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Alagadi Turtle Beach is one of the most closely monitored beaches in the Mediterranean, manned around the clock by an international protection force.
Constantly on the lookout, they survey the bay off the port city of Girne in northern Cyprus, chasing off intrusive fishermen and bathers during the day, and lighting up the sea and dunes by night.
Their watchful eye is focused on the nests of the green sea turtle, an endangered species.
The team is made up of a dozen students who skip their holidays to give the tiny turtles a chance to survive.

There are just 1,000 green turtles left in the Mediterranean, and one in three buries its eggs, around 100 per nest, on the beaches along the northern coast of Cyprus.
“Normally, not even one in a thousand newly hatched turtles survives,” says project manager Robin Snape.
The volunteers cannot protect their charges from the dangers of the sea, but they can secure the path into the water, watching as the creatures literally run for their lives.
The turtle beach of Alagadi shows visitors the most beautiful side of northern Cyprus, the part of the island still living with and from nature, as yet untouched by mass tourism.

There is an uneven distribution of tourists on the island, as millions flock to the Greek-Cypriot south every year, while only a few hundred thousand venture to the Turkish-Cypriot north.
That inequality is due to a 50-year-old political impasse, beginning in 1974. First came a coup by Greek nationalists against the Cypriot government, then the Turkish army intervened. The island has been divided ever since.
While the whole island has been a European Union member since 2004, EU law and regulations only apply in the south.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, on the other hand, which was proclaimed in 1983 and hosts thousands of Turkish soldiers, is only recognised by Turkey worldwide.

That is bad news for natives but good for wildlife.
While the coasts in the south are densely built up, the north is far more pristine. There are of course sizeable, comfortable hotels there, with the bigger ones in Lefkosa, Girne or Lapta offering indulgences from casinos to nightclubs. These, like the hotels, restaurants and shops, are also far less costly than in the south of the island.
What you find less of in this part of the island is concrete and overcrowded beaches.
“Tourists don’t necessarily come to us for swimming, but mainly for sightseeing and hiking,” says Cypriot travel expert and journalist Nazmi Pinar.

The Besparmak Mountains are ideal for hiking, as they are calm to the point of loneliness. Meanwhile the almost 80km (50-mile) Karpaz Peninsula is a place where the hotels are very small, but the dunes lining the coast are huge and home to more wild donkeys than tourists.
The animals once belonged to Greek Cypriot farmers, but once the agriculturalists were expelled, the donkeys were turned loose and left to survive. They are thriving, thanks to the efforts of conservationists. They will eat from visitors’ hands, and the most inquisitive even stick their heads through rolled-down car windows to nudge a bread roll out of a lunchbox.
But the wounds of violence and expulsion have yet to heal. The memories of 1974 remain raw, when around 200,000 Greek Cypriots were deported to the south and 45,000 Turkish Cypriots to the north, or forced to flee.
The dividing line, secured with barbed wire for decades, has become more permeable, and where the two population groups meet, people practise peaceful coexistence.

The two parts of the island are inextricably linked by thousands of years of history, written by Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, crusaders and pirates, Venetians, Genoese, Saracens, Ottomans, and lastly the British.
You can trace it in the ruins of ancient Salamis, once a home for 120,000 people before most of the city literally disappeared into the sea and under millions of tonnes of sand.
The excavated gymnasium, the magnificent mosaics and the theatre of Salamis are must-sees – as is the cathedral in nearby Famagusta, which has been converted into a mosque and features the Othello Tower, named after Shakespeare’s famous play set in the port city.
Soli and Vuni, two ancient, hostile mountain towns in northwest Cyprus, are worth visiting for their breathtaking views, as is the pretty harbour and fortress of Girne, which houses a carefully restored, 2,300-year-old shipwreck.

Do not forget the defiant castles high up in the mountains, namely Buffavento, Kantara and the spectacular Hilarion, whose highest point at 732 metres (2,402 feet) is reached via 450 arduous steps.
The Bellapais Abbey, one of the most beautiful monastery ruins in the Mediterranean, is the perfect spot for reflecting, coming to rest and relaxing. It is no coincidence that the Tree of Idleness stands there, which Lawrence Durrell warns us of in his novel Bitter Lemons of Cyprus.
Durrell told anyone thinking of working not to sit near its distracting shadow – but anyone holidaying in the north of Cyprus will agree that it is the perfect place to enjoy idling to the full.


