Famagusta
Region: TRNC (KKTC)
A Gothic cathedral town inside Venetian walls, with the ruins of ancient Salamis on the beach just to the north.
Famagusta was one of the richest ports of the medieval Mediterranean, and its walled old town still shows it. Inside the Venetian walls are the shells of dozens of Gothic churches, some roofless, some still in use, between narrow streets of cafés and small shops.
Inside the walls
The Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque was built in the 14th century as the Cathedral of St Nicholas, where the Lusignan kings of Cyprus were crowned kings of Jerusalem; its west front is pure French Gothic. On the seaward corner of the walls stands Othello Castle, the citadel tied by tradition to Shakespeare's play, with views over the harbour from its towers.
Salamis and St Barnabas
A few kilometres north, the ancient city of Salamis spreads over wooded dunes beside the sea: a Roman theatre, a colonnaded gymnasium, baths with mosaic floors and long stretches of unexcavated ground. Nearby, the Monastery of St Barnabas holds an icon collection and a small archaeological museum.
Beaches
The coast between Famagusta and Salamis has long, shallow sandy beaches, good for families. Combine a morning at the ruins with an afternoon swim, and come back to the old town for dinner when the walls are lit.
