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The Mediterranean is one of the most sought-after destinations in the world. Known for its turquoise waters and green nature and home to cities and civilizations dating back thousands of years, it is perhaps the best place for both beach and culture.
However, not all Mediterranean countries are well known to the American public, who will often hesitate at the mention of countries that are not Spain, Italy or Greece, when in reality they are one of the most beautiful islands in the basin does not belong to any of these major states – and believe it or not:
It’s just the perfect autumn destination, best enjoyed out of season. Here are 5 reasons why Cyprus your next international trip should be:
The gate to Olympus
Before our European readers rush to the comments section to denounce our classification of Cyprus as a “lesser known” country, know that for the majority of Americans it is an off-the-path destination, nowhere to be found. the top of Cyprus. -ten most frequent visitors.
For our American readers who may not have heard of Cyprus, it has an island in the eastern Mediterranean, just south of Turkiye (formerly spelled Turkey) with Greek origins. This means that Cyprus is essentially a Greek-speaking island, except that it is not part of Greece.
Cyprus is its own country, and although the Greek language is the most spokenAlthough ethnic Greek Cypriots form the majority, Turkish is also an official language at the national level due to the island’s strong cultural ties with its nearest neighbor.
A bit of history, if we may: Cyprus has been a divided island since the 1970s, when Turkish forces occupied the northern third of the island and the self-declared breakaway state of TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) was declared with very limited international recognition .
You can find out more about Cyprus’ division here, which in no way affects tourists or their safety.
An island in the Middle East that is part of Europe?
If you look at a mapa mundiyou will see that Cyprus is firmly rooted in the Middle Eastwhich would theoretically make it an Asian country, as it is closer to Turkiye (70 km), Syria (110 km), Lebanon (200 km), Israel (300 km) and Syria than to Greece, its nearest European neighbor ( 800 km).
Yet Cyprus is geopolitically and culturally a European nation, as it is a member of the European Union (EU) and has the euro as its official currency.
Now that we’ve gotten the technicalities out of the way and given you the briefest possible introduction to Cyprus, here’s why it’s perfect for an autumn getaway:
Prices will drop this fall
Due to its remoteness, being the most south-eastern country in the EU, Cyprus is very remote and more difficult to reach, especially if you are traveling from America. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
It may not host non-stop transatlantic flights, but it is served by several low-cost airlines operating in Europe and the wider Mediterranean, with flights starting from $39 from select UK hubs.
Because travel to Cyprus will inevitably require a stopover in a third European country, Americans get to choose whichever departure point is the cheapest from a vast continent with plenty of budget-friendly offers – and luckily for them, prices will fall considerable this fall.
Great connectivity
Autumn is the off-season in Europe, when the number of air passengers drops due to the start of the school year and the end of the summer holidays, and although connectivity to Cyprus is affected – some routes to Cyprus are seasonal – Connectivity with mainland Europe will certainly not be broken.
Traveling from Paris (Beauvais) to Larnaca (LCA), Cyprus’ busiest airport in late September, Americans can find flights as cheap as $38 one-way with WizzAir, as seen on Skyscanneras London Luton departs start at just $27.
Cyprus is served by budget airlines from all over Europeand as long as you have a choice, you are certainly spoiled for choice go to Europe first.
Perhaps you can combine a beach holiday in Cyprus with those other trendy European countries, taking the mainland as a starting point.
It’s incredibly hot
One of the reasons why Cyprus continues to be so well visited in the off-season is the fact that Cyprus is so busy astonishing weather.
As you might have guessed from looking at the map, it’s essentially more of a Middle Eastern destination than Southern Europe, meaning the shoulder seasons are quite mild.
Although snow falls in winter in Cyprus’ mountainous interior, the coast remains relatively warm, with highs of 68°F even in February. If the winters are this mild, you can imagine it how hot are autumns.
According to TUI, a British-based travel agency, “days are usually warm with balmy evenings” and tourists are encouraged to “pack light and cool clothes” long after summer is over. The the average daily high is 89°F in Septemberwith a minimum of 71°F.
In October the temperature averages a high of 82°F and in November it drops to a pleasant 73°F. In total, Cyprus remains warm throughout the low seasonand being an island in the Mediterranean, the seas also remain much warmer than other European swimming locations.
It is a year-round destination
This autumn, Cyprus is expected to experience high occupancy levels, with hotels close to sold out at least two months after the peak of summer.
Given the beautiful weather, this is hardly a surprise, but it may be the first time Cyprus has experienced something like this long and successful tourist season.
In a sense, it seems to have consolidated its position as one of the top mid-season destinations not only in Europe or the wider Eurasia, but also worldwide.
It seems that the Ministry of Tourism’s efforts to make Cyprus a year-round tourist destination have paid off recent data noting that ‘tourism units will have high occupancy rates until mid-October’.
‘Our tourism partners report that in some areas, such as Paphos, there will be an increase in the number of tourists between November 2023 and February 2024, compared to previous yearshe added, referring to one of the trendiest resorts on the island.
Paphos is best known as the birthplace of Aphrodite and an ancient port with UNESCO World Heritage monuments, including the monumental Tombs of the Kings, a vast necropolis with well-preserved Doric columns and frescoes.
Although there is no ‘uniformity’ in Cyprus, with other resort regions such as Famagusta reporting a decline in bookings as early as June, the overall picture looks good.
Cyprus is still not as touristy as other Mediterranean countries
Finally, Cyprus is less crowded than Greece or Italy. That’s not to stay, it’s a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.
It may not be the first destination that Americans think of when planning an off-season beach vacation, either due to a lack of knowledge about Southeastern Europe or the lack of non-stop flights, making it more difficult to reach Cyprus, but it is a hugely popular sunny destination. outing for Europeans.
You should expect it well-visited beaches and vibrant cities full of life and tourists, but it’s still nowhere near the crazy level of tourism you see in Italian hotspots like Rome, Florence and Venice, or neighboring Greek Santorini and Mykonos.
Visitor numbers will probably not decrease significantly in the fall, but Cyprus will still be significantly less hectic than its European counterparts, as the record high for annual figures peaked at just 4.12 million in 2019.
Last year, only 1.94 million tourists went on holiday to Cyprus, with the majority arriving between the summer months.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
