The beautiful town of Kyrenia is only 30 mins drive from Nicosia and is considered the heart of what little tourist industry there is in the north of Cyprus. Though Kyrenia town spreads over a substantial area, with new suburbs extending both inland and along the coast, the compact old town centre is what most visitors go to see. Parts of the traffic-free centre have been paved over with unattractive cement slabs and the neon-lit adverts are an unwelcome new addition, but visitors don't have to wander far to find themselves in shady squares lined with attractive cafes and restaurants.
But the town is defined for most by the pretty horseshoe harbour, overlooked by a magnificent Byzantine castle. Small yachts and motorboats are the harbour's only visitors now, the large commercial ships having been displaced to the 'new' port area some 2km to the east. Cafes line the harbour wall and narrow streets lead up to the old town.
After the writer Lawrence Durrel set up home in the foothills above the town many Brits followed suit and Kyrenia now hosts a substantial British ex-pat community. Many British and virtually all Greeks fled in 1974 when the Turks invaded but today Kyrenia, probably more than any other northern town, has recovered from the turbulence and enjoys a growing influx of visitors.

The huge Kyrenia Castle dominates the shoreline. It was built on a headland overlooking the small harbour to the west and another bay to the east in Byzantine times and surrendered to the Ottomans in 1570 after the Venetians were ousted from Nicosia. It looks as though the Venetians could have held out for some time within the huge rectangular structure with its four massive bastions at each corner.
Visitors can walk right around the ramparts, though the route can be tricky in places and you need a head for heights. There is a marked route around the whole structure and it's advisable to stick to it.
Many rooms and chambers lead off the central courtyard which how forms a small shady park. To the west of the courtyard are the old prisons, now housing madeup figures in various stages of torture. To the east is a temperature controlled chambers that now houses the Kyrenian shipwreck, one of the oldest vessels ever to be recovered from the Mediterranean. It is thought to be a cargo boats carrying almonds, grain and wine from Kos which sank off the coast about 300BC. It was discovered in 1967 by a local diver. A reconstruction shows what the vessel must have been like and the original timbers can be viewed in a special dimly lit chamber.

The folk art museum is found at Kyrenia harbour and housed in a typical 18th century building. On the ground floor is an impressive oil press, primitive ploughs and other agricultural instruments, large earthenware fan and workbench. On the upper floor are examples of traditional crochet, embroidery, bedspreads, tables covers, head scarves and other household items from various parts of Cyprus. Another room shows a traditional kitchen with water jugs, wooden and ceramic bowl and other domestic artefacts. The third and largest room has a wooden bed, cupboard, and cabinets of clothes.

Beaches west of Kyrenia
There are no beaches in the town of Kyrenia itself but there are some decent spots both east and west if you have transport. The beaches to the west of Kyrenia are all private and belong to the hotels built nearby but day visitors are welcome - for a price. These beaches usually have plenty of tourist trappings like loungers, watersports and restaurants.

Kervansaray Beach
About 6km west of Kyrenia is the popular, sandy and private Kervansaray Beach in a pretty cove. It can be found on the right after driving through Karaoglanoglu at the Gülers Fish Bar. Park on the roadside and walk down to the beach where there are sun loungers for hire and a small beach bar serving drinks and ice cream. There are restaurants overlooking the beach with a good selection of food.

Escape Beach
The private Escape Beach has several other names - Five Mile Beach (the approximate distance from Kyrenia), Sunset Beach and Yavuz Cikarma in Turkish. The area is landscaped with grass and flowers. There is little shade but sun loungers and umbrellas are for hire and a large restaurant overlooks the sands. A rocky islet protects the beach from the open sea though swimmers who venture beyond the island have been drowned in the strong currents. A sand bank connects the islet to the shore and you can paddle across if you wish to. Water sports are available, including jet skis, canoes and pedal boats. There is also a scuba diving school. It can get very busy in the summer thought the eastern end, where jet skis and boats are banned, is much quieter. Open-air night parties bring in the youngsters with club music from European Djs. A white monument above the beach announces (in Turkish) that this was the spot where the 1974 invasion began.

Deniz Kyzy
Around the headland is the private Deniz Kyzy or Mermaid Beach. Set in an attractive horseshoe bay the beach belongs to two hotels, the Deniz Kyzy and Deniz Kyzy Royal, so it can get very busy. Just above the beach is a large freshwater swimming pool open to the public. As well as the usual sun loungers there is a variety of water sports including windsurfing, water skiing and fun rafts for the children. There are several steps down onto the sand so it is not suitable for people with walking difficulties.

Green Coast
A holiday village here has dumped sand to improve the beach, also called Guzelyali, but it quickly turns to shingle and harp stones out at sea. Beach shoes are a must for swimmers. There is a restaurant on the beach ansd showers and toilets. The complex has a large car park.

Alsancak Beach
This attractive, small, private, sandy beach has recently been open to the public. There is a sign to it from the Alsancak Restaurant on the main road. The area was until recently under military control and there are still several warning signs around but these can be safely ingnored. There is a pleasant restaurant overlooking the sea.

