The island of Aphrodite

Striking turquoise waters lash the rocks beneath my feet as I look towards a tiny uninhabited landmass that lies just off the shoreline of the Chrysochou Bay on the westernmost peninsula of Cyprus. And in 30-degree heat – as it often is from April through November – it seems strange that the cliffs behind me are verdant and covered in thriving shrubs and flora, rather than the bleached coves that we often see across the rest of the Med. What is perhaps even more surprising for such a serene setting is that there is not a yacht in sight.

With almost 400 miles of coastline, Cyprus is a curiosity – being not one but two nations, de facto, with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus occupying one-third of the island and Greek Cypriots the