Northern Cyprus is one of the most attractive places in the Mediterranean, but because of its troubled history and political isolation, it has remained largely unaffected by mass tourism.

It has a great deal to offer the visitor – it possesses great natural beauty with rugged mountains, meadows and delightful beaches. It has a wonderful climate, with long hot summers and relatively warm winters.

The nearest main town, Famagusta, was originally a small commercial and fishing port, but is now a tourist attraction with it’s magnificent old town walls.

PLACES TO VISIT

There are a reasonably good range of guide books and maps available to the tourist. However nothing accounts for local knowledge, and we have found that the local’s are only too willing to give you details of their favourite places to visit.

BEACHES

The nearest good beach is a 10 minute walk across the road from "Turtles". If you walk back to the main road and head towards Famagusta taking the road between Ambelia Restaurant and the next house (This is the second road, and not the one adjacent to the restaurant), turn right at the end, and then after a few minutes walk turn up the well worn track to your left. After a short distance you will come to a crossing in the tracks, and carry straight on, and the beach is a short distance ahead. This beach is very quiet, albeit has no amenities.

Along the same road is Long Beach (3 minutes drive), attached to the small resort of the same name. This is a superb beach. Further along the coast you come to a further section of Famagusta Bay (4 minutes drive), this beach has a car park adjacent to the road. A little further on is Bogaz beach. Bogaz is a small pretty resort which has a few shops and restaurants along the coastline, the beach is clean and simple.

As a rule, for beaches near Famagusta, you have the choice of parking at the roadside or adjacent car parks and enjoying the natural beauty for free, or using the facilities of local hotels and resorts for nominal charges.

One of the most memorable beach trips that we have had as a family is at a beach on the outskirts of Famagusta where turtles swim just a short distance off the beach. From the house head into Famagusta, turning left at the Monument of Victory. Follow this road to the end and turn right then take the first left and follow the road to the Palm Beach Hotel. There is a public beach adjacent to the hotel.

Another memorable excursion is a trip to the Karpas peninsula or panhandle. The whole area is entirely untouched, and is a nature reserve populated by flocks of goats and wild donkeys. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to get to there, and it is a good idea to spend the night at the Blue Sea Hotel. This is a one star hotel with no mains electricity but is not without its own special charm. The main attraction, apart from the monastery, are the numerous little bays along the road and the massive expanse of sand at the end, which is certainly one of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean.

Simple food and a warm welcome can be had at Ali's Big Sand Café, which overlooks the beach.

CASTLES

Kyrenia Castle is worth a visit, and can easily be fitted in during a visit to Kyrenia. It contains the shipwreck museum and some rather lurid waxworks depicting dark goings-on in the dungeons.

St Hilarion is also attractive, and is easy to reach by car. Buffavento is very pretty, but is much more difficult to reach, as you have to climb up the mountain to get to it. Kantara is a short distance and certainly well worth the effort if you are heading in the direction of Bogaz.

In all these castles, there are some sheer drops in unexpected places and the railings are not adequate.

MONASTERIES

There are two ruined monasteries along the road the other side of Five Finger Mountain (Besparmak). These could be visited in a single day, but it is probably better to see them on separate days. They are both set in a lovely mountain forest.

WALKS

If you take a trip to Kyrenia try and visit Karaman, a small village up in the hills, there are a number of walks in this area, and it is actually possible to walk to St Hilarion, though this is only likely to appeal to the most dedicated walker. It is well worth the effort though and the views are fantastic. The walk takes about an hour and a half and you could always get a taxi back from the castle!

When walking in the hills, it is advisable to wear suitable shoes as a precaution against snakes. Brown ones are poisonous but relatively rare; black ones are more common but are completely harmless.

OTHER TOWNS

The ancient ruins of Salamis, which are 3 minutes drive, are interesting and the beaches nearby tend to be sandy and go on for miles. It is worth allowing a minimum half day if you are planning to go to Salamis.

The old part of Nicosia has a number of lovely ancient buildings all in fairly close proximity. Recommendations include the Turkish baths, the mosque (which used to be a cathedral), the market and the 'Big Inn'.

PLACE NAMES

Most places have an English and a Turkish name, which can be confusing. The most common ones are:

RESTAURANTS

There are lots of restaurants in and around the area serving Turkish and international food. They are usually reasonably priced, and normally display a menu with prices in Sterling.

On the way to Bogaz, there is a restaurant called Moon over the Water, it is an attractive place to eat in as it overlooks the beach and sea. (Evenings only). Dudleys further along the coast at Bogaz also have an extensive quality menu.

HarbourBeach Club is 2 minutes drive towards Bogaz, and offers a varied menu. An added attraction is that the resort has a “Turkish Evening” once a week during the main holiday period.

There are a number of restaurants in Famagusta that cater for all tastes, in particular Aspava Restaurant is worthy of a mention. The patio restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere to while away a few hours. The restaurant was recommended to us, and the “buffet” is hard to beat in terms of quality and value.

Petaks is another restaurant in Famagusta that is well worth a visit. The menu is varied and you can either have a quick snack or a full meal. The very real risk lies in their adjacent shop which is packed full of cakes and sweets !!

There are a number of other restaurants situated around the centre of Famagusta, and most tastes are catered for, be it a snack or full meal.

If you are on the Kyrenia side of the island we understand that the best restaurant, however, is generally reckoned to be the Address, which is on the sea front in Karaoglanoglu, at the bottom of the hill. It serves Turkish and English food and is immensely popular. Coming down the hill into Kyrenia, turn left and head to Karaoglanoglu and look for the large sign on the right. The full kebab is apparently excellent. Reservations are advised.

There are two alternative kebab places in Karaoglanoglu, which do perfectly acceptable local food. The ‘London Butcher’ on the crossroads does Kleftiko (long slow-cooked lamb) once a week as a take-away, but you have to order it in advance. He is a good source for meat, and he speaks good English as well.

Jashan's which was previously located in Edremit has relocated onto the main road from Kyrenia towards Lapta, and is a personal favourite serving very good Indian and European food either on the premises or as a take-away, and even does childrens food.

In Karmi, you can eat at the Levant or at Treasure, where the portions are huge; immediately behind the village of Karmi is Hilarion Village, which has a restaurant that is open to the public. If you do choose to eat here take your swimming costume as you will be allowed free use of the pool.

Other places along the coast (going west) are Guler's, which is an authentic Cypriot restaurant (as opposed to Turkish). It is called 'Guler's Fish Restaurant' but serves meat as well.

For a feel of an old Cyprus house, you can visit Planter's, which serves European food.

Activities

Scuba

The waters around Cyprus are clear and warm and often a T-shirt and tank is all you need to go diving. There is an excellent scuba outfit attached to the Jasmine Court Hotel on the left as you go into Kyrenia from the house. Dives with all equipment are about £20 and he will take you where you want to go to. I would not recommend the aircraft cockpit however as the dive is quite dull apart from the cockpit.The visibility is usually excellent but there is a lack of fish probably due to overfishing.

Karting

For a fabulous day or evening out, a trip to the Karting track in Nicosia is a must. This is a world class facility and is reputedly the third best track in the world. Last summer a evening out there (for almost 5 hours) for 4 adults and 3 children which included 3 to 4 races each as well as some beers, coffee and snacks came to less than £60. The adult karts are twin engine and go VERY fast. Children, who must be over 8, race on their own track and have single engine karts which and move fast for them, All laps are computer timed, and after the races competitors get printouts with with everyone's lap times, highest speed etc. It is a wonderful jaunt.