How to belong in Cyprus

Feeling seen, rooted, connected to the island

In Cyprus, you see the paradox all around you: tight-knit villages, strong family ties, and warm greetings. Yet many still feel alone.

Recent pieces have explored this tension: the heartbreak of making and losing friends and how, despite island life, Cyprus tends to be one of the loneliest countries in the world.

Living alone here doesn’t mean being independent – often it means missing a human anchor. And that absence of belonging isn’t just emotional.