Kyrenia
By Rhiannon Williamson, Thu Dec 8th
With 340 days of sunshine a year and the perfect Mediterraneanclimate it’s no wonder thousands of visitors flock to Cyprusevery year to escape the sometimes less forgiving NorthernEuropean climate. Northern Cyprus has all of the prerequisites for the perfectsummer break: sun…lots of! Beautiful sandy beaches, warmturquoise blue waters to bathe in and a sumptuous mix of thebest of Eastern and Western cuisine. And Northern Cyprus is ableto offer its many visitors far more than a perfect climate andfine food; one of the highlights of a visit to Northern Cyprusis a trip to the ancient and beautiful harbour town of Kyrenia(or Girne). The town of Kyrenia, or Girne as it’s called in Turkish, is thejewel in the North’s crown; a fine old harbour town with abeautiful horseshoe shaped harbour which is lined withwaterfront restaurants where you’ll be able to while away a lazyafternoon watching the fishing and sailing boats going abouttheir business.
Anyone lucky enough to enjoy a stay in North Cyprus should nevermiss the opportunity to see Kyrenia harbour at night. Hundredsof candles gently light the waterside restaurants and flickerand dance off the water’s edge creating the most perfectambience in which to dine anywhere in the world. If you’re alover of freshly cooked seafood you’ll be spoilt by the hugearray of seafood dishes on offer at the specialty fishrestaurants which are the pride of Kyrenia’s harbour. To the side of the old harbour sits the magnificent ByzantineKyrenia castle, once used during colonial times as a prison bythe British it’s now the home of the Kyrenia shipwreck museumwhich houses one of the oldest trading shipwrecks in the world.The ship sailed the Mediterranean at the time of Alexandra theGreat and it sank around 300BC when it was already of quite anage! Many of the objects the ship carried on its voyage
over2300 years ago are now also on display at the shipwreck museumincluding perfectly preserved almonds which were stored inaround 9000 jars held under the sea until the ship was recoveredin 1969. The central shopping area of Kyrenia lies just behind the oldharbour. It is well preserved and quaint with plenty of twistynarrow streets to explore each with their own unique characterand charm. For those who like a bit of retail therapy, be it forgifts to take back to loved ones or for the latest high streetfashions, you won’t be disappointed. Kyrenia is the perfectshopping location for the savvy shopper where you’ll be able topick up high quality designer clothes for a fraction of theprice that they would have cost you back home. If you plan to stay a while in Kyrenia then you’ll be pleased toknow that accommodation is available to suit all budgets: fromsimple bed and breakfast to grand 5 star luxury in hotels likeThe Rocks or The Colony, each able to offer luxury that willsatisfy the demands of the most discerning guests. The Colonywill take you for a tour of the old town in a beautiful horsedrawn carriage and if you prefer a little Hollywood living thena luxury stretched limo can be waiting to take you to abeachside restaurant of your choice. Northern Cyprus is blessed with natural beauty and the charmedand historic old town of Kyrenia is truly the jewel in thecrown. There is literally something for everyone to see and do -whether it’s to taste the fine seafood, to step back thousandsof years in history or to simply relax and watch the world go byin one of the most beautiful locations the Mediterranean has tooffer. About the author:Rhiannon Williamson is a freelance writer whose articles aboutinternational travel and living in North Cyprus have appeared inmany travel and expatriate publications throughout the world.You can find more of her articles at: - http://www.aboutnorthcyprus.com/ |
