Travel away Legend has it that Aphrodite, goddess of love and fertility, came into being in the Aegean Sea southwest of Cyprus. And there are plenty of good reasons to follow in her graceful footsteps to this island nation, a dreamy place for a relaxing Mediterranean break. Worlds apart from the boisterous tourist resort of Ayia Napa (Agia Napa), further east, the southwestern countryside around Pafos (Paphos), Lemesós (Limassol) and Larnaca is pleasantly traditional, with crinkled shores lapped by waters of deepest indigo and turquoise. Inland, organic vegetables, pomegranate trees, olive groves and grape vines flourish, and there are characterful towns and villages to explore.
Make like Aphrodite
Cyprus is steeped in ancient legends and peppered with archaeological sites. Before becoming part of the British Empire in the 1870s, the…