Paphos Archaeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best Roman mosaic collections in the Mediterranean. The floors of several villas — particularly the House of Dionysos — are extraordinarily well-preserved and open to the open air. The site also includes an ancient odeon, basilica, and the medieval fort on the harbour. See Paphos.
Kourion is arguably the most dramatic ancient site on the island: a Greco-Roman city perched on cliffs above the sea, with a restored theatre that is still used for performances. The surrounding ruins include mosaic floors, public baths, and an early Christian basilica. Located between Limassol and Paphos. See Kourion.
The Troodos Painted Churches are a collection of Byzantine churches in the mountain villages of the Troodos range, several of them UNESCO-listed. Their interiors are covered in frescoes dating from the 11th to 16th centuries, in a remarkable state of preservation given that many are still active parish churches. Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis and Kykkos Monastery are among the most visited.
The Green Line in Nicosia is unlike anything else in Europe: a UN buffer zone running through the middle of a living city, past shuttered houses and rusted signs frozen in 1974. The Ledra Street crossing takes you from a modern EU capital into the quieter, more worn streets of Lefkoşa (North Nicosia) in a few minutes. The contrast is arresting. See Nicosia.
Kyrenia (Girne) in Northern Cyprus has one of the most beautiful small harbours in the Mediterranean — a crescent of medieval fortifications around a fishing port. The castle houses the remarkable Shipwreck Museum, containing a Greek merchant vessel from around 300 BC. Worth the trip across the Green Line.
The Akamas Peninsula in the far northwest is the wildest corner of the island — undeveloped coastline, sea turtle nesting beaches at Lara, and the rugged Avakas Gorge. Accessible by 4WD or on foot; genuinely remote by Cypriot standards.
Bellapais Abbey near Kyrenia is a 13th-century Gothic abbey in a remarkable state of preservation, set above the northern coastal plain with views to the sea. Lawrence Durrell lived in the village below and wrote Bitter Lemons of Cyprus there.
Lefkara is a hill village famous for its handmade lace (lefkaritika) and silver, sold from doorways along narrow stone streets. Touristy, but the village itself is genuinely lovely and the lace is authentic craft work. See Lefkara.