Northern Cyprus..a piece of heaven in the Med

Northern Cyprus is one of the last unspoilt destinations in the Mediterranean.Ostracised by the rest of the world only Turkey recognises this part of Cyprus which is called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.This isnt a political article although it is hard not to be political where Cyprus is concerned.Basically the country ie the Republic of Cyprus has Turkish speaking and Greek speaking inhabitants due to its proximity to both countries.The country had been occupied by the British since the 1920s because of its strategic location in the Mediterranean.A military coup in the late 60s early seventies had followed periods of unrest.Turkey sent troops to the north of the island to protect the Turkish Cypriots in that area.The final outcome was a divided country with roughly one third being Turkish and the rest being Greek.A "green" line runs through the country policed by both Turkish, Greek and UN soldiers.

More recently border restrictions have been relaxed and in 2003 people from either side of the border were allowed through.Cyprus entry to the EU and Turkey desire to follow have given hope that the problem can be solved once and for all although a recent referendum to vote on the latest UN plan has not been met favourably by the Greek majority so stalemate ensues.Maps of the island are mostly in Greek and place namesin the north have both Greek and Turkish names.For example the Northern Port of Kyrenia (Greek) is refered to as Girne by the local Turkish speaking population and Famagusta (Greek) on the east coast is referred to as Magusa by the local Turkish cypriots.The divided capital Nicosia is referred to as Lefkysa by the Turkish cypriots and the whole island is calle Kibris.(map of the North)

Meanwhile in the North builders and developers continue to add to their property portfolio.Foreign investment is pouring in meaning that vital works to infrastructure that couldnt be previously done is now starting to take shape.

The North takes up roughly one third of the whole island and geographically consists of the northern coastal plain where most developments are being built, the Northern Mountain Range and the foothills of the more southerly Troodos Mountains. The island has 9000 years of history and archaeological remains are to be found all over plus magnmificent gothic churches , castles and medieval walls.

Places to vist include the Karpaz Peninsular , a National Park with secluded beaches and many different species of both plant and animal, including the famous feral donkeys, which can be seen wandering here and there and the magnificent Abbey at Bellapais (see picture).There is an excellent restaurant here over looking the coast down to Kyrenia. There are many beaches to choose from.There are more commercial beaches close to Kyrenia but all along the coast there are many almost deserted beachs for you to enjoy.Golden Beach and Turttle Beach are a must. Try and catch the magnificent sunsets here if you can.

Turtle Beach is so called after the native loggerhead and green turtles that breed here.The turtles lay their eggs in the sand and after they have hatched they migrate to the sea returning 30 years later(if they survive) to the exact same spot to breed again. One of the negative aspects of the development is the threat to these native species from ill planned and destructive building work.

Kyrenia has one of the most picturesque setting you will fiind anywhere.The harbour is surrounded with restaurants of all types and local tea houses.The backdrop is the Five Finger mountain range. In particular the castle is worth a visit .It looks particularly splendid at night when it is illuminated.Famagusta on the east coast is worth a visit too. Ancient medieval walls surround the town with remnants of its past strewn around.Just north of Famagusta you will find the ancient ruins of Salamis once the Roman capital of Cyprus.These remains had been buried in wind blown sand deposits for hundreds of years which protected them from the "quarrying" that has destroyed hundreds of similar artefacts in the middle ages in particular.The remains cover about an acre right on the coast.You can see the ancient baths and also remains of the gymnasium.

For outdoor types there is a wealth of opportunity.Parascending is particularly popular in the N Mountain range as is hiking, trekking and mountain biking. On the coast there are plenty of water based activities with scuba enthusiasts enjoying some of the clearest waters in the world. There is plenty of accomodation to be enjoyed ranging from Hotels right on the sea front to private villas with own pools etc You will pay a lot less for a luxury villa here than in other parts of the Mediterranean so there is great value to be had.If you want to get away from it all i suggest you visit N Cyprus while it is still unspoilt although some would say it is already too late. I dont agree.