Where to see the ghost town, listen to the singing of flamingos, get acquainted with the true owners of the island, or put your head into the lion's mouth? - In Cyprus.
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| huffingtonpost.com |
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| philenews.com |
Forty years ago, newly built Varosha was considered as one of the most luxurious resorts in the world. On the local beaches there cwould be found Brigitte Bardot or Elizabeth Taylor, and the hotel rooms were booked for twenty years ahead of time.
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| holidayhypermarket.co.uk |
Unfortunately, the city was disturbed by the conflict between Turks and Greeks in 1974. Luxury hotels were looted, and the locals were in a hurry to leave their homes. All of them expected to come back in a week, maximum in one month, but their plans have not been realized until now. More than 40 years have passed, and now Varosha still resembles a post-apocalyptic city with a pile of rusting cars and empty hotels.
Inhabitants of Varosha are currently seagulls, rodents and stray cats. Four kilometers of beaches with golden sand remain untouched for more than three decades. To get to this ghost town is impossible: once popular resort is anually protected by armed soldiers. You can observe the restricted area only due to the fence.
The capital of disco
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| incyprusinfo.com |
The glory of Ayia Napa should be attributed to the military conflict of the 1970s. After North Cyprus with its famous resorts captured Turks, the Greeks began to develop the southern part of the island. Gradually modest fishing village near Cape Greco became the noisiest resort of Ayia Napa. Today it is called local Ibiza - in summer and autumn it turns into a huge dancing platform.
Flamingo Lake
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| mycyprusinsider.com |
Larnaca, sandwiched between the bustling Ayia Napa and enthusiastic Limassol, doesn't resemble its neighbors. This city is amazing that everyone can find something special for himself.
For athletes, there is a scuba diving school, amazing dive spots - flooded ferry "Zenobia", party-goers will enjoy sleepless seafront Phinikoudes and lovers of antiquity will admire The Monastery of Stavrovouni. But the most popular attraction in the city is Salt Lake Aliki, where in winter fly pink flamingos. The scenery is really unusual: sometimes the water weclones up to 12 000 of "sunset children"!
"Shakespeare" Tower
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| cyprusparadise.com |
Famagusta - once a luxury resort and capital of Cyprus - now is lying in ruins, which are unlikely to be restored. However, it still attracts tourists by the unique rampart under the authorship of Leonardo da Vinci, unusual mosque converted from a Gothic cathedral, and the famous tower of Othello. If you find yourself near the tower, you are to climb to the observation deck with stunning views of the Sea Gate, and try to find ancient treasure.
Meze House
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| tripadvisor.co.uk |
Cuisine of Cyprus could easily be considered as one more attraction of the island. There you can find "stuffed" cabbage rolls with grape leaves, stew stifado in vinegar with onions, make a lot of salads with feta cheese and good olive oil. A protagonist of Cypriot cuisine is Meze - a real attraction and a feast at the same time.
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What is it? Ooooh! This is a whole ceremony. For the start, there are some plates with snacks, sauces, vegetable salad and tortillas. Then you are served different dishes, the number of which can reach 15-20. To eat all of them on your own is impossible.