Cyprus and Northern Cyprus

[toscanafoto]

I want to share with the community some tourist information and experience of my 2 trips in Cyprus ( Republic of Cyprus ) and Northern Cyprus ( Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus ) where I have visited Nicosia - Paphos - Larnaca - Limassol

To see my photo gallery click on the link below

https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcod...7630585160352/

Below a list of tourist attractions of my itinerary that may be useful to plan better a trip

> Nicosia Greek and Turkish is a very special city full of interesting tourist attractions . It is located inland of the island and it is divided into 2 parts ( part Greek and part Turkish ) . The main tourist attractions are : the beautiful Selimiye Mosque , the spectacular Caravanserai Buyuk Han , the 2 Houses Museum Dervish Pasha Mansion , the St. John's Cathedral ( Agios Ioannis ) , the Archbishop's Palace , the old market of Bandabuliya , the traditional neighborhood of Laiki Geitonia full of typical restaurants and nice pub where to enjoy the magical atmosphere of the city . Other secondary tourist attractions are : Palace Ledra Street Irene (Peace) Hall , Ledra Street is one of the access routes between the part Greek and part Turkish , Kyrenia Gate is a gate in the city walls , the Church Agios Savvas , Hammam and the Mosques : Arablar - Bayraktar - Omeriye - Sarayonu - Arabahmet . The most interesting Museums are Byzantine Museum and the Cyprus Museum . Nicosia is the most interesting city I have visited in Cyprus and Northern Cyprus for its history and the current situation : Nicosia is the last divided city in Europe for the consequences of a war

> Limassol is a very large city on the South coast , developed mainly horizontally to the sea . The small and interesting historical center is full of tourist attractions and restaurants / nice pub where to enjoy this picturesque area of the city . The main tourist attractions are : the Museum of Medieval Castle , the Cathedral of Agia Napa , the modern Church of St. Nicholas completely painted inside , it is probably more beautiful inside than the Cathedral , the Great Mosque , the lovely little Church of St. Anthony , the Mosque of Koprulu finally the long promenade along about 15 km . Limassol Marina is a nice neighborhood newly built with exclusive luxury restaurants and other cheapest fast food / pub ; very beautiful new buildings constructed in this area that is developed around the marina where luxury is at home . Other secondary tourist attractions are : the City Hall , the Municipal Art Gallery , the Municipal Gardens , the Catholic Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria and the Cathedral of St. Mary Virgin Pantanassa . The sea and the beaches in front of city is not particularly beautiful . The most interesting Museums are the Archaeological Museum and the Civic Museum of Folk Art . Around Limassol there are archaeological sites of great importance as the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates , Kourion , Amathus . Always in the neighborhood there are the Castle of Kolossi and the Monastery of George Alamanov . The nightlife is very lively !

> Paphos is a big city at South West of the island . It offers much at different types of travelers : history and archeology , nature , nice beachs and relax with an interesting nightlife ; hotels / restaurants / pub that depending on the choice can be very cheap or luxury and exclusive . The main tourist attractions are : the wonderful Archaeological Park of Nea Kato Paphos with beautiful mosaics , the Amphitheatre , the ruins of Saranta Kolones , the Catacombs of Agia Salomoni , the Tomb of the Kings ; The Harbour Castle and the Byzantine Museum . For beaches I recommend Coral Bay . Nearby to visit : the settlement of Maa-Paleokastro , the Rock of Aphrodite or Petra Tou Romiou

> Larnaca is the least interesting of the four cities but it is anyway charming . It is located on the coast in the Southern part of the island . Gorgeous the Church of St. Lazarus ( Ayios Lazarus ) and the lovely colonnade in same square . The main tourist attractions are : the Great Mosque Buyuk or Djami Kebir , the Church Panagia Faneromeni , the Church Holy Mary of Grace . Other secondary tourist attractions are : the Medieval Castle , the Municipal Art Gallery , Larnaca Marina , la Moschea Tuzla , the Mosque of Zuhuri . The sea and the beaches in front of city is not particularly beautiful . The most interesting Museum is the Archaeological Museum Pierides . Nearby to visit the beautiful Aqueduct Bekir Pasha or Kamares , the Archaeological Site Kition , the Salt Lake of Oroklini , the Mosque of Umm Haram or Hala Sultan Tekke . The lively waterfront area is the liveliest for the presence of many traditional restaurants , modern hotels , many Pub

In total I have been in these four cities only 6 full days but they were not sufficient to visit the surroundings of the towns where there are many interesting sites ; for the short time available I was not able to visit all I wanted also in the cities because I move with public transport and sometimes I found closed what I wanted to visit ... if you want to visit the archaeological sites or other tourist attractions outside the cities and you do not have car I recommend 2 or 3 days for each city to enjoy it with tranquility !