Not only is it the warmth of the climate that attracts people, but also the warmth of the locals. The Cypriots are renowned for their friendly welcome and genuine hospitality. The island is dominated by the pine-covered Troodos mountains filled with tiny villages, impressive Byzantine churches and an abundance of historical sites.

All this combined with the high standard of service that Cyprus offers ensures that visitors return to this beautiful island time and time again.

From the scripts of ancient Greek poets to modern tourist brochures, Aphrodite has been almost synonymous with Cyprus throughout history. Variously known as 'Kypris', the Cyprian, and 'Paphian', after the town of Paphos from where, mythology has it, she rose from the sea-foam, the goddess of beauty and love is above all a Cypriot goddess.

The people of Cyprus are warm, friendly and naturally hospitable, and it is a genuine pleasure for us to welcome visitors - perhaps because we have been doing just that for thousands of years.

Apart from the capital, Nicosia, with an estimated population of 189.000, all major cities are located on the coast. Limassol is the second largest city and the island's biggest port. Larnaca and Pafos and Famagusta which are popular holiday resorts, are the third and fourth and fifth largest cities, respectively. The island's time zone is exactly 7 hours ahead of New York and 7 hours behind Tokyo. The island enjoys the best type of Mediterranean climate with about 300 days of sunshine per year.