Every 1st of October, Cyprus celebrates Independence Day. Cypriots honor the day in 1960 when Cyprus gained independence from the British following a long and resentful struggle that lasted from 1955 to 1959. Schools, offices and many shops are closed on this day.

 Independence Day is celebrated with festivals at schools and communities, parades, parties, and processions. The main event of the day is a big military parade, which takes place in the center of the capital. The day ends with an open reception at the Presidential Palace.

Aglandjia Festival is a cultural festival that lasts for three days. Since 2007 locals and guests of the capital have enjoyed the festivities for over two weeks. The festival takes place in summer, middle of June – beginning of July.

The festival's program includes dance, theatrical, and music performances. All events take place at the cultural center To Skali.

Epiphany or 'Ta Fota,' in Cyprus, which means 'the light,' held on January 6, is a big festival that celebrates Christ's baptism in all the harbors. The Bishop leads a procession of school children and members of various youth organizations accompanied by the local band along to the harbor.

During the Epiphany service, the Bishop dramatically tosses his processional cross into the sea to bless the waters, and scores of local lads dive in quickly to retrieve it - he who gets the cross is ensured of good luck for the year! Everyone spends time in the harbor area, and everyone wanders around dressed in their best clothes and enjoying a tray of loukoumades (tiny honey-soaked doughnuts) bought from the roadside stalls.

The biggest and the famous wine festival of Limassol is held annually from the end of August until September. The festival's main events are Greek music and dancing that entertain thousands of visitors. Other events are magic shows, comedy shows, and concerts of the Municipality Philharmonic Orchestra that perform at some venues.

The festival shows the process of grape treading with cultural dance and music. Also, the visitors can enjoy various kinds of free traditional food and wine tastes.

Paphos International Chamber Music Festival is one of the most renowned chamber music festivals in Europe. Events occur in PASYDY Auditorium in Nicosia and the Royal Manor House at Kouklia in May and June. The unique setting and great music draw some of the world’s best musicians and many music lovers. Chamber concerts, recitals, and lecture series are given during the festival. Pharos Trust has organized the International Chamber Music Festival since 2000. It is supported by the Kouklia Community Council and the French Cultural Center.

International Kypria Festival is a famous arts and culture festival lasting most of September and October. It offered some of the best dance, music, and theatre by locals and renowned international artists from the rest of the world. The presentations are numerous and held all over the island.

The “KYPRIA” Festival has hosted several celebrated music ensembles of

 worldwide renown such as the English National Symphony Orchestra, the Madrigalisti di Venezia, the European Union Baroque Orchestra, the Salzburg Philarmonic Chamber Orchestra, as well as the Mikis Theodorakis Popular Orchestra, the State Orchestra of Greek Music conducted by Dionysis Savvopoulos, and the Orchestra of the Academy of St Martin in the Field.

Afrobanana Republic Festival is the biggest summer festival held in Val’s Place in Giulia that lasts three days and features the best music, art, food, and family activities. This festival promotes a holistic experience, with an itinerary of workshops to stimulate the mind, body, and soul and activities for all ages, immersive art experiences, movie and animation projections curated by Animafest, and interactive theatre by Antiskino.DJs and performers from around the world are complemented by some of the island’s finest music makers.

Street Life Festival takes place in early May, in the center of the old town of Limassol in Saripolu Street. Street Life Festival hosts the most creative and interactive events of Limassol, such as Graffiti, juggling, skateboarding, body painting, street massaging, and live music. Everyone can take part in the event, taking the paint and creating a masterpiece of street art! Over the years, the street art festival in Limassol has gained immense popularity and has drawn more than 10,000 artists and spectators onto the city streets.

Kataklysmos is a water-based festival along the Molos promenade, on Saturday Pentecost and Whit Monday. This one-of-a-kind event marks the day of the Holy Spirit but is also linked to ancient pagan ceremonies held in honor of the goddess Aphrodite and Adonis.

Seafront promenades are full of stalls selling traditional food and toys. Competitions are held in rhyming songs in the Cypriot dialect. Swimming, boat, and canoe races are held, and dance troupes perform the traditional dances of the island. The most famous custom of “Kataklysmos” is that throwing water at one another symbolizes the purification of the body and soul.

St. Hilarion Castle is the most beautiful castle and best-preserved ruin of the island’s 11th-century fortifications, perched high in the Kyrenia mountain range, overlooking the Mediterranean and the surrounding North Cyprus landscape. Originally a monastery, the fortress gets its name from a local ascetic and hermit known as Hilarion, who attracted devout followers during the 4th century. A 20-minute hike from Girne takes visitors up past the castle’s stables and soldiers’ quarters to the royal residence and church. A restored staircase leads to a hilltop guard tower where visitors can enjoy a panoramic vista of the mountains, valleys, and shoreline.

