There’s a saying they have in Cyprus, that if you visit the island once, you will visit it nine times.

It’s easy to see why. They have a climate that the average Northern European has to envy, getting the best weather in the Med. and having 340 sunny days a year.

I’ve been there three times and yet still remain captivated by its beauty and ‘laid back’ way of life. Culturally, the island has had many links with the British and it’s very easy to feel at home there. They all speak English, drive on the left and the supermarkets even sell Shreddies! What’s more, because there are no ‘cheap’ flights there, the yobbo element is conspicuous by absence, having gone to one of the other Mediterranean hotspots instead.

Cyprus has been a very popular destination with British divers for some time now and much has been written about it over the years so, in this article, I hope to concentrate on a more personal view of the island and its diving.

There are dive operators in various locations around Cyprus, but the longest established centre is in Paphos on the beautiful south west coast, where Cydive, a small and friendly diving school, to expatriate Brits, operate.

Nowhere in Cyprus could be described as overdeveloped and Paphos is no exception. It has a bustling ‘old town’ area that’s got a marketplace atmosphere. Down the hill in Kato Paphos, there’s a small harbour with waterside restaurants, a historic fort and low rise 3 and 5 star hotels stretching out along the coast. It’s the ideal place to train. Cydive is a SAA club, a BSAC registered school and a PADI 5 Star Training Facility. They offer a full range of courses which work out on average 25% cheaper than UK based schools, and the water is a damn sight warmer!

The diving is run as you would expect from someone with Cydive’s experience. Safety is stressed but the approach is unregimented. Dives are run twice a day, six days a week. The offshore sites are reached by hardboat or by their new, fast assault craft. For shore diving along the coast, transport is provided by Land Rover. (The roads in Cyprus are either good or terrible, nothing in between.)

Reefs And Wrecks

The marine life is obviously not up to tropical standards but there is still plenty to see. Multi coloured Rainbow Wrasse are common along with Grouper and Scorpionfish. Octopus and Morays inhabit the crevices and can be coaxed out with a prod from the well placed snorkel. Up close there are Fanworms, Peacock worms and Sponges to be seen. No creature in the eastern Med. poses a real problem to the diver, although there are some mild stingers such as the Fireworm. Gloves are recommended as the long spined Sea Urchins occur here in abundance.

What the diving lacks in fish it more than makes up for in spectacle. Cyprus is worth a visit for the magnificent scenic diving alone and it certainly has the vis to allow you to appreciate it fully. The underwater terrain varies from site to site. There are reefs, shoals, spectacular red and purple algae covered rock with plenty of caves, tunnels and arches to swim through.

One site even boasts an underwater amphitheatre and although it resembles one in every respect, it was actually formed naturally by wave action. There is plenty of real evidence of history to be found underwater in Cyprus though. In ancient times mariners would cast Amphorae (earthenware pots, usually filled with oils) into the sea on leaving harbour as a gift to the gods in the hope of being awarded a safe passage. Some areas are totally littered with their smashed remains which have, with the passage of time, become welded into the fabric of the reefs.

Near the top of my list of dives not to be missed is the wreck of the Vera K, a Lebanese freighter that ran aground in 1972 amid rumours (as so many are) of ‘an insurance job’. It lies upright in a shallow crater just 10 metres deep a mile or so offshore. The shallow depth means that you can potter around it all day. If you get in the water first you may be lucky enough to see the wrecks resident Grouper, an enormous specimen. The wreck has a complete bridge section which is a favourite with the photographers and is probably the most photographed underwater location here, next to the upside down prop of the Achilleas, another wreck which is at a similar depth, a little further down the coast.

The Bay of Aphrodite

Cyprus is the island of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. She has a rock named after her, baths named after her and the island’s most famous wine is called, yes you’ve guessed it, Aphrodite. She also lends her name to a bay on the north coast, which is an hour’s drive away over some of the most beautiful hillsides on the island. Cydive don’t run trips there often but they are happy to hire you a bottle if you are qualified and have a buddy. It has some of the island’s best diving in its least dived waters.

It is possible to dive the Bay of Aphrodite from the shore but you do have to carry your equipment down a long series of steps hewn in the cliff face. In the searing midday heat you can end up exhausted before you get in to the water and don’t forget you’ve got to save reserves of energy for the climb back up!

It is worth the effort though, follow the road to the Baths of Aphrodite, park in the restaurant car park and walk (kitted up) around the side. After negotiating the steps, enter the water from the small beach and make straight for a small island with a cross on it, 100 metres offshore, the submarine extension of which is a colourful reef teeming with life. Another, less strenuous, option is to hire a boat from the

watersports centre in the small fishing port of Laatchi nearby.

You can then reach Kakascaliou Island further down the coast which has a spectacular drop off, a vertical wall down to 45 metres with some b-i-g fish.

Distractions

When you’re not diving you could happily divide your time between sitting outside the Diver’s Den bar next to Cydive, and the Black Horse. Despite its English name it is not the gaudy sort of fake ‘pub’ that you might find in a Spanish resort, there are thankfully few such places in Cyprus.

The bar is owned and run by a Cypriot diver, George, who, like many of his fellow countrymen, has lived in the UK for a time. (All Cypriots have a relative in Wood Green!) He’s an amusing host and can tell you, amongst other things, how to catch an octopus with a pair of underpants!

Once a week Cydive hold a dinner at the Black Horse and George organises the entertainment, such as goading people to hang upside down drinking a beer through a snorkel! The food in Cyprus incidentally is very in keeping with the English palate and of a generally high standard. Much recommended are the Swordfish steaks.

Cydive is a good place to bump into the famous. I met Anneke Rice when she was filming for the ‘Wish You Were Here’ programme. I managed to get myself on the telly briefly (I was the one behind her, well actually you didn’t see my face but...

When to go! How to get there?

In May/June and Sept/October the temperature still hovers around 30°C (90°F) and it’s a little bit quieter. Peak rates apply from June/August, which coincides with school holidays of course. You only need a shorty suit to dive in throughout the summer months. I have seen people dive in T-shirts, but the thermoclines below 5 metres make it a bit chilly! In winter months a full Suit and windproof are advisable as the Cypriot winter approximates our summer. (I took a drysuit!)

Christmas is celebrated in a big way here. The Cypriots ride mopeds around the streets dressed in full Santa regalia, which is incongruous to say the least in the bright sunshine. The underwater viz is 30m + in summer but can be variable in winter, although still good by UK standards.

Incidentally, there’s snow on the top of Mt.Olympus in January and it is quite feasible to sunbathe on the beach in the morning and go skiing in the afternoon. The only other place in the world that comes to mind where you can do that is New Zealand.

How best to get there can partly be determined by your accommodation requirements. Travelling on your own you can’t do better than get a package from one of the major operators. With a family or in a group you could get a villa, or an apartment.

Shop around and find an operator who flies direct to Paphos Airport, that way you avoid a three hour drive from Larnaca. Car hire is a lot cheaper here than anywhere else in the Greek islands, working out at similar prices to the UK.

Cyprus really does favour the better accommodation being handled by the smaller, specialist operator such as Sunvil who even offer a discount deal on the cost of your diving. You could also book your diving separately

However you get there be careful, remember the saying, if you go to the island once, you will go there nine times, and I suspect that the ninth time you won’t come back!

Photography and text by    Benny Sutton