Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
A magic isle in the Med
JOHN SIDDLE DISCOVERS THAT CYPRUS ISN’T JUST THE PARTY CAPITAL OF THE MED
I’M lying in a hammock on the aptly named Golden Beach in northern Cyprus, surrounded by nothing but nature. Seabirds circle in the warm breeze as the crisp blue waters bite at the shoreline. Aiya Napa is 100 miles south but the party resort may as well be on the other side of the world.
The Karpas peninsula, the panhandle of Cyprus, is where donkeys roam among carob and olive trees, and turtles come to nest in its shallow waters. This is the untouched Mediterranean, free from the hand of man that turned much of Cyprus into the tourist mecca it is today.
It’s so spectacular that I probably shouldn’t be letting you in on the secret.
And northern Cyprus is exactly that – a magical kingdom that remains largely untouched by mass tourism. In everything but geographic terms, it’s a million miles from bars, clubs and bright lights of its southern counterpart.
A bit of history is important, here. Cyprus was divided in 1974 after years of fighting for control of the island. A green line was inked across a map by the UN and for more than 40 years since, that buffer zone has remained in place.
While the south is claimed by the Greeks, the north is claimed by Turks as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It isn’t recognised as a country, except by Turkey.
And while the Republic of Cyprus – the south side – has been the beneficiary of tourism, regeneration and EU membership, the north has to abide by economic sanctions, to the extent that flights from Europe aren’t allowed to land directly at its sole airport, Erkan.
We flew through tour operator gonorthcyprus. com with Easyjet to Larnaca, before taking an hour’s transfer north of the border at Nicosia.
The contrast on crossing the border was striking – the over-development of the south replaced by lush, picturesque greenery and a huge diminution of cars on the roads.
Our first hotel, Pia Bella, in northern Cyprus’ biggest city, Kyrenia, was perfectly located, just a brief walk from the historic horseshoe-shaped harbour where small fishing boats brought in their catches, overlooked by quaint little restaurants and taverns and the imposing Kyrenia castle.
There is much to learn about northern Cyprus’ history – resplendent castles are dotted high-up across the mountain range, all originally built as small Byzantine forts to keep pesky Arab raiders at bay.
The most beautiful has to be St Hilarion, from which the castle in Walt Disney’s Snow White was said to be inspired. From the top – which is a hefty old climb up rough, misshapen stone steps – the views are incredible. Sprawling Kyrenia lies below and the Med provides a breathtakingly beautiful panorama. On a clear day, the mountains of Turkey can even be traced.
Nearby lie the ruins of the 13th century gothic Bellapais Abbey and the Tree of Idleness, where Lawrence Durrell wrote his autobiographical book Bitter Lemons of Cyprus.
For families, the massive Acapulco Beach Club is the place to stay. The complex is huge but has a small funfair, water slides, and a kids’ club.
For the adults, the spa is cheap by comparison and the rooms spacious with great balcony views. The food is served buffet-style in a cavernous restaurant with a daily changing choice of dishes.
Public transport isn’t great in northern Cyprus, so hiring a car is a must.
Travel firm Go North Cyprus arranged flights, transfers, and car-hire, which was brought to our hotel by Pacific Rentals. The car allowed us to drive to see the ancient walled city of Famagusta, on the east coast. The walls were built by the Venetians in the 15th century, and withstood a year-long siege before the city fell to the Ottomans in the 16th century. The fortifications remain in such good condition that this really does feel like a city lost in time. A five-minute drive away is Varosha, the ghost town of Cyprus, which was once one of the Mediterranean’s must-visit resorts for the rich and famous - Brigitte Bardot and Richard Burton were regulars. During the division of Cyprus in 1974, its inhabitants fled hoping to return once the troubles calmed down but it was fenced off overnight by the Turkish military and has never re-opened. A shell of its former self, the once booming beach town is now a macabre tour ist attraction, wh e re abandoned hotels have been left to rot. Exposed pipes, bricks and crumbling fixtures are the mementos of how this place used to be.
Back in Kyrenia, Ozgur, a friendly Turkish Cypriot who has taken us out for the evening on his boat, tells me that there is hope of reconciliation between the north and the south and that reunification talks are taking place.
As the sun sets over this wonderful island, I can’t help but hope that it happens – there are Turk Cypriots in the north and Greek Cypriots in the south who haven’t returned to their homes in more than four decades.
North Cyprus may have a clouded past, but make no mistake this is a friendly, welcoming land that, for now, remains an affordable secret to be discovered.