Riding in Cyprus – Agia Napa

Early morning on the outskirts of Larnaca, and we were on our way to the eastern tip of Cyprus...

Ahh...!! So that's where all the rabbits and partridges have gone...!!

At the eastern-most tip of South Cyprus, stands the lighthouse at Cape Gkreko, guarding the rocky coastline that has been the graveyard of many a ship since ancient times…

To the west of this point, is the town of Agia Napa, (pronounced Aya Napa) It is a well known destination for tourists, and the area is famous for its beautiful white beaches, sea caves and excellent diving sites…

It is barely an hour’s ride east of Larnaca, and after an early start, I rode through Dekeleia Military Base, home of the British Royal Anglian Regiment – 2^nd Battalion…

It is from this base, amongst others, and one of two on the island of Cyprus, that the British troops based in Afghanistan and other areas in the Middle East, are re-supplied…

I stopped at the main gates to the Alexander Barracks and asked the two soldiers on duty there, if I could take a photo of the sign naming their regiment… They asked why I wanted it and I told them it was for my website… I handed them my “business” card, and told them about my journey…

“Bloody hell, Mate…!! You’re off your rocker, you are…!!” one of them said, turning my card over to read the details on the back… “Yeah, go on then, take the photo…!!”

Seeing that they seemed friendly enough, (and that there were no weapons in sight), I decided to take the piss… Just a little…!!

“Actually boys, I’m with the C.W.S., the Cyprus Wildlife Society… I’m investigating reports of poaching in this area, especially in the immediate vicinity of this base…!!”

I tried to keep a straight face while they looked at each other, and then we all burst out laughing… These guys were a lot sharper than the Cypriots up on Mt. Olympus…!!

“Your card should say “Traveling Comedian”…!!” one of them said… “Take your photo before we change our minds…!!”

I never did get to find out why their regiment is known as “The Poachers”, but I suspect it has nothing to to do with the preparation of eggs…

Going agricultural... Making my way through the farmlands...

I wanted to ride along the coastal roads that lead to Agia Napa, rather than the motorway which links Larnaca to it… Every smaller road I took, eventually led back to the highway, and in order to “stick to my guns”, I was forced to “agricultural” from time to time…

The soil here was a dark and fertile brown, and in the fields where crops had not yet been harvested, the cabbages, carrots and lettuce all looked in very good nick…!! Standing up on my pegs, I rode down bumpy sand roads, cutting through potato fields, large areas ploughed and ready for replanting, and a small dairy farm, where a few cows came over to the fence to roll their big liquid eyes at me…!!

After a few miles, the unmistakable smell of goat came drifting across to me on the light breeze… I stopped next to the large pen that the smelly creatures were kept in and after chatting to the young man leaning on a rusty tractor nearby, discovered that this farm specialised in dairy products from this herd of goats…

My nose led me to this herd of smelly beasties...

They were the among the strangest looking goats I had ever seen, with long basset-like ears hanging low from their heads… They also seemed to be quite aggressive, as many of them were engrossed in head butting exchanges with as many of their brethren as they could lay their heads on…!!

All the better to be swung around by, my Dear...!!

The little sea-side town was practically deserted as I rode down the paved streets and made my way down to the yacht basin to see if there was anything happening down there…

Captain Jack Sparrow had popped in to take his pick of the wenches...!!

And the remainder of the Beatles were there too...!!

It then dawned on me that it was Sunday morning, and most folk would still be engaged in discussions with the sand-man at 8.30 am…!! I rode out towards Cape Gkreko, planning to return later and find a place to have some breakfast…

We'll just take a flying guess as to how far away they are, shall we...??

A narrow tarred road led down to the National Forest Park of Kavo Gkreko, where, despite the name, very few trees grew…!! Clumps of Fynbos-type vegetation covered the sandy patches between rocky outcrops, and some of the open and flatter areas had been ploughed for crops… So much for the “National Park” tag, I thought to myself…!!

A narrow road leads down to the little coves and their beaches...

The area comprises of rock-strewn hills, which meet the sea in a series of steep cliffs… The coastline is scalloped with many small bays, and from up on the cliffs, the sea was an unbelievable blue, made so by the sugar white sand beneath its surface…

From up on the cliffs, I looked down onto the dazzling blue sea...

Parked over the bay where sea caves attracted hikers and divers alike... And bikers on big, beautiful bikes like this one...!!

The water was so clear in places that I could easily see a large shoal of fish schooling below me, and that was from almost thirty metres above the surface…!! I could see why this area attracted so many visitors in the summer…

I couldn't get enough of the amazing views...!! Stop the clock...!! I want to spend a week here...!!

I was so tempted to ride the Big Fella onto this natural arch for the perfect picture, but then my stalled brain began working again...!!

The Big Fella giggled uncontrollably when we came across this sign...!! "Bring them on...!!" he said...

After cruising down every little track I could to get as many views of the coast as possible, I turned north and stopped at Fig Tree Bay on my way up to the town of Paralimni, where I refueled the Big Fella…

He had managed to carry us over 400 km on the last tank, and received a grateful pat of appreciation in return for his efforts…!!

All along this stretch of coast, walking and cycling trails led from the main tarred road either down towards the coast, or away and up into the hilly areas that rolled away into the distance…

Well positioned picnic spots had been built, tucked away in thicker bush, but at this time of the morning, most of them were deserted…except for one, where the bouncing springs of a small silver car, spoke of the fun that was being had within…!!

I pretended not to notice, but did slow down enough to make the occupants nervous…!! I briefly considered stopping to knock on the window and ask for directions, but figured that I would probably be more embarrassed than they would be…!!

I had been told that on some of the beaches near Agia Napa, “anything goes”, and for all I knew, I may have stumbled on just one such area…!!

Then it was back to Agia Napa to see to my own gastronomical needs… From up on the deck of the Maistrali Restaurant, I enjoyed a full English breakfast while gazing down onto the beautiful beach below me…

Is this a view to enjoy your breakfast by, or what...!!

I rued the fact that I had not brought a costume and towel with me, and planned to come back here in a few days time to enjoy a traditional “day at the beach”… Ah yes…!! That heady combination of smells… salt on the breeze, suntan lotion, and pheromones…!! You gotta love it…!!

Earlier, while looking for a place to eat, I had come across this pretty bay just south of Agia Napa town centre...

On the way back to Larnaca, I took a dirt road that ran parallel to the motorway from Agia Napa to Xylofagou… It was hard packed gravel, and I had to take it easy, as I had not brought my compressor with me and did not want to let my tyres down to make the ride more comfortable… The small pebbles that littered the road made for interesting riding…!! They were spat out by the back tyre, zinging away across the fields…

On the farm roads to Xylofabou... A squirrelly bit of road if I ever saw one...!!

The fields where potatoes had once grown had been prepared for another season of crops, and most of the Olive trees I passed were devoid of fruit… There were no fences separating the farms, and I assumed that the occasional pile of rocks I came across must indicate the boundaries between them…

Back on the highway, I let the Big Fella have his head, and we zoomed back to Larnaca, passing barely a dozen cars as we did so…

...and the seller, of course...!!

It had been a relaxing ride, covering a little less than 200 km, and made in great riding weather once again… I am amazed that this late in the year, the sun is still shining brightly, and for the past week, only the wispiest of clouds had made their appearance…!!

Did I mention that I was loving Cyprus…??

This sign above an estate agent's offices in Paralimni, mirrored my own motto...!!

©GBWT 2010