Everyday practical information for Cyprus

Power: British plugs

• 240 V, 50 Hz, socket type G - the British three-pin plug, as in Malta.
• Continental European visitors need an adapter.

Language

• Greek is the official language of the Republic, Turkish in the north.
• English is very widely spoken - a British colonial legacy reinforced by tourism - and you can travel the whole island in it.
• Road signs are in Greek and Latin script, with transliterations that vary between signs for the same place.

The rhythm

• The afternoon shutdown is real in summer - many shops close from about 13:00 to 16:00 and reopen into the evening.
• Dinner is late.
• Sunday is quiet outside the resorts.

Custom

• Orthodox monasteries expect covered shoulders and knees, and Kykkos in the Troodos is a working monastery rather than a museum.
• Coffee is a long social event, and asking for "Greek coffee" in the south and "Turkish coffee" in the north is the safe choice in each.