Winter
in Mediterranean Cyprus
At a fraction the cost
of Greece
By Steenie Harvey
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US$1 equals
CYP£0.55
Although I
adore the Greek islands of the Aegean, my parents are always praising the
charms of lemon-scented Cyprus, where they come year after year. In winter,
the Island of Aphrodite draws many retirees—some come for short vacations,
while others are expatriates coming to stay in the homes they own here.
For many years, Britons have regarded Cyprus as a kind of colonial home
away from home. But now Americans, Arabs, and even Russians are here too.
A fraction
the cost of Greece
The cost of
a home on Cyprus is substantially lower than that of one in the Greek islands
proper. Pretty restored village houses often cost less than $60,000, and
you can pick up beachside studios for $24,000. Another enticement is the
island's very favorable tax regimen for foreigners: There is a 5 percent
flat rate on all income. And, unlike Greece's Aegean islands, this Mediterranean
hot spot enjoys warm winter sunshine. Cyprus stays open for business throughout
the year.
Geographically
closer to Syria than to Athens, Cyprus is a country in its own right. Despite
all the tavernas and bouzouki music, it's misleading to describe it as
another, larger Greek island. One major difference is that, since Britain
was the island's colonial master until 1960, almost everybody speaks English
as a second language.
Holiday
on the Greek-Cypriot side
However, southern
Cyprus does effectively operate as a Greek colony. The northern part of
the island, roughly 40 percent of the land, was occupied by Turkey in 1974.
And although there's no comparison with war-torn Yugoslavia, it remains
divided. Cyprus is split by the so-called “Green Line,” and though real
trouble hasn't brewed up for decades, there's a UN military presence. Greek
Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots prefer not to mix.
Like most foreign
visitors, my parents holiday on the Greek Cypriot side of the dividing
line. There's a clutch of large south-coast resort towns (the main ones
are Paphos, Larnaca, Limassol, and Ayia Napa), but they prefer quieter
spots. My folks are hotel people—they like their comforts—and their no.1
choice is the Columbia Hotel, (tel. (357)5-221201), at seaside Pissouri,
midway between archaeologically rich Paphos and bustling Limassol. Rates
for double rooms last winter were CYP£20.
Outdoors
on the sea at Pissouri
Pissouri is
lovely. The flower-bedecked village square is traffic-free, and the mainstays
of village life remain intact: a church, a bakery, a little post office,
and, of course, a handful of family-run tavernas. Paths through the vine
terraces lead to the white sands and cliffs of Pissouri Beach. If you want
to buy property here, check with Cybarco, which lists villas from CYP£52,350
to CYP£70,550.
If you like
to walk and hike, you’ll enjoy this little village. Pissouri's back door
opens onto the splendid canvas of the Troodos Mountains. Studded with ornately
decorated Byzantine churches, this is a hilly area of cedar forests and
wine-growing villages where ways of life are more traditional than on the
coast.
It's in the
Troodos Mountains that you'll find the cheapest properties on Cyprus. Restoration
projects start at around CYP£10,000, and beautifully renovated village
houses with paved internal courtyards can be had for CYP£33,000.
South-coast
resort towns
If you prefer
something more modern, two-bedroom apartments among the gardens of the
spanking-new Forest Beach complex at Larnaca start at CYP£42,500.
Residents at this development have their own swimming pool, tennis courts,
and private walkways to the coast. However, shop around; you can buy “resale”
apartments for $24,000 and two-bedroom terrace houses for $70,000.
Villas offer
greater privacy, of course. In the Paphos area, three- and four-bedroom
villas with swimming pools range from CYP£130,000 to CYP£350,00.
As everywhere, much depends on location and view. The average price of
a newly build villa is CYP£65,000 for a basic unit or CYP£80,000
for one with a private swimming pool.
Rentals are
affordable too. In addition to selling properties, Benacon also rents them.
The longer you stay, the cheaper it gets. A week in an apartment starts
at CYP£184, a month at CYP£451, and two months at CYP£790.
Eight weeks in a small rental house will set you back CYP£1025.
Contacts:
 Benacon,
75 Archbishop Makarios Ave., P.O. Box 60560, 8104 Paphos, Cyprus; tel (357)6-241543,
E-mail: benacon@cytanet.com.cy
Cybarco
Ltd, Dhali, P.O. Box 1653, Nicosia, Cyprus; tel. (357)2-487744, E-mail:
info@cybarco.com.cy
Dashofer
Ltd, 2 Archbishop Makarios III, Atlantis Blvd., Mesa Geitonia, 4000
Limassol, Cyprus; tel. (357)5-725566, E-mail: info@ashofer.com.cy
(has on its books both new and traditional village houses)
"Unlike
Greece's Aegean islands, this Mediterranean hot spot enjoys warm winter
sunshine. Cyprus stays open for business throughout the year.". |
