Summer sailing and sunbathing, anyone? It may measure in at a trim 3,572 square miles in size, but the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is expansive in opportunities for travelers seeking to unwind and soak in the season. Thanks to numerous Blue Flag Beaches — a designation awarded to beaches and marinas meeting specific environmental standards including cleanliness — visitors can feel confident about engaging in water activities including swimming, windsurfing and kitesurfing.

© Deputy Ministry of Tourism Cyprus

Calm, flat waters and pleasant temperatures make for sailing and yachting year-round. Visitors can enjoy the waters themselves or become spectators for numerous scheduled races and regattas. Due to wind conditions for windsurfing and kitesurfing, particularly popular areas include the Larnaka (Larnaca) beaches near Mazotos and Kiti villages. Licensed water sports outfitters operate along many public beaches, offering wakeboarding, bodyboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, jet skiing, water skiing, tube rides, banana boats, canoeing and kayaking.

Warm, plankton-free waters and excellent visibility allow Cyprus to boast one of the Mediterranean region’s longest diving seasons. Sunken wrecks and vibrant marine life are consistent draws. The remains of MS Zenobia are a highlight, ranking as one of the world’s top 10 wreck dive locations. Sinking in 1980 off the coast of Larnaka on her maiden voyage, the MS Zenobia was a Swedish Challenger Class roll-on-roll-off ferry laden with 108 articulated lorries that now float in ghostly suspension within the ship’s cargo bay.

© Deputy Ministry of Tourism Cyprus

Another popular dive site is Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa, the first underwater sculpture museum on the planet. This museum was created to rewild the surrounding seabed. Located next to an artificial reef formed with the sinking of Kyrenia in 2015, the museum features more than 90 submerged works of art created by sculptor, environmentalist and underwater photographer Jason deCaires Taylor.