Lefkosia (Nicosia)

The Greek Cypriot capital was enclosed by a star-shaped city wall but the boundaries today are dictated by the UN-patrolled Green Line, which separates the Republic from Northern Cyprus. Lefkosia remains a friendly, laid-back place, with good restaurants, museums, and a lively art scene.

A visit here should give you a less touristy view of the country than you’ll get if you stick to the coastal towns. The old town, inside the 16th-century Venetian walls, is the most interesting part of Lefkosia, with the city centre and municipal gardens just outside the wall on the south-west side.

Famagusta (Gazimagusa)

Once the richest city in the world, and often mistaken as the setting for Shakespeare’s Othello, Famagusta has now gone romantically to seed. The decaying old town is surrounded by a Venetian city wall, while the new town sprawls outside its boundaries.

Just north of the Green Line in the country’s east, Famagusta sits at the base of the eerie, desolate Karpas Peninsula. Wealthy to the point of vulgarity in the 13th century, levelled by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th, the old city is now mostly notable for its few remaining churches.

Kyrenia (Girne)

Kyrenia, in the middle of the north coast, is, despite some nasty developments, the most pleasant coastal resort on the island. As is the norm in Cyprus, the old quarter is the most atmospheric place to be, but most of the hotels are in the newer resort strip.

If Mediterranean atmosphere and outdoor cafes aren’t enough to keep you entertained, have a look at the Kyrenia Castle. Originally built in Roman times, the mostly Venetian building includes a Byzantine chapel and a museum of shipwrecks, featuring the world’s oldest shipwreck and its cargo.

Pafos

In a country of crassly commercial, ill-planned resort monstrosities, Pafos seems to be hanging on to its identity while still pulling the tourist dollar. Kato Pafos, the lower town, has committed some nasty developmental sins, but Pafos itself, slightly inland, is much more pleasant.

Among the souvenir shops you’ll see Saranta Kolones, a Lusignian fortress destroyed by an earthquake in the 13th century; it’s mostly fallen columns and sewer tunnels. The Tombs of the Kings, just north of Kato Pafos, are a warren of more fascinating tombs carved into the soft rock of the sea-cliff.

Troödos Massif

The Troödos region mountains, in the country’s south, are unforgettable and may be the one place where you’re free of package tourists. Popular with skiers, hikers and the heat-intolerant, Troödos is littered with 15th-century frescoed monasteries, wine-making villages and pleasant walking trails.

Kykkos Monastery, in the western Troödos, is the best known but most touristy monastery. Built in the 12th century, it’s been completely renovated and contains a museum of religious icons. Asinou is probably the most beautiful of the area’s monasteries, but it’s a bit of a trek to get to it.