Entertainment on Cyprus rests not on theme parks, of which there are almost none, but on two things — the sea and village exotica. The first line runs out of Larnaca: a sailing yacht is taken whole for four hours, the route follows the southern shore, with swimming stops where the bottom is visible right down to the stones. The company on board is your own, and the music and departure time are agreed in advance.

The second line leads inland, and the surprise there is a camel park near Lefkara. Camels were brought to Cyprus in the nineties; the animals can be fed and children ride them, and Lefkara itself stands nearby — a village known for lace which, by local tradition, Leonardo da Vinci bought here for the cathedral of Milan. A winery usually turns up on the same trip.

Practical notes. The yacht is booked ahead for weekends and for sunset slots, which go first. A hat and sunscreen are needed on board: there is almost no shade on deck and the glare off the water burns twice as hard. Village programmes involve a lot of walking on uneven stone, and one should not approach the camels holding food without the keeper's say-so. In summer it is several degrees hotter inland than on the coast.