Cyprus
Steve at Larnaca
We tried it as an alternative winter destination and found it a pleasant place to spend the colder months.
A trip to Cyprus is not for those who want an easy, “interest free” journey, however once you arrive you can totally relax, they even drive on the left. As with Greece and Turkey, we always felt completely at ease and unthreatened. Being an island, our trip was spent going round and about, covering different areas and returning to favourite spots for days at a time, like Cape Greko, Kourion Beach and the area around Polis.
Despite the huge amount of tourism these days (over 70% is English) you will still be welcomed by the local people, often wanting to talk and spend time with you especially out of the main season and off the beaten track.
Although the country is divided between the Turkish run North and the Greek Cypriot (Republic) South, you will not find a large difference in attitude between the two sides, the main differences being that the Turkish area is cheaper for most things, less developed at the moment and generally poorer, but the welcome is as warm, and if you come in from Turkey you will be relieved at how much English is spoken.
We arrived in Kyrenia from Turkey after not our most comfortable night on a ferry.
Kyrenia Harbour
It was due to leave at midnight but in fact left at 4am (this is quite normal). Luckily we had seen people laying out mattresses and pillows, so we had the opportunity to go back down to the car deck (before the lift was locked) to get some bedding to make the night bearable as there are no cabins available!.
On arrival it took over an hour to unload the top deck of the ferry, it was 9.30 am and we were very hungry and thirsty but just had to wait as we could not get to the van. Our first priority on getting the van off the ferry was a bowl of cornflakes, we decided the red tape (see Getting There) could wait!
Once through all the paperwork, we set off to explore the north side of the island, after finding a supermarket selling fresh milk (one happy husband) and everything else we needed. It is useful to visit the tourist office in Kyrenia on the harbour front, where you can get a map and a couple of brochures. Park the van in the large car park in the centre of town as some of the roads are a bit tight and walk down.
The north is about a third of the island and has some of the best beaches, with the “Pan Handle” itself being famous for wild donkeys, we saw about 70 on our drive around. The water was warm enough for some snorkeling and swimming but apart from one good sized octopus there was very little around, the whole island has been completely fished out. One place we found to stay on the western border was a lovely little picnic spot, with water, a loo, a beach, sunshine and quiet – all the cafes were closed, so we opted to stay. It only took until 5pm for the local bar to open. Obviously we had to go in and check it was OK to spend the night and meet the locals who were very friendly, sharing their meze with us and inviting us for coffee the next morning.
We found plenty of places to stay, some beautiful coves, beaches and the occasional campsite. These are few and not all open at this time of year. We spent 4 nights on Kaplica camp site because of the setting. There are two other campsites near Salamis but we did not stay on either, preferring the beaches.
While touring around the places which are worth a visit are:
Bellapaise Abbey, Kyrenia itself and the harbour, Kantara and St Hilarion Castles, Famagusta Old town and the ruins at Salamis, the most impressive on the island.
After 3 weeks we headed (with some misgivings due to stories we had been told) to the border crossing – which is not at Ledra Street but at the Aydemet Gate to the east of Nicosia.
We need not have worried. Leaving the north they just stamped a piece of paper and wrote the van registration down. Entering the South, as we had insurance, we were waved through to the customs post where they never even looked inside the vehicle. We were asked if we had cigarettes with us but no other questions except friendly ones, all done in the space of 20 minutes.
Again take the time to visit a tourist office either in Paphos, Limasol or Larnaka they are easy to find, being on or near the seafront roads. There is a huge amount of information to be had, a booklet of facts, maps of Cyprus, the main towns and surrounding areas, books on walks and cycle paths as well as leaflets on all sort of other things, all for free.
