Famagusta district, from Ayia Napa to the Green Line

For most travellers, Famagusta district means Ayia Napa and Protaras, and with good reason, as some of the best beaches in Cyprus are there. But the district is bigger and more complicated than that, and it’s worth understanding before you arrive. Here’s how it fits together. I set it against the other five in districts of Cyprus.

A district split in two

Famagusta, Ammochostos in Greek and Gazimağusa in Turkish, gives its name to the district in the east of the island. Since 1974 the town and much of the district have been in the north, the area where the Government of the Republic does not exercise effective control. That’s where you’ll find Famagusta itself, with its Venetian walls, Varosha, its former resort quarter, which the UN describes as controlled by the Turkish military, and the Karpas Peninsula. That part of the district also holds the ruins of Salamis, Kantara Castle, high on the range above Karpas, and, at the tip of the peninsula, Apostolos Andreas Monastery. I cover all of that in northern Cyprus.

The southern part, controlled by the Government, had 54,318 residents in the 2021 census. Visit Famagusta, the district’s tourism portal, notes that Paralimni, with 19,037 residents, is now the district’s temporary administrative centre and its largest municipality.

What to see in Famagusta district

Ayia Napa is the best-known beach town, with Ayia Napa monastery on the square, the Thalassa Museum, its harbour and beaches such as Nissi Beach and Makronissos. About 8 km away lies Protaras, quieter and more family-oriented, with Fig Tree Bay. Between them rises Cape Greco, a 3.85 km² forest park protected since 1993, with cliffs, sea caves, rock arches, chapels and trails, such as the one from Konnos Bay to the Cyclops Cave.

Inland are the Kokkinochoria, the red soil villages, where the potatoes the area is known for are grown. Visit Famagusta counts Ayia Napa among them, and around it lie Sotira, Liopetri, Avgorou, Frenaros, Achna and Deryneia, all of them Kokkinochoria villages. At Liopetri, the Potamos river forms what the same website calls Cyprus’s only natural fjord, with a fishing shelter.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Ayia Napa on Expedia and filter by area before price.

The Green Line and the bases

The district borders the UN buffer zone, which runs for about 180 km across the island. According to the UN, in the east the zone stops at the British base of Dhekelia, where it doesn’t operate, and I explain this in the British bases in Cyprus. Deryneia, next to Paralimni, has one of the crossing points to the north, and how to cross is covered in crossing to northern Cyprus.

One detail that often confuses people is that Pyla, the buffer zone village where Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots live side by side, and Xylofagou are listed in the census under Larnaca district, not Famagusta.

Getting around

OSEA runs the buses here. Its routes link Ayia Napa, Cape Greco, Konnos, Protaras and Paralimni, and others serve inland villages such as Sotira, Liopetri, Avgorou and Frenaros. Fares are €2 for a daytime trip, €3 at night and €6 for a day ticket. The Kapnos shuttle runs from Larnaca Airport to Ayia Napa and Protaras, and by car it’s about half an hour, according to Visit Famagusta.

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

Where to stay

The two bases are Ayia Napa and Protaras. The first has more choice and more nightlife, the second calm-water beaches and a more family atmosphere. I compare them in hotels in Ayia Napa and hotels in Protaras.

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

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Ayia Napa on Booking.com and filter by area before price.