Known as the country with the cleanest coastal shore and the warmest average temperature in all of Europe, it is no wonder that Cyprus is a favourite among expats and tourists from all over the world.
Cyprus, the third largest Mediterranean island - home to Mount Olympus, was once thought to be the playground of the gods and is now fast becoming a playground for anyone! Cyprus offers breath-taking scenery, sublime weather, astounding diversity, a low crime rate, high, yet very affordable living standards, and easy access to the rest of Europe.
The strong property market and attractive benefits to owning property on the island has made Cyprus the perfect spot for expats. Benefits include guaranteed Permanent Residency if you invest a minimum of E300,000 which means you are entitled to a European Union passport! As such Cyprus is a dream destination for many world citizens and is growing in popularity. It is home to a large expat community that will make you feel right at home. But you won't have to rely on expats to make friends. Cypriots are famously friendly, welcoming and helpful.
In Cyprus you can enjoy the advantages of Europe without the drawbacks of the typical Northern hemisphere climate.
Here are some facts about Cyprus:
- Cyprus has a booming property market with house prices at about 30% less than in Portugal. Cyprus offers lots of property bargains.
- Cyprus offers a quite laid back life style but with a European flair.
- Get ready for an average of 326 days of sunshine (not something most of Europe can claim) and an average temperature of about 28 degrees in summer - and not much lower in winter.
- Being a former British colony most Cypriots speak excellent English and have kept some of the English laws and customs South Africans are also used to. This makes it easy to communicate and do business in the country.
- Food on the island is influenced by Greek and Turkish cuisine. Lovely chewy salty Haloumi cheese originates from Cyprus and the world's oldest wine label, described by King Richard the third as 'the wine of gods' is still being manufactured on the island!
- The island has a predominantly Greek culture in the South while the North is unofficially Turkish
- Very few people realize that Cyprus is geologically very diverse. Of course there are beautiful sandy beaches but there are also rocky coastal inlets, a snow covered mountain range, the North-East is semi-arid almost dessert-like the with almost tropical forests the South-West
- Ancient stone villages dot the landscape with some building dating back to the third century BC, Cyprus is an ancient civilization with many parts of the country declared UNESCO heritage sites
Cyprus is within reach! If you would like to find out more, speak to a specialist consultant at New World Immigration who will discuss your options and the investment process in detail with you.