Archaeological sites in Cyprus, in order

Cyprus is a treat for anyone who loves archaeology, because within a short drive you go from a Neolithic village to a Graeco-Roman theatre and on to an early Christian basilica. The hard part is choosing. Here are the sites I’d see, ranked, with what official sources say and without inventing opening times where none exist.

The two World Heritage sites

UNESCO lists three Cypriot properties, two of them archaeological. Paphos, inscribed in 1980, covers ancient Nea Paphos and the royal tombs necropolis in Kato Paphos, and in Kouklia village the Sanctuary of Aphrodite and Palaepaphos. Choirokoitia, inscribed in 1998, is a Neolithic settlement occupied from the 7th millennium BC, one of the most important prehistoric sites in the eastern Mediterranean according to UNESCO. The third property is the painted churches of the Troodos, and I explain all three in UNESCO sites in Cyprus.

The Limassol coast, Kourion and Amathus

For me, the best site on the south coast is Kourion. The Limassol tourist board highlights its 2nd-century BC Graeco-Roman theatre, still used for performances, the mosaic villas of Eustolios, the Gladiators and Achilles, a 5th-century early Christian basilica and a Roman nymphaeum. About 2 km away is the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates, with phases from the 7th century BC to Roman times.

On the far side of town lies Amathus, a city-kingdom and great sanctuary of Aphrodite-Astarte, with an agora, baths, a temple on the acropolis and early Christian basilicas. And on the Akrotiri peninsula, the Aetokremmos shelter, more than 12,000 years old, is the earliest human trace in Cyprus according to the Base Areas Administration.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Limassol before prices climb.

Larnaca, from the Neolithic to the Phoenicians

Larnaca district has one advantage, its tourist board publishes opening hours and prices. Besides Choirokoitia there’s Kalavasos-Tenta, a settlement of 8500 to 7000 BC under a modern conical roof near Kalavasos. And in town itself, Kition, the ancient city-kingdom with Cyclopean walls and the Temple of Aphrodite-Astarte built by Phoenicians in the 9th century BC. By the salt lake, the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque sits among Bronze Age remains, and UNESCO has it on its tentative list. Near Nicosia are two less-visited city-kingdoms, Tamassos, with its royal tombs, and Idalion.

Hours and prices, what can be known

This is the island’s information gap, because for many sites no official source I can cite publishes opening hours. What the Larnaca tourist board does publish are those for its district, with a €2.50 ticket at Choirokoitia, Kition and Kalavasos-Tenta and winter hours from 16 September to 15 April. Kition and Tenta close at weekends. They’re in the table, with the board’s own warning that they may change.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Limassol and choose by the reviews.

The north

Salamis and other sites are in the area the Republic’s government has not controlled since 1974. On the north-west coast, near Morphou Bay, are the ancient city of Soli, dug by the Swedish Cyprus Expedition, and on a hilltop about 4 km off, Vouni Palace. I have no opening hours or prices from an official source I can cite. Before going, read Northern Cyprus and how to cross to Northern Cyprus, bearing in mind that gov.uk says days in the north count towards your 90.

My practical tips

Nearly every site is open-air with little shade, so in summer go early with water, a hat and closed shoes. To make sense of what you see, pair the ruins with museums in Cyprus such as the Limassol Archaeological Museum, and if fortresses and monasteries appeal too, see castles in Cyprus and monasteries in Cyprus. In the east, the Makronissos necropolis near Ayia Napa, and in the mountains the churches of the Troodos Mountains, round off the list. In Paphos, don’t miss the Tombs of the Kings.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Limassol on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Limassol before prices climb.