Apostolos Andreas Monastery, at the end of the island

Apostolos Andreas Monastery (St Andrew) is about as far north-east as Cyprus goes, at the end of the Karpas Peninsula (Karpasia in Greek, Karpaz in Turkish), in the north of the island. To get there you pass a Green Line checkpoint with the paperwork explained in crossing to Northern Cyprus. The guidance in Northern Cyprus is worth reading first. The area as a whole is in my guide to the Karpas Peninsula.

A landmark at the end of the island

The Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, which brings together specialists from both communities, places it on the edge of a promontory above the sea near the tip of Karpas, and says it has always been a landmark of the island.

English Wikipedia records the tradition behind it. The ship carrying St Andrew to the Holy Land was blown off course onto these rocks, and the apostle struck a spring credited with healing powers. The same source dates the church to the 18th century and the main buildings to a century later, and says it draws pilgrims from both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. I have no official source for those dates, so they come with that caveat.

A restoration both communities paid for

In its 2012 brochure the committee already set out to restore the monastery with the support of all interested parties. It managed it. According to its 2022 brochure, Phase A, covering the church and adjoining buildings, ran from September 2014 to November 2016. UNDP presented it as the first heritage project in Cyprus funded by both communities, with around €5 million from the Church of Cyprus and Evkaf, the Turkish Cypriot religious foundation.

That’s the detail I’d remember. On a divided island, its most remote monastery was restored with money from both communities.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Protaras for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.

Before you go that far

This is about as far from the south as you can get in Cyprus, and it’s worth planning for. Gov.uk says the FCDO can only offer limited consular support in the north and that the British High Commission receives no information from the authorities there about its nationals. I’d go with travel insurance that clearly covers the north, a full tank and the High Commission’s number saved on my phone.

The drive out

It’s the longest day trip you can make in the north. From the Deryneia crossing it’s about 86 km in a straight line, and quite a bit more by road along the whole peninsula. You’ll need a car and insurance for the north. Rizokarpaso is about 19 km away, Golden Beach about 4.5 and Cape Apostolos Andreas about 4. No citable official source gives opening times, and as it’s a place of worship I’d keep shoulders and knees covered.

So you do not lose the morning at the ticket office, browse tickets and tours in Apostolos Andreas on GetYourGuide.

If you would rather go at your own pace, see the car hire deals in Protaras: the earlier you book, the more cars are left to choose from.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Protaras for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.