Cyprus is much like most of Greece in that it has an incredible amount of history tied up with it. You won’t believe how far back the history of the island goes here, but you might find it easier to believe once you are in Cyprus itself.

Take Paphos for example. This is a fairly well known town on the island and you will also commonly see it referred to as Pafos. However you spell it though, you will always find one of the most amazing sights on the whole island here. We could reasonably say ‘sites’ as well, since it is the location of Maa Palaeokastro, a settlement that dates back as far as the Bronze Age. When you really stop to think about it, being able to see the remnants of such a bygone age is a real bonus to any visit to Cyprus.

As you might imagine, a site like this is no longer in the condition it would have been in back in the Bronze Age. But enough of it remains to give your imagination a good idea of what life must have been like in Cyprus at that time. It can feel a little strange to travel from Paphos, near Coral Bay, to the old settlement, peeling back the centuries as you do so. But the journey is worth it. You will feel very privileged to see the very area that so many ancient Greeks called home from 1200 BC onwards.

The remains of various walls are there to be seen, and while many pillars have fallen and lay abandoned in the ruins, some are still standing to some extent. This gives you an idea of the buildings that would once have formed part of the Bronze Age life that existed here.

Of course much of Cyprus has plenty to share with you in terms of history. But Maa Palaeokastro is definitely one of the chief highlights, stretching back as it does so far into history. If you are planning on visiting Cyprus for a holiday soon, make sure you add this amazing place to your must do list.

Sometimes it is nice just to go off the beaten track and to find areas where you might imagine no one else has ever been. Most countries have locations where you could be taken with such imagination, and in Cyprus you could find that Avgas Gorge fits the bill rather nicely.

The gorge is located in the Paphos region of Cyprus, so if you are staying near here during your time in Cyprus you should give it a go. Be prepared though – this is not a casual stroll unless you only intend to see the very beginning of the gorge.

Being prepared means wearing non slip footwear and making sure you have plenty of water with you. Some people also choose to wear hard hats to make sure they have some protection from any rock falls that might occur on the journey. This is not meant to dissuade you from exploring the gorge; rather it is meant to ensure you are fully prepared for what you will see and experience. If you choose to explore it at length you will have a lot of walking ahead of you, so make sure you aren’t wearing your footwear for the first time either.

The Avgas Gorge widens and narrows at times, and very soon you will see a grotto like area that is quite charming to witness. If you want to tackle the entire gorge you should allow a whole day to do it, bearing in mind time to stop and rest once you have gone end to end. This is not a journey to take in a hurry, and bearing in mind the heat, you will want to take your time as well.

The Avgas Gorge is not something that many tourists will want to tackle. Indeed it tends not to be a highlight of Cyprus that appears on lots of must do lists. It all depends how fit and healthy you are as to whether you would want to attempt to do the whole thing, or whether you just want a taster. Mind you, the taster of the opening of the gorge is quite spectacular on its own.

If you have ever taken a look at the tourist website for Cyprus, you will see that they call the island the ‘year round island’. This is certainly a nice advert for Cyprus itself, but has it earned the right to be called this particular name?

Generally speaking the height of tourism on the island is of course during the summer months. This is when the weather is at its best and the summer is a long one too. Some sources report it as stretching all the way from April to November, so you can see it has a generous share of sunshine for a very long period of time.

Of course this doesn’t mean the rest of the year is miserable either. Far from it – Cyprus is very spoilt in its location and the weather is reasonably good the rest of the time as well. It has also been stated that Cyprus enjoys much more sunshine during December than many other northern European locations do during their summer months. If this does not prompt you to think seriously about a winter getaway to the island, nothing else will!

There is also plenty to do on the island throughout the year. Sunbathing is a distinct possibility as you can see, even if you go to the beach on Christmas Day. Whatever and whenever you decide to go, you can be assured that you won’t run short of things to do – nor the weather or the daylight hours to do them in.

Cycling and walking are both popular on the island, and both activities are ideal for ensuring you are able to enjoy every moment you spend in Cyprus. There is plenty to see while you go from place to place as well, so you can enjoy discovering more of this delightful island, regardless of the time of year you choose to go there.

The message is clear though – this ‘all round island’ really does live up to its name. You cannot possibly be disappointed in what you find there, no matter what you go for in the first place.

One of the most important parts of any holiday is to decide whereabouts you are going to be staying. Cyprus has many delightful resorts, towns and villages worth thinking about, one of which is Platres.

Platres is a village that is inland and edging towards the west of the island. You’re probably about as far from a beach as you possibly could be, but you won’t mind because Platres has a lot to offer if you want a different kind of holiday in Cyprus.

For starters the village lays claim to one particular feature you won’t find in any other location in Cyprus. It has a stream cutting its way through the middle of the village, giving it a nice quality that will appeal to you more than you might imagine.

Some people think Platres is worth staying in for a few days during a longer spell in Cyprus, and indeed this is a good bet if you want to explore as much of the island as possible. It all depends on the kind of break you want of course – some people will want more to do, in which case Platres could be a little dull after you have discovered all it has to offer. Obviously a beach based holiday cannot be taken here, but you should take a day or two to see Platres before heading to your beach location for some sun, sea and sand to enjoy.

