The secret is out - at least some of it
Bob Kenyon
A Scottish Tourist
An early walk round Girne harbour, with the soft April sunshine edging over Five Finger Mountain sparkling on the blue green waters, confirms that this is the jewel of the Mediterranean.
It is day one of a week-long film shoot to reveal the secrets of North Cyprus to television viewers in Scotland. There are now weekly flights from Glasgow to the island. Everyone in the crew was enchanted by the harbour ringed with restaurants, the boats gently rocking at their moorings, as they climbed the steps to Girne Castle. The castle houses the best museum in the north, including the oldest shipwreck in the world, which is 2,300 years old. We took a boat of a newer variety from the harbour to obtain a different perspective of the island. From the sea you view the impressive dimensions of Girne Castle guarding the mouth of the harbour.
Bellapais, with its impressive Abbey, lies a few miles out of Girne (just £ 4 in a taxi) and is well worth a visit. Walk through the sun-dappled cloisters and sense the peace and tranquility of this ancient monastery. A few miles along the coast is Alagadi Beach -unspoiled golden sands fringed by wild flowers with clear waters to wash only your footsteps away.
This was not a trip for lazing around and certainly the visit to craggy hill-top St Hilarion Castle will sweep away the morning cobwebs. Again, it is a short bus or taxi trip out of Girne. The castle is said to be the model for the castle in Disney's Snow White movie. It is certainly a castle of fairytale proportions that lives up to the hype -and there are some fabulous views from the ramparts.
Lefkosa (Nicosia) is the largest town in North Cyprus, but it still seems as if there is plenty of space to wander about the streets and explore. A must is the covered market next to the Selimiye Mosque. Here you can buy anything from backgammon sets to bananas, but one of the top buys is the delicious Turkish Delight. Another great shopping venue is the newly renovated Buyuk Han (The Great Inn). Craft shops and wine bars now occupy the quarters that used to house travelers and their horses.
If you visit just one place then make sure it is the ancient Roman City of Salamis. It is incredible to walk along the mosaic floor of the ancient gymnasium surrounded by colonnades with the plunge pools at either end or to sit in an amphitheatre that once seated audiences of 5,000 people. If you are traveling by car get down to the sea and the Roman bathhouse down there. The baths are not operating but the sea and silver sand do look inviting.
The walled city of Gazimagusa (Famagusta) is ideal for a half-day visit. Wander through the squares with their churches and towers and wonder at the magnificence of LaIa Mustapha Pasa Mosque - once St Nicholas Cathedral. For an authentic meal of Cyprus kebab (kleftico) try the Agora Kebab House just inside the city walls at the Sea Gate. One old man turned up at lunch and asked for one great meal before it was time to die - literally food to die for!
The modern roads are quiet and drivers are courteous. Hire a car for around El 5 per day and take the opportunity to drop into little fishing ports like Bogaz and watch the local fleet empty their nets of May fish. Perhaps the best part about driving about is being able to stop at a road side stall and have a glass of orange juice freshly pressed before driving on and stopping to stand and stare in wonder at the carpet of red, yellow, purple flowers.
The flowers are a great attraction with organized walks looking for orchids, and with 1200 species of flowers there is plenty to see.
Eating out is very inexpensive; a meal for two with wine and drinks will only cost around £20.
We stayed at the Dome Hotel, which is situated in a prime location in the centre of Girne.
These are just some of the attractions that make North Cyprus a holiday location that will warrant another visit. The secret may be out but we will keep some of it to ourselves.
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