Mare Monte
This long stretch of sand belongs to the Mare Monte Hotel beach about 9km west of Kyrenia. There are all the usual hotel facilities such as bar, shower, sun loungers and so on. It is very popular beach with the locals so the weekends are usually busy. There are a large number of steps to the beach so its not for those who have difficulty walking.

LA Beach
The LA Hotel has a good sandy beach which is well looked after. Along with the usual facilities, loungers, showers, toilets and so on there is a good selection of water sports.

Camelot Beach
Still heading west of Kyrenia, beyond the villages of Karaoglanoglu and Alsancak is the village of Lapta. Here a small private sandy beach, also called Incirli Plaji, is signposted from the Friends Beach Bar and Restaurant. The shoreline water is very shallow making it ideal for children. There is the restaurant and a bar, free toilets and sun loungers for hire.

Beaches East of Kyrenia
Some beaches are public and free but they tend to be more isolated and have fewer facilities. Fewer visitors as well, so more attractive and unspoiled

Diana Beach
About 2km east of Kyrenia is the village of Karakoum and a sign for the private Diana Beach, a small cove of sand past some new villas. Sand has been dumped by the lorry load to make it more attractive but it gets rocky underfoot in the water. There are sun loungers to rent and a small restaurant for food and drink. There are also jet skis to hire, which can make for a noisy day for those not into watersports.

Catalkoy Beach
This private beach is about 7km east of Kyrenia and wel signposted off the main road. It is relatively small, a thin sickle of sand in a small bay, protected by a rock headland that sweeps around it. There are sun loungers and a diving platform as well as a small restaurant at the back of the beach. There is a good horseriding stable here and you can ride along deserted beaches or through the mountains. Catalkoy is a large picturesque village with a good selection of shops and restaurants nestled in foothills of the Five Finger Mountains. Many Europeans have build luxury homes in the area.

Acapulco Beach
Just before the road sweeps up into the mountains is the big sandy beach at Vyrsi now completely dominated by the Acapulco Hotel complex. The road passes through an army camp before it reaches the entrance to to the holiday complex which caters for the package tour trade. The beach is fine clean sand and the hotel provides all needs for eating and drinking. Signs warn of strong currents out at sea and waves tend to be big so children should be supervised. There is also a very large swimming pool with waterslides - said to tbe the biggest on Cyprus and lots of sports, from beach volleyball to tennis courts. Entry prices are steep but you do get use of the hotel's indoor gymn, jacuzzi and sauna for you entrance fee.

Lara Beach
Also known as Vakiflar Beach and not to be confused with Lara beach in the south, this private beach is about 3km east of Vyrsi and popular with British ex-pats who have quite a community around here. The dark sand looks a little scruffy but its pleasant enough and all the facilities including toilets, showers and changing rooms and a reasonable open air restaurant.

Alagadi Beach
These public sands are is also known as Turtle Beach for obvious reasons. It's about 20km from Kyrenia. Access is down a rough track to two beach strips either side of a small headland of shingle and sand backed by low dunes. Alagadi is a sandy beach and the water stays shallow for quite a distance. There is a small islet that you can wade to though the sea floor is very rocky. Facilties are limited to a restaurant on the main road and the Green Turtles Beach Bar in summer but there are toilets there. Green and loggerhead turtles come and lay their eggs in the summer. During the egg-laying season the beach area for sitting on is marked out with red painted markers. Beaches are closed overnight and patrolled by students in the egg laying season from June to October.

The sights around Kyrenia are some of the finest in Cyprus not least because of the scenic backdrop of the Kyrenian range of mountains. There is a sizeable British ex-pat community here thanks in part to the writer Lawrence Durrell who made his home for several years in a hillside village and popularized it in his book The Bitter Lemons of Cyprus. Add a sprinkling of lofty castles perched high on the mountaintops, attractive hill villages and some impressive archaelogical ruins and its easy to see why visitor numbers are rising year on year.

Most day tour visitors to the north will take in Bellapais, also called Beylerbeyi, for two reasons which lies about 5km south east of Kyrenia. One is see the abbey, the other to visit the village that was home of the writer Lawrence Durell in the mid 1950s. The village is perched on the foothills above Kyrenia and may be too twee and touristy for some tastes. The streets are too steep, narrow and winding to take the daily tour buses which disgorge visitors on the outskirts for a steep walk up the hill. The village described by Durrell in his book Bitter Lemons of Cyprus has long disappeared. The 'tree of idleness' under which his characters sat is still there though there is some dispute between a mulberry near the abbey coffee shop and a Japanese pagoda at a nearby restaurant. Both now provide shade for tourist tables full of lager and crisps. A yellow plaque marks the door of the author's former house which is now a private residence.
On the edge of the village and overlooking the Kyrenian plain is the impressive Augustinian Bellapais monastery. It was begun in the 12th century by monks who fled the wars in Palestine. Cloisters and a large refectory were added in the following century. The dark church is in a good state of repair, as is the cloister area but much has been lost over the years though the complex still very beautiful and visitors can walk around the upper storeys for impressive views.

