Explore Cyprus with Our Interactive Map

Explore our top stories and discover ideas worth your time.

Zoos & Animal Farms in Cyprus

Zoos & Animal Farms in Cyprus

Cyprus is one of those destinations where the beaches get all the attention, and everything else sort of sits in the background. But if you travel with kids, or you just genuinely love animals, the island has a lot more going on than sand and sea. From large wildlife parks to laid-back farm experiences, Cyprus gives you plenty of ways to spend a day surrounded by nature. Some of these places have been welcoming families for nearly two decades, and they keep drawing people back for good reason. Whether you are staying in Paphos, Limassol, or Larnaca, there is something close by worth adding to your itinerary. This guide walks you through the best animal attractions in Cyprus so you can plan your visits with confidence. 1. Pafos Zoo Pafos Zoo has been welcoming visitors from around the world for nearly 20 years, operating as a wildlife reserve and tropical paradise where people can discover animals, learn about their species, and connect with nature. The zoo sits across more than 100,000 square meters of lush, natural terrain, which gives the whole place a very open, unhurried feel. It does not feel like you are walking through rows of cages. It feels more like a proper nature reserve with well-organized paths and plenty of shade. From tigers, lions, and giraffes to…

Read more
Natural Gas Exploration in Cyprus

Natural Gas Exploration in Cyprus

Cyprus entered the offshore natural gas industry in 2011 with the discovery of the Aphrodite field, approximately 160 kilometers south of Limassol. This finding marked a turning point for the small island nation, which had relied entirely on imported energy. The discovery sparked interest from major international energy companies and positioned Cyprus as a potential gas producer in the Eastern Mediterranean. Since then, multiple fields have been discovered across Cyprus's Exclusive Economic Zone, with reserves estimated at over 20 trillion cubic feet. However, transforming these underground discoveries into actual production has proven far more complex than initially expected, with technical challenges, political disputes, and commercial uncertainties creating substantial delays. The Journey From First Discovery to Development Plans American company Noble Energy received the rights to explore Block 12 in October 2008, well before any major discoveries in the region. The company suspected gas accumulations found in Israeli waters might extend northward. In September 2011, the Cyprus A-1 well confirmed these suspicions at the Aphrodite field. Follow-up drilling in 2013 with the A-2 appraisal well confirmed approximately 98 billion cubic meters of contingent resources with potential for an additional 26 billion cubic meters. The field sits in water depths of 1,700 meters and represents the first commercially viable gas discovery in Cypriot waters. Noble Energy later sold stakes to British Gas,…

Read more
Gilthead Sea Bream of Cyprus

Gilthead Sea Bream of Cyprus

There is a fish in the warm blue waters surrounding Cyprus that wears a golden crown – quite literally. It is one of the most prized fish of the Mediterranean world, celebrated at Roman banquets, immortalised in ancient mosaics, and farmed today in the crystal-clear seas off the Cypriot coast. Meet the Gilthead Sea Bream – beautiful, clever, and surprisingly full of surprises. Of Porgies and Sparidae – A Royal Family The Gilthead Sea Bream, known in Cyprus as tsipoura (τσιπούρα), belongs to the family Sparidae – the sea breams and porgies – one of the most ecologically and commercially important fish families in the Mediterranean. The Sparidae are a diverse and ancient family within the order Spariformes, comprising over 130 species spread across tropical and temperate seas worldwide. They include familiar Mediterranean fish such as the common pandora, the two-banded bream, the dentex, and the red porgy – all sharing a deep, compressed body and strong crushing teeth suited for hard-shelled prey. But among them all, the Gilthead Sea Bream holds a singular distinction: it is the only species in the genus Sparus – a genus so important that it gave the entire family its name. Sparus comes from the Latin (originally from ancient Greek) for the fish itself, and aurata means "golden" – a reference to that unmistakable…

Read more