Leonid and Katarina had long planned their dream wedding for 2022 at the chic Columbia Beach Resort in Pissouri on the south coast of Cyprus.
Around 80 guests were invited, rooms confirmed, lavish parties over four days and nights. Your big day should be really big.
And then the man from the Kremlin launched his “military special operation” in Ukraine.
Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russians made up more than 20 percent of all tourists to Cyprus, reveals David Davies. He says it’s “no wonder Limassol (pictured) was called Limassolgrad”.
A holiday favourite: The award winning Fig Tree Bay at Protaras in Cyprus – according to David the best beach on the east coast
No wedding, no guests, no rooms needed, no parties.
The reaction of Moscow-born Leonid and Belarusian-born Katarina to the closure of Russian airspace and the cancellation of the usual 100 Aeroflot and Globus flights a week to the island is best left to the imagination. Another seven events at the resort soon went in the same direction.
In 2019, around 800,000 Russians – and quite a few Ukrainians – visited the easternmost member of the EU.
Russians make up more than 20 per cent of all tourists to Cyprus, a figure only surpassed by us British. Or at least they did. This is bad news for the Cypriot economy.
David, who has been holidaying in Cyprus for 30 years, recalls “when Paphos (pictured) was described in brochures as a ‘quiet fishing village'”.
The signs of Russian dominance are everywhere. Many of the ATMs have a Russian language option; Shops hire assistants who speak Russian, and much of the island’s signage is in Russian, pointing to supermarkets, Russian Orthodox churches, and even the odd fur shop.
No wonder Limassol was called Limassolgrad.
I’ve been coming here every year for almost three decades and I remember paphos being described in brochures as a ‘quiet fishing village’.
Embrace the tranquility of the Troodos Mountains pictured in the heart of the island, with Mount Olympus as its summit
David recommends history buffs to visit the Kourion Amphitheater in Episkopi pictured above
And last week, after all restrictions were lifted, including wearing masks, I returned. What I’ve always loved is the almost effortless mix of old and new, antique and modern.
The tranquility of the Troodos Mountains in the heart of the island with Mount Olympus as its peak; unlike Limassol for shopping and night life. If you want history there is the Kourion Amphitheater in Episkopi, near the British military base. It dates from the second century BC. and has enough archeology and culture for the most discerning of us.
Not far away and within easy reach of Paphos is the Kato Paphos Archaeological Park. Magnificent mosaics were accidentally unearthed here in 1962 by a farmer.
“The remains of five Roman villas and their mosaic floors depicting scenes from another era can be seen,” writes David of Kato Paphos Archaeological Park (pictured).
One of the “magnificent” mosaics in Kato Paphos Archaeological Park
The remains of five Roman villas and their mosaic floors depicting scenes from another era can be seen. But please bring a sun hat.
For children, Cyprus loves its water parks. There is WaterWorld near Ayia Napa in the east and between Limassol and Paphos at Fasouri Watermania in the south.
There are plenty of activities both on and under the water in Cyprus, with experienced divers exploring the wreck of the Zenobia ferry which sank off the coast of Larnaca in 1980.
Best Beaches? For me, award-winning Fig Tree Bay on the east coast near Protaras is something to beat – but Coral Bay to the west offers stiff competition.
There are plenty of activities both on and under the water in Cyprus, with experienced divers exploring the wreck of the Zenobia ferry (pictured) which sank off the coast of Larnaca in 1980
Don’t forget the interior of Cyprus, in particular the village of Omodos (pictured) with its monastery, winery and cafes
TRAVEL FACTS
Jet2holidays (jet2.com) is offering seven nights bed and breakfast at Columbia Beach Resort from £1,169 per person including flights from Birmingham. Flights to London and Manchester are also available.
And don’t forget the inland, in particular the village of Omodos, half an hour from Pissouri, with its monastery, winery and cafes.
If golf is your thing, the Aphrodite Hills Championship Course off the main interisland highway is as good as it gets, though it’s often busy — and pricey.
Certainly the Russians will miss Cyprus in 2022. How the island will cope with its absence is another matter. “Prices need to go down,” a Paphos hotelier told me. And ‘Bring us more Brits, please’ was a message I kept hearing.
Marios Nicolaou, owner of several posh restaurants around Limassol Marina, including Epsilon and Gazebo, told me: “Everyone here is worried about what’s around the corner. And we are just as worried about 2023.”
This concern did not appear to be shared by Britons during the Easter holidays – with summer bookings almost back to pre-pandemic levels. And the absence of the Russians may remind some of us of softer times in Cyprus. So this could be an optimal year to visit this beautiful island.
Oh, and Leonid and Katarina postponed their wedding and still hope their big day will be in Cyprus. But they have no idea when that might be.