Cyprus is a pretty place, as this view from Kourion demonstrates
I liked Cyprus, though for different reasons than I was expecting to. I'm not a great beach worshipper, so visiting in late February sounded perfect, but as luck would have it (and as everyone kept reminding us) we picked the coldest and wettest February on record to explore the island. It's worth bearing this in mind when reading my travelogue; Kourion in the summer would be a totally different experience to Kourion in the winter, I'm sure.
Luckily my personal highlights didn't depend on the weather too much, and the most interesting ones – Nicosia and skiing on Mt Olympos – were positively enhanced by the bad weather, the first by increased atmospherics, and the latter by increased amounts of powdery snow. Nicosia really has to be seen to be believed, and while crossing into North Nicosia might not be approved by the Greek Cypriots of the south, it's highly recommended, if only because the North Nicosians are so amazingly friendly.
Indeed, it's the people who really make Cyprus a great place, along with the mountains, the beaches, the World Heritage ruins, the few remaining wilderness areas and the politics. The mosaics in Pafos shouldn't be missed, and nor should the view into northern Cyprus from Deryneia, and if you're not around in the ski season, walking the trails around Mt Olympos would be a great way to spend the day (as is exploring the Akamas Peninsula). The food's not bad, either, even if there's a bit too much of a tendency towards chips, though be warned that you'll be hard pressed to find anything edible in off-season spots like Larnaka.
Would I go back, though? Possibly, but after two weeks driving round the southern half of the island, I feel that I've pretty much covered it. Of course, there's always more to see – for some reason I couldn't get excited about the World Heritage churches of the Troodos Mountains, possibly because the thought of tracking down the key-holder in the driving rain was more than I could bear – but Cyprus isn't that big, and it's easy to cover it all in rushed week or a leisurely fortnight. This is part of its charm, of course; with a hire car, it's perfect for exploring, especially if you're from a country that drives on the left, like the UK. It's also worth pointing out that Cyprus is not a cheap place to visit; in the winter the prices do take a dive, but places also close, and by all accounts Cyprus in the summer is just a bit too crowded and a bit too hot. Still, it depends what you're going there for, I guess; if you're off to Agia Napa to pull, it's not much use if there's nobody there.
In other words, Cyprus is a great place for a holiday. It's not necessarily a great place for mind-blowing travelling, but then again it doesn't pretend to be. If you've got the money, give it a try.
