Today we did one of our favourite things and took a day road trip out to the west of the island, in a great circle. There’s quite a lot to see and do – you could easily take 2 days over it and stay the night somewhere along the way. We’ve done it a few times so we didn’t actually stop everywhere I mention here today.. but just for planning purposes, I am mentioning them.

So, we set off after breakfast, along the coast road west, through Lapta, through Karsyaka and followed signs to Guzelyurt. This means that when the road forks left away from the coastline, you keep going and climb up the hill overlooking the beautiful reservoir at Gecitkoy. The dam there is a work of art and holds back the bright blue lake formed by the pipeline water from Turkey. They’ve done a wonderful job of landscaping the area. There are walking trails all around the lake with picnic/bbq spots. The view down is amazing, with the Besparmak mountains stretching away behind it, east. Sometimes there is a stall there in the viewpoint selling olives and local products.

We kept going, following signs for Guzelyurt. The road turns right and through countryside reservations – great swathes of Mediterranean land, dotted with Cyprus pines and brush. It’s the wild west all right. As you approach Guzelyurt the landscape changes to very large fruit orchards and fields. At the moment Pomegranates and citrus fruit. At othe times melons and strawberries. There are various canneries and fruit processing places too. Often there are roadside stalls selling fresh fruit. Highly recommend the strawberries when they are in season

Guzelyurt used to be a dusty little agricultural town, largely famous for it’s Saturday morning market which still occurs and is well worth a visit for fabulous vegetables and of course fruit. The building of a huge university on the outskirts of town has definitely brought the town a little more into the 21st century but it’s still a quiet place.

In town itself there is an excellent museum housed in the old Bishop’s Palace next door to St. Mamas church. Downstairs is a slightly weird natural history museum showcasing the flora and fauna of Cyprus in the form of stuffed birds and animals. It also includes some oddities ie 2 headed sheep etc. Upstairs, is a quite remarkable archaeological museum which really has some treasures including an outstanding golden crown of delicate leaves found in the ruins of nearby Soli. Don’t miss the upper floor.

St Mamas Church is also well worth a visit. Greek Orthodox and built in the 18th century it has a lovely golden aura, a cloister and inside, amazing Venetian crystal chandeliers and icons. The marble sarcophagus of St. Mamas can be found forming part of the north wall of the church and over the interior a richly carved and decorated tympanum depicts scenes of excruciating martyrdom. The lid of the tomb has been pierced, again according to legend by someone who thought the tomb contained treasure, and the hole created now oozes a liquid that is purported to have curative properties. Around the tomb will be seen votive offerings in the shape of ears and tongues because St. Mamas is not only the Patron Saint of tax avoiders, but also those suffering with ear, nose and throat infections! You can poke your finger in the hole to access the magic liquid (oddly similar to olive oil!) and try its works for yourself.

About two doors down from the church, going towards the shops, is the most amazing little kebab restaurant. They have two sorts of doner going at any one time, the bread is so fresh and you can have a fabulous lunch outside at their tables for a couple of quid. I really recommend it.

Next stop on our tour are the ruins of Soli, just a few miles south of Guzelyurt, just off the coast road, near Lefke. Located near the town of Lefke and southwest of Guzelyurt, what remains today at the coastal site of Soli dates mainly to the Roman era.

It is believed to have been founded by the Athenians returning from the Trojan Wars in the 13th century BCE and the region was first known as ‘Aipeia’. A Greek statesman Solon advised that the city be moved to the lower lying littoral in order to facilitate the export of copper ore from the area. The ruler of the town King Philocypros, who was also a pupil of this figurehead, duly obliged and the relocated city was renamed Soli after Solon.

Other than an abundance of copper deposits, Soli had a good water supply, fertile soil and a protected harbour, making it one of the most important capitals of Cyprus. The city fell under the successive influence of the Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine periods. In 498 BC, the people of Soli joined the other kingdoms in the Ionian Revolution against the Persians, who took the city. It was only in 449 BC and during the Roman period that Soli became a prosperous city.

However, by the 4th century AD, the copper mines were almost exhausted and its harbour silted up, leading to a period of stagnation for the city which gradually lost its importance. The city was destroyed during the Arab raids of the 7th century, as was the fate of other coastal towns and was finally left abandoned after a millennium of continuous occupation. What remains today is an impressive collection of structures and findings.

There is a lovely little Roman theatre/odeon, an impressive basilica and some fantastic mosaic floors. The most famous mosaic there is of the Soli Swan. It looks more like a duck to me but it is well worth seeing. Do make a stop at Soli.

