If you could sneak your way past the UN guards and local toughs patrolling the Green Line, Cyprus would be two countries for the price of one. Unfortunately, this really is a country divided - since 1974, visitors have had to choose between the Turkish experience of the north and the Greek experience of the south. Most have chosen the southern Republic, and as a consequence this part of the country has broken out in a nasty rash of pastel hotels and chips-with-everything tavernas.

With a bit of effort, however, it's possible to escape the hordes and immerse yourself in a culture that draws on Europe, the Middle East, and 9000 years of constant invasion. Crusader castles rub shoulders with ancient vineyards, frescoed monasteries overlook citrus orchards, and sandy, sun-soaked feet tread Roman mosaic floors.

The shoulder seasons - April/May and September/October - are the most pleasant times, climatically, to visit Cyprus. Summer - June to August - can be very hot, and winter is sometimes wet but still pleasant

An island in the far eastern Mediterranean Sea, below Turkey and to the west of Syria, Cyprus is is actually two countries - the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognised only by Turkey) and the southern Republic of Cyprus. There are two large mountain ranges on the island: the Kyrenian Range in North Cyprus and the Troödos Massif in the centre of the Republic. The northern mountains are mainly limestone, the southern are volcanic rock. These ranges are separated by the Mesaoria Plain.

Cyprus has always been an island, and many Cypriot species, particularly plants, are found nowhere else in the world. There are three main habitats in Cyprus: the mountain ranges, the coastal plains and the cultivated lands. The coastal plains are irrigated by seasonal streams, and some support citrus orchards, but native flora and fauna have been largely displaced by tourism. The best areas to see wildlife are the mountainous areas of the island and the Akamas Peninsula (which, although not a national park, has been managed for conservation). The North, being less touristed, also has a larger population of native flora and fauna. Keep an eye out for griffon vultures, foxes, fruit-eating bats, sea turtles and moufflon, a wild sheep endemic to Cyprus.

The Cypriot climate is typically Mediterranean, with very hot summers in July and August. Most of the year is dry, with unpredictable rains falling in December, January and February. Cyprus often suffers drought years, and water is such a scarce commodity that it is often rationed.