Activities On The Island

Whether the property for sale is to be used for full time living or for vacations one thing is certain there are so many things to do and see on Cyprus that it will never become boring no matter what time of year it is, the rainiest and coolest day of the winter months there are still activities to do and places to see.

Some of these activities include swimming at the sea as well as the water park, hiking and skiing, mountain biking and cycling. This is just some of the outdoor activities that can be done on the island. For the person who is more relaxed and enjoys a look into
the past this island is a treasure trove for historical landmarks.

On the island there are many activities from horse racing and street hockey to art and watercolor exhibitions. There are also newspapers in many languages and there are restaurants with fine dinning that have a four star ratings. There are places to have an evening out with music and dancing, as well as several types of performing arts shows that can be
enjoyed.

These landmarks begin with the birthplace of Aphrodite according to legend and who was the daughter of Zeus and Dione. There is a statute can be found at the Nicosia Museum in Cyprus of Aphrodite and it has an approximate date of ca. 100 BC. it is believed to be of Roman origin.

Sculptor Pygmalion was also said to have called Cyprus home and he is the sculptor who has been shown as carving a woman from ivory, it was also lore that he fell in love with this statue. Pygmalion gave his statue presents and prayed to Venus and it is said that the ivory woman was brought to life and they married. During this marriage they had two children and this lore was depicted in Ovid’s Metamorphoses X.

There are many churches, monasteries and castles that have stood time and can be viewed daily as well as other sites on the island. Some of the churches were constructed during the Byzantine, which lasted in Cyprus for close to eight hundred years as well as other religious sites that attract visitors daily both residence of this island and tourists. 

Kingdom of Idalion is one of these ancient cities that is now under exivation, some of this city is located near the village of Dhali and some of the walls can be seen. There are also some of the administrative buildings of this city can be seen. This city under excavation that is unearthed daily holds the lore of the mythological lover of Aphrodite known as Adonis and who Aris sent a wild boar to kill him.

One of the sites on the island that brings visitors from near and far as a religious place to be visited is the 12th century church named the Church of the Holy Apostles, this church includes frescoes that have been restored to their former glory. This church of such significance is in the village of Pear Khorio.

There are other religious sites such as that of the lady in the cave, this is a natural cave that has been painted and holds what is aptly called Our Lady of the Golden Cave. The cave is located near Panayia Chrysopiliotissa and in August there is a festival to honor her in the village of Deftera.
In Ayios Herakleidios Monastery there are many visitors both tourist and local alike to this religious site where it is said that after being destroyed several times the monastery was moved in 1773 by Archbishop Chrysanthos. The monastery was originally built approximately 400 AD, today after its relocation there is a gilded case holding the hand and skull of the Bishop of Tamassos. Bishop of Tamassos lived in a cave where he also preached; at the age of 60 he was martyred and buried in this cave and it is said this is where his hand and skull were found by the Archbishop Chrysanthos. The religious and historical belief is that the Bishop of Tamassos guided Saint Paul and Barnabas to the monastery when they made a visit to Cyprus.
Being dated as one of the oldest churches that is on the island of Cyprus is from the Byzantine Empire and this church can be found in the village of Nicosia. The name of this church is the Chrysaliniotissa Church and the approximate date that
it was constructed was 1450. the church was ordered to be built by Queen Helena Paleologina and was devoted to Our Lady of the Golden Flax by Queen Helena Paleoglogina.
There is the museum of Cypriot Coinage has exhibits that show the coinage of Cyprus dating from the 6th century BC, and while this is a permanent exhibit in the museum it is one that should not be missed. There is the Cyprus Postal Museum, the Ethnological Museum the Lefkosia Municipal Arts Centre, along with the Cyprus Classic Motorcycle Museum and the National Struggle Museum. While these are only a few of the museums that are available to view the history of Cyprus they should not be missed as this historical value that is held within their walls is hard to match at many museums.  All of these places can be visited as well as the many attractions such as the  Aphrodite Waterpark has had more than 100,000 visitors per year with attractions such as the kiddies pools, a slow slide, a fast slide, as well as a soak and splash. Some of their more exciting water fun is the Pirate Ship Slide, the Wet Bubble or the Mini Volcano and Water Mushrooms. 

There are daily activities that are fun as well as educational like the Fatsa Wax Museum in the village of Lefkara or the rural museum called the House of Gabriel and Eleni Papachrisoforou in the village of Kato Drys. There are other museums like the Palaeontology Museum Tornaritis in the village of Pierides as well as the Pierides Foundation Archeological Museum. There are two museums in the district of Larnaka and are the Archaeological Museum and the Medieval Museum at Larnaka Fort.