Is Cyprus Safe for Solo Female Travelers?
Is Cyprus safe for solo female travelers?
Here’s what you need to know about visiting this Mediterranean island!
I recently visited Cyprus on my own between trips to Egypt and Morocco. While Egypt and Morocco are among the worst destinations for solo female travelers, I found Cyprus to be perfectly fine.
In this guide, I’ll share my experience and recommendations for solo female travelers in Cyprus. But first, let’s talk a little bit more about Cyprus and answer some common questions about this country.
Overview of Cyprus
Cyprus is a small island country in the eastern Mediterranean. Geographically, it’s part of the Middle East. But politically and culturally, Cyprus is part of Europe and it’s a member of the EU.
Due to its location, Cyprus has been influenced by many other civilizations over the millennia, with one-time rulers including the Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, and Ottomans. Cyprus was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1878, when the British stepped in. The island became a British protectorate and colony until 1960, when it became an independent nation. (Although there’s still a small British territory and military base located in the southern part of the island.)
Greek Cypriots make up about 80% of the population, while Turkish Cypriots make up about 20% of the population. The two groups used to live together, but ever since 1974, Turkish Cypriots took control of the northern part of the island and the area is now called the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”
However, Northern Cyprus is only formally recognized by one country: Turkey. There is a border crossing to get into Northern Cyprus from Cyprus. I personally did not visit this part of the island when I was in Cyprus, so all of my thoughts will be based on traveling in the rest of Cyprus.
Around 90% of Greek Cypriots are Greek Orthodox Christians, while 99% of Turkish Cypriots are Muslim. The official languages of the country are Greek and Turkish, although Turkish is really only spoken in Northern Cyprus. English is also widely spoken in Cyprus since it was a British colony until 1960, and tons of Brits live, work, or vacation in Cyprus. Cyprus is a popular tourist destination because of its beautiful beaches and warm, sunny Mediterranean climate (although winters can be chilly!)
Why Visit Cyprus?
Cyprus has a lot to offer for different types of travelers. If you’re after a Mediterranean beach vacation, Cyprus is a great destination. Peak season in Cyprus is summer, July and August.
This is when the beaches will be the most crowded with tons of tourists on summer vacation. June and September are good months to visit if you want lower crowds but great beach weather.
Cyprus is also an excellent historical and cultural destination. Cities like Paphos and Larnaca have a lot to discover when it comes to ancient ruins, historic churches, and other fascinating sites.
Foodies are also in luck because Cypriot cuisine is a delicious mix of Greek and Turkish.
Thanks to its compact size (you can drive across the entire island in about two hours) you can cover a lot of ground in Cyprus even if you have a limited amount of time there. (I’d recommend at least five days.)
Is Cyprus Safe Right Now?
If you look at a map and see the location of Cyprus, it might give you pause.
Located in the eastern Mediterranean and geographically part of the Middle East, the nearest neighbors of Cyprus are Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. With everything going on in this part of the world, you might be wondering if Cyprus is safe because of its proximity to these other countries.
The answer is yes. Cyprus is an island, and even though it looks pretty close on a map, it’s actually far removed from everything that’s going on in the Middle East. Overall, it’s very safe.
The US State Department gives Cyprus a “Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions” rating, which is the safest on the scale of Level 1 to Level 4. The only “warning” they provide is a reminder to only enter Northern Cyprus at official border crossing points if you plan to visit that part of the island.
What About Safety for Solo Female Travelers?
To address safety specifically for solo female travelers in Cyprus, I found Cyprus to be very safe.
There’s a low level of violent crime in the country, although perhaps the biggest thing solo female travelers should be careful about is nightlife. There are certain cities in Cyprus that are known as party destinations (like Ayia Napa and Limassol) and drink spiking and sexual assault are real risks to watch out for.
As is the case anywhere, I’d recommend being very cautious and avoid (or seriously limit) consuming alcohol when you’re out on your own. It’s the best way to avoid getting into a bad situation.
Other than that, Cyprus is safe for solo female travelers. I found the country to be a welcome respite from the near-constant street harassment I had just experienced in Egypt. I could walk around Larnaca (where I was staying) and any other destination in Cyprus without getting any unwanted attention.
Cyprus definitely feels more European than Middle Eastern (it actually didn’t feel Middle Eastern at all to me.) Now this could be different in Northern Cyprus, but again, I did not go there on my trip.
Is Cyprus Good for Solo Travelers?
One thing I have to note about Cyprus is it’s not a destination that’s very common for solo travelers.
In fact, the tourism industry in Cyprus is mainly tailored towards families, groups of friends, or couples. As I mentioned earlier, Cyprus is a popular tourist destination and the country receives over 4 million visitors per year. The majority of those visitors come from the UK, followed by other European countries.
There are lots of hotels and resorts geared towards vacationers on a tour package. It’s not really a destination with a ton of hostels or a defined “backpacker trail” or anything like that.
I found it a little difficult to get around in Cyprus without renting a car, which I didn’t want to do since they drive on the opposite side of the road like in the UK and I’m not a confident driver. There weren’t many tours or activities I could find that would be good for solo travelers. (This was also probably due to the fact that I was visiting Cyprus in mid-February, which is definitely the off-season.)
That being said, even though Cyprus isn’t a popular solo travel destination, I was still able to meet other travelers while I was there and I would still recommend it for other solo travelers.
Is Cyprus Safe for Solo Female Travelers?
Overall, Cyprus is a safe destination for solo female travelers.
Do I think it’s the best destination for solo female travelers? Not exactly, because the country’s tourism industry mainly caters towards families, groups of friends, and couples on a beach vacation.
That being said, Cyprus is not like some Caribbean island where the only thing to do is relax at a resort on the beach. There are plenty of historical and cultural sites I really enjoyed. And while solo travelers are less common here, it’s not impossible to meet other travelers while in Cyprus either.
And I felt very safe and comfortable the whole time I was in Cyprus.
If you’re interested in visiting Cyprus, I’d recommend it for other solo female travelers!
