15 Jan
Vancouver Tours Blog

Explore the Troodos Mountains on a Holiday to Cyprus

There is no better place to get back to nature than the spectacular Troodos Mountains in Cyprus.

Home to the island's highest peak – Mount Olympus, which rises to 1,952m – these mountains are the perfect place to explore the island's interior.

This beautiful region is thought to be more densely-wooded per square meter than Canada and the spectacular trees are lovingly cared for by the British-trained forestry department – thought to be the finest in the Mediterranean. If you're after a wilderness retreat, this is the perfect place for you.

Summers here are refreshingly cool and you may want to take advantage of the fresh mountain air to do some exploring on foot. There are plenty of nature walking trails and summer hikes you can enjoy in the Troodos Mountains – contact the Cyprus tourism office for a directory of the best ones to choose from. And if you make a wintertime visit to the mountains, you may find you are even able to ski on their snow-capped peaks.

Of course, you'll need somewhere to stay and luckily, there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to accommodation. Your options range from charming local inns to three and four-star hotels set in areas of stunning natural beauty. Or if you are more independently-minded or traveling with a larger group, you may wish to go the self-catering route and stay in a beautiful village house.

It is easiest to explore the mountains by car – especially if you want to cover a lot of ground during your travels. You may even want to make a stop in the Troodos Mountains part of a longer trip to Cyprus – there are plenty of other destinations on the island that are also well worth a visit. The Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Foundation has published a number of excellent itineraries that allow you to pass through smaller villages and really capture the flavor of Cyprus – or alternatively, you could create a route and travel at your own pace.

You're sure to have a brilliant time exploring the Troodos Mountains, as well as the rest of this colorful and welcoming nation. Cyprus is a brilliant place to take a fly-drive holiday – begin planning your break today.

Source by Dipika Patel

02 Mar
Vancouver Tours Blog

Playtime in Protaras Cyprus

It’s no surprise to learn that Cyprus is one of the Mediterranean’s most popular holiday destinations when you realise just what the island has to offer – 340 days of sunshine a year, a heritage dating back to 7000BC, impressive archaeological sites plus plenty of lively touristy hotspots. With so many assets, who wouldn’t want to take a private villa holiday on this Mediterranean island? Renowned for its friendliness to visitors, the island is also blessed with a plethora of quality holiday rental villas and apartments – ideal for family holidays in Cyprus, a firm favourite with British families on the hunt for a typical Cyprus beach holiday with plenty of activities.

One of the most popular tourist areas in Cyprus is vibrant Protaras – it boasts a calm and crystal-clear sea and is protected from the wind. There you will find a great choice of shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs, and a lovely sandy beach in Fig Tree Bay which stretches along the coast for miles. There is a huge choice of restaurants in Protaras to choose from including Italian, Indian and Thai, but definitely not to be missed are the open air seafood restaurants where the freshly grilled fish are some of the best you’ll savour.

The beaches in Protaras are amongst the best in Cyprus too, so the area is a Mecca for tourists and Cypriots alike especially at weekends, so you’ll also find plenty of watersports to choose from including paragliding, jet-skiing, diving, windsurfing and waterskiing. Should you want to “get away from it all” for a day, head north to explore isolated coves and south for snorkelling or diving around the rocky coastline. As for shopping in this part of Cyprus, you’ll find the best bargains in designer merchandise (tax free prices) in nearby Agia Napa, as well as some good jewellery and leather buys.

As for activities in Cyprus for children, take them to the water slides and pools in the Ancient Greece-themed Aqua Park with aptly-named features – Poseidon’s Wave Pool, Aphrodite’s Bath, and the Odyssey River. Kids will also love the larger amusement park in nearby Agia Napa which features attractions for children aged from toddlers to teens.

Diving around the east coast of Cyprus is the bees knees… the beaches are surrounded by reefs, caves and canyons where you’ll discover a diverse range of colourful fish. Experienced scuba divers will find diving beyond the reefs even more exciting – expect schools of barracudas; needlefish, underwater pinnacles and the largest wreck in the Mediterranean.

Protaras is set up with excellent self catering accommodation including luxury villas with private pools, cheaper apartments and a range of hotels along the beach.

You might be wondering when would be the best time to visit Cyprus… you’d better bear in mind that summers are pretty hot from May until October, after which the island cools down. There’s still lots of sun between October and December though, and little rain, and if you visit Cyprus in December and January you will enjoy an average of about six hours of sunshine a day.

Source by Martina Chanter