Byzantine monasteries, Gothic urban architecture, and a blend of Greek and Turkish cuisine are all part of the melting pot in this eastern Mediterranean star

For summer weather, go to Cyprus in the fall or spring; the water is warm enough for swimming and diving from May through November. With 340 days of sunshine a year, Cyprus is one place you don't have to worry about having forgotten to pack a raincoat. Winter has mostly shirtsleeve weather, although there is skiing in the mountains.

Under the division, travelers have to know the drill. If you go from one sector to the other, only day-trips are possible. Spending a night in Turkish northern Cyprus, for example, means you'll have to forget about getting back into southern Cyprus and will need to fly home through Istanbul. Getting a visa at the border is simple, and the guards know not to stamp your passport on the north side, which would prohibit your reentry into the south. There are two checkpoints, one for pedestrians and another for cars (on rentals, you have to buy extra insurance, which costs about $20 for three days). You can also walk across and either rent a car in the north or negotiate, as I did, with a taxi driver. I hired one with an air-conditioned Mercedes for $120 a day (plus tip)— as cheap as renting, and without the parking worries.

The country code for calling Cyprus is 357. Prices quoted are for June, which is high season. The U.S. embassy is at Metochiou and Ploutarchou streets in Nicosia (22-776400; www.americanembassy.org.cy).

Lodging
The best hotel in Nicosia, the Hilton is centrally but airily located, and the lobby has an agreeable blend of local and international life but unmemorable restaurants (22-377-777; www.hilton.com; doubles, $288–$365; w). A rank below are the Hilton Park (formerly the Forum), at the edge of town (22-695-111; hilton.com; doubles, $210–$260; w), and two hotels in the city center, the Cleopatra (22-671-000, fax -670-618; doubles, $242–$276) and the Holiday Inn City Centre (22-712-712; www.ichotelsgroup.com; doubles, $310; w).

Since Cyprus is only about the size of Connecticut, once you've day-tripped north you can settle into a hotel and do excursions from there. Paphos, on the west coast, is a good base. The luxurious, pricey Anassa is more of a gated resort than a hotel. The service is so attentive it's almost intrusive, but the fine pebble beach, the flowery grounds, and the landscape are all lovely (26-888-000; www.thanoshotels.com; doubles, $630; w). A sister Thanos property, the Almyra is appealingly contemporary, with all the amenities and prices meant to attract a young crowd (26-933-091; doubles, $120–$570).

The Anassa's rival, the Elysium is a paradoxically convivial mix of nearly funny pomp and coziness. The staff are very attentive (26-844-444; www.elysium-hotel.com; doubles, $276–$352; w). Beside it, Thanos Hotels' Annabelle draws a British clientele, albeit one less spiffy than in its glory days. Like the Almyra and the Elysium, it suffers from the lack of a charming beach, but the pool is fine. Its Mediterraneo restaurant, where Polycarpos Demetriou creates sophisticated but authentic versions of Cypriot cooking, is rightfully famous on the island (26-938-333; doubles, $400–$490; prix fixe, $40; handicapped-friendly).

Dining
Cypriot food is less refined than in the best Istanbul restaurants, but the local produce is excellent. Travelers with a sweet tooth will revel in the pastries, especially the freshly fried honey balls and cream fritters from a man named Hadjinoneokli, near the Kikkos Monastery. The Cyprus wines are quite drinkable; the reds and whites made of local varieties, rather than the copycat cabernets, spoke the most to me. The Elysium hotel served a memorable, open white called Mantinia Mosfellero, with a mouthful of licorice and citrus flavors.

In Nicosia, we dined near the Hilton at the Evohia, where an $18 buffet draws residents of the upscale neighborhood (22-376-219). In northern Nicosia, Halal Restorant Zafer Uzun is a fish restaurant with a good enough reputation for the chief of police and local officials (22-709-500; mezes, about $9).

Two simple restaurants stand out, most notably the Mystery Family Tavern, in Polis, for a mother's cooking and fish caught by her sons (26-321-278; entrées, $9–$20). In nearby Latchi, a tourist town, the Fish Tavern Y&P has been filling its terrace on the port with contented diners since 1939 (26-321-411; entrées, $12–$20).

Reading
Bitter Lemons of Cyprus, by Lawrence Durrell, is a classic portrait of the allure of the island and its people and of their tragic political turmoil (Faber & Faber, $17). Among the many guides, I found the Rough Guide most useful ($19). Serious interest in the architectural sites will be rewarded by reading Ancient Cyprus, by Veronica Tatton-Brown (British Museum Press, $17), and Archaeology in Cyprus, 1960–1985, published by the A. G. Leventis Foundation (www.leventisfoundation.org; $44). The foundation also publishes World Heritage Sites in Cyprus, on the island's major historical attractions ($27), and The Painted Churches of Cyprus, by Andreas and Judith Stylianou ($36). The last four books are available from the Hellenic Centre in London (44-20-7487-5060; www.helleniccentre.org).