The lofty, fairytale castle of St Hilarion sits on a high bluff overlooking the coastal plain about 8km south west of Kyrenia. Full of hidden rooms, tunnels and overgrown gardens it is a children's delight. The castle is named after a monk who lived in a cave on the hillside and was begun in the 10th century with a church and monstery over his tomb. Its strategic position as a watchtower over the whole plain and between castles at Kantara and Buffavento saw it extensively extended both as a military outpost and a summer palace after the arrival of the Venetians. There are three main parts, or floors (eciente), though the divisions are not immediately apparent.
Lower Enciente: This is where visitors enter through the barbican and is the main military garrison and stables.
Middle Enciente: Once protected by a drawbridge this area had barrack rooms, a church and royal apartments.
Upper Enciente: Guarded by a Byzantine tower the upper area has a central courtyard surrounded by royal apartments, kitchens and various chambers all topped by Prince John's Tower - not a climb for the less than fit - where the views are truly breathtaking.

The name means 'buffeted by winds' and the lofty fortress of Buffavento Castle perched precariously 940m up the mountainside about 20km south east of Kyrenia overlooking the Mesarya Plain to the south and the Kyrenia Plain to the north. Little known of its origins but it was captured by Richard the Lionheart in 1191 and later used as a prison by the Lusignans. The castle in not in a great condition and much lies in ruins but there are a couple of good chambers in the lower part and stairs to the upper area have been renovated. Getting to the castle not easy. It is signposted from the beautiful village below but there is a 15 minute drive along a rough track before a steep walk of 30-40 minutes.

The attractive elevated village of Lapta, also called Lapithos, makes for a popular day trip from Kyrenia, about 15km to the east. It was fortunate in escaping a huge forest fire in the mid-90s and much of the landscape around it still bears the scars but the village itself ekes old world charm and the leafy streets are full of good craft shops and restaurants. It was once one of the city kingdoms of Cyprus and a regional Roman capital. Lapta has some of the most beautiful scenery on the island. Perched on the northern slopes on the Five-Finger Mountains, the village is blessed with several water springs to feed huge citrus groves and vegetable plots. As well as the delights of the village itself there are good beaches nearby and walkers will enjoy the many trails through the citrus groves and pine forests.

The Kormakitis or Korucam is a wild and barely populated area at the north west tip of Cyprus that ends at a rocky cape and is home to a little known Christian community known as the Maronites of Kormakitis who settled there in the 12th century. The sect has dwindled over the years and barely 100 Mationites remain, centred around the church of Agios Georgios in the pretty hillside village of Kormakitis. The coast road runs west from the village at Vasiliea past the small but popular Horseshoe Beach before turning into a dirt track that leads out the wild and desolate cape.

South of Cape Kormakitis is the long sweeping bay of Morfou. Beaches along this stretch of coast are thin strips of shingle and pebble. At the southern end of the bay is the former port of Karavostasi or Gemikonagi which served the now abandoned mines that scar the hillside behind. The town attracts its share of tourists and there are several restaurants and cafes here as well as a series of small sand and pebble beaches to the west including Zafer Gazinosu, and Asmali. Inland from Karavostasi the road winds uphill to the popular and pretty tree-lined village of Lefke or Lefka which acts as gateway into the eastern edge of the Pafos Forest area.

A few kilometres west of Karavostasi is the impressive archaeological site at Soloi, one of the 10 ancient city kingdoms of the island. Copper mines made the area rich before it was occupied by the Romans. The site had two main areas: the 4th century basillica at the entrance and the amphitheatre found short hill path. The basillica church is noted for the remains of mosaic floors, particularly one with a swan enveloped in floral patterns and one of four dolphins. It is reputed to be the place where St Mark was baptised. The Roman amphitheatre was carved into the side of the hill and has been restored as much as it can be given that the British carried away a lot of the stone to build the Suez Canal. In its heydey it could hold up to 4,000 spectators.

The palace at Vouni dates back to the 5th century BC and at one time there were nearly 140 rooms. Cisterns carved out of the rocks were used to meet the demand for water and there are examples of ancient hot-baths. Excavations have uncovered eathenware jugs blackened by the fire that destroyed the palace containing gold and silver bracelets, ornamented silver cups, and hundreds of coins. To the south of the palace are the remains of the temple of Athena built towards the end of the 5th century BC The temple has two courtyards and an enclosed sacred ground. Remains still visible include the entrance, a courtyard with columns, a kitchen courtyard, cistern, granaries, baths, living rooms and offices. The palace was burned to the ground in 380 BC and was never reconstructed. There extensive complex sits on a hilltop with magnificent views over the whole area.

Kyrenia Mountain Trail : Dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism. Burnu Zafer in the east to Burnu Korucum in the west is a 143mile/223km waymarked trail along mountain ranges.
See Foxy's Cyprus Holiday and Travel Guides

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