Hotel Salamis Bay Conti Resort Hotel & Casino is an ideal base from which to explore the main attractions on the east coast of Northern Cyprus.
Table of contents
The Salamis Archaeological Site
Just 5 minutes by car from our hotel (see Google Maps) you will find the remains of the ancient city of Salamis.
The present site had more than 100,000 inhabitants in its heyday and is today one of the most important cultural sights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The large ruined area, which can be visited today, is only a small part of the huge settlement of that time, whose foundation dates back to about 1200 BC. Today’s archaeological site includes above all the Gymnasium, whose marble columns still stand today. In addition, you can visit a large amphitheatre, which attracted 15,000 visitors in Roman times.
Since it was incredibly hot on our day of sightseeing, we walked from Shadow Square to Shadow Square. The grounds were – with the exception of three other visitors – completely deserted, which was of course great for the visit.
St. Barnabas Monastery
Just two kilometres from the ancient city of Salamis, the monastery of St. Barnabas is surrounded by the dry countryside. Barnabas is an apostle who was considered one of the most important early Christian missionaries. He returned to his Cypriot homeland in 45 Ad to spread Christianity. He later became the island’s first bishop. Today he is revered as a national saint in Cyprus. The monastery is said to have been built in 477, while the present monastery church was built in 1756. In the monastery building itself there is an archaeological collection, which is considered the most important of its kind in Northern Cyprus.
When we visited the monastery complex, we were completely alone here as well. It can’t be better.
Panoramic view of St. Barnabas Monastery
The old town of Famagusta
Famagusta is a port city on the east coast of Northern Cyprus with about 40,000 inhabitants, which we were able to reach in about 15 minutes from our Hotel Salamis Bay Conti. The old town of Famagusta surrounds a still largely original fortress wall from the 16th century of almost 3,400 meters in length, which is partly also walkable. Already from a distance you can see the former St. Nicholas Cathedralin the middle of the old town , which was converted into the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque in 1571 by the addition of two minarets. We also made a short photo stop at the remains of St. George the Latin, a former parish church of the Crusaders.
The old town of Famagusta can be explored very well on foot, as everything is in the immediate vicinity.
The medieval castle of Kantara
Kantara Castle is a medieval castle ruin in the north-east of the island. The fortress, which is located at an altitude of 630 meters, was built in the 10th century and was constantly expanded until the 14th century. You can walk through the ruins of the castle and the various walls on several paths. Overall, we liked the visit to Kantara Castle very much. Especially the magnificent views of the north coast of Cyprus and the peninsula karpas were really great. The trip to the castle alone is an adventure. If you think you’ve definitely done it, there are still dozens of serpentines going on and suddenly you see them. More information about the history of the castle can be found here.
All travelogues from Cyprus
The island of Cyprus has about 1.1 million inhabitants and is the third largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily and Sardinia. Since 1974 the island has been divided. However, it was clear to us from the very beginning that we would like to explore the entire island on our own - both Northern Cyprus and Southern Cyprus. In our articles we will give you detailed information about our hotels, the sights of the whole island (north and south), diving at the wreck Zenobia and turtle watching in Alagadi.
» Cyprus: Travel Guide, Things to know & Tourist Attractions» Cyprus: Our rental car for Northern Cyprus & Southern Cyprus
» Cyprus: Nikosia – Travel Guide & Things to do in the divided city
» Northern Cyprus: Salamis Bay Conti Resort Hotel & Casino
» Northern Cyprus: Tourist Attractions on the east coast of the island
» Northern Cyprus: Kyrenia – The port city of Girne in Northern Cyprus
» Northern Cyprus: The Alagadi Sea Turtle Project in Northern Cyprus
» Southern Cyprus: Larnaca – Diving at the shipwreck Zenobia
» Southern Cyprus: Tourist Attractions & Things to do in the south part of the island