Explore Cyprus with Our Interactive Map

Featured Articles

Explore our top stories and discover ideas worth your time.

View all articles
Salamis to Paphos Historic Routes

Salamis to Paphos Historic Routes

The story of Cyprus roads spans over 3,000 years, from Bronze Age trade routes to Roman highways and modern infrastructure. This network transformed the island from scattered settlements into a connected civilization, linking major cities and remote villages while facilitating trade across the Mediterranean. The earliest roads in Cyprus date back to the Bronze Age, when the island served as a crucial trading hub between the Aegean, Egypt, and the Levant. Cyprus became the principal intermediary station for Mycenaean Greece in accessing Middle Eastern markets, largely due to its copper resources in the Troodos Mountains. By the end of the Hellenistic period, the road network encircled the entire island. During the Late Bronze Age between 1400 and 1150 BCE, trade with Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece increased dramatically. Archaeological evidence shows that Mycenaean pottery exports to Cyprus surged to over 3,500 vases across nearly two centuries. These goods traveled along established land routes that connected coastal ports to interior settlements. Historical Context The Romans transformed Cyprus's road infrastructure after annexing the island in 58 BCE. The first Roman roads were funded directly by the Emperor, though by the Severan dynasty the island had grown wealthy enough to finance its own construction. Roads converged on Salamis, the main economic center, with minor roads radiating outward to connect the surrounding agricultural areas…

Read more
Elevated Cyprus Viewpoints

Elevated Cyprus Viewpoints

Cyprus offers some of the Mediterranean's most spectacular coastal viewpoints where limestone cliffs tower above turquoise waters, creating panoramic scenes that have inspired mythology and attracted visitors for millennia. Cape Greco National Park on the southeastern tip provides dramatic limestone cliffs plunging into emerald water, with hiking trails leading to viewpoints where ancient Greeks believed gods walked. The Cape Greco viewpoint, located on a hill in the west, offers wonderful views of the entire cape, including the Blue Lagoon where meter-high waves crash against rocks when wind blows. These elevated perspectives reveal the island's geological drama while connecting visitors to landscapes that shaped Cyprus's cultural identity. The Legendary Rock of Aphrodite Petra tou Romiou, known as Aphrodite's Rock, represents Cyprus's most iconic coastal landmark where mythology meets natural beauty. The rugged coastline features striking rock formations emerging majestically from turquoise Mediterranean waters, creating dramatic and awe-inspiring panoramas. The main rock, a towering limestone stack, is surrounded by smaller rocks and a pebble beach, all set against the backdrop of rolling hills. According to ancient Greek mythology, the goddess Aphrodite emerged from sea foam at this exact location. The tale suggests that Chronos castrated his father Uranus and threw his genitals into the sea. From the resulting foam, Aphrodite was born, carried to shore on a scallop shell. This mythical connection…

Read more
Pyla-Kokkinokremos

Pyla-Kokkinokremos

Pyla-Kokkinokremos stands as one of Cyprus's most remarkable archaeological sites, offering a rare snapshot of life during the final decades of the Bronze Age. This fortified settlement, occupied for barely 50 years around 1200 BC, preserves evidence of a multicultural community that thrived briefly before vanishing from history. The site occupies a rocky plateau rising 50 to 63 meters high, located about 10 kilometers east of ancient Kition (modern Larnaca) on Cyprus's southeast coast. The plateau covers approximately seven hectares and sits roughly 800 meters from the current coastline. This naturally defensible position overlooked Larnaka Bay and connected major Bronze Age centers like Kition and Enkomi. The settlement emerged during the Late Cypriot IIC–IIIA period, established at the end of the 13th century BC when the Late Bronze Age collapse reached its peak. Within a generation or two, by the early 12th century BC, residents abandoned the site. This brief occupation makes Pyla-Kokkinokremos invaluable to archaeologists, as it captures a precise moment in history without complications from later rebuilding. Archaeological Discovery and Excavations Porphyrios Dikaios first examined the site in 1952. Vassos Karageorghis conducted excavations in 1981–1982, then returned with Athanasia Kanta between 2010 and 2013. Since 2014, an international team from Ghent University, the Catholic University of Louvain, and the Mediterranean Archaeological Society has carried out systematic excavations under…

Read more