An embarrassing plaque mentions that much of the ruins were dismantled by the British to build the Suez Canal. Double yikes!

A few more miles south, a climb up, up , up brings you to the Palace of Vouni. This small township grouped on the steep slopes of a conical hill watched over the city kingdom of Soli near Lefke for over a century.   The views from up there are absolutely stupendous and make it well worth a visit whether or not you are interested in ruins.

In around 600 BC, the city states of Cyprus were politically divided and the island’s kingdoms waged war with one another, namely between the Persian supported Phoenicians and the Greeks. Some things never change!! Battles ensued on land and sea, and in 500 BC a pro-Persian city of the kingdom, Marion, besieged the ancient city of Soli and established a guarding settlement on an overlooking nearby hill. The pro-Persian Phoenician King Doxandros, and ruler of Marion, built Vouni palace at 250 metres above sea level, towering over the city of Soli. Indeed, its position certainly meant that both sea traffic and the city’s activities could be monitored without hindrance from afar.

The structure was nothing more than military settlement until 449 BC, when Greek rule was established and the ruler of Marion was replaced by a pro-Greek prince, after which Vouni became a Royal Palace. In 380 BC the palace which had been a continuous threat to Soli was mysteriously destroyed by a fire, and the inhabitants were evacuated. Hence the history of Vouni Palace only lasted for over a century. Later documents reveal that its foundations were further destroyed by Soli inhabitants. We like to take a picnic up there to eat while soaking in the extraordinary views up and down the coast.

After Vouni, we turn back along the way we came, past Guzelyurt, until we see a sign off to the left indicating the Mavi Kosk (Blue Mansion) and Sadrazamkoy. Not long after the turn you will see the entry to the Mavi Kosk which lies on military ground. It’s perfectly allowed to visit though, you just need to have your passport with you to be checked at the guardhouse. The drive in is so nice – great scented pine forests leading up to the house, which is massively interesting.

A visit to the remote Mavi Köşk, or “The Blue House,” is like stepping back in time. Built in 1957 in the middle of nowhere near the coast, the retro-chic villa is still furnished as it was in the 1970s when the owner is rumored to have escaped capture by fleeing through a hidden tunnel behind his bed.

Now a museum, Mavi Köşk feels more like snooping around in someone’s home. Though its history is a blurry mix of myth and truth, it’s believed the house was built by a Paulo Paolides, a Greek Cypriot, EOKA supporter and who was rumored to work for the Italian mafia smuggling guns into Cyprus, and the decor is a glimpse into the glamorous if eccentric lifestyle of the supposed mobster. 

As the name suggests, there is a clear blue theme throughout the multicolor home, with bright blue furniture, carpets, walls, and entire blue rooms. The house is full of perfectly kitsch features, such as the sunken blue “milk pool” in the living area and the iguana skin-covered drinks cabinet.

Upstairs, you can visit the balcony where Paolides would supposedly throw an apple during parties and invite whoever caught the fruit to spend the evening with him. You can also take in the spectacular view, which stretches as far as the coast of Turkey on a clear day. He lived a dangerous life certainly as is evidenced by the machine gun post set up in the garden pointing down to the road up from the coast. Paolides lived in the Blue House until 1974 when he fled during the Turkish invasion. The Turkish army took control of the residence, which was later opened to the public as a museum.  He was later assassinated in Rome in 1986.

Turning right out of the Mavi Kosk base, you follow signs to Sadrazamkoy, a small town on the sea as far west along the north coast as you can drive in a regular car. You can see the tip of the island from there as you descend into town – again stunning, stunning coastal views. If you have a 4 wheel drive you can drive up the rough track to it, or indeed you could hike the mile or so.

From here on the views are stunning as you travel east along the narrow road which hugs the cliffs above the amazingly blue sea, going towards Kayalar. You will see tiny harbours, a little chapel on a beach, coves but most of all the incredible sea views. Passing through Kayalar you will come to Horseshoe Bay and the Lido restaurant. Well worth a stop either for a swim in good weather and/or a meal or a drink in the restaurant. It’s a lovely place, made better by the recent redevelopment. Even on a day like today when the north wind made the little bay a churn of white water, it was a lovely place to stop, sit in the sun and have a couple of coffees or a glass of wine or beer.

Keep going along the road and it will bring you back to the main coast road at Karsiyaka and your circle is complete. We had a really super day out and no doubt will do this route again in the future.