Christian Holiday Apartment, Kyrenia

Christian Holiday Apartment, Kyrenia — In the Village of Lapta

This charming Christian holiday apartment, Kyrenia, is a self-contained guest apartment in the garden of Revd Wendy’s own home in the village of Lapta, with private use of the swimming pool and lovely views out to the sea and mountains. It’s a genuinely peaceful base — one bedroom plus a sofa bed for extra guests, professionally cleaned and laundered between stays, and just half an hour’s drive west of historic Kyrenia with its restored harbour and castle.

Lapta itself, where the apartment is based, has a very long history of its own. In ancient times it was known as Lapithos, one of the old city-kingdoms of Cyprus, with roots stretching back to the Bronze Age and a coastal offshoot at nearby Lambousa that thrived well into the Byzantine period. The area is still dotted with old churches and rock-cut tombs from its various eras, a quiet reminder that this village has been continuously lived in for thousands of years.

Cyprus itself has an unusually direct place in Christian history. St Barnabas, the companion of St Paul on his first missionary journey and traditionally regarded as the founder of the Church of Cyprus, was born in Salamis on the island’s east coast — the same city where, according to the Book of Acts, he and Paul preached together in the synagogues as the very first stop on that journey. The monastery that bears Barnabas’s name, not far from his traditional burial place and the ruins of ancient Salamis itself, still stands today — a reminder that this corner of the Mediterranean was one of the very earliest places Christianity took root outside the Holy Land.

Just above Kyrenia, the village of Bellapais is home to one of the finest surviving Gothic buildings in the Eastern Mediterranean. Bellapais Abbey was founded around 1200 by Augustinian canons who had fled Jerusalem after it fell to Saladin, and later flourished under the French-founded Premonstratensian order — its cloisters and refectory are still remarkably intact, and the abbey grounds now host concerts through the summer months. The village later became home to the British writer Lawrence Durrell in the 1950s, whose memoir Bitter Lemons still draws readers to the abbey and the famous Tree of Idleness beside it.

Kyrenia Castle itself, right on the historic harbour, holds one of the most remarkable finds in Mediterranean archaeology: the wreck of a Greek merchant ship that sank just outside the harbour around 300 BC, discovered by a local diver in 1965 and painstakingly recovered by archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania over the following years. It’s one of the oldest ships ever raised from the sea, with more than half its wooden hull surviving intact, and it’s still displayed in the castle today alongside the amphorae and millstones it was carrying on its final voyage.

This Christian holiday apartment, Kyrenia, is perfect for:
Clergy and church workers wanting genuine rest, sunshine and a change of pace
Couples or a small family, with a sofa bed for extra guests
Anyone drawn to the island’s remarkably early Christian history
A relaxed base for exploring Kyrenia, its castle, the coast and the mountains behind it

For more Christian-friendly places to stay in Cyprus, browse our Cyprus properties. And if the Kyrenia shipwreck has caught your interest, the Institute of Nautical Archaeology has more on its discovery, excavation and what it reveals about ancient trade.

Location

Zafer Sokak 7, Lapta, Kyrenia, Mersin 10, The Turkish Republic of North Cyprus

How to get there:

Our home is situated in a village called Lapta, it is a delightful Cypriot village half an hour’s drive from the west of historic Kyrenia with its iconic harbour. We offer you use of our guest house which is a self contained private apartment in the grounds of our house, we have a private swimming pool you have full use of, and views of the sea and mountains. I have the premises professionally cleaned for and linen laundered so that it is immaculate and welcoming for your arrival.

Access to North Cyprus is by plane usually into the Republic of Cyprus (the South) and most common is via Larnaca airport then a taxi which I can arrange from here to ferry you to your idyllic holiday retreat. You cannot rent a car from the airport as you will be crossing a border and rental cars in the South are not insured to do so. Once here, it is very easy to arrange a rental car.

Crossing the border entails no visa or payment, it is simply a passport check and you remain seated in the car. It is also possible to fly into the North via Turkey, especially if you wish to visit Istanbul as part of your trip, but this does involve changing planes and is usually more expensive.

Nearest Town:

Kyrenia resort and ancient city is 10 miles along the coast to the east.

Local Area

There is a supermarket just ten minutes on foot from the house, and a range of restaurants, bars and cafes half an hour’s walk away; by car it is a few minutes’ drive. We are located half an hour by car from historic Kyrenia with its iconic, newly renovated harbour and castle. You will stay in a little Cypriot village, not a holiday block!

We are half an hour from the nearest beach with a variety of water sports to enjoy, including scuba diving, speed boats and water skiing with the captivating turtle watching in season. The mountains offer trekking and hiking which are also a delight for botanists. Crusader castles, breathtaking in their views and with a rich cultural history are available to explore. St Barnabas’ monastery is here, the Salamis ruins and the walled city of Famagusta.

North Cyprus offers something for everyone, there are also lots of lively bars, clubs and music venues if you want to let your hair down – definitely a great place for teens and young people. Everything is extremely safe with almost no crime.

Facilities

The apartment has one bedroom plus a sofa bed in the sitting room, usually four people maximum but one family of five have persuaded me they can fit in as the price is so good!

There is hi speed Wifi, fully equipped kitchen and under floor heating in the bathroom.

There is excellent aircon and heating depending on what time of year you come. Several young families are already booked in for whom I am providing a high chair and cot etc.

All bedding and towels are provided, and all are professionally laundered for reassurance of freshness.

There are steps down to the pool but a very sturdy wrought iron rail to help, however those with serious mobility issues would struggle, so not really suitable for wheelchair users. The apartment has its own outside seating area.