2020 Cyprus Country Report

Travel & Living
CLIMATE
Cyprus enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with long, warm, dry
summers from May to October and mild winters with occasional
rain, lasting from December to February. Summer and winter in
Cyprus are separated by short autumn and spring seasons. The
average daytime temperatures during summer range from +21C to
+34C, although in high summer temperatures can reach as high as
+40C. During the cooler months, temperatures can range between
+7C and +15C although even during the height of winter there are
generally six hours of bright sunshine during the day.
LANGUAGE
Cypriots are highly educated and multilingual. The official languages
of Cyprus are Greek and Turkish, however English is widely spoken
and written and is the language of international business. German,
French and Russian are also widely spoken in commerce, due both to
the number of Cypriot graduates from overseas universities and the
island’s commercial ties with the global business community.
GETTING THERE
Popular since the early 1980s with British and other European
holidaymakers, Cyprus is well connected to Europe’s main cities, as
well as to Asia and the Middle East. Flights from mainland Europe
are quick, frequent and increasingly low cost. By air, Cyprus is
1.5hrs away from Athens, 4hrs from Frankfurt, 3.5hrs from Dubai
and 5hrs from London.
HOTELS / ACCOMMODATION
When it comes to a place to stay, Cyprus offers every conceivable
type of accommodation, from budget-priced two and three-star
hotels to a large range of upmarket and boutique hotels with four
and five-star status. Agritourism houses are available for rent all over
the island, often in the most picturesque villages, and give the traveller
a unique opportunity to experience authentic Cyprus village life.
CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT
More than a place just for lounging in the sun, there are lots of
things happening in Cyprus all year round. From music concerts
and cultural performances with big name stars, sports events, religious
festivals with all the pomp and circumstance of the Greek
Orthodox Church, to informative conferences where you can
meet like minds. The Cyprus Rally has been held every year since
1970 and forms part of the World Rally Championship and the
FIA Middle East Rally Championship, and attracts hordes of car
enthusiasts, while the annual Historic Cyprus Rally draws crowds
of vintage car enthusiasts. Cultural events such as the Pharos
Chamber Music Festival, the Kypria International Festival, which
comprises music, dance and performance arts.
The Pharos Arts Foundation has established a world-wide reputation
for its commitment to excellence and for promoting classical
music in Cyprus, having presented more than 500 concerts over
the past 15 years. Outstanding musicians are hosted in the Pharos
Arts Foundation’s Concert Series and the annual International
Chamber Music Festival, with programmes ranging from ancient
to contemporary.
The Pharos Centre for Contemporary Art (PCCA) presents
the work of major international artists. A variety of contemporary
art forms are included in the Centre’s programme - visual, performance,
photography, video - as well as lectures and discussions.
Exhibitions are in many cases individually curated by internationally
recognised curators from all over Europe.
The Pafos Aphrodite Festival Cyprus organises and hosts
an annual opera performance at the end of August or early
September and has over the years invited a variety of internationally
acclaimed companies and performances to the festival.
Showcasing the rich viticulture of the island, Cyprus has created
a wine trail project, offering six different organised routes for visitors
to tour the island’s wine-producing regions. The reputation
of the annual Limassol Wine Festival, launched in 1961, attracts
over 100,000 visitors every August to the city’s municipal gardens
to discover the wine portfolios of one of the oldest wine-producing
countries in the world.
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