This is slightly different to our usual guides, as it covers
a capital city that many would never consider visiting, as Cyprus is very much
seen as a resort destination. However there is much to see and very little
information about the practicalities, ironic as most Cypriots speak English,
and many things are similar to the UK, not least the plug sockets and driving
on the left!
Getting
to Cyprus
Direct flights from London airports:
Cyprus has 2 main airports, Larnaca and Paphos.
From Heathrow, you can fly BA to Larnaca – from Terminal 5,
and often Club Europe can be a very cheap upgrade that gets you lounge access at Heathrow, and food on the flight .
Ryanair, Easyjet, Wizz Air and Jet2 fly from most regional airports to Paphos and Larnaca.
Getting
to Nicosia
Larnaca Airport:
Kapnos Airport Shuttle €9 http://www.kapnosairportshuttle.com/
Turn left as you come out of Arrivals and head towards the door labelled Buses
To the right of the door is the Kapnos kiosk, where you can buy paper tickets
Stay there and when the Nicosia bus is ready the attendant will take you to the bus outside
The shuttle bus doesn't go to the centre of Nicosia, but terminates about 10 minutes south of the city centre, from where you can take a taxi (probably another €10) to your hotel, or a bus (€2) from the main road
Paphos Airport:
Kapnos also run a shuttle from here, but only at 11am, 7pm
and 11.30pm. It takes 2.5 hours and you are really advised to fly into Larnaca.
Getting Around
Nicosia Public Transport https://publictransport.com.cy/
Download the Pame bus app. The buses do not run to time, but it gives you a better idea of frequency and where the stops are.
At Solomos Square in the centre of town, there are ticket machines and a manned kiosk.
A 7-day plastic bus ticket is €20 plus €5 for the card (but it comes loaded with an additional €5 of credit). It can be topped up to €50 total. Each bus journey is €1.50 on the card, or €2 cash on the bus.
Buses run every half an hour to all parts of the city, but not all from Solomos Square, so check on the app, which has live arrival times for each bus stop.
Hotel
Number 1 on TripAdvisor is Asty Hotel, which Adam stayed at
20 years ago and we revisited in 2018 and 2023. They have reinvented themselves! With great public rooms, a refreshment room with free food open 24 hours, and other good facilities. The rooms are pretty basic. It’s about 15 minutes walk to the city centre, but they offer a free shuttle bus and are able to pick you up in town if you call. We would definitely recommend.
Prigkipos Karolou 12, Agios Dometios 2373
For luxury, expect to pay £200 a night at the Hilton Park. While it's an hour's walk into town, there are buses from a stop directly opposite the hotel. A lot of people seem to regard it as a resort however, and never leave the hotel and explore the city! The executive lounge is small, with poor breakfast and evening drinks that finish very early.
Achaion 1, Engomi 2413
Tourist
Information
Within the city walls is a small pedestrianised area full of
gift shops called Laiki Geitonia.
Tourist Office, Aristokyprou 11, Mon-Fri 8.30-4.00
Free walking tours within the city walls on Thursdays at 10am (recommended, lasts 3 hours)
Bus tours on Mondays at 10am (also recommended, need to book)
Museums and Galleries
The Leventis Museum is in Laiki Geitonia, on Hippocratous, in a pair of
mansions that have been modernised. It has many artefacts from the island,
pottery and jewellery, as well as a history of the city up to British times. Free,
and has a nice cool courtyard ideal for relaxing and snacking.
Tue-Sun 10.00-4.30
The Leventis Art Gallery is one of two brand new skyscrapers
to the south of the city walls (the other was designed by Jean Nouvel). Over
three floors, it houses a family’s collection of French (mainly classical),
Greek and Cypriot art. €5 only.
Wed-Sun 10.00-5.00, and Wed until 8pm
The State Gallery of Contemporary Art, on the corner of
Leoforos Stasinou and Kritis, just south of the City Wall, has many modern
Cypriot artists. Some figurative, some historical, some reflecting op art and
sculpture, it gives a broad sweep of artistic styles. Free.
Mon-Fri 10.00-4.00, Sat 10.00-12.00
The Postal Museum is at 3B Agiou Savva St, and has displays of Cypriot stamps, explanations of historical background, and a 'post office' with a badly-coiffured mannequin. You can also buy stamps for your postcards here.
Usually open Mon-Fri 9am-3pm and Sat 9am-1pm, but can be unexpectedly closed. Their phone no is on the door, it's worth giving them a ring!
The Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation is in the first bank building on the island, backing onto Ledra but with an anonymous-looking entrance on Faneromenos. It has permanent exhibitions on bank notes and coins, and temporary exhibitions about the island.
Mon-Fri 10.00-7.00
The complex of buildings based around the Archbishop’s Palace have many interesting sights. As well as the Cathedral of St John, there is the Folk Art Museum, and the Byzantine Museum with an impressive display of icons.
