Diving

If you love discovering remains, rocks or shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea, Cyprus is a perfect spot for a varied and interesting choice of dives. Either Larnaka or Lemesos is a good base for diving. The prime location is the Zenobia shipwreck, rated as one of the world's top-ten diving wrecks. Situated off the coast of Larnaka, this sunken cargo ship is almost completely the same as it was when it sank in 1980. You have to be a qualified diver to go to the depths of 17m to 43m.

The ship is around 200m long and still has its cargo on board. The fish have made the wreck their home, and you'll see lovely creatures such as giant tuna, barracuda, amberjack and eel swimming in and out of the Zenobia's nooks and crannies.

Another fascinating shipwreck is the site of the Vera K in Pafos (10m below sea level), which touched bottom in the 1970s. It has since been used as a military practice target; and its two arches have served as a romantic background for underwater photography.

Officially called the Helicopter Wreck, a British Army Air Corps helicopter wreck is an attraction for divers off the coast of Larnaka. Located 16m below sea level, this place is a magnet for creatures like octopus, jack and groper.

A more recent wreck is M/Y Diana in Lemesos, a 50ft Russian yacht, discovered in 1996. It was found sitting upright on the seabed, 21m below sea level. Apart from being used as a training spot for divers for wreck and night dives, the yacht is home to elegant sea creatures like large squid.

The Pharses II wreck in Lemesos (21m below sea level) is so busy with marine life that you might witness some sea rage on this cargo ship. The wreck is around 1000 tonne in weight and is intact. It rests on its starboard, and entry is strictly supervised.

But it's not all shipwrecks under the sea. The Cypriot Mediterranean hides some beautiful underwater caves such as the Big Country (23m below sea level), a multilevel cave site near Lemesos, and Akrotiri Fish Reserve (9m below sea level), a dive ideal for the inexperienced but enthusiastic, also near Lemesos. You can hand-feed lovely fish, like groper, eel, sea bass, and sometimes octopus too. But if you love octopus, then go to the obviously named Octopus Reef in Larnaka (10m below sea level), where schools of the multilimbed creatures relax in the water.

For serious divers, Mushroom Rocks (50m below sea level) offers a real challenge, as well as large-fish sighting. The name comes from the mushroom-shaped rock, growing from the sea floor near Larnaka. And for those who want to see some underwater ancient history, the Amphorae Reef in Pafos (5 to 10m below sea level) is the perfect place. There is an abundance of pottery lying around in the shadow of a massive ship beached on the reef, shed by this and other similar unfortunates.