World Country Guide

Sport & Activities

Cycling
A cheap and effective way of seeing the island. Facilities for renting bicycles are available in all towns and resorts, although the quality of the bicycles can vary considerably. The terrain offers many opportunities for mountain biking. The Cyprus Cycling Federation organises various non-racing activities and events; PO Box 24572, CY 1301, Nicosia (tel: (22) 663 344; fax: (22) 661 150; e-mail: ccf@cytanet.com.cy; website: www.geocities.com/cyclingcy). The Cyprus Tourism Organisation (see Contact Addresses section) can also provide free maps.

Hiking and trekking
The many unspoilt areas in Cyprus make the land ideal for hiking. Recommended Nature Trails include Atalante, Kaledonia and Persephone in the Troodos area and Aphrodite and Adonis in the Akamas area, with other trails in the forests of Machairas and Limassol.

Watersports
Opportunities abound for windsurfing, paragliding and swimming. Recommended beaches include Geroskipou, Dasoudi and Larnaca (all of which are public beaches). Some or all offer full facilities to swimmers and include bars, restaurants and changing rooms. Sailing, diving, water-skiing and scuba-diving are also available at specific locations. The Cyprus Federation of Underwater Activities, PO Box 21503, 1510 Nicosia (tel: (22) 754 647; fax: (22) 755 246) and Cydive (tel: (26) 934 271; fax: (26) 935 307; e-mail: cydive@spidernet.com.cy; website: www.cydive.com) can provide information on diving facilities, for instance at Protaras, Larnaca, Limassol and Polis (near Pafos). Fishing can be practised on Cyprus, although a licence needs to obtained from the Department of Fisheries, Aiolou 13, CY, Nicosia (tel: (22) 807 861; fax: (22) 775 955 or 777 830). Licences cost C£3 for each reservoir or C£10 for all reservoirs.

Skiing and snowboarding
Cyprus is also becoming established as a destination for winter sports with some hoteliers and tour operators, offering off-peak incentives. Both Platres and Kakopetria are conveniently placed for the skiing season on Mount Olympus, which usually lasts from January to mid-March, but Troodos is actually the nearest resort to the skiing area; it has hotels and cafes. Although Cyprus is not well known for its skiing, the Troodos Mountains offer excellent winter sports facilities and there are four ski-lifts on Mount Olympus. The Ski-Club, which is based in Troodos, has its own shelter and accepts tourists as temporary members. Ski equipment can be hired there, PO Box 22185, CY 1518, Lefkosia (tel: (22) 675 340).

Other
Golf can be played on three courses on the island: the Tsada Golf Club, an 18-hole course, situated near Tsada village, 15 minutes' drive north of Pafos town; The Secret Valley Golf Club, also 18-hole, situated 18km (11 miles) east of Pafos and 49km (30 miles) from Limassol; and the Aphrodite Hills 18-hole course in Limassol. A number of hotels also offer limited golfing facilities; in this instance, Cyplon Travel Ltd in the UK can provide further information at Cyplon House, 561-563 Green Lanes, London N8 0RL, UK (tel: (020) 8348 8866; fax: (020) 8348 7939; e-mail: sales@cyplon.co.uk; website: www.cyplon.co.uk). Tennis courts are available in most towns and in the grounds of many hotels; the Cyprus Tennis Federation can provide further information at PO Box 23931, CY 1687, Nicosia (tel: (22) 666 822, mornings; fax: (22) 668 016; e-mail: cytennis@spidernet.com.cy; website: www.cyprustennis.com).