Where To Live In Cyprus

Where you might want to settle depends on what kind of lifestyle appeals to you. The three major urban centers of Nicosia, Limassol, and Larnaca put you among the locals. However, many expats (and visitors) choose instead one of the main seaside resort areas of Paphos or Ayia Napa, for example. If a quieter lifestyle is what you’re looking for, there are plenty of villages that would appeal, and many of them are near enough to urban centers that you can enjoy the peace of feeling removed from it all while still taking advantage of modern conveniences.

In Northern Cyprus

Long Beach—the longest stretch of coastline in Northern Cyprus—is renowned as the best beach on the Turkish side of the border. Popular with expats and foreign buyers, it’s the place to be seen (the Miami Beach of this part of the world)…

The long sandy beach is supported by modern infrastructure with paths for cycling and skating, sports and playing fields, food stalls, beach bars, and its famous fish restaurants. If you’re looking for a beachy, seaside lifestyle, then this coastline offers it in spades and is affordable, especially for Mediterranean beachfront.

Nicosia, the largest city on the island, is the only capital left in the world that’s been divided in half across two countries, so you could live on either the northern or the southern side of this city. It’s a cosmopolitan-feeling city with a café culture and gorgeous architecture in the old town. Although about a third of the country’s population lives in the capital, and it’s not such a draw for foreigners, being landlocked and without much by way of tourist attraction. This makes it an authentically Cypriot city, and the population is only about 250,000, though it tends to feel larger than it is.

In Southern Cyprus

Limassol and Larnaca are both port towns, and the two main cities after Nicosia. These are both buzzing little seaside towns, with just as much feeling of a busting atmosphere as the capital. They each have plenty of history and charming old towns, but they are both also home to well-developed coastlines with high-rise condos, hotels, and resorts.

Limassol is famous for its eponymous castle and its port, along with its rich history, including playing a role at the center of the affair involving Richard the Lionheart’s fiancé that sparked the capture of the island during the Third Crusade. The city is home to excellent museums, gardens, historical sites, and a much-loved boardwalk-style promenade, but it’s especially famous for its festivals, including Carnival and events devoted to everything from wine, beer, and street art to flowers, Shakespeare, ancient Greek drama. And with several kilometers of coastline, there’s no shortage of beach for Limassol residents.

Larnaca is a bit smaller than Limassol but boasts plenty of its own museums, historical landmarks, and a boardwalk. In fact, it could be the oldest city in Cyprus, with evidenced of occupation dating to 6,000 years ago. It’s off the coast of Larnaca that thousands of tourists and dive enthusiasts set off to explore the famous wreck of the Zenobia each year. The city is also known as the wine capital of the country. And, of course, the city is hemmed in by gorgeous beaches.

Paphos, legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, has been ranked as the top destination by expats in Cyprus for years running and is home to a large segment of British expats.