Cyprus property has been on the rise for the best part of eight years now, and overseas investment on the island is now some of the most sought after in the world. Prices have risen in enormous degrees, with £6,000 per acre (or £2,000 per donum, the turkish Cypriot land measurement) the expected rate in 2000, and that have now risen to around £30,000 per donum or £90,000 per acre in 2008.

The rise is remarkable, but is it also affordable, and this is what makes Property in Cyprus so appealing; there are gains to be made, but it is not the refuge of the rich and the wealthy, and it is equally the domain of the sensible and the shrewd.

Of course it can, too, be the vestige of many groups, and alongside overseas investment, Cyprus Properties are seeing more and more interest from the retired in Britain.

There are a number of factors that are combining in order to produce this developing sector of retirement investors. The first is that - as an island that was formerly under the wing of Britain when Britain had protectorate status for the island - it is full of English speakers, and indigenous and ex-pat alike are fluent in English.

Britain's former protectorate status also means that the former presence of British military on the island has left behind it a pleasant ex-pat community, making it much easier to adjust in Cyprus than in other Mediterranean countries; not only are Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots more accustomed to the British way of life, but the ex-pat community helps new settlers and can be a real sway for retired investors making their first move abroad.

Of course there are much more frivolous - and all the more pleasant - reasons for the increased interest of the newly retired on the island of Cyprus; it's climate is almost always warm or hot, its rain season refreshes but never down pours, and its natural landscapes are some of the most stunning in the Mediterranean.

The change of life for the retired ex-pat in Cyprus is both at once, upon examination of the evidence, small and large. And therein, at the end of the day, lies its appeal; settling in with the strong ex-pat and welcoming indigenous communities should never be difficult, even at the worst of times, and the Mediterranean ease of living - and its climate - make for a change of pace really worth investing.

So where Cyprus property has been going forward in leaps and bounds, and where overseas investment opportunities have been rising considerably, it is important to remember that there is also a place for the simple holiday maker, and indeed those who have retired and are looking for something genuinely different, and something genuinely beautiful.

As an island, Cyprus truly is going through a unique point in its history; it is ready to come out of the doldrums of partition, it is coming back into the international fold. And Cyprus property, too, is the backbone of the burgeoning economy, attracting a wide demographic of investors, from businessmen, the retired, and holidaymakers alike.