Cape Greko
On the north there is a lot of building work going on, equally in the south, but much more of it has been completed. We lived here 25 years ago and what used to be a small beach with one hotel is now an enormous sprawling holiday complex. Once we recovered from the shock of this, it generally did not seem too bad and we found plenty of places to visit and stay which were still very pleasant. The least changed part was North of Coral Bay from Latchi to Kato Pyrgos. The Baths of Aphrodite do attract a lot of people but less stay at this end. There are a few lovely hikes here, we noticed one on our not very accurate map which looked about 4k, a nice stroll for a sunny afternoon. It ended up being a 7.5k hike up the hill and over the other side and back again – an excellent circular walk, with spectacular views of both coastlines, but better done with a drink and picnic!
As we drove along the North West coast, we realized we were leaving the tourist area behind us and by the time we reached Pachyammos we felt we were in the Cyprus of 25 years ago.
Pachyammos itself has a nice beach where we stayed for a couple of nights. We took time to look at the large church which seemed very big for a village of 40 odd houses. We later learnt it was a place of pilgrimage and had only been built 13 years ago, it felt odd seeing such a new church with the interior covered in frescos.
We knew we had come out of the main tourist area when the locals stopped to chat in limited English and welcome us, and the old goatherd came over to say hello, kissed Lilias' hand, then both cheeks and gave her 2 apples and a piece of cake. Shook me by the hand, welcomed us, then kissed her goodbye again and left. I reckoned he was just seeing how many kisses he could get for a piece of cake and 2 apples, ever the cynic. We met him again two months later when we took a friend to visit the church and this time were given dried sugared figs, twice as many kisses and a lecture about the joys of children (all in very limited English).
The South side of Cyprus is even more English than the North, there is probably less of a cultural difference between here and England than between Spain and England, most people speak English, you can buy nearly everything you are used to having and there are English programmes on most TV channels. However, it is more expensive than the north of the island, although fuel, meat, fruit and vegetables are all relatively cheap. Having a coffee and eating out varies hugely depending where you are – tourist or local area. A Meze is the best value if you are hungry enough at £6 to £8 per person. One place we ate a few times (excellent Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas) was Cessac Beach (oddly a good surf beach at times) on the Dhekelia Sovereign Base area. The locals and “local” English come from miles away to eat here. What makes Cyprus cheapish overall, is that you don’t have to pay for campsites, it is very acceptable to stay on beaches, car parks or almost anywhere you can find to park. There are a couple of campsites open all year, one at Governors Beach (20K east of Limasol) and Feggia Camping at Coral Bay, the standard of each of these is basic. There are campsites at Polis, Paphos and Troodos which are open later in the year, the times vary. We found we could get water and empty the loo at picnic areas (these are marked on the map) and also found water in villages and sometimes outside churches, all of which is drinkable.
Places worth a visit as you meander around the south are: Troodos mountains, Cape Greko and Akamas national Parks for the cycling and walking. Kourion Archeological Site, Aphrodite’s Baths, The Tomb of the Kings at Paphos, Kikkos Monastery and museum and the Halle Sultan Tekke Mosque.
Spring Flowers
Over the 4 months we spent in Cyprus (from December to the end of March) we never once wished we were anywhere else, it had the best weather, the nicest people and quiet areas to camp. Overall we found the north of the island was the prettiest and quieter, but the south being larger had more variety to offer for a longer stay.
Kourion Paracending
Windsurfing
Unfortunately we have few pictures and limited information, this is because we were in the off season and as anyone will know who searches for wind and waves at this end of the Mediterranean winter is flakey at best. Wind and waves were purely dependant on the passing winter low pressures so sailing on short boards 70-80ltr was limited. However we did manage some with wind blown waves up to about 1.5 meters.
There are local windsurfers and they were all very helpfull especially the guys at Larnaca where there is a club! British servicemen also sail and have clubs on the Sovereign Base Areas.
Sailing mainly seems to take place at the following:
Larnaca Bay
Larnaca Airport
Both sides of Pervolia Lighthouse (Larnaca)
Ladies Mile Limassol
Kourion Beach West of Limassol
Paphos
There are plenty of spots, but to be at the best place at the right time for your skill level in a particular wind talk to the locals! Out of season it is very quiet so windsurfers are there but spread thinly.
