BeeCyprus.BEYOND THE VIEW
Small discoveries to bring the landscape into focus. Each fact has a source, and a route back to places in the films.
Climate
300+
days of sunshine
Cyprus’s tourism authority describes the island as enjoying more than 300 days of sunshine a year. That Mediterranean light is part of what makes its coast and mountain landscapes so distinctive on camera.
Landscape
1,952
metres above the sea
Mount Olympos, also known as Chionistra, is the highest point of the Troodos range. The island’s highest summit reaches 1,952 metres above sea level — a very different landscape from the coast.
Geology
Ocean
floor, raised into mountains
The Troodos ophiolite is an exposed fragment of ancient oceanic crust and upper mantle. UNESCO recognises this remarkable geology in the Troodos Global Geopark: rocks once formed beneath an ocean now make up part of a mountain landscape.
Heritage
3
World Heritage entries
Cyprus has three entries on UNESCO’s World Heritage List: Paphos, the Painted Churches in the Troodos Region, and Choirokoitia. They span very different chapters of the island’s cultural history.
Craft
Lace
with a living history
UNESCO traces the tradition of Lefkara lace-making back to at least the fourteenth century. Known as lefkaritika, the craft belongs to the island’s living cultural heritage, alongside the village’s distinctive stone architecture.
Wildlife
2
nesting sea turtle species
Loggerhead and green sea turtles come to Cyprus’s sandy beaches to lay their eggs. The island’s Department of Forests records both species — another reason to look carefully at the life around the shoreline.
Wildlife
Agrino
the Cyprus mouflon
The Cyprus mouflon is endemic to the island and is its largest wild land mammal, according to the Department of Forests. It is especially associated with the Pafos forest, beyond the familiar coastal scenery.
Food & culture
14
Commandaria villages
The Commandaria wine route links fourteen producing villages on the southern slopes of Troodos. Its sweet wine is made with indigenous Mavro and Xynisteri grapes, traditionally dried in the sun before pressing.