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Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, it’s big enough to offer a wide variety of different landscapes and interesting things to see and do. It’s also small enough for most places on the island to be within a two hour drive. You really can ski in the Troodos Mountains in the morning and have your lunch on the beach.
Roads in Cyprus aren’t bad, the ‘motorways’ are dual carriageways and the road system is excellent between the three principal cities in the south; Paphos in the west, Larnaca to the east, and Limassol in-between. The capital Nicosia in the north is also connected to the motorway system. The big bonus for Brits is that they drive on the left! The main airports for most visitors are Paphos and Larnaca and there’s always flight availability. A new raised-section of motorway is being built in Limassol, it’s designed to be a non-stop expressway across Limassol and will speed up transit between Paphos and Larnaca. Cypriot drivers are maniacs at red lights, expert at tailgating and overtaking anywhere! Petrol is two thirds of the uk price!
There are larger supermarkets around the island but they have not yet developed to the level of sophistication of the likes of Tesco and Asda. Small corner-style shops are the norm but supermarkets are becoming much more popular. Whilst the cost of living is rising, it is less than most other European countries and a couple can live comfortably on around £800 per month. The currency is now the Euro, Cyprus having done away with the Pound in January 2008.
Life is pretty relaxed in Cyprus and Cypriot people are easy going (until it comes to buying and selling) and their society is glued together by the ties of family. They are very welcoming and helpful, and they really love kids. The downside is a tendency to maņana maņana and a no-hurry bureaucracy underpinning it. Rather like Spain, you have to learn to go with the flow.
You will need to be prepared to handle the weather in Cyprus, in the winter, roughly November to March, temperatures will vary from around 10°C to 20°C and there can be a lot of rain and electrical storms, which are quite spectacular. From April onwards the temperature rises pretty quickly, from around 22°C to around 40°C in the height of summer (July/August). Everywhere has air conditioning and it is a standard must-have in the home.
Paphos in the West is really geared up for holidaymakers and a lot of ex-pats now live there. It’s probably the most popular place for Brits to move to. As a consequence it has begun to sprawl, north and south along the coast and behind the town in the hills.
Limassol is the second largest city on the island and houses the main port for the island. It’s a cosmopolitan, bustling and energetic city that sprawls over a large area. It’s a place where you can do business and take a holiday. The road system pretty well follows an American-style North/South and East/West road grid.
Larnaca always seems to me to not to have quite decided what it’s modern identity is, it’s a thriving place and there’s always lots going on. In common with the whole southern coast of Cyprus there are properties being built and Larnaca is no exception, new houses and roads are springing up all the time. Larnaca is the jump-off point for the holiday resorts further along the coast and there is also a great deal of building going on across the whole of that area. As it is flat it is more exposed and is very hot in the summer.
It’s quite mountainous in the south but there is a narrow coastal strip that runs all the way from Paphos to the outskirts of Larnaca, and most of the new builds take place in it. As land gets more scarce there is a tendency to start building in and around the older villages in the hills behind.
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