- Briefly about the history of Cyprus
- Briefly about the history of Protaras
- Protaras as a tourist resort
- The beaches of Protaras
- Church of Prophet Elias
- Ayia Napa
- Sculptur park
- Cape Greco
- Konnos Bay
- Famagusta – Varosha
- Red Buses tour
- Old Town of Famagusta
- Varosha
© AmorfatiTrips on all photos except where the source is indicated. We’ve visited Ammonchostos and Famagusta in 2019.
Briefly about the history of Protaras
For the Athenians in the 300s BC the area at present-day Protaras was a safe harbour in the city-state of Leukolla. Ptolemy, who was a general under Alexander the Great, took control of Egypt and Cyprus after Alexander’s death. Here at Leukolla Ptolemy and the Ptolemaics lost a battle and was forced out of Cyprus. Afterwards the island has been invaded by countless intruders, but even more tourists have come and enjoy the ancient culture, Mediterranean food and of course sunbathing. The Ammochostos district, better known as the Greek part of Famagusta district, includes the most popular tourist resorts in the southeast as Protaras, where Fig Tree Bay is located, and Ayia Napa.
Protaras as a tourist resort
In the 1970s, there were only small fishing villages in the Protaras area. Especially after the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus, Protaras has become a major holiday destination, so to get here you have to handle mass tourism. We prefer charming and genuine villages and pebble beaches, but knew when we came in October 2019 that we wouldn’t get it here. After all, it was perfect late summer weather and we enjoyed the sandy beaches and the promenade along the sea. In any case, Protaras along with the other villages on this side of the cape are probably more suitable for relaxing family vacations than Ayia Napa. We can definitely imagine coming back just to escape for a while when autumn has arrived in Sweden.
Well, there’s more concrete than charm in Protaras, which is more or less abandoned in the winter. A smaller road goes through the village so one can walk along it to find a walkway down to the prefered part of the beach. In the evening you can have dinner at one of the restaurants, but otherwise there’s not much going on along Protara in the evening. That suits us to sit down after dinner and drink something cold whilst watching as folk walk back and forth on the street. Cheers!
The beaches of Protaras
Along the coast of Protaras there are two main beaches, Vrissiana Beach, which is much longer and divided into several names depending on the hotels nearby such as Sunrise Beach. There’s also the much smaller but more famous Fig Tree Beach.
Of course there are restaurants along the beach promenade in Protaras. As we mostly went to Fig Tree Bay to bath we choosed Zefkas Family Restaurant for our lunches at the beach. Although it’s a restaurant with lots of tourists we were surprised by their service level, and always with a smile, and actually delicious food for lunch 😛
Church of Prophet Elias
About 150 steps or 100 meters above Protaras you’ll find the small church in honour of Profitis Ilias, or the Prophet Elias, which was built in 1984 in a Byzantine style. From the hilltop you’ll have a wonderful view over Protaras and the nearby villages and the blue water of the Mediterranean. There’s a tradition of tying a ribbon to a tree below, on the way up to or at the church in remembrance of a loved one.
Ayia Napa
Ayia means ”the holy” and Napa ”the wooded valley” and according to what’s said, no one lived near the monastery in Ayia Napa until 1790. Here in Ayia Napa, there’s more noise and party life than in other tourist resorts in Cyprus. If you’re fine with that, you’ll find your place in the sun and otherwise Protaras or any other village on the island may suit you better.
Ayia Napa is relatively newly built but despite this, there are some attractions worth seeing, some of which are both newer and slightly older churches. However, there are no churches from the 1000s or earlier as all Byzantine churches were destroyed during Arabic attacks from the year 649 and the following 300 years. The Romans built aqueducts in most of their colonies and Cyprus was no exception, but in Ayia Napa it’s only about 2 km long and close to the ground. The aqueduct was also used to bring water to the monastery in Ayia Napa when it was built in the 15th century.
The nightlife in Ayia Napa during the high season can be intense but we experienced it in October and then it was calm. However, since 2018, Ayia Napa has taken the initiative to go from tourism for partying youth to a more cosmopolitan nightlife.
Sculptur Park
You’ll find Sculptur park on the outskirts of Ayia Napa on the way to Cape Greco. It’s well worth a visit and if it’s to hot, do the visit at sunset or when it’s cloudy as it was when I was there. The park is more of a desert and actually there’s also a Cactus park next to the Sculptur park. The parks are connected by the bridge Argo, named after a ship in the Greek mythology. Give the park an hour or so and enjoy the time you don’t spend in the sunbed.
