Famagusta
Famagusta / Ammochostos is a region of fertile red soil, old windmills, and fabulous beaches. The best-known is Agia Napa, the Mediterranean’s new centre of clubbing. Agia Napa’s nightlife is already legendary. But it also has a beautiful 16th century monastery and the breathtaking Cape Greco.
North of that are the villages of Liopetri, known for its basket-making traditions Sotira, with its small 15th and 16th century churches and Dherynia with its Folk Art Museum and the Cultural Centre of the occupied town of Famagusta. The whitewashed inland town of Paralimni contrasts with its modern beach resort of Protaras, known also for its windmills spread in the fields among the hotels.
Paralimni is the largest town in the free Famagusta district and is situated in the southeast of Cyprus. The word Paralimni means “settlement by the lake”. Historically, Paralimni was built on the shores of a shallow lake, which filled with water only in the wintertime.
In the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of reclamation work, the whole of the lakebed was reclaimed for agricultural purposes. Paralimni has not always been where it is now. Originally it was built on a hill, which was situated between Dherynia and its present location.
However, in the 15th century, it was moved inland to avoid detection by the sea pirates. It is said that the first people to settle at Paralimni arrived just after the capture of the near town of Famagusta by the Ottoman Turks in 1571. The first settlement was called Saint Demetrius and this place still bears his name today.
Protaras is part of Paralimni which is more familiarly referred to as “the land of windmills” maintaining the nostalgic quality of the past. Picturesque but geared for tourism, Protaras has lovely sandy white beaches, and man/ restaurants, pubs and clubs.
Protaras, is one of the loveliest areas of Cyprus extending along the eastern coast of Paralimni. To be precise, Protaras is the name of a picturesque bay with crystal-clear waters; white-gold sand and a small island about 100 metres from the beach. This bay is known to foreigners as the Fig Tree Bay.
In recent years, due to its rapid development, the whole tourist area of Paralimni Municipality has been called Protaras. This extends for approximately 10 kilometres beginning in the north in the Kapparis locality and ending in the south in the Konnos area. Other areas along this coast are the Ayia Triada bay, Vrysoythkia bay, Pernera bay, the islands and others.
This area was, and still is, the most productive region of Paralimni. Hundreds of windmills there testify to the productivity of the past half century whilst affording quaint, nostalgic as well as tranquil beauty to the landscape of today. On the magnificent beaches, attractive centres have been in operation for many years, opening only during the summer months and drawing quite a large clientele from Famagusta and the villages nearby.
For more info visit the web sites below:
www.famagusta.org.cy
www.agianapa.org.cy
www.paralimni.org.cy