Explore Cyprus with Our Interactive Map

Featured Articles

Explore our top stories and discover ideas worth your time.

View all articles
Common Myrtle In Cyprus

Common Myrtle In Cyprus

Picture yourself on a sun-drenched slope in Cyprus, where the air carries a sweet, spicy fragrance whenever a breeze stirs the shrubs. Amid the rocky terrain and scattered pines, you encounter clusters of glossy green leaves dotted with delicate white flowers. This is the common myrtle, a quiet but ever-present companion in the island’s wild landscapes. A Shrub Steeped in Mediterranean Grace Myrtus communis, known simply as the common myrtle, belongs to the Myrtaceae family a group that includes fragrant giants like eucalyptus and clove trees. In Cyprus it grows as an evergreen shrub or small tree, reaching up to five metres tall. It is one of only two species in its genus worldwide, the other being a rare Saharan relative. Here on our island it forms part of the classic maquis vegetation, that resilient scrubland of aromatic bushes that cloaks hillsides from sea level right up to 1,500 metres. Tales from Antiquity: Aphrodite’s Favourite Veil Long before botanists catalogued it, the myrtle was woven into the very birth story of Cyprus. Legend tells that when Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, rose from the foaming waves near Paphos, she modestly hid her nakedness behind a myrtle bush. Ever since, the plant has been sacred to her. Ancient brides wore myrtle wreaths and bathed in myrtle-scented water on their…

Read more
Diarizos Valley, Cyprus

Diarizos Valley, Cyprus

The Diarizos Valley stretches through the heart of western Cyprus, where ancient traditions meet rare wildlife in one of the island's most important conservation zones. Located east of Paphos and carved by the fourth-longest river in Cyprus (Diarizos River), this valley combines ecological significance with centuries of winemaking heritage across 14 traditional villages. The area covers 8,804 hectares and serves as both a Natura 2000 protected site and an Important Bird Area recognized for its unique biodiversity. The Diarizos River flows for 42 kilometers from two sources on the southeastern slopes of the Paphos Forest near Mount Olympus. Its name derives from the Greek word for two roots, referencing the Platys and Kaminaria tributaries that merge north of the historic Tzelefos Bridge to form the main river channel. Unlike most Cypriot rivers, the Diarizos maintains water flow throughout all seasons, making it one of only five permanently flowing rivers on the island. The river basin extends across 278 square kilometers between the western slopes of Mount Olympus at 1,951 meters elevation and the Paphos Forest peaks. The elevation gradient ranges from 800 meters near the source down to 50 meters where the river approaches the Paphos plain before reaching its Mediterranean outlet near Kouklia village. This dramatic descent creates varied habitats that support different plant and animal communities at each…

Read more
Troodos Lizard

Troodos Lizard

In the rugged heights of Cyprus Troodos Mountains, a nimble creature darts across sun-warmed rocks, its scales glinting like hidden emeralds. This is the Troodos lizard, Phoenicolacerta troodica, an endemic jewel of the island's wildlife. Let’s explore this shy resident, a survivor of ancient landscapes, and discover why it captivates those who seek it out. A name Phoenicolacerta prefixes the Latin word, Phoenice, meaning "Phoenicia", the coast of the Levant, where most of the species of these lizards are found, with lacerta, "a lizard". The specific name refers to the type locality being in the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus. A Mountain Marvel Emerges The Troodos lizard is a small reptile native only to Cyprus, thriving in the cool, forested slopes of the Troodos range. It's a member of the Lacertidae family, or true lizards, known for agile ground-dwellers, and represents one of the island's unique evolutionary tales. Imagine a lizard perfectly attuned to misty peaks and rocky crevices – that's our subject, a quiet emblem of Cyprus' isolated biodiversity. In Greek it is called Σαύρα του Τροόδους (Saura tou Troodus) which simply means The Troodos lizard. From Ancient Seas to Island Peaks The story of the Troodos lizard begins millions of years ago, when Cyprus emerged from the Mediterranean's turbulent geological past. As the island formed through tectonic uplifts around…

Read more