Cape Greco
Cape Greco, located southeast of both Protaras and Ayia Napa, is nowadays the easternmost part of the European Union as the northern part of Cyprus is controlled by Turkey. It’s a protected nature park on a cape with stunning views over the cliff formations. At the Sea Caves, the sea has shaped the rocks with cavities into imaginative formations. But beware, there are no fence as protection against free falling and accidents have occured.
It’s not allowed to cross the stone arch, Kamara Tou Koraka, anymore. Actually it’s only a matter of time, not if, but when the wonder of nature will collapse.
Konnos Bay
When you leave Cape Greco toward Protaras there’s the small chapel of Agios Anargiroi with a small cave underneath the chapel. From the chapel you can see over Konnos Bay and it’s a wonderful view over crystal blue water. If you need a swim there’s a beautiful little beach, Konnos Beach, located between Cape Greco and Protaras. Between the chapel and the beach there’s a walking trail of only 1,5 km, but don’t lose the path (I did) through the landscape of low-growing thorny shrubs. Finally you arrive at the longed for beach and there you’ll get your reward.
Famagusta – Varosha
For the last thousands of years the Cypriots have seen many battles over the island. The most recent, which took place in August 1974, divided the island into a third part in the northeast which is occupied by the Turks and the rest is the Greek Cypriot part. In the district of Famagusta, and next to the town of Famagusta, is the suburb village and the beach of Varosha, where movie stars and celebrities lived in luxury hotels until the invasion. The beach and the nearest buildings are controlled by the Turks but have been abandoned since the ceasefire was signed in August 1974. The Greek Cypriots want this stretch of beach and the village of Varosha back before discussing a solotion for Cyprus, while the Turks want to discuss first before handing over the area. In October 2020, it may have became a dead end when the Turkish Cypriots decided to open up Varosha from their side. God knows when and if an agreement will be reached or if a divided Cyprus is irrevocable. You can read more about this complicated relationship here.
Red Buses tour
The red buses started in 2008 with tours from Ayia Napa and the Protaras area to visit Famagusta’s old town where you also can visit the Othello Castle, the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque and much more. In addition, they visit Constantia Beach, as it was known then and nowadays located right next to the barbed wire that fence of the Varosha Beach. Our guides on the tour, Alan and Clive, made it a fun tour with great British humor, and at the same time an educational journey with their stories of what happened in Cyprus before and after the Turkish invasion.
Old Town of Famagusta
Part of the tour went along the city wall of old Famagusta which held back the Ottomans for 11 months before the Venetians finally capitulated in 1571. When the bus arrived at the Old Town of Famagusta, it stopped at the church ruins of St George of the Latins, built in the late 13th century and was badly damaged during the Ottoman siege. The ruin is located next to the castle of Othello, also known as Othello’s tower, which was built by the Lusignans in the 14th century. The castle was modified by the Venetians in the late 15th century and it was also named after a Venetian governor in the early 16th century. It is believed that the castle about a hundred years later also gave Shakespeare the name to his tragedy Othello, which is about a general in the Venetian army who defended a Cypriot port against the Ottomans.
Many buildings in the old town are in bad shape and one can see that the Turkish part hasn’t had much of income. Other parts of the town are relatively well kept and here you can find some shopping as well. There are more ruins to see if you prefer that, eg St George of the Greeks which was the second largest cathedral.
The most famous mosque was completed as a church in 1312 during the time of the French Lusignan and became the cathedral of St. Nicholas in 1328. It was converted in 1571 to the Ayasofya Mosque in Magusa (St. Sophia Mosque in Famagusta) by the Ottomans when they conquered Famagusta. From 1954 it’s called the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, after the Grand Vizier who fought against the Venetians in the 16th century.
Varosha
The Village of Varosha was the place to be on Cyprus for movie stars and celebrities and they lived in luxury hotels along John F Kennedy Avenue. During the Turkish invasion in 1974, the tourists in Varosha were evacuated with the help of UN and British forces. All buildings and shops were abandoned in the belief that they’d soon return and most have been looted over the years. One of the hotels was badly damaged by Turkish bombs and it is at its beach bar that the Red Buses stop and let you have a swim.
Varosha was the place to be in Cyprus for movie stars and celebrities and they stayed in luxury hotels along John F Kennedy Avenue that runs through the village. During the Turkish invasion in 1974, tourists were evacuated to Varosha with the help of the UN and British forces. All buildings and shops were abandoned in the belief that they would soon return and most have been looted over the years. One of the hotels was badly damaged by Turkish bombs and it’s at its beach bar that the red buses stop and here they end the visit with a cooling bath.
