Cyprus is an island full of wonders. Sadly the average tourist doesn’t get to explore all the island has to offer. I make it a personal habit to start up a conversation with every tourist encounter, within reason of course, to make them aware of all the natural treasures around the area which they are holidaying in.
It is especially easy to dismiss the out of hotel experiences because Cypriot accommodations generally have very high standards and have all sorts of exciting in-house programmes which keeps visitors entertained. What are not particularly promoted are the excursions the hotels offer. The brilliance of it is that one can book their excursions via the concierge, usually at a discounted rate as tour operators usually have agreements in place, in the comfort of their own hotel – you can’t really get more convenient than that! One such excursion would be Caledonian waterfalls (pictured), this is not something that one would typically expect to find, or even imagine it exists in Cyprus. It is an amazing mountain experience, more reminiscent of the amazon rainforest then of an eastern Mediterranean island, but if you are able to go for a bit of a hike then it is definitely a place to visit. There are also many waterparks around the island, the main ones being located in Agia Napa, Limassol and Paphos, all with child friendly facilities and play areas.
Hotels have a responsibility too; they must be ambassadors of the island as well as of their hotels. Life is all about developing relationships and the same applies to the tourist industry; visitors will build up a portfolio of memories of each of the Cypriot cities and towns they visit thus creating clippings of each place they’ve visited and spurred on by the unique experience of each place, will want to explore other elements of the island on their next visits to Cyprus.
Having said that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with relaxing at the beach or poolside, drinking local wines and spirits and indulging in the beachside menu. In fact, most hotels in recent years have a long list of Cypriot produce, whether it is classics like lountza and halloumi pitta pockets to Cypriot makaronia with mint and a choice of either grated anari or halloumi, to a fresh fish platter. The fact remains that most visitors like to order the familiar when abroad, it provides a source of comfort, but we all must be culinary adventurous. It really does depend on the kind of holiday experience you are after; the important thing is to be given the option.
Cyprus has always been a popular place to get married and due to increasing costs in the UK, many British Cypriots are choosing to tie the knot in Cyprus and September is usually the preferred month when the heat is less intense. This growing demand for weddings abroad is simply due to not enough available venues and the main variable, a thorn in the side of a planning couple, the unpredictability of the British weather. In stark contrast, the Cypriot September weather is guaranteed to be summer weather, in fact, sometimes the summer period extends all the way till November, but once you start coming up to Christmas season, not even Cyprus can guarantee the sun.
The team at CyWineFest are working hard to ensure that the entirety of the island is represented and that information is available on many different types of holidays one can experience on the island, and agrotourism is an important one for us!
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Credit: CyWineFest team
George Charalambous
