Cyprus

[gennisis]

After three years here in LOS,I am thinking about a change of scene.

Love hot weather but also like cooler evenings and some 'coldish' days in winter would be nice.

So I am thinking about Cyprus...Phasos area.

Anyone have any thought about this???

My mind isnt made up but am just thinking strongly about it.

[pagallim]

After three years here in LOS,I am thinking about a change of scene.

Love hot weather but also like cooler evenings and some 'coldish' days in winter would be nice.

So I am thinking about Cyprus...Phasos area.

Anyone have any thought about this???

My mind isnt made up but am just thinking strongly about it.

Maybe you mean Paphos? A lot of development during the last 10 years or so on Cyprus, and of course there is still the separation from the north. Property isn't particularly cheap, and living expenses tend to be on the expensive side. Benefit is proximity to mainland Europe of course, but as a lifestyle, it's probably 180 degrees from Thailand. Because it's an island, you'd possible become slightly claustrophobic after a while. As an alternative, think about southern Spain, but inland away from the Costa (fortune). Cool (to cold) in the evening during the winter, especially in the higher areas (Granada etc).

[pattayapip]

Climate is great, But the Greeks have killed it for themselves by being just too greedy, bear in mind they are only 1 generation from being peasant farmers, that is not meant derogatory at all, its just new money and they are greedy. Everything is way overpriced, Mainly a Brit retirement place with huge expat communities, but as i said, Very Expensive !!!! Paphos area nice, but over developed, i remember it in the early 80's, Great !!! Now you cannot see the sea for the Hotels lined up all the way from paphos to Coral Bay.

I own a House just outside Paphos but at this time it remains locked up and sat there, as its not somewhere i want to be anymore.

[nisakiman]

Not been to Cyprus, but I know people who go there a lot (on business), and I'm told that there has been rampant development, and not much of it nice...

You could consider Greece itself - I've lived here for the last 6 years, and I love it. I live on the island of Corfu, which is essentially a tourist island which has also attracted a sizeable expat community, if that's what you're into (I'm not, personally). Being a tourist oriented island, it means that most people here speak English, which makes life a lot easier for non Greek speakers. (Although I do find I can achieve much more, and faster because I speak Greek, for instance marrying and obtaining a residency permit for my Thai wife with no problems.)

The Island itself is one of the most beautiful in the Med, a real emerald isle, with long hot summers and cold(ish) winters. It can go down to zero sometimes! (Not too keen on that myself, being a hot weather person!) The tourist aspect of the island is restricted to certain areas, and a few minutes drive inland takes you to unspoiled Greece. In the summer (April to October) there are direct flights to Northern Europe (a bit over 3 hours to UK), in the winter you have to go via Athens (4 flights a dayfrom here to Athens).

There are of course other islands (lots of them!) further south, but none so green or so cosmopolitan as this one.

It's worth a thought.

[thaihome]

Never been to Cyprus, except to stand in the door of the airplane on a stopover, but Malta is nice and does not have politcal issues.

TH

[gregchambers]

Spent a couple of weeks in Larnaca. 500 euro a month up for furnished studio apartment near the centre, very expensive white goods and cars, petrol cheaper than UK, not very friendly locals and they have huge problems with land title deeds (as in not issuing them as developers then have to pay lotsa capital gain taxes) and the nightlife does not start until after mdnight (too late for me). This was April and it was just getting a little bit too hot in the afternoon but still cool in the nights, so I think very hot in the summer. If you are used to Thailand, as I am, probably not going to be very inspiring. Retirees like it as very low tax rates. Very hard to find a replacement for Thailand when you take into account the cost of living and generally amiable nature of the locals (until you get on the wrong side of one ot them) so be interesting to hear any other alternatives. Inshore locations in Spain et al seem to be dominated by traditional family life and not really interested in joining the living dead!