Friday Travel Tip - Cyprus - Is Cyprus A Safe Place To Visit?

Most people think about Cyprus in relation to the 1974 Turkish invasion. This isn't an unfair thought, since the Turkish army is still occupying the Northern part of the country. There are still military guards from the Greek Cypriot army, the Turkish army, and the UN stationed all along the line. There is a great swath of land that is a no go zone for anybody except the military and it's been that way since 1974.

While these areas look fairly intimidating with their guard posts, old buildings with bullet holes, and oil drums blocking streets, life in Cyprus couldn't be further from this. There is no gunfire anymore, nobody is attacking anybody, while there is a political stalemate between The Turkish-Cypriot And Greek-Cypriot Communities, life for the average Cypriot is fairly normal. To give you a good idea of how calm it is, the main tourist street in Nicosia (Ledras) goes right up to the buffer zone, and meters from the border you can find a KFC and McDonald's.

The buffer zone has become an active tourist destination with tours available and walking trails along the buffer zone. There are rules that have to be respected, such as don't climb across any barriers, and no photography of many parts of the buffer zone. If you follow all posted signs and listen to the guards at any post, there is no danger to any tourist visiting this awesome country.

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