One thing you will learn soon upon arriving is the natural split that occurs in Platres. There are upper and lower parts to the village, and the upper section is the one you will want if you would like to see a livelier part that appeals to tourists. It has plenty of places to eat and drink, and you can discover more about Platres and the surrounding areas by visiting the tourism office there.

All in all Platres is something of an undiscovered part of Cyprus for many people. Even though you might want to go elsewhere too, you can learn more about the island by visiting other places such as this one.

Famagusta is not a name you will forget in a hurry. This is certainly true when you see the area itself, and indeed the beaches that bring a lot of people here throughout the year.

One of the nicest things about Famagusta is that the bay gives you spectacular views wherever you look. Famagusta as a town is something of an oddity as well. It is comprised of two sections and one of these is completely off limits. As such it is known as a ghost town and one that dates back hundreds of years in parts.

However while you may feel curious about the old part of the area, you will soon feel drawn towards modern Famagusta. The bay and the beautiful waves beyond will beckon you down to spend some considerable amount of time on the beaches and in the sea. What better way could there be to enjoy this unusual slice of Cyprus?

In fact you have a choice of several beaches in or near Famagusta that you can go to. If you want to see the ruins of Salamis then the Silver Beach will be the best one to try out. This won’t be a day long trip to the beach though, as the ruins themselves offer plenty to look round and appreciate while you are there. In fact if you pack your walking shoes as well as your beach shoes you’ll certainly use them when you go to the ruins; there are several kilometres of paths to follow to see everything.

There is no doubt that sun seekers from all over Europe come to see the delights of Famagusta and the bay that accompanies it. You will be glad you joined them, although you should be prepared for things to get busy if you go during the height of the season. However you are lucky that there are several beaches to choose from, so there is no chance of you ever getting bored.

And of course you can sneak a look at the forgotten and abandoned part of Famagusta as well, to wonder what life would be like if it were used and still part of the landscape in a more active sense.

You would be forgiven for thinking you had strayed onto a blog about Egypt, given that particular title. But in fact Cyprus can lay claim to a Tomb of the Kings, and what’s more you can visit it while you are on holiday there as well.

If you are staying anywhere near Paphos in Cyprus you won’t have far to travel. The tombs are only about a mile from Paphos’ famous harbour. As you can see it wouldn’t take that long to walk there if you fancy the exercise.

You may be a little disappointed to know that these tombs do not contain any royal remains. In fact they never did. Unlike the tombs in Egypt these were designated for less important people, although they were still referred to as aristocrats so they were far from poor. The majestic sight of the tombs testifies to this – they are amazing and humbling to see. When you consider the fact that they were carved out of their surroundings and out of solid rock, this was not an undertaking that was done for the poorest of society.

While you cannot visit the whole site, many of the best areas have been made accessible for the public. One of the tombs has a selection of massive pillars, forming a square where the middle is open to the light above. Elsewhere you will find yourself confronted by a set of steps leading down into the tomb below. Will you have the nerve to descend and explore what awaits you within?

The details in the pillars and above some of the doorways are quite exquisite. Be sure to take a camera and commit as much of the Tomb of the Kings to film (or digital card) as you can. The experience is one of the most amazing ones Cyprus has to offer, and it takes you back to life as it was lived centuries ago.

It might seem a little macabre to explore what is essentially the final resting place of people who lived in another time. But there is much to be learned from these tombs, and we should be grateful for that.

When you book a holiday to somewhere like Cyprus, you know you will end up indulging in plenty of sunbathing, relaxation, eating and drinking. But while these are all wonderful activities to do on a holiday in Cyprus, you should also indulge in a spot of exploration.

And what better place to do that than by visiting the Cyprus Museum of Natural History?

The museum itself is divided into four main sections. This makes it much easier to explore as you can look round each one in turn. The main sections include fauna, marine life, mineral wealth and habitats. The museum can be found close by to Nicosia, which you may see written as Lefkosia in the local language.

The marine life section of the museum is as you would expect focused on the Mediterranean Sea. You can learn more about the sea and its inhabitants by visiting this section, so it is well worth looking at. Of particular interest is the focus on how the Mediterranean Sea has changed due to the acts of humans. This will make you think twice about how we live our lives, which is the real purpose of this part of the museum in truth.

The section labelled mineral wealth may not sound too amazing, but you’ll need to think again when you see it for real. There are exhibits here that are thousands of years old, and they will reveal more about the country you are taking your holiday in. Just imagine what it would be like to see a volcanic rock that was formed here even millions of years ago. It gives you a different perspective on Cyprus as a whole. In fact the Cyprus Museum of Natural History does this in lots of different ways, so you can see it is well worth a visit.

You’ll learn more about some of the most famous areas in Cyprus as well, such as the Paphos Forest and the Larnaka Salt Lake. So when you are exploring the rest of the country you will get a better understanding of some of Cyprus’ best attractions.