The island of Cyprus lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, and since 1974 has been divided into two separate countries, the Republic of Cyprus in the south and the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus in the north.

Despite the country not being recognised internationally, North Cyprus (known as the TRNC) has become a popular holiday destination for Europeans due to its unspoiled countryside and Turkish Lira currency http://www.cyprus44.com/holidays/location.asp. Thanks to its relative isolation until 10 years ago, the northern part of the island has retained its relaxed and rural feel, whilst still developing good coastal resorts with quality hotels, plus holiday villas and apartments. There are regular flights to North Cyprus http://www.CyprusTurkishAirlines.co.uk all year round from various European and UK airports, all of which have a brief stop-over in Turkey before landing at Ercan International Airport..

The main focus for tourists in North Cyprus is Kyrenia, a pretty town centered around a curved Venetian harbour. The harbour area is very popular with visitors, as the old Kyrenia carob warehouses http://www.cyprus44.com/kyrenia/kyrenia-harbour.asp here have been converted into restaurants and cafés, offering rooftop dining under the stars during the summer. Kyrenia castle houses the remains of one of the oldest shipwreck in the world, a fascinating glimpse into the life of this trading port here over 2000 years ago. Behind the harbour, narrow medieval streets wind up the hillside, passing over ancient catacombs cut into the rocks below. Kyrenia has several 5 star international hotels, including the Colony Hotel and the Savoy Ottoman Palace, making it a good base for luxury vacations in North Cyprus.

East of Kyrenia http://www.allaboutkyrenia.com are some of the best beaches in North Cyprus, including Acapulco Beach http://www.acapulco-cyprus.com, Lara Beach and Alagadi Beach, home to rare nesting sea turtles http://www.cyprus44.com/holidays/turtle-watching.asp. Inland, and hence raised a little above the coast are the holiday towns of Ozankoy, and Catalkoy, both with established resort hotels and self-catering accommodation, plus well-rated restaurants.

Further east along the coast road is the Esentepe golf course, a magnet for golfing tourists with its 18 hole international Korineum golf course and country club http://www.korineumgolf.com/. Beyond Esentepe, and along the newly constructed coastal road, is the Karpaz Peninsula and its near-deserted beaches. This rugged finger of land juts out into the sea, and is a major stopover both for migrating birds and nesting sea turtles, while its most famous residents are the rather grumpy wild donkeys!

West of Kyrenia, the sandy beaches continue through the popular coastal resort of Karaoglanoglu to Lapta, whilst inland is the village of Alsancak, an established family holiday for British tourists.

The Five Finger Mountains run parallel to the northern coast, and are dotted with ruined Crusader castles and pine forest. Bellapais is perhaps the prettiest of the mountain vacation resorts, thanks to its atmospheric ruined Augustinian abbey with panoramic views down to the coastline. Once home to the author Lawrence Durrell, it is said that if you sit under its Tree of Idleness, you may never bother to work again!

The old walled city of Famagusta dates from the Venetian period, and still bears the scars of the Ottoman Siege of 1571. The sandy beaches on the wide sweep of Famagusta Bay are much less busy than north coast beaches, and the additional attraction of the ruined city of Salamis and ancient tombs make Famagusta a good choice for a vacation in North Cyprus away from the crowds.

Nicosia is now unique in being the only divided capital city in the world; south Nicosia is the capital of south Cyprus, north Nicosia (or Lefkosa) is the capital of North Cyprus. Crossing the border that divides the city from east to west is now very straightforward, enabling visitors to experience the bustle of modern Nicosia in the south, and the restored Ottoman areas in the north.

Cyprus is very much a holiday island; tourism contributes around 12% of the country's GDP http://www.eturbonews.com/12317/cyprus-tourist-numbers-tank. Tourists can choose from a variety of accommodation, from five star resort hotels to holiday villas for rent, and the 300+ days of sunshine the island enjoys attracts visitors all year round http://www.visitcyprus.com/wps/portal/weather/. Almost 2 million tourists came to south Cyprus in 2008.

The Troodos mountains rise to nearly 2000metres in the centre of Cyprus, and their winding roads and remote villages hide a very unique treasure, the painted churches. Dating from Byzantine times, artists travelled to decorate these small mountain churches with elaborate frescoes, still surprisingly bright and vivid. The highest mountain in Cyprus, Mount Olympus, becomes a ski resort in winter, though in summer tourists prefer just to walk the nature trails around its summit.

Paphos is a popular vacation resort for golfing holidays in Cyprus, thanks to the various golf courses in the area and some sizable villa developments, such as Aphrodite Hills.

The town of Paphos rises from the coast up the hillside, offering visitors the choice of a coastal hotel in Kato Pafos or a hotel with a view in Ktima Pafos. The main attraction in Paphos are the Roman mosaics, discovered in 1962 by a farmer ploughing a field. Spread over a large area just behind the old harbour, the remains of the mosaics and elaborate villas are gradually emerging from the dust to reveal an important and wealthy Roman town.

Beyond Paphos is Coral Bay, another popular holiday villa vacation resort, with some of the best wine in Cyprus grown on the hills behind. Most visitors will take the main road through the foothills of mountains towards the coastal resorts of Polis and Latchi, seaside towns that have retained their fishing village charm by resisting the development of resort hotels.

The main resort in southern Cyprus is Limassol, with a coastal road lined with hotels, cafes, bars and clubs, and some well-respected restaurants, and a functional but not beautiful beach area. To the west lies the Akrotiri Peninsula, with a busy British Sovereign Airbase, a salt lagoon and important ancient ruins.

The eastern coastline of south Cyprus around Larnaca is a popular holiday area for visitors looking for sandy beaches, established hotels and an easy transfer from the airport. The hotels enjoy the protection of the curved Larnaca Bay, making their beaches ideal for families seeking relaxation beside the Mediterranean Sea.

To the east and just south of the border is Ayia Napa, a former fishing village that became the Mediterranean's second-hottest clubbing destination after Ibiza, and a magnet for young clubbers from all over Europe. Thanks to a crack-down on drinking and drugs by the Greek police, Ayai Napa is not quite the hedonistic place it used to be http://www.ayianapa.com/news/FAQ.htm, but the variety of themed nightclubs ensures a party-loving crowd during the season.

NORTH CYPRUS

• Cyprus44 information site: [1]
• North Cyprus Hotel Reviews: [2]
• Beach hotels near Kyrenia: [3]
• North Cyprus vacation booking site: [4]

SOUTH CYPRUS

• TripAdvisor: Cyprus Travel Packages
• Republic of Cyprus Tourist office: [5]
• Cyprus Villa Rental: [6]
• Cyprus car hire: [7]

• Cyprus Tourism Board: Cyprus Events