Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Paralimni
Pop 11,100 (including Protaras and Pernera)
Paralimni is located inland near the seasonal lake from which it derives its name. The un-
official capital of the Famagusta district, it has grown due to migration from the occupied
North and the success of nearby resort towns Agia Napa and Protaras. Many of its inhabit-
ants work and own businesses in these areas.
The town itself has few sights. It has a simple paved square, a church (Agios Georgios)
and a growing strip of restaurants and shops.
Deryneia
Pop 7500
Deryneia is a traditional village with Byzantine churches dating from the 12th century and
a Folk Art Museum worth visiting but it's primarily known for its location at the eastern
rise of the closed 'border' that separates the occupied North from the Republic of Cyprus.
Most people come to visit the Cultural Centre with its views across the UN buffer zone
and the eerie abandoned ghost town of Varosia. For anyone interested in the Cyprus' mod-
ern history, it's well worth stopping in.
If you don't have a car, Osea bus 501 has regular services from Agia Napa to Deryneia
and bus 502 makes the return trip.
1
Sights
Cultural Centre of Occupied Famagusta
MUSEUM
(Evagorou 35;
h
7.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-4.30pm Sat)
F
This centre is a sober reminder of the island's ongoing separation. There is an audio-visual
presentation and information about Famagusta but the real reason to visit is for the panor-
amic views (binoculars provided) across the bizarre barbed-wire no-man's land to Varosia
from the rooftop. The withered and empty remains of this one-time Mediterannean hot-
ticket resort are a bitter and stark reminder of the ongoing separation.
Varosia's residents fled the invading Turkish troops in August 1974 and now, entirely
fenced off by the Turkish military, this once thriving resort with its glossy hotels, sits
slowly crumbling into ruin.
Folk Art Museum
MUSEUM
(Demetris Lipertis 2; admission €2.50;
h
9am-1pm & 4-6pm Mon-Sat)
