Useful information

The Greek influence on ethnic cuisine is very strong here. Everywhere in Cyprus you can find the taverns offering national dishes of Cyprus cuisine. Here are some of them.

The basis of the Cyprian cuisine is meat dishes and dishes of vegetables. Food is healthy, light, the vegetative fats are used instead of animal fats. The diet includes few kinds of seafood, because there is nearly no fish at the Cyprus coasts, it is delivered from the other regions of the Mediterranean and the whole world. This results in the high prices for the fish dishes. The Cyprian trout is one of the local fishes; it is bred in the reservoirs.

Sweets in Cyprian cuisine are mainly of east origin. These are Halvas - sweet cookies, kadayf - sweet vermicelli like a baked pudding, lokumi (here we know that it is rahat-lokum), baklava - a cake with the nuts and honey and syrup on top. Cyprus honey is very tasty.

Features of stay in the country, personal security, health and tourists' property safety

Road traffic is left-side - be attentive! In summertime (from May to September) Cyprus enjoys siesta (rest after lunch) from 13.00 till 16.00  and many institutions don't work.

You will need special permission to make photos in the state museums. It is strictly forbidden to make pictures of the border zone, soldiers and military forces.

To visit the churches, monasteries and mosques tourists must wear the corresponding clothes (shorts, miniskirts, open shoulders are not allowed). You need to take a kerchief and a skirt or to take them for rent at the entrance.

Attention! Tourists are obliged to follow the local laws, norms of behavior, to respect traditions, cultural and religious customs. Non-observance of the laws can cause criminal liability. You should be carefull during the trip, observe personal security rules, care of your property and documents safety . Store the valuable things in the hotel's safes, make copies of the passport and visa. Look through the insurance conditions specified in the insurance policy! It is recommended to pay the additional insurance taking into account specificity of travel.

Holidays and days off

01 January - New year; 06 January - Epiphany (Twelfth-day, the holiday of three Magi), Green Monday; 25 March - Greek Independence Day (national-liberty revolution of 1812); 01 April, 1st - Day of Greeks-Cypriotes, Holy Friday, Easter; 01 May  - Day of labour and spring, Kataklizmos - the well-known holiday of water; 15 August - the Repose of the Virgin; 01 October - Cyprus Day Independence; 28 October - national holiday of Greece (Ohi Day); 25 and 26 December - Christmas. Besides, Cypriotes celebrate about 40 national holidays within a year having local or seasonal nature. The Northern Cyprus inhabited by Turks, has its own holidays.

Clothes:

In winter time the jacket, sweater, trousers, umbrella will be required. Tourists will need the convenient clothes in the summer to rest on the beach. If you plan an excursion to the Holy sites during the cruise to Israel and Egypt, and also if you plan to visit churches and monasteries women's clothes should close shoulders and knees (skirt), and shorts not allowed for men. The elegant suit will be useful for evenings for all the fans of entertainments...

Purchases:

Subjects of national crafts (Lefkara lace and embroidery, ceramics, products of silver, stamping on copper and silver, products of reed), Cyprian wine "Kommandaria", beer КЕО. Also you can buy for cheap the high quality skin, furs, jewels, footwear.

It is not recommended to drink water from the crane, you can buy water in plastic bottles in any supermarket.