Kyrenia Holidays, Northern Cyprus

To most visitors, a holiday in Northern Cyprus means Kyrenia, and Kyrenia means Kyrenia Harbour. The tranquilty can be felt even before the harbour is seen and as you stroll along the sea-front, there is an atmosphere of calm. Turning into the harbour itself provides a visual feast, where beautiful, whitewashed buildings and colourful boats shelter under a massive, Byzantine castle. During the day, Kyrenia harbour is sleepy and relaxed, but as sunset beckons, there is a magical transformation as locals take their evening stroll and the restaurants and tavernas prepare for their guests.
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But holidays in Kyrenia mean more than just the harbour and castle. Strolling through the streets of the old town, you will never be far away from the ruins of the Lusignan walls and towers which originally formed a protective curtain around the town. And Kyrenia holidays offer plenty for the keen shopper, with a vast array of outlets providing everything from the latest designer fashions to Cypriot antiques - not to mention a truly remarkable choice of restaurants.

Kyrenia is an ideal base to explore Northern Cyprus, and it has some of the island's best accommodation. Yet the serene beauty of the countryside is never far away....

Bellapais Village, the setting for Lawrence Durrell's classic novel 'Bitter Lemons of Cyprus' is a few minutes drive away and the 13th century abbey bears witness to the fact that the village has changed little since Durrell's time. Nearby Crusader castles of Hilarion, Kantara and Buffavento are particularly fine, as is Nicosia, the capital of modern-day Northern Cyprus.

West of Kyrenia lies 'the garden of north Cyprus', with citrus orchards, verdant forests and fertile plains. Here, the Roman settlement of Soli is worth a visit, as is the Persian palace of Vouni, where there are awe-inspiring views across the island and the sea.