Karpas peninsula Karpas peninsula (or the panhandle) is the easternmost part of the island of Cyprus, where the land tapers into a thin strip which streches out towards Turkey. The Karpas peninsula is also almost totally free from heavy concentration of industry and people, and is one of the least polluted regions in the European periphery. It has been called the nature reserve of Cyprus for birds, wild flowers and sea fossils are to be found everywhere. Moreover, numerous picturesque beaches, both sandy and rocky, are said to be the best in the whole island. With also pine, cypress and maquis covered hills reaching an altitude of about 1,000 metres makes the Karpas region almost a perfect natural reserve site of the whole island.

St. Hilarion Just a few minutes drive away from Kyrenia and the villa, lies the fairy-tale castle of St.Hilarion and is rumoured to be the original inspiration for Walt Disney's 'Sleeping Beauty', St. Hilarion dominates the town of Kyrenia and is visible for many miles along the coast. It was built as a military fortress controlling the mountain pass to Nicosia. Later, however, it was proven that its strategic value was weak. It is thought that some of the pinnacles must have inspired the early builders of St. Hilarion to put up the turrets and towers. St. Hilarion gives an aerial view of Kyrenia and one can see the plain below. From a distance , the mountain top at 726m reveals twin peaks, and the old name for Hilarion was Didymus - the Greek word for twins.

Bellapais The enchanting village of Bellapais overlooking the town with its ancient abbey offers a peace and quiet for and is ideal starting point for hill-walking. Bellapais Abbey The beauty of Bellapais is legendary. Set in the mountains, just ten minutes above Kyrenia, a visit to this 14th century Lusignan abbey with its fabulous location and pervasive atmosphere of calm is a must. When Lawrence Durrell, famous British author, bought a house in the village of Bellapais, he felt 'guilty of an act of fearful temerity in trying to settle in so fantastic a place'.

Nicosia
The present day capital of the island, it has a population of around 150,000 and it is divided into Turkish and Greek sectors by a boundary known as the `green line' which runs in an east-west direction. In the old city of Nicosia, beautiful examples of Gothic and Ottoman architecture abound - the Selimiye Mosque, the Bedestan, the Arab Ahmet Mosque, and the Great Han/ Inn, to name but a few.