Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
KARPAS (KIRPAŞA) PENINSULA
A far cry from urban activity, the Karpas Peninsula (also known as Karpasia and Kırpaşa in
Turkish) offers miles of rolling fields, wildlife, olive groves, carob trees, endless beaches
with fantastic swimming, forgotten archaeological sites and the remains of broken Christi-
an churches. The area is bliss for cyclists and ramblers, with mesmerising wildflowers that
burst into colour every spring.
The peninsula has remained virtually untouched by development, its smattering of vil-
lages almost lost in time. The region somewhat sidestepped the events of 1974 as its isol-
ated Turks and Greeks ignored the call to segregate themselves and continued to live along-
side each other.
The village of Dipkarpaz (Rizokarpaso) remains home to some elderly Greek Cypriots,
but most villages are now populated by mainland Turkish settlers, which is more apparent
the further north you go.
The most sizeable village is Yenierenköy (Yiallousa), with its small square and village
centre. It has a good tourist office, set up with the intention of increasing interest in the re-
gion. With access from the Republic of Cyprus now essentially a non-issue, more travellers
are beginning to visit the Karpas, and prices are beginning to reflect this.
Many Greek Cypriots make the twice-yearly pilgrimage from the south to the very tip of
the island to visit the revered Monastery of Apostolos Andreas.
Developers are starting to encroach further up the peninsula, and you may notice some
gaudy out-of-place concrete stuccoes cropping up. Thankfully, the entire cape from Dip-
karpaz upwards has been declared a national park, and it's hoped that this will preserve the
area's wildlife and ecology for years to come.
