Work and relax simultaneously. Cyprus for IT-workers

The island in the eastern Mediterranean - Cyprus - is known as a popular outsourcing place for IT-workers from all over the world, and in particular from Europe. What exactly attracts them on this small piece of land among the waters of the Mediterranean Sea?! Webdevelop had an opportunity to test this phenomenon on its own experience.

IT-workers often boast an opportunity to plan their working hours independently and, more importantly, to plan their vacation. If you are not an office worker but a freelancer or outsourcing contractor, then you work at home (either in a coworking or in a cafe, or maybe in a park on green grass - you choose by yourself, what is still one of the advantages). In this case, all trump cards are in your hands, and if you got a cheap ticket on the plane to the azure coast, then it is not a problem to pick up suitcases during a day (or even less) and go on the road without worrying about the permission from the bosses at work. Of course, it is worth to warn in advance that you may be absent at a specific time, for example, at the time of getting to your destination. But at the moment it is not about that. The fact remains that you are not tied to the general corporate schedule when and who should go on vacation.

That way Webdevelop team visited Cyprus. At the end of the spring, everybody wants to be charged with the energy of the summer sun - therefore the choice remained on the island of Aphrodite.

Why Cyprus?

The beautiful island where it’s almost year-round sunny! In winter, the average temperature is around +15 per centigrade. The swimming season reaches half a year (from mid-spring to mid-autumn), and the sea is terrific (the European variant of the Maldives). The island itself is rich in exciting tourist spots - archaeological parks, mysterious wild beaches, high mountains with incredible landscapes and everywhere you can find something special for yourself! Tourists have a comfortable opportunity to rent a car and travel the entire island (including the occupied territory) because the roads are high-quality and practically everywhere. Therefore, immediately advice number 1 - be sure to rent a car and explore the island by yourself, without any guides.

What are the comfortable conditions on the island for IT-workers?

1. The most critical condition for remote work is, of course, the availability of the Internet. Considered that there is no problem with this here. Generally, WI-FI is almost everywhere - in cafes, in hotels and even on the beaches. But be prepared for its different quality! On personal experience, it was checked that for general use - correspondence, Skype-talk, video content viewing, and simple surfing the Internet - everything is ok. But for uploading of files, this may not be enough. Therefore, to coordinate these nuances before the trip with the owner of the apartment (or with hotel staff), so that they will have prepared everything you need.

2. The next moment is a visa and other documents for traveling to the Republic of Cyprus. We think that there are no particular problems for the residents of different countries in the world with this. But since we went from Ukraine, we could definitely answer for such a case. For a trip to Cyprus, we needed only to fill out an application (only one sheet), preloaded it on the site of the embassy of Cyprus, and send it by e-mail to the desired address. The next day we got an electronic visa, with which we went to the island. There is nothing easier!

3. The language factor. There should not be a barrier here either. Every local resident speaks English (the English past of the island makes itself known), and that’s fine! Even with a basic level of English, you come to an understanding with everyone. Also, it is worth noting that the Russian language also has a good position everywhere on the island. Consequently, there is no language problem for the IT-workers on Cyprus.

4. Many sources say that Cyprus has a large number of outsourcing companies and various coworkings. Unfortunately, we were not able to verify it personally. Perhaps because of the fact that we chose Ayia Napa, which is a pure tourist town, something like office centers, we did not see at all. Instead, the island has many options for renting of various apartments - from the budget sector to luxury villas. We stopped at this type of housing - rented an apartment from a local resident. It was a delightful experience of communicating with the Cypriots and the absolutely unproblematic process of booking (Airbnb will help you!).

5. The sea is close, and many beautiful beaches are located directly in the city. It is very convenient to combine work with rest. Besides, on the coasts, there are many comfortable beach clubs. There is an opportunity to connect to a good Internet, to sit in the shade of bungalow, to charge devices, and to alternate work moments with bathing in the sea.

6. The infrastructure on the island is well developed. Therefore there is no shortage of different types of cafes/restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, and even nightclubs.

What would we recommend for a compulsory visit on Cyprus?

1. Since the sea is the main feature of the island (and it is perhaps the best in Europe), then definitely you need to visit its main beaches.

• The first is Nissi Beach - quite a crowded and noisy beach. But the color of the water here is offset by the above facts. You will not find a better place to combine a fun party with friends and amazing blue views of the sea!

• The second place is the charming Blue Lagoon near the Akamas peninsula. This beach is on the very opposite side of the island (northwest), but you just have to see this local beauty. Brief information on how to get there: go to the Lachi village > then go to the Aphrodite bath (in the Akamas Nature Reserve) > nearby safari jeeps run to the blue lagoon (transfer costs 10-15 euros for both sides).
  Schedule enough time to enjoy this beauty, because, the attention!!!, there is a descent to the water and there is an opportunity to swim in this beautiful water. Yes, the beach is not typical here (because do not forget that everything is located in the reserve area), but this is not a problem. You will definitely find a cozy place on a stone somewhere.

• The third beach is maybe not so prominent in point of view of the azure water, but it is a very atmospheric place. This beach is associated with the birth of Aphrodite. In fact, there are gorgeous mountain bays and cozy wild beaches - ideal areas for relaxation!

2. The ancient history of Cyprus motivates to visit the main settlements of the ancient Greeks. There are a lot of them, and a majority is located near Limassol, Paphos and on the Turkish part of the island.

3. The Troodos mountain range is worth visiting because of its road’s serpentine! Also, the view on Cyprus from the height of the mountains is impressive - the whole island like on your hand. Our main point on the top was the Kikkos Monastery. Ascension to it and descent down - provide you a full-scale sightseeing tour of the mountains of Cyprus.

Conclusion

Cyprus is definitely comfortable for combining remote work with the rest near the sea! Among the minuses, we would only outline the next moment - it is not the best option to stay in purely touristic spots like Ayia Napa. It is quite a noisy place, and the local infrastructure is aimed only at numerous tourists - which means higher prices and the lack of large supermarkets nearby. However, this minus is singled out only because of the comfortable workflow. In general, if possible, try to stay in several different towns and then you can enjoy the main benefits that each offers.