Walking in Cyprus. Nike Werstroh
Byzantine churches are also known for their frescos; some of them – such as Asinou church near Nikitari – have their entire interior covered in these paintings.
Monasteries were generally built in the mountains, so that the monks who lived in them could be further from temptation and closer to God. Many of these buildings also contain great collections of frescos. When visiting a monastery or church in Cyprus, wear long trousers and cover your arms. Some monasteries have a selection of robes by the entrance for visitors to cover themselves up with.
When Cyprus fell under the Ottoman Empire in 1571, Turkish settlers arrived onto the island and brought their religion, Islam, with them. During the Ottoman period some churches were converted into mosques (for example the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque in Famagusta), creating unique and impressive constructions. These – especially the ones in Nicosia and Famagusta – can be visited by tourists. You will have to leave your shoes by the door and women have to cover their head with a headscarf. Many well-visited mosques offer headscarves for female visitors.
Although the Turkish Cypriots in Northern Cyprus are Sunni Muslims, most of them don’t follow their religion too strictly; they consume alcohol and women don’t cover their heads in public.
Getting there
View from the section between Kionia picnic site and Machairas Monastery (Walk 24)
There are plenty of direct flights from UK and many other European airports to Paphos and Larnaca/Larnaka in the south of the island. Shop around for the best deals. You could also check out the well-known tour operators; they offer package holidays, mainly for tourist resorts, but it’s possible to book flights only with them. Easyjet, Ryanair, British Airways, Jet2 and Thomas Cook all have direct flights from UK airports.
There are no direct flights to the northern part of Cyprus. Flights arriving at Ercan – the airport in Northern Cyprus – must travel via Turkey. If you choose this option you might face a longer travelling time. If you leave the airport you need a visa to enter Turkey; this can be obtained by completing an electronic application form. You don’t need a visa if you hold a British or EU passport and are only changing flights in Turkey. If you’re not a British passport holder, see www.mfa.gov.tr for visa requirements for Turkey and http://mfa.gov.ct.tr for Northern Cyprus.
For the fastest possible route to the north of the island, fly to Larnaca from where border crossing points are easily accessed. From the airport you can take one of the buses to Nicosia where you can cross the border on foot.
Ferries operate between Kyrenia/Girne and mainland Turkey – see Appendix B for booking details.
Border crossings
The northern part of the island – the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus – is a self-declared state recognised only by Turkey. It is referred to as ‘Northern Cyprus’ by most outsiders, but the Greek Cypriots in the south consider it an occupied area. Since 2003 Cypriots from both sides have been allowed to visit the opposing parts, and tourists can easily visit both parts of the island.
Most tourists visit South Cyprus, but for walkers there are some peaceful and spectacular walking trails to be discovered in the north. However, to get there you might need a bit more planning (see ‘Getting there’, above). EU passport holders don’t need a visa to enter Northern Cyprus; some travel websites suggest that on entering Northern Cyprus it is necessary to fill out a form which is then stamped, but in 2016 there was no such form and it was only necessary to show passports.
There are several crossing points on the island. These are known by many different names, as Turkish, Greek and occasionally English place names are used, and they are also often referred to by the name of the nearest village. You can cross from the south to the north and vice versa on foot in Nicosia, at Ledra Palace Hotel and Ledra Street. There are five other crossing points: Limnitis/Yesilirmak, Astromeritis/Zodhia, Agios Dometios/Metehan and Pyla/Beyarmudu, Strovilia/Akyar.
The busy Ledra Street in Nicosia, lined with shops, cafés and restaurants, comes abruptly to the border crossing point. After presenting your passport to the two authorities you can continue on the very same street, but with a very different ambience. Many tourists visit both parts of the divided capital on the same day. If you want to continue towards the north, you can find minibuses departing to Kyrenia from North Nicosia just outside the old city walls. Many car hire companies offer a pick-up service if you decide to cross the border on foot, and taxis are also available.
Some car hire companies allow you to take a car hired in the south to the northern part of the island, but extra insurance will have to be purchased. However, cars hired on the north cannot be taken to the south.
Getting around
There are plenty of small waterfalls to enjoy on Walk 16
Buses
If you want to get around by bus you need careful planning. There are buses running along the coast and serving some villages from Paphos, Limassol, Nicosia and Polis, but you need to check the timetables very carefully when planning a walk. Some villages are only served by one or two buses daily and a return journey can also be tricky. Check routes and timetables at the local bus stations and tourist offices before setting off for a walk.
Intercity buses connect major towns; for more information visit the town’s bus terminal. You could also consult the local websites, but remember to check when they were last updated:
Buses in Northern Cyprus run between the major towns, and white minibuses, known as dolmuş, serve North Nicosia, Famagusta and Kyrenia. Getting around by dolmuş is cheap but they don’t have a timetable; people either have to wave them down or board the vehicle at its departing point.
Bear in mind that many of the walks described in this guide start and/or finish in a remote place with no public transport, in which case a taxi or hired car may be the only option.
Taxis and car hire
While it may seem like a disadvantage to have a car parked at one end of a linear walk, most of the time it is possible to retrace your steps or arrange a pick-up service at the other end. This also applies if you’re relying on buses, as you might get to the beginning of the linear route relatively easily but then need to call a taxi at the end of the walk. In the Troodos mountains you can find taxis in Platres and Troodos Square, and it is recommended to arrange the taxi before you start your walk.
Hiring a car is easy; cars can be booked in advance or are available in towns and are very reasonably priced. On Cyprus, drive on the left. Main roads are in good condition but you can easily find yourself driving on winding, single-lane roads with the threat of rock fall. Check with your car hire company about any rules for driving on dirt roads.
If you hire a car in the south, you might be able to take it to the northern part of the island but you will need to purchase extra insurance. However, if you hire a car in the north you are not permitted to take it to the south.
Roads might be busy around the coastal towns and