One of the “must do” things when visiting Northern Cyprus is to experience one of the many boat tours leaving from Kyrenia harbour. You can relax whilst exploring the Kyrenia coastline or enjoy a range of watersports including; jet skiing, parasailing, banana boat rides, rubber ring, speed boat and raft rides. With a Mediterranean buffet lunch and very reasonable drinks prices, you will find the boat trips to be very good value for money. Boat trips start from around £18 per person, however water sports will cost extra.
Most boat trips leave from the harbour around 9 – 11am and return around 4 – 4.30pm. The day out includes a relaxing sail either east or west of Kyrenia, where you can chill out and enjoy the sunshine. You will then stop off at one of the crystal clear coves near to Kyrenia, where you can swim, snorkel, go scuba-diving, fishing or experience the thrill of various watersports. For those who prefer not to get wet, you can warm in the sunshine with an ice cold beer or glass of wine from the bar.
The boat then moves on after a while to another cove, where you will stop again to have a Mediterranean lunch, buffet style, including fish or chicken, a selection of traditional Turkish meze’s, chips or macaroni and salads. Again you can swim in the sea or relax in the sun.
After lunch, the boat moves onto another cove, normally with a beach and anchors not too far from the beach, where you will be served a fresh fruit selection.
All boats have a special sunbathing deck, as well as male and female toilet facilities and changing rooms. Be sure to take plenty of sun cream with you, as the reflection of the sun from the sea means that you can get burnt very quickly. The sea is generally very clear and you can see all types of fish and ocean life including cephalopods, starfish, sea urchins, mollusks, flatfish, various forms of seaweed, jellyfish, shrimp and possibly sea turtles. Its worth bringing a snorkel with you if you want to explore further, and you may also want to bring floats etc as the boats only have a limited supply. You may even see a dolphin or two on your boat trip!
Also available are sunset curry cruises for a romantic evening which you won’t want to miss. You sail into the sunset and anchor in one of the bays near Kyrenia, if you wish you can have a swim before dinner, or soak up the last few rays of the day. You can then enjoy your favourite drink at the boat bar, before your delicious meal including various indian dishes such as dhal, basmati rice, chipatis, prawn curry as well as a seasonal fruit dessert.
I have personally been on the African Queen and the Denya Deniz II which I really enjoyed. You can book boat trips with one of the reps in the harbour, however always try to negotiate a discount, and be aware that some trips can become full very quickly so its good to book in advance.