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Tourism

Where to go in Cyprus’ more pristine, peaceful north, from beaches and hiking to castles

Wild donkeys stroll on a sandy street in Dipkarpaz, in Northern Cyprus, as tourists walk past fruit market stands. Only a few hundred thousand tourists venture to the Turkish-Cypriot north every year. Photo: Shutterstock

Tourists watch on as volunteers from North Cyprus’ Society for Protection of Turtles open a turtle nest to excavate trapped hatchlings before releasing them at night into the water at Alagadi Turtle Beach. Photo: AFP

A volunteer from North Cyprus’ Society for Protection of Turtles holds newly born baby turtles after opening a turtle nest to excavate trapped hatchlings before releasing them at night into the water at Alagadi Turtle Beach. Photo: AFP

Buffavento Castle, in Northern Cyprus’ Besparmak Mountains, stands 950 metres above sea level. Photo: Shutterstock

A view from the Othello Tower in Famagusta in Northern Cyprus. Photo: Shutterstock

A mother and baby donkey graze in a field in Northern Cyprus. Photo: Shutterstock

Ruins from the ancient city of Salamis, in Famagusta, Northern Cyprus. Photo: Shutterstock

Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival, where extreme body piercings bring blessings

A spiritual medium with spikes through his cheeks walks in a parade during Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival, a Taoist event that promotes purification. Photo: Philipp Meier

During Phuket’s annual Vegetarian Festival, devotees and tourists gather at temples and in processions, and abstain from sex, alcohol and meat. Photo: Photo: Philipp Meier

Suriya Prommin, a 34-year-old Phuket-born Taoist devotee, prepares to have his cheeks pierced with a spike during the city’s annual Vegetarian Festival. Photo: Photo: Philipp Meier

A Taoist devotee takes part in the Vegetarian Festival in the 1970s. Photo: courtesy of Suriya Prommin

Suriya walks with a flagpole through his pierced cheeks during the Vegetarian Festival. Photo: Suriya Prommin

4 snake-themed South Korean travel destinations to visit in 2025 Year of the Snake

The Cheongsapo bridge observatory in Busan is just one of the snake-themed destinations you can visit in South Korea in the Year of the Snake, or any time. Photo: courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

A sculpture of two snakes made with silvergrass at Seoul’s World Cup Park to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Photo: Seoul City Government

The Cheongsapo bridge observatory resembles a blue snake in line with the folklore of the seaside town. Photo: Shutterstock

Lighthouses at Cheongsapo. Snakes aside, the seaside town has plenty of charm and coffee shops. Photo: courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

The camellia trail on Jangsa Island, which is shaped like a snake. Photo: courtesy of South Gyeongsang Provincial Government

A hilltop view from Jangsa Island of nearby islands. Photo: courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

Autumn colours along a trail in the Baemsagol valley, whose shape resembles that of a snake slithering out of the mountains. Photo: Instagram/@ho_gon_kim

Why Fukuoka’s food stalls are the best in Japan, and 5 you must eat at on your next trip

An open-air food stall in Fukuoka, Japan. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Fukuoka’s open-air food stalls come alive at night, offering local delicacies and a fun atmosphere. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Riverside yatai stalls on Nakasu Island, in the heart of Fukuoka. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

The government forced many yatai across Japan to close before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but in Fukuoka, local vendors formed an association to protect their stalls, preserving the city’s special food culture. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

The Grand Hyatt Fukuoka is a stone’s throw from the main strip of open-air food stalls. 

Seating at food stalls is typically shoulder to shoulder with strangers, which encourages conversation. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Shenzhen travel guide: how to get a visa on arrival, which apps to download and cashless payment in the Chinese city

To get to places in Shenzhen like Dongmen Pedestrian Street (above), Hong Kong residents without the right visa can apply for one on arrival. That’s not all you need to know - we break down the essentials for your trip from Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock

WeChat is useful for electronic payments and for its mini-programs – apps within the app. Photo: Shutterstock

The simplest option within Hong Kong to reach Shenzhen is to take the MTR East Rail Line to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau stations. Photo: Erika Na

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Lifestyle

Travel & Leisure

Millions of tourists flock to the Greek-Cypriot south every year but the cheaper Turkish-Cypriot north remains untouched by mass tourism


Millions of tourists flock to the Greek-Cypriot south every year but the cheaper Turkish-Cypriot north remains untouched by mass tourism.


Travel Destinations

Cyprus