Tatlisu, North Cyprus

Perhaps the best views in all Cyprus can be found in Tatlisu (Sweet Water). Starting at Kantara Castle and dropping down to the sea below, Tatlisu is littered with spectacular vantage points. Bring your camera!

Perhaps the best place to start a tour of the area is at the top. At 600 meters, the views from Kantara Castle are stunning. The Kyrenia Mountain range stretches to the West in a series of jagged peaks that created natural defenses for North Cyprus. From Kantara Castle, you can easily see both coast. The cool breezes make for a quiet visit far from the tourists spots below. As an aside, the air is much clearer in the mornings.

At Busy Bees Estate Agents, one of our favorite spots is the village of Tatlisu. Tatlisu was established between the 7th and the 10th centuries at the place where the river passing through the village meets the sea. Following the Mamluk Arab raids in Cyprus, the coastal location was abandoned and the village moved to its present-day inland location. Today, the picturesque village is situated at the very base of the mountains. The main building in the area is a large Greek Cypriot Church that has been preserved and converted into a Mosque. The main road into town splits in half and forms a loop through the village.

We would be remiss not to mention the new roads and improvements to existing routs. One such route now connects Kantara Castle directly to the highway, bypassing the village entirely. That's a bit of a shame because there are several excellent restaurants in and around the village.

Another attraction of interest is the 12th century church of Panagia Pergminiotissa which has been preserved and shows exhibits of icons, local flora and other items. The buildings state of preservation is so good it could be used as church today.

On the same site, you will find a garden of minature buildings whose real life counterparts are scattered around North Cyprus. This is well done with sinage in both Turkish & English.