Paphos | Protaras | Nicosia  | Limassol | Larnaca | Troodos

Protaras - The towns of Protaras and Ayia Napa have become a favourite amongest holidays goers to the island. With its idillic beaches and crystal waters it is Cyprus' most popular holiday spot.

The towns are virtually one and the same thing with hotels, bars, cafes and tavernas dotted throughout the area. Entertainment is not in short supply either with water theme parks, trips to Famagusta, the sea caverns and water sports down at the beach.

The southeast region is oddly confined into the eastern flank, but this is not a result of geography. It is the legacy of the 1974 Turkish invasion that has given this part of the island that morphology. The long-running division line is truly evident on this region of the island. The villages in this district have expanded rapidly in order to accommodate the vast majority of Greek Cypriot refugees who came rushing in to these areas from the Turkish zone.

On the beach. It is possible, from a point near the demarcation line at Deryneia, for anyone to look across at the hotel blocks and beaches of Famagusta (Gazimagusta), that were the most prosperous on the entire island before the tragic invasion in 1974, which are so close by. One of the island’s present holiday resorts can be found just a few kilometres away from Famagusta and that is the town of Agia Napa. Agia Napa can easily be called an artificial town that was constructed for tourists to escape to in order to enjoy night life and beautiful beaches on their holidays.

In the surroundings of the resort, the villages, know as the Kokkinochoria, or “red-villages country”, continue their daily lives as they had in the past. The British Sovereign Base Area at Dhekelia is only a few kilometres away and is a portrayal of past military glory, which is made evident from the names of some of the streets, such as that of Waterloo. No commercial development is aloud in the area of the base, which goes along the Larnaka Bay to the UN-patrolled demarcation line. Military development though, is obviously aloud and so some of the base area is not accessible.

Out from Larnaka. Larnaka is a small city that has been expanding slowly the past few years. Larnaka is based on Cyprus’s business airport, which is used for people to come into the island and enter all the other towns, such as Agia Napa, Limassol and inland Nicosia. Between the main highways that link Limassol and Nicosia, there are a few attractions that tourists could visit, such as Agia Ekaterina Chapel, the Stavrovouni Monastery and very few villages.

Agia Napa. Agia Napa is generally just a holiday resort that consists of beaches, cafes, bars, clubs and lots of souvenir shops. Thousands of tourists, mainly from European countries, visit Agia Napa every year. It has become an international resort.

There is a monastery that is of historical interest in Agia Napa that can be found in the main square of the town. The monastery and its Orthodox church were at same stage in history, the only elements to see in Agia Napa and now they just stand there appearing out of place in the new surroundings of the resort. A monumental marble fountain is located in the courtyard of the monastery.

The Agia Napa harbour and marina are filled with private yachts and tourist boats, but one can still find the traditional fishing boats. There are numerous Glass-bottom boats that take tourists on small tours up to Cape-Greko and Larnaka. In the background of the harbour is the tiny chapel of Agios Georgios that also looks out of place now.

Agia Thekla. This tiny chapel is located near the busy Nissi-beach area and oversees another smaller tourist beach. The area between the sea and the main highway, is quite and quite a located and serves as a great place for tourists to go walking and biking.

Agioi Anargyroi. This church makes a vast contrast with the colour of the deep blue sea. It serves as a point of interest for those that want to sneak away from the beach for a while and take a break from the heat.

Cape Greko. This area is truly remarkable for snorkellers and scuba-divers as it provides a splendid view from its cliffs as one can view the rocky coastline in both directions from there. It is also a place of interest for dirt-bike riders who enjoy the testing trails in the cape’s territory.

Deryneia. Deryneia is a small village that is located extremely close to the demarcation line and even has a café there with a viewpoint from which people can take pictures, when they are quite a few metres though from the line. Pictures can be taken of the UN observation towers and the fortified military positions on either side, with Famagusta (Gazimagusa) or its resort suburb of Varosha (Maras) that lies beyond. Deryneia is also proud to have an immense Orthodox church of such size as if it was built to send out a strong message to the Turkish Cypriots.

Dhekelia. This is the central area of the British Sovereign Base Area, which is mainly used for spying on telecommunications traffic in the Middle East and along what used to be known as NATO’s eastern line in the Cold War against the Soviet Union. The only true formalities in the area of Dhekeleia and Akrotiri are checkpoints on the road at either end and an armed sentry at the main base entrance.

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