Famagusta. I have visited it more times than I’ve visited Larnaca, Nicosia and Kyrenia put together. There’s something about its haunting atmosphere that keeps drawing us back. And yet I’ve never blogged about it before. Why? Because I’ve never known where to start – there’s just so much that I could write about, it’s a bit overwhelming.

We first visited Famagusta in 2015. We arrived late in the day and, as the sun set over the labyrinthine alleys and ruins of the Old Town, it felt really foreign to us – the only place in Cyprus that had made us feel like that. I’m not sure why. The Old Town  feels utterly unique. It’s like a Petek cake – full of layers and hidden surprises. Layers and layers of history.

Anyway, to break my writer’s block about Famagusta, I’m going to start simple and list my highlights. I’m not going to go into a huge amount of detail about each one because I will never write it if I do.

So here we go, my highlights:

The Tourist Information Office

A highlight in the sense that you must visit it as soon as you get there. Located just inside the Land Gate – the entrance to the Old Town where you drive over the bridge. It’s on the immediate left. The Tourist Information Office has lots of useful guides, but the most crucial is the little pocket map of the Old Town showing you where everything is. There are even photos on the back to help you identify the sights.

Betul Guest House

For us, this is the only place to stay in Famagusta. Nestled into the heart of the Old Town, it’s run by Nilgun and her late sister Oya. This was their childhood home – Oya had been born there. Betul is the name of their mother who always offers us warm smiles when we visit. They tell us stories of the 1974 war, how a bomb landed on the tree in their garden and it miraculously regrew a few years later. How they sheltered from the bombs in the rooms within the city walls. Fascinating! They feel like friends; Goobie plays with Nilgun’s grandson, Mehmet, trying to copy his Turkish.

The rooms are spotlessly clean, spacious, with TVs and en-suite facilities. They do a PHENOMENAL breakfast and you can order an evening meal. You can find them on Facebook and Trip Advisor.

All the churches

Seriously, I didn’t realise churches come in so many shapes and sizes. Ruins of churches everywhere! My favourite church is the gothic Carmelite church, which was built in the 14th century. Inside you can still see frescoes on the walls. Great to visit while the sun is setting.

The Land Gate

Also called the Rivettina Bastion, the Ravelin or the Akkule. This is one of the places I’ve explored most recently, mainly because it was always shut when I’d visited before. You have to pay a small entrance fee, but there was more to see inside than I’d expected. This is the second oldest part of the city walls (Othello Castle is the oldest) and doesn’t feel as touristy as Othello Castle. Look out for cannon balls still lying on the floor.

The views from the city walls

You can get onto the walls in lots of places, but climb up the steep ramp to the top of the Land Gate and you get a great view of the Old Town. You can get good views across the harbour from the top of Othello Castle at the opposite end of the Old Town.

The Main Square

This is bordered by the magnificent St Nicholas Cathedral (which has been converted to the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque), restaurants, shops selling fake designer handbags and the remains of the Venetian Royal Palace. It’s very pretty and has a nice atmosphere, particularly in the evening when people are eating dinner outside. Look out for the 800-year-old tree outside the mosque.

The best place for lunch – Petek Pastanesi

This place is like something out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, lined with cakes and sweets of every design. They also have a menu containing pasta and burgers and stuff, but to be honest I often skip that and go straight to the dessert. The cakes are to die for! You can sit downstairs around a pool with terrapins in it or upstairs for a great view. I’ve been there so many times I even recognise the stray cats.

The best place for dinner – Rouge 21

We’ve eaten in most of the restaurants around the main square and Rouge 21 is definitely the best. Located a few metres down the road from Petek, in the direction of the mosque. Massive menu with something for everyone, stylish eclectic decor and great service. Price not bad either. Try the homemade lemonade. Deeelish!

The underground places

Anyone familiar with this blog will know how much I love underground places. There are two underground churches in the Old Town (get the pocket map to find out where).

However, what is currently interesting me more is this unmarked underground room on the opposite side of the road to the Carmelite Church. You probably wouldn’t even give it a glance unless you love nooks and crannies like I do. Just a small unassuming wall with steps leading down into a large underground room.

At first I thought it was an old cistern, but on my last visit in November, I spotted another one across the road, nearer the city walls. There’s too much subsidence to be able to go into the second one, but I had a closer look in the first one and spotted an entrance to another room hidden around the corner. Could this actually be some sort of tunnel linking the two entrances? I’m still trying to find out.

Famagusta’s old train station

This is one of Goobie’s highlights – a significant landmark in his Great Train Hunt. Located outside the Old Town, it can be found on the left-hand side of Fazil Polat Pasa Bulvari street, which is near the Land Gate and the ancient Ottoman Graveyard. I’ve written an earlier post about this.

Varosha

Just, wow. I have quite literally never seen anything like this in my life. Miles of abandoned hotels and other buildings. I had a very strong reaction to this place on my first visit. The subject of a separate post.

The toy shop just inside the Land Gate

Not a true highlight but worth flagging up for parents. This is a really good educational toyshop! Full of good quality games and activities that offer something a bit different to what you get in a standard toyshop. Worth a look inside.

Hooray, I’ve finally written my first post on Famagusta! I haven’t even vaguely done it justice, but at least it’s a start. Really, get the brochures in the Tourist Information Office and read up on all the things this incredible place has to offer. Then go exploring – you are guaranteed to make extra discoveries of your own.