The sun has an incredible effect on the Cypriot lifestyle and reveals itself in many ways, especially through the diet and characteristics of the inhabitants. A wide array of fruit, vegetables and free-range meat is produced and various influences from Cyprus’s past have resulted in a delicious and healthy diet. A vast array of cosmopolitan and international restaurants are available in all areas of the island and the social aspect of eating together and welcoming friends is a huge part of Cypriot life.

Cyprus also has a long tradition of winemaking that goes back over 4,000 years, and the island produces some excellent local varieties that are competitively priced and of excellent quality. Approximately 10% of the island is covered in vineyards, and many of the smaller family-owned wineries encourage visitors for tastings and lunch. There is also an annual wine festival in Limassol every September at which thousands of locals and visitors unite to celebrate the best of Cyprus’s wines

Surrounded by beautiful beaches and clear, shallow seas, and with a wealth of flora and fauna, local lifestyles are mainly lived outdoors. Extended families decamp at weekends for picnics, barbecues and impromptu gatherings, often exhorting passers-by to join with them for a celebration of life and its bounties.

Cyprus provides a fairly high standard of living, with the costs averaging up to two-thirds less of most parts of Europe or the US, thereby offering a full, but comparatively inexpensive lifestyle.

Fruit, vegetables, meat and fish are of excellent quality and inexpensive in comparison to other countries, and household bills are low with the Cypriot equivalent of Council Tax averaging £100 a year. The economy is strong and expanding; the average annual rate of growth in the past five years has been about 3.8%, while inflation has stood at around 2.9% and unemployment at 3.4%.

Cyprus enjoys a remarkably low crime rate, at 1/6 of the European average. Visitors are invariably surprised and reassured by this relaxed aspect of life on the island, where crime is minimal and theft not commonplace.