If you’re following me on Instagram, you probably noticed that recently I was visiting Cyprus. It was my first trip to this beautiful island and it was a great vacation. However, right when we bought tickets and began planning our itinerary, we understood that there are things we need to learn about before the trip. After the trip, it was clear to me that there are things that definitely must be known before traveling in Cyprus so that’s what this post is about – tips for your first trip to Cyprus.
Beach Research
First of all, if a swimming pool is not enough for you and you’ll want to enjoy sunny days with a wonderful blue sea, you must do a research about beaches. There’re a lot of perfect beaches in the Famagusta area, especially close to Ayia Napa. This is where we decided to stay during our trip and I can assure you that beaches there are great. However, as we talked with a local girl, she told us that in other areas and cities a nice beach is not an easy find. So if you’ll want to enjoy a sandy beach and gorgeous sea, I suggest you check out the beaches in your chosen area before booking a hotel.
Bikes & Water
A great way to explore the surroundings is by bike. There’re a lot of rent spots in every resort and bike rent costs around 10€/day. However, you must have in mind that if you’ll be traveling by bike on a hot day you will need a lot of water, more than you think. This was the mistake we did as we thought there will be some supermarkets close to the objects we planned to visit. Well, there weren’t. I’d say that on a hot day each person must have 2-3 liters of water if you want to enjoy the journey to the fullest and not think where could you get some water.
Power Sockets
Another thing you should know before visiting Cyprus is that the power sockets there are like in the UK. We found that out almost last minute, thanks to my mum, so we took all the adapters we had and didn’t have to buy them there.
Rent a Car
If you’ll have enough time and will want to explore the island, there’s no better way to do that than by a car. Cyprus is much more than sea, cliffs, and resorts full of tourists. There are incredibly beautiful mountains, castles, monasteries, towns and other enchanting places that you should visit. That’s why you should rent a car and see it all by yourself. Just remember that its way cheaper to rent a car online beforehand. And just like the power sockets are UK type so the cars must drive on the left-hand side. However, if you’re not used to this, simply rent an automatic car and you’ll do great. You can find some nice car rental options here.
Northern Cyprus
Also, if you’ll be renting a car, I suggest you visit the Northern Cyprus, which belongs to Turkey. Simply have your passport or ID when crossing the border. Besides, if you’ll be driving there in a rented car, be prepared to pay a fee which should be around 25€. The fee is paid for a car only, there’re no fees for passengers in the car. We went to Northern Cyprus as we wanted to visit St. Hilarion castle up in the mountains. The view was breathtaking and even only because of this castle it was worth driving all that way. Besides, petrol is much cheaper in North Cyprus so you should fill your tank there if you’ll have a chance.
Water Sports
Well, and the last thing I think you should know is that if you’ll be staying near a beach or will be visiting some, try out water sports. On every beach, you’ll find many attractions and they’re really worth to try out. Of course, the more exciting they are, the higher is the price but even if you’re planning a budget trip to Cyprus, try at least one water sports attraction, you’ll definitely enjoy it!
So this is it, these are the tips I wanted you to know before visiting Cyprus for the first time. All in all, Cyprus is a wonderful island even though from the first sight it might seem all dried out and having not much to offer except some nice beaches. But oh, it was beautiful and filled our hearts with joy. I wish you’ll visit it someday or, if you already have the tickets, have a great time there!