Cyprus has long been a popular destination with UK travellers and for good reason. One of the main reasons Brit’s take a summer holiday is to escape the rather dire summer weather. August has almost become the ‘wet season’ in the UK now with the last few years rainfall challenging that of the winter months. With Easyjet now operating from both Paphos and Larnaca airports it’s never been easier to visit the most easterly island in the Med. With summer temperatures averaging 35-40 degrees and near guaranteed clear blue skies, it really is a hot spot with British tourists.
Hire a car in Cyprus and you can see all the sites that you otherwise might not get to experience. Whilst package tours are great, their appeal is dwindling as people like the independence of exploring themselves and car hire is the best option here, not to mention the cheapest. You can hire a car on the island from either of the airports, or various town centre locations for as little as £15 per day. A 7 day rental on the island will set you back around £100 which lets face it, is pretty reasonable! A family coach trip will probably set you back more through the main tour operators!
Paphos car hire is readily available and from your base you can easily access some of the Islands most beautiful spots. Take a 20 minute drive east and discover Aphrodities Rock, a 1hr drive north and you’ll wind up in Polis / Latsi and its wonderful coastline. For the more adventurous, the Trudos mountains are easily within reach and offer fresher and cooler air that Paphos due to its 1,900m above sea level peaks! The islands Capital city, Niccosia is within 2 hours of Paphos and for those looking for the islands nightlife hotspots, Ayia Napa is just 3 hours in the car.
Take care on the roads however, as driving in Cyprus is very different to the UK roads. Whilst you’ll be delighted by the clear open roads when out of the city, keep an eye on your speed. Speed limits are lower in Cyprus than in the UK and whilst the locals seem to tailgate you (or casually breeze past) if you do not drive fast enough the local police are often around willing to relieve you of 50 Euro for speeding! The motorways are real hotspots, so my advice is to stick to the speed limits, despite what others might do around you! As for the country roads, on the whole they are great, usually traffic free, but keep your eye out for pot holes and goats! On a recent visit, we came across this herd of goats casually making their way across the road. They were in little hurry, whilst we had to stop and wait for them to pass!
On the whole driving in Cyprus is far more enjoyable than the UK thanks to the traffic free roads, but I found that relaxing and getting used to the local driving ‘style’ did wonders. Indicators are rarely used and rights of way seem to go out of the window, so keep your wits about you and you’ll see some of the Islands best parts, otherwise missed.