Skydiving is a cool (if somewhat mad) activity, and I’m told that the island of Cyprus is now a trendy place to do it. It basically entails jumping out of an aircraft at about 10,000 feet, enjoying the exhilaration of freefall, before opening your parachute for a (hopefully) soft landing.

Cyprus has perfect weather conditions for this, with its year-round mild climate. That’s why the island is experiencing an influx of adrenalin-seekers looking to catch a glimpse of this great island from a different perspective to the rest of us. Apparently, skydivers from as far afield as Russia and Australia are travelling to Cyprus to put their heart-stopping skills to the test.

It means too that some are looking at investing in property in Cyprus as a base to enjoy their holiday, without having to worry about hotels and the like. The Red Devils freefall team from the Parachute Regiment, are also regular visitors with the British military dropzone at Kingsfield near Dhekelia, opening for weekend jumps and courses.

For other visitors Cyprus offers the beautiful scenery of the Troodos mountains on the western side of the island, excellent beaches, and countless sites of historical and archaeological interest. A new marina is being created to the west of the large coastal town of Limassol, and there’s talk of converting 25 disused copper mines into various museums and cultural centres. 

Food and wine also feature prominently in Cyprus, with the third Cyprus Wine Competition recently taking place in Paphos, the island’s second largest tourist resort. Elsewhere, visitors can also enjoy the sights of the ancient Kolossi Castle, the Larnaca Salt Lake, the Cedar Valley, the Churches of Troodos, the Paphos Roman mosaics…the list goes on and on. And of course, for the best overview of all this, all you need to do is jump out of a plane; just don’t forget your parachute…!