Cyprus is the paradise island of the Mediterranean with clean white beaches and turquoise sea bathed in sunshine for most days of the year.



Unspoilt and unpolluted, North Cyprus offers so much more than that with its welcoming people and nine thousand years of history to absorb.

The area around Kyrenia encapsulates all of those qualities making Wild Olive Villa the perfect base for your dream holiday.

 

Whether you're sitting in the shade with a beer during a blistering summer's day, enjoying a meal in the evening, or taking a brisk walk during a winter's day, the beauty of the place will charm you. It's still used as a working harbour, although most of what were once merchants' warehouses are now restaurants and bars.

The harbour is the main departure point for boat trips in the morning, the core of the local fishing industry, a great place to escape the summer sun at midday, and it forms the centre of Kyrenia's night-life. It retains an old-fashioned atmosphere and is one of the most enchanting sites in the Eastern Mediterranean.

 

Kyrenia Castle looms over Kyrenia Harbour. It was started in the 9th century and had its heyday in the Lusignan and Venetian eras between about 1200 and 1570. Built to protect Kyrenia and its harbour from invasion by sea - it is still hard to imagine anyone with medieval weapons succeeding in capturing it.

Inside the castle are the carefully-protected remains of one of the oldest shipwrecks ever recovered from the Mediterranean. Parking is free right next to the castle entrance. There is an admission charge for the castle, which is best visited during the morning.

Virtually the whole length of the Northern coast provides beaches. To the east of Wild Olive Villa and Kyrenia, along the coast road, most of the beaches are beautiful deserted stretches of sand and rock. Long stretches of sandy beach also line the Eastern Coast, North of Famagusta.

The scuba diving and snorkelling is outstanding, where there are rocky areas and water sports can be found in numerous places. Kyrenia Harbour; here vessels of varying sizes run gentle coastal day-long cruises for between 4 and 40 people and fishing boats can be hired. The most-developed beaches have night clubs on the sand, and there are many cliff-top bars and restaurants scattered along the coast.

To view a map showing the approximate location of Wild Olive Villa please click here.