The British Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, explained

Plenty of British visitors know there’s an RAF presence in Cyprus, but fewer realise that two slices of the island’s south coast are still British sovereign territory. They’re the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, and if you visit Kourion you’ll be standing in one. Here’s what they are, who lives in them and what they mean for your trip, using their administration, the UN and gov.uk. The 1960 background is in the history of Cyprus.

What they are and why they exist

When Cyprus became independent in 1960, the UK retained sovereignty over two areas under the Treaty of Establishment, the Sovereign Base Areas Administration explains. They’re Akrotiri, the Western Sovereign Base Area near Limassol, and Dhekelia, the Eastern one. The UN adds that the 1959 agreement left these areas outside the territory of the Republic, as British military bases.

Between them they take up 98 square miles, split 47.5 and 50.5, which the people who run them reckon is some 3% of Cyprus.

Who lives there and who’s in charge

They aren’t just barracks. The administration says about 10,000 Cypriots live inside them, alongside some 3,800 British service personnel and civilians with their families, that about 60% of the land is privately owned and that the 1960 boundaries were drawn to exclude villages and towns. Inside Dhekelia there are even three Republic enclaves, Ormidhia, Xylotymbou and the Dhekelia power station.

They’re run by an Administrator who is also Commander British Forces Cyprus and answers to the UK Defence Secretary. They have their own court and police, and their laws, the administration explains, start from those of the Colony of Cyprus as at August 1960 and are kept as close as possible to the Republic’s. Many functions for Cypriot residents are carried out by Republic officials on its behalf.

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What you’ll see in Akrotiri

This is what matters most for a holiday. Going by OpenStreetMap coordinates, the ancient site of Kourion lies inside the Akrotiri base, and Akrotiri Salt Lake is Crown land held by the bases. If you drive to Kourion from Limassol, you’re on British territory. For the sights nearby, see my ranked places to visit in Cyprus.

No official source I can cite describes road checks between the Republic and the bases, so I won’t promise there aren’t any. What is clear is that these are military areas, and gov.uk asks you not to photograph military buildings.

Dhekelia and the crossings north

Dhekelia has another role. Inside it sit Pergamos and Strovilia, two of the nine crossings north, staffed round the clock by base customs and immigration officers following EU rules. The UN buffer zone is also interrupted at Dhekelia, because the UN doesn’t operate there. Before heading over, read crossing to northern Cyprus. Next to Kourion lies the village of Episkopi.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Limassol and pick one that fits your day.

Where the bus does not go, a car does: compare car hire in Limassol before you arrive rather than at the desk.

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