Byzantine Museum, Mon-Fri 9.00-4.30 Sat 9.00-1.00
Folk Art Museum, Tue-Fri 10.00-4.00, Sat 9.00-1.00
Cyprus Museum, Mouseiou Street
In a historic Colonial building near the Paphos Gate, a vast range of archaelogical finds from all over the island, plus special exhibitions and local artists
One of the best cafes around, with great home-made sandwiches
Tue-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-1pm
nearby in the park: a memorial to Yuri Gagarin
Ethnological Museum, Patriarchou Grigoriou Street
A merchant's house converted into a museum with lots of rooms and a garden to explore
Tue-Fri 8.30-3.30 Sat 9.30-4.30
A new gallery that seems to be left off tourist maps is SPEL, part of the State Gallery of Contemporary Art
Ammochostou 73, near the Famagusta Gate.
Open Tue-Sat 12 noon to 12 midnight, this is definitely the most modern of modern art, with 3 floors of exhibitions and a cafe, plus events and a roof garden.
It's worth taking a trip to see what they have, and it's free.
Sightseeing
The Shacolas Tower is above the H&M store on Ledra,
and has a panoramic view from the 11th floor. €2.50 to enter, there are
touchscreens and photos and videos of Nicosia through the ages.
Faneromeni Square: Church of St Mary, Library, Marble Mausoleum
Eleftheria Square (designed by Zaha Hadid) is at the bottom of Ledra Street, and while there’s nothing to do there, it’s still the most modern thing in the city
Liberty Monument, Podocatoro Bastion
Famagusta Gate, Athinas
Arts District, Ermou – Centre of Visual Arts & Research Tue-Sun 9.30-5.00
https://cvar.severis.org/en/
NiMAC arts centre, Palias Ilektrikis near Archbishop’s Palace, Tue-Sat 10.00-9.00
https://nimac.org.cy/
Churches
There are many Greek Orthodox churches you can visit, most are open during the day, and especially during Holy Week when people make a daily pilgrimage
All have icons, rood screens, architecture and furniture of great interest
Agios Eleftherios Church, Onasagorou Street
Agios Ioannis Cathedral, Archbishop Kyprianos Square
Archangel Michael Trypiotis Church, Archangelos Michael, Mon Tue Thu Fri 4-6
Agios Savvas Church, Aischylou, Mon-Fri 8am-12 noon Sat Sun 6.30am-12 noon
Agios Antonios Church, Agios Antonios
Pangea Chrysaliniotissa, Chrysaliniotissa north of Ermou, 9am-12 noon and 2pm-4pm
Agios Kassianos, Agios Kassianos north of Chrysaliniotissa, 8am-1pm and 6pm-8pm
Shopping
Inside the city walls is the main street Ledra. As well as an H&M (see above) it has Next, McDonalds, Starbucks and a lot more.
There is a non-threatening checkpoint into Northern Cyprus,
with free passage between the two halves of the city, but have your passport
handy. We’ve never been across but there is a similar range of tourist sites
and shops.
The post office is next to the old Town Hall on Eleftherias Square near the Bus Station, Mon-Fri 8am-2.30pm
Running south-east from the southern city gate is Archbishop
Makariou Street, with more expensive fashion shops, and some British brands
like Marks & Spencers. You’ll be underwhelmed by the choice and prices.
The Mall Of Cyprus is a large shopping complex out of
town. It's next door to an IKEA, and has a food court and the usual
high-end shops.
To get there, catch bus 3 or 4 from the bus station at
Solomos Square, just inside the southern city wall gate. It has as its destination General Hospital.
Get off at the Hospital and the Mall and IKEA are across the road.
To travel back, the bus goes in a loop, so get back on at the same bus stop on bus 3 or 4 (must be labelled Solomos Square!)
https://mallofcyprus.com/
https://www.publictransport.com.cy/routes/page/routes-and-timetables
Eating
Have the tastiest lunches and take home the best Cypriot
treats with a visit to ZORBAS, a chain of bakeries. Fresh savoury and sweet
pastries, cakes, ice cream, and gift boxes of baklavas are all good value.
Although most branches are in the suburbs, there is one close to the city
walls, at 24 Digeni Akrita Avenue, two blocks from the south-east gate.
Near the Hotel Asty, on the way to AlphaMega supermarket, is a little kebab restaurant. Tricky to find but a big hit with the Engomi locals, Kalamaki Souvlaki at Michael Paridi 2 had a great menu and friendly service. https://www.facebook.com/KalamakiSouvlaki/
The streets Diagorou running into Themistokli Dervi to the
south-west of the city walls have TGI Fridays, Wagamama, and a bit further on, a large Starbucks.
We discovered a great Armenian street food cafe just off Ledra Street, AVO, on Onasagorou Street. They have pies, lahmacun, kebabs and pizza, all cooked onsite.
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