Cyprus is a charming island, full of exciting wild flowers and beautiful landscapes, blessed with a sunny climate where the warmth lasts long into the autumn and with delightful, friendly people. Our regular early spring trip to Cyprus has been one of our most popular and repeated trips for many years. This year we will be returning to the same area but at a different season, to catch some late autumn sun and enjoy the Cypriot countryside.

The Cypriot flora has elements from both Europe and Asia and the relative isolation of the island has allowed an endemic flora to develop – of around 1910 plant species in Cyprus, almost one in ten are endemic. In addition to autumn flowering plants, we should also start to pick up some of the earliest ‘spring’ flowers: spring starts very early in Cyprus, surprisingly, well before Christmas!

Whilst obviously focussing on the wonderful wild flowers, we won’t be missing out on any of the other wildlife this island has to offer. Birds, butterflies and reptiles may all be a feature of our days.

Our base is a pleasant family-run hotel on the coast on the Akamas Peninsula, not far from Polis, looking out over Chrysochou Bay. From here, we will explore the surrounding hillsides, fields and meadows in search of autumn bulbs, late summer butterflies and the resident birdlife of the area.

Cyprus has a rich history, and we will spend time at a variety of historical sites including the Paphos World Heritage Site on the Paphos Peninsula.