High Life Holiday Village

Taking a boat tour in the evening

by Profsmiley

Every year at least once we take a boat tour out of Kyrenia's old harbour. The tour consists of sailing out to different coasts of the Kyrenia district. Lunch/dinner is served on board.

Depending on the wind, the route is decided. Usually the west coast route's destination is Escape or Maremonte beach. East route ends up in the Alagadi beach. For info on these beaches, please check out my Kyrenia district page.

There are several boats that offer this service and most of them have good reputations. So once you negotiate on the price,which should be around 15-20 euros per person, you are ready to go.

I especially like taking a boat tour in the evening as you get to see the sunset, take a dip into the warm waters of Mediterranean in the dark, and observe the lights of the coast.
My favourite thing is to lie on top of the boat and watch the stars as we sail back to the harbour in the night. On national days, this experience is much better as you get to watch all the fireworks from the boat.

Soli

by SallyM

When we visited Soli, a beautiful Roman mosaic floor uncovered in the 1960s was fading under the sunlight, though work had started on a roof to protect the mosaics from further damage.

I hope that this has been completed now. When we were there, the work was being undertaken by local workmen with no particular expertise in archaeological conservation. Digging deep holes to support the roof can be tricky in an archaeological site, and several holes have had to be abandoned because of the archaeological remains which were found in them.

Visit Bellapais Village and Abbey

by ranger49

The village of Bellapais is about 4 miles up the hillside SE of Kyrenia.
The house where Lawrence Durrell lived when he wrote "Bitter Lemons " in the 1950's is up the hill away from the square. Durrell entertained other writers there including Patrick Leigh Fermor, Rose Macaulay and Freya Stark.
At the time of our visit, Durrell's former home was a holiday house and there were depressing indications that it would not be too long before the whole hillside would be carved out to make way for little holiday villas and hotels.

It is in the village square that the Tree of Idleness is to be found - our leisurely, unhurried service for coffee certainly seemed to induce a sense of idleness!

The Gothic Abbey is situated just below the village and was founded in 1206. Although much of the structure has gone the outline that remains conveys a sense of the beauty that once was here.
We returned one evening to hear a concert given by the Girl's Choir of Exeter Cathedral in the Refectory - 90ft long hall with a vaulted ceiling. The pock-marked walls of the magnificent hall puzzled us and we were horrified to learn that this was not the result of some long forgotten conflict but by the British use of the walls for rifle practice!
The audience included many ex-pats but also a surprising number of local people.

After the performance we went to the adjacent Kybele Restaurant for supper.
Another very special evening to remember.

Living in Kyrenia

by StefanCY

"Kyrenia - a little pictoresque town"

I live in Kyrenia since 6 years, in the "city" behind the Castle. The most beautiful place in Kyrenia is the pictoresque harbour, with the strong Castle walls on its Northern side, and old commercial harbour houses surrounding it on its other sides.
Kyrenia has an "urban" population of about 5000 - 6000, about 20.000 live in the whole district. Kyrenia is the main tourist spot in North Cyprus, providing a number of nice restaurants, bars and also casinos for those who enjoy it.