Bellapais, the abbey village above Kyrenia

Bellapais is a small village hanging on the hillside above Kyrenia, in the north of Cyprus, and its Turkish name is Beylerbeyi, according to OpenStreetMap. To come up you pass one of the Green Line checkpoints (requirements and insurance are in crossing to Northern Cyprus), and I set out how life differs in that part of the island in Northern Cyprus.

A village built round an abbey

Nearly everyone who climbs to Bellapais comes for Bellapais Abbey, a ruined Gothic monastery that Encyclopaedia Britannica lists among the notable buildings left by the Lusignans and Venetians. The houses spread across the slope around it, and from the top you look down on Kyrenia and the sea. English Wikipedia notes that, after the Ottoman conquest, the abbey church served as the parish church for the village that grew up around it.

Lawrence Durrell’s village

For many British readers, Bellapais is Lawrence Durrell’s village. English Wikipedia recalls that the writer lived here for some years and described it in Bitter Lemons, his book about life on Cyprus. In it he talks about passing the time drinking coffee under the Tree of Idleness, and today two places in the village claim to be the exact spot, because the book never quite settles it. His house, at the top of a very steep lane, has a plaque, and the same source suggests coming back down by a gentler route that passes some old olive presses.

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Staying in Bellapais or not

There are places to stay in Bellapais, but before you book, read the warning passed on by the Spanish foreign ministry about hotels built on Greek Cypriot property in the north. I explain it in hotels in Northern Cyprus. I’d sleep in Nicosia and come up for the day. Prices are in Turkish lira, though euros are widely accepted, and official Spanish advice warns of card charges well above the bill, so I’d carry cash for that coffee under Durrell’s tree. Gov.uk also reminds visitors not to photograph military buildings anywhere in the north.

A day of castles

Bellapais sits roughly 15 km from the Ledra checkpoint on the map, and the easiest way up is by car after crossing at Agios Dometios. Kyrenia Castle is about 5 km away, Buffavento about 5.5 and St Hilarion about 7, so Bellapais fits neatly into a day of castles along the range, with lunch in the village before the drive back south.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Nicosia and choose by the reviews.

A car frees you from timetables: search car hire in Nicosia on DiscoverCars and compare companies.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Nicosia before prices climb.