Explore Cyprus with Our Interactive Map

Featured Articles

Explore our top stories and discover ideas worth your time.

View all articles
Tourism and Conservation Research Partnerships in Cyprus

Tourism and Conservation Research Partnerships in Cyprus

Research partnerships in Cyprus bring together tourism operators, conservation organizations, universities, and government agencies to address environmental challenges while supporting the island's economy. These collaborations develop science-based solutions for protecting natural and cultural resources that attract visitors. The partnerships combine local knowledge with international expertise, creating programs that benefit both ecosystems and communities. The Cyprus Institute operates as a regional center of excellence for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, focusing on climate change, environmental sciences, high-performance computing, and cultural heritage. These arrangements ensure that tourism development proceeds alongside meaningful protection efforts. How Partnerships Evolved Over Time The Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative formed in 2006 following a two-year project by the Travel Foundation that created a partnership of UK tour operators, environmental Cypriot NGOs, the Cyprus Tourism Organization, travel agents, and village producers.This marked a shift from isolated conservation efforts to coordinated action. The University of Cyprus established its Oceanography center to conduct research on Eastern Mediterranean marine systems. The centre studies marine biodiversity, alien species biology and ecology, climate change impacts, environmental education, creation of diving routes for thematic tourism, and marine pollution.The Cyprus Institute's Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center was founded in partnership with the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France, applying advanced imaging and materials science to cultural…

Read more
Lara Beach, Cyprus

Lara Beach, Cyprus

Lara Beach sits on the Akamas Peninsula in western Cyprus, roughly 27 kilometers northwest of Paphos. This stretch of golden sand is one of the Mediterranean's most important nesting sites for two endangered sea turtle species. Unlike the developed beaches that line most of Cyprus's coast, Lara remains untouched by commercial tourism. There are no sunbeds, no restaurants, and no permanent structures beyond a small conservation hut. The beach exists primarily for the turtles, with human visitors welcomed as guests rather than customers. Cyprus's First Turtle Conservation Station The protection of Lara Beach began in 1971 when the area was officially designated as a protected zone. In 1978, the Cyprus Fisheries Department launched a formal conservation project that included establishing a seasonal station and hatchery at Lara. This became the first turtle conservation project in the entire Mediterranean region. The initiative received support from the World Wildlife Fund between 1980 and 1983, followed by European Union assistance through the MedSPA Project in 1990. Today, government-funded conservationists maintain year-round monitoring of the nesting areas, though their presence intensifies during the breeding season. Green turtles and loggerhead turtles have nested on this beach for centuries. Both species are classified as endangered in the Mediterranean Sea by international conservation authorities. The green turtle population in the Mediterranean is critically endangered, making every nesting…

Read more
The Remarkable Synagrida Dentex of Cyprus

The Remarkable Synagrida Dentex of Cyprus

IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable (VU) Mediterranean Assessment. Somewhere off the rocky reefs of Cyprus, in water clear enough to see thirty metres down, something large and silver moves through the shadows. It does not hurry. It has no reason to. This is the Common Dentex – the apex predator of the Mediterranean shallows – and in these ancient waters it has ruled for millions of years. Few fish inspire as much respect among divers and fishermen alike, and fewer still are as elusive as this one. If you happen to glimpse it, consider yourself fortunate. The Toothed Monarch The Common Dentex (Dentex dentex) is a large, powerfully built sea fish found throughout the Mediterranean Sea and parts of the north-eastern Atlantic. It belongs to the family Sparidae – the seabreams – a group that includes some of the most familiar and beloved food fish of the Mediterranean world, from the humble Bogue to the prized Gilthead Sea Bream. Within this family, the Dentex stands apart as one of the most formidable hunters: fast, intelligent, and equipped with a set of large canine-like teeth that inspired its very name. In Greek it is known as the Συναγρίδα (Synagrida), and in Cyprus it carries the same name with great reverence. Whether you are a diver exploring underwater capes, a fisherman working the…

Read more