Weather sites:
https://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=3631
https://www.windfinder.com/nearby/akrotiri
General Information:
Shopping: All big towns have large supermarkets. The main ones are Orphamides and Chris’s Cash and Carry (South) and Lemans and Astro (North). Brandy is cheaper on the north, but otherwise the south is either the same or cheaper for most alcohol (not that we were interested!) Internet is available everywhere, from £2 - £2.5 per hour (42p in the north). ATM machines are at every bank. Credits cards are widely accepted. The fuel is about the cheapest in Europe at approximately 60p a litre for diesel and 64p for unleaded. Phoning is not cheap, although you can buy local SIM cards. Calls to UK approx 18p per minute.
The exchange rate in Mar 2006 was 82p to the Cypriot £ and 42p to 1YTL.
Gas - Local is easy to get, cost £7 for 10 kg. LPG is not available but camping gaz is.
Climate. Anything from 15 to 22 between Nov and March. It does rain, and can be heavy. The summers are hot and sunny. Late March to May is the prettiest for flowers.
Getting There:
Our route took us through Turkey to catch the ferry at Tasucu. Book your ferry on the front at Akfer travel, the price for 6 metre van and 2 people was approx £120 one way. Depending on the size of your van you will either be put below deck and you have to leave it, or on the upper deck with the lorries, in which case you can stay in the van.
The formalities for leaving Turkey were:
1. Pay £5 caravan tax on entering the dock area. 2. Police post to get the visa cancelled. 3. Back office to get the Turkish car paper stamped. 4. Another office to hand in the car paper. Drive to the boat and you will loaded.
Entering Northern Cyprus is much like entering Turkey, in that you need to get a visa and car paper again, with the additional purchase of Third Party insurance, at the time of writing no one insures for Northern Cyprus. You can get 3 months (approx. £50) 1 month or 3 days. There is an English speaking agent who will tell you what to do and where to go. Once the paperwork is complete, customs will check your passports and take a quick look in the van, with us he added valuables he could see like the TV to the car paper, but was not overly officious. It all took about one and half hours as everyone from the ferry was queuing for the same things.
Leaving Cyprus:
Crossing back from the south to the north be sure to get a proper visa and another car paper if yours has run out – we did not know we had to insist on this, and were fined £20 for 3 months of not having a car paper. Our visa had also run out but he was more lenient and let us off. This was no big deal just a costly error. You will have to buy insurance again (if it has run out).
Once across, just book your ferry at the port and turn up 2 hours before you are due to sail and spend this time repeating all the paperwork to get rid of the car paper and your visa’s cancelled. The ferry will sail late. Arriving back in Turkey, again the same procedure to get the visas and car paper – took over 2 hours and it was dark, but if you have come this way you will know where the campsite is or where to park for the night.
There is an alternative to this – we met 2 couples who had booked the van on the “cargo” boat from Pireas (Greece) to Limasol. This is not guaranteed, it is not a ferry, but out of season Salamis Lines told us there was no problem booking a vehicle on and having a cabin, however when we asked the Athens office they were not as helpful, I think it is a case of turn up and hope and usually it is OK. The crossing is 36 hours. The cost of this is very approximately: £280 for a van over 6 metres, £235 for 2 people including cabin and food, loading, unloading charges of £60 and maybe other hidden costs. This is one way. We were given 3 different prices from 3 different people!
Contact: Salamis Lines, 124 Franklin Roosevelt Avenue, Lemesos. Tel: +357 25899999, Fax: +357 25563426, Email: www.salamis-shipping.com.
I have given the Limasol number as they all speak English in this office.
Campsites:
Governors Beach 20K east or Limassol
Open All Year
Tel: 25 63 28 68
Geroskipou Zenon Gardens 3K east of Paphos Harbour
Open April to October
Tel: 26 94 22 77
Feggari Camp Site in Coral Bay
Open All Year
Tel: 26 62 15 34
Polis Camping Site – 800m from Polis town centre on the beach
Open March to October
Tel: 26 81 50 80
Troodos Hill Resort
Open May to October
Tel: 25 42 02 05