Browse Sections
Interactive
Popular Sections
A passing showerHoliday reviews
Cyprus has been a melting pot of great civilisations.
advertisement
Go north for hospitality
Steph Elmore19/ 5/2008
NORTHERN Cyprus is one of those places I hadn't thought of visiting. I'd been to the southern, Greek part of the island frequently, but the north?
It was only when a colleague told me how amazing it is that I decided to pay a visit.
So that's how I ended up in the uncrowded seafront at Kyrenia, sipping my brandy sour in the 40 degree heat, gazing in awe at gothic castles that studded the mountain peaks.
The truth is, Northern Cyprus doesn't immediately spring to mind when it comes to booking a holiday.
The Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been divided since Turkey invaded the north of the island in 1974, effectively partitioning it. It's been under Turkish control ever since.
For 11,000 years, Cyprus has been a melting pot of great civilisations, visited by Romans, Alexander the Great and Richard the Lionheart in its time.
Kyrenia is the heart of north Cyprus. In ancient times, it was an active commercial centre and boasts a beautiful harbour and romantic atmosphere.
Overwhelmed
I was overwhelmed by the hospitality of the Turkish Cypriots, who are relaxed and friendly and do their best to help you really enjoy your stay.
Wherever you travel in the north, history comes alive. I stumbled across a museum in the harbour that contained a 2,300 year old shipwreck.
It wasn't massively publicised, it just lay there quietly, but that's typical of northern Cyprus.
As I explored further, I came across numerous examples of this multi-cultural heritage and Ottoman principles of religious and cultural tolerance, with its mosques and churches. Bellapais Abbey, which dates from the 12th century, is a beautiful example of gothic art, built on a rocky mountain top.
It is among many of the monuments that are examples of the many civilizations that have established themselves on the island.
The monastery's first inhabitants were Augustinian monks who migrated there after the capture of Jerusalem by Salahaddin in 1187.
Now it is an attraction you can visit throughout the day or return to at night to enjoy a candlelit dinner in its restaurant that stands in the grounds.
I stayed in two hotels during my stay; both were five-star rated. The first was the Colony, just on the edge of Kyrenia centre.
Innovative
It has a palatial façade and innovative architectural design. Restored from an old colonial building, it has elegance and class and is a haven of tranquillity and opulence.
The second part of my stay was in The Rocks Hotel, which has a real 1940s feel - elegant black, gold and marble décor throughout, its rooms are impressive and French in style. All have a great sea or mountain view.
The restaurant is designed in a very 1940s/50s, Hollywood-style.
The food is to die for and so are the prices - you wouldn't find food like this, and as cheap, anywhere else; £7 for a fabulous main course!
Beaches here are good but for the best take a short ride to Karpaz peninsula, with its wild donkeys.
If you are feeling adventurous, visit St Hilarion. It is one of the many castles built on the highest point of the mountains, protecting inhabitants from attacks by Arabs in the seventh century. It's more than 700ft above sea level. When you get to the top you can enjoy breathtaking views across Kyrenia.
It is also claimed that Walt Disney's film Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs was inspired by this castle.
I also took a coach trip to the city of Famagusta, in the east. Famed for its sandy beaches, it has some fantastic hotels.
It is worth going to see the ghost town of Varosha. A suburb of Famagusta, it was siezed by the Turkish military in 1974, and wrapped in fencing and barbed wire.
The Greek population that lived there fled and to this day the Turkish authorities have forbidden anyone to enter.
Europeans are only now discovering the unspoilt beauty of Northern Cyprus but I almost feel like I don't want to tell anyone about it. After all, the more tourists who come, the more over-crowded and over-commercialised it could become.
For me, Northern Cyprus is endearingly ageless, with a quiet charm redolent of the 1950s. I suggest you pay a visit soon.
For full list of UK tour operators write to North Cyprus Tourism Centre, 29 Bedford Sq, London WC1B 3ED. 020 7631 1930. info@northcyprus.cc northcyprus.cc. Flightsfrom £198 pn. Hotels: Colony Hotel: 90 392 815 1518.
thecolonycyprus.com Prices From: £155 pn. Rocks Hotel. 90 392 815 2238.
rockshotel.com. Prices: £125 per room pn.
Got an opinion you want to share?Are you having to stay at home this summer holiday?
Poll has now ended
| Card | BT Fee |
| Barclaycard Platinum | 2.9% |
| Capital One BT Platinum Card | 3.0% |
| Virgin Credit Card | 2.98% |
| Barclaycard OnePulse | 2.5% |
| Egg Card | 3.0% |
| Company | Typical APR |
| Platinum Loans | 7.5% |
| Barclays | 7.9% |
| Moneyback Bank | 8.4% |
| Alliance & Leicester | 8.7% |
| Halifax (Semi-exclusive) | 8.8% |
| Bank of Scotland (Semi-exclusive) | 8.8% |
| Provider | AER* |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Fixed Rate Account |
7.20% |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Fixed Rate Account |
7.00% |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Fixed Rate Account |
7.00% |
|
ARRAY(0x2ab51f21fbe0) 6 Month Fixed Rate Savings Account |
6.60% |