Tailor-made Cyprus vacations shaped around your passions

In Cyprus you can explore ancient churches and monasteries, Ottoman castles, walled cities, vineyards, mountains, and golden stretches of soft sand. Although many visitors come to Cyprus to relax on the beach, it offers a wide variety of other experiences and makes a good destination year-round, with plenty of interesting sights to discover.

Along with lazing by a pool or relaxing on the beach, you could explore small towns and villages as you hike through the mountains, discover rock-carved burial tombs or the vestiges of ancient Greek and Roman cities, visit wineries and fishing villages, take a cruise, or dive along reefs and wrecks in crystalline waters.

In Cyprus, you can choose to stay in luxurious beach resorts, restored historic hotels, or tranquil retreats with authentic Cypriot character. Cyprus offers a wide range of places to stay with most hotels clustered along the coast. Most beachfront resorts have a choice of restaurants and room types, and often feature a gym, spa, or water sports.

For example, you could opt for an indulgent waterfront retreat with private pools and options to dive or take a catamaran trip, head for a boutique spa hotel in the mountains, or a family-friendly beach resort with dedicated facilities and services for children. Your specialist can help find the right hotel for you, but you can get some ideas by browsing our collection of places to stay in Cyprus.

Most visitors make a base in the south of Cyprus, perhaps in Limassol or Paphos, and spend time exploring the coastline as well as the interior around the Troodos Mountains. Cyprus’s compact size makes it easy to explore the island, and whether you wish to stay in Greek Cyprus to the south, or cross the Green Line into northern Turkish Cyprus, you’ll find plenty to see and do.

Narrow streets lined with small shops surround a medieval castle in vibrant Limassol where the promenade along the sandy beach is home to some of the island’s finest restaurants. In UNESCO-protected Paphos centuries of history unfold before you on the streets with temples and tombs from classical Greece and a Byzantine fort guarding the bay.

For alpine forests, terraced vineyards, and remote monasteries, the Troodos Mountains show a different side of the island and offer some respite from the summer heat.

The best way to get around in Cyprus is by car. Cyprus is a relatively small island, and you can drive across it in about two to three hours. You can rent a car, or we can arrange for a private driver to take you between destinations.

Many Cypriot resorts are self-contained, while others are located within walking distance of towns. Taxis are readily available throughout the main coastal areas and are generally safe and reliable.

The Green Line is a buffer zone that divides the Turkish Cypriot north from the Greek Cypriot south, with several crossing points along its length. While we have focused on the south of the island, visitors staying in this area can cross into the north as often as they wish.

It takes around 13 hours to fly from Toronto in Canada to Cyprus, and around 16 and a half hours from Vancouver.

The time zone in Cyprus is UTC+2 hours. Daylight Savings Time is observed from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

Use our travel tool to find up-to-date visa and passport requirements for Cyprus. Enter where you’re traveling to and from (including any stopover destinations en route or flight layovers), along with your intended travel dates and passport details, for a full list of requirements.

• Entry requirements travel tool

Speak to your doctor about immunization advice for Cyprus and ensure you’re up to date with the recommended vaccinations at home. You can also check the suggested vaccinations for Cyprus on the  Government of Canada - travel vaccinations website.