Kato Paphos Archaeological Park combines ancient Greek and Roman social and cultural life, located in the southwestern city of Paphos. The site is an ancient city inhabited from prehistoric to Middle Ages. From the worship of gods to details of the early Christians, the ruin gives insight into the lives of the island's early inhabitants.

The most impressive sites include Roman villas built around the 3rd century A.D. The ancient homes are named after their preserved mosaic floors, which feature pictorial narratives of Greek and Roman mythology. Nearby in the Agora is the Odeion, a recently restored 2nd-century theater. With its granite columns, thick walls, and corner towers, the Saranta Kolones fortress constructed in the 7th century is worth a visit as well.

The third-largest city in the country, after Nicosia and Limassol, is the beautiful city of Larnaca, situated on the southern coast of Cyprus. Larnaca is known for its palm-tree seafront, also called Foinikoudes, and the Church of Saint Lazarus, Hala Sultan Tekke, Kamares Aqueduct, and Larnaca Castle.

Just to Larnaca's west, the salt lake is packed full of flocks of pink flamingos during spring, and plenty of hill villages and cultural tourist attractions lie in the surrounding hinterland. It also is home to the largest airport in Cyprus, located 6 km to the southwest of the city center, the Larnaca International Airport.

Nissi Beach, a famous white sandy beach that graces the shores of the resort city of Ayia Napa, is renowned for its lively beach party scene. Boasting a 500-meter (1,640-foot) stretch covered with the finest white sand and pristine blue waters, Young people flock to its powder-white sands to sip libations at the famous Nissi Bay Beach Bar, and DJs play music day and night. Like all the beaches in Ayia Napa, there’s a water sports center in Nissi where visitors can enjoy everything from paragliding and windsurfing to water-skiing and pedal boating. The shallow crystal-clear water makes Nissi Beach perfect for wading and swimming as well. 

Located 14 kilometers west of the city of Limassol on the island of Cyprus, Kolossi Castle is a single three-story keep with an attached rectangular enclosure or bailey about 30 by 40 meters. It was initially built in the 13th century and rebuilt in its present form in the 15th century. It shows a fine example of medieval military architecture and is directly connected with several important events, constituting various interesting folds of Cyprus's agelong and stormy history.

While not much remains of the original complex beyond the sturdy stone walls of the keep, a spiral staircase lead visitors to the roof-top battlements for breathtaking views of the vineyard-covered peninsula and the blue Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, It held great strategic importance in the Middle Ages and contained extensive facilities for sugar production from the local sugarcane, one of Cyprus's main exports in the period.

One of Cyprus's stunning ancient architectural buildings is the Orthodox Church of Saint Lazarus, locally known as the Ayios Lazaro church stands over the tomb of Lazarus. Its impressive architecture and intricate interior represent Byzantine handiwork in Cyprus.

Yearly, the Church hosts a religious procession of the saint through Larnaca eight days before Easter. The Byzantine Museum is also just 800 meters (2,625 feet), an eight-minute walk from the Church.

Situated on the southeast coast is a stunning coastal national park known as Cape Greco. It offers picturesque views, with a variety of walking trails that start just east of the resort of Agia Napa.

There is a beautiful variety of local flora here, particularly many of Cyprus' endemic wild orchids bloom in early spring. Still, the real highlight is the gorgeous coastal scenery with the azure blue sea beyond. It is undoubtedly one of the best places to visit in Cyprus.

The Tombs of the Kings near Paphos is a large necropolis dating back to the 4th century BC, lying about two kilometers north of Paphos harbor in Cyprus. The Tomb was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980. The site was the final resting place of Ptolemaic aristocrats and high officials; despite the name, there is no evidence of any royalty buried here.

The tombs are meticulously carved out of solid rock and decorated with Doric columns. The impressive architecture, magnificence, and solemnity of the site are worth a visit to anyone interested in the history of Cyprus.

Found in the Troodos Mountains near Nicosia, Omodos Village is the leading destination for wine enthusiasts in Cyprus. Wine-tasting stalls offer local varietals like Mavro and Xynisteri samples, and restaurants and bars serve traditional fare.

With its cobbled streets, stone houses, and lush gardens, Omodos is well worth visiting for its magnificence and charm. The town’s 17th-century monastery is home to several museums, including an icon museum that features extraordinary wood carvings and an extensive collection of icons.