Karpas peninsula (or the panhandle) is the easternmost part of the island of Cyprus, where the land tapers into a thin strip which stretches out towards Turkey.
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| (North Cyprus)– Karpas peninsula |
The area is rich in subterranean water reservoirs and thus crops such as tobacco are grown in abundance. Another main source of income in the region is fishing. Boğaz and Kumyalı are the fishing centres in the Karpas.
As well as numerous Byzantine churches, the most notably the Monastery of Apostolos Andreas, the area boasts some of the finest countryside in the countryside. The Karpas peninsula has been called the nature reserve of Cyprus for birds, wild flowers, and sea fossils are to be found everywhere.
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| (North Cyprus)– Karpas peninsula |
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.
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| (North Cyprus)– Karpas peninsula - Golden Beach |
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. Escaping the last ice age, the island of Cyprus has managed to retain a substantial amount of biological diversity with a significant amount of endemic species -plant species number about 1,600 (22 endemic); bird species about 350 (7 endemic); and there are 26 reptile and amphibian species for most of which the Karpas is the natural home.
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| (North Cyprus)– Karpas peninsula |
Karpas (Karpaz) Peninsula - Where To Stay and Eat
Accommodation along the Karpas Peninsula has expanded somewhat in the last few years, with more opportunities now to spend a few nights on this, probably the most unspoilt, part of the north. Although facilities are mainly basic, there are hotels, motels, bungalows and campsites, offering some of the most beautiful deserted beaches and a very friendly welcome. Places to eat are really limited to the restaurants, bars and catering provided by the hotels, lodgings and campsites detailed below.
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| (North Cyprus)– Karpas peninsula |
- Exotic Hotel: Despite its large size, this is a personable place that caters wonderfully for children with a swimming pool with waterslides.
- Boğaz Hotel: This hotel used to have an attractive outdoor terrace shaded by jacaranda trees; it has a beach across the road and a restaurant serving fish and other seafood.
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| (North Cyprus) - Karpas - Boğaz |
- Malibu Motel: This motel offers small bungalows to rent. It is a pleasant spot to stop for a rest, the beach is small but inviting, and it is also home to the Mephisto Diving School. There is a small harbour here too, where local fishermen dock and sell their catch to the Malibu's restaurant.
- Theresa Hotel: 4km past Malibu Motel is a wonderfully friendly hotel and restaurant with a small beach. With all rooms the same price regardless of the view, try to secure one on the first floor with a balcony and sea view.
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| (North Cyprus) - Karpas - Monastery of Apostolos Andreas |
- Arch Houses: Delightful honey-coloured farm buildings, the oldest dating back to 1911, that have been lovingly restored and converted into tourist accommodation. Spacious rooms that come with their own kitchen (including a hotplate) for those who do not want to take advantage of the cafe next door.
- Oasis at Ayfilon: Standing in glorious isolation in one of the most stunning locations on the island - the ancient ruins and crystal waters combine to form an intoxicating brew. The brainchild of eco-tourism pioneer Michael de Glanville, Oasis provides simple but clean accommodation for those seeking sustainable tourism.
- Blue Sea Hotel: A few kilometres outside of town, this splendid hotel is a long-time favourite with tourists. Family-run and solar powered, the hotel has some lovely rooms, all with a sea view (at least of sorts) and balcony, with many overlooking the nearby harbour.
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| (North Cyprus)– Karpas peninsula - Restaurant |
- Livana Hotel Restaurant: Equally charming though much more rustic, Livana offers rooms in its main building or 'tree-houses' (really just huts on stilts with a separate shed for the toilet down below) set on the beach for the same price. Though they are primitive in the extreme (with a bed the only furniture), the chance to drift off to sleep to the sound of the sea is one not to be missed. Livana also has a little restaurant.
- Turtle Beach Restaurant, Bungalows and Camping: This site is located just before you reach Apostolos Andreas Monastery, for years and it deserves a fantastic reference. There are 6 bungalows and a number of tents available, as well as plenty of room to pitch your own. The site is set in amongst the dunes and the sand stretches, clean and golden, for near on a mile and the sea is crystal clear, providing one of the few remaining sites for nesting marine turtles.
- Golden Beach: Next door to Turtle Beach and in close proximity to possibly the most gorgeous beach on the island is this newer, smaller hotel.
- Ali's Big Sand Beach Bar and Restaurant: Further along this splendid stretch of beach from the east, Ali's Big Sand offers basic camping facilities.
- View Hotel: Just before the monastery this large white building on the right-hand side is otherwise known as DipkarpazBelediyesiTuristikTesisleri. It is the closest hotel bed you will find to Cape Andreas.
- Sea Bird Restaurant: Past the monastery, Sea Bird offers a few rooms to rent, a restaurant and a beach and forms the last building you see before heading off, dust clouds behind you, to the end of the island.
(Cypne& North Cyprus Hotels)
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