the finest spas in Europe are located here. All you need is a pocketful of eros, the traditional medium of exchange. For more on PAFOS go to :www.visit Pafos.com.

For more on CYPRUS go to www.visitCYPRUS.com