Wednesday, 02 June 2010 11:05
Tom Isitt takes a family boating break in Cyprus and discovers a beautiful and surprisingly unspoiled island. 
It had disaster written all over it. Two muscle-bound, but nautically-inexperienced, macho-men in Speedos, accompanied by three surgically-enhanced young ladies in tiny bikinis, renting a RIB with a 150 on the back. Despite extensive and comprehensive instructions from the boat rental people, you could tell that no one was listening. My middle son, an experienced and well-qualified boat-handler despite his tender years, turned to me and said “This should be fun.”
We settled back in our seats in a waterside taverna and watched as the macho mob jumped aboard, gave it a big handful of throttle, and ran straight over the mooring lines of the boats on the adjacent pontoon. The prop got entangled, the engine stalled and one of the boat-hire guys was despatched to untangle them. Cue more dire warnings for the Macho Mob, all of which fell on deaf ears as they once again set off, this time notching up a good 15 knots as they sped out of the harbour, leaving several dozen boats bobbing and banging against each other in their wake.
Yep, it was quite funny, but then this sort of thing isn’t entirely unknown to Trident Boat Hire, a small outfit in north-west Cyprus, a place that seems to have even fewer rules and regs than we do when it comes to boating.
The handy excuse
Living, as I do, in North London, there seems little need to go to Cyprus because most of Cyprus is here. Iannis, proprietor of my local corner shop, does a very good line in ouzo, retsina and baklava, there’s a butchers up the road that specialises in souvla souvlaki and delicious lamb for your kleftiko. But the whole area becomes deserted every summer as they make their way back en masse to Cyprus.
Living, as I do, in North London, there seems little need to go to Cyprus because most of Cyprus is here. Iannis, proprietor of my local corner shop, does a very good line in ouzo, retsina and baklava, there’s a butchers up the road that specialises in souvla souvlaki and delicious lamb for your kleftiko. But the whole area becomes deserted every summer as they make their way back en masse to Cyprus.
But last summer we (the Isitt family) decided to join them. A suitable boat-rental company was identified, a nearby villa with pool was booked, and flights and car-hire organised. Having travelled the Med extensively, but never having been to Cyprus, I was curious to see why so many Brits go on holiday there, and why so many Greek Cypriots return there every year. Driving past the Irish pubs and fast-food joints of Paphos, I was not encouraged. It looked pretty much like anywhere else in the Med that’s overrun with tourists, and I’m not keen on places like Magaluf, Rimini or Benidorm. But as we drove north towards our villa, the grot gave way to sandy coves and little villages, and Cyprus took on a completely different demeanour.
This is often the case in the Med. If you get away from the tourists, the rest of the place is often charming. Most of Mallorca is delightfully unspoiled and similarly, Corsica, Sardinia and Crete are all wonderful once you escape the tourist-traps. There’s even unspoiled coastline if you look hard enough and Cyprus is no different. Paphos, Larnaca and Ayia Napa may be filled with package-holiday tourists, but most of the interior of the island is gorgeous, with large stretches of coastline (the bits without big beaches) unblighted by vast concrete hotels.
The family plan
As a family, we tend to favour holidays that take in a bit of boating, but we also like our home comforts. Let’s face it, five people spending two weeks on anything smaller than a 40-footer is hard work, and chartering something that size in the Med will cost you €6,000 a week. So renting a villa for two weeks, and chartering a day-boat for a couple of days, is a good way of getting in a bit of boaty fun on your holiday. And believe me, there are no shortage of villas for rent in Cyprus. There are literally thousands of them, from the very modest to the frankly ostentatious. Ours was a decent four-bed place north of Paphos on the west coast, and within easy driving distance of Latsi, where we had identified Trident Boat Hire (www.tridentboathire.com) as a good place to charter a small RIB for a couple of days.
As a family, we tend to favour holidays that take in a bit of boating, but we also like our home comforts. Let’s face it, five people spending two weeks on anything smaller than a 40-footer is hard work, and chartering something that size in the Med will cost you €6,000 a week. So renting a villa for two weeks, and chartering a day-boat for a couple of days, is a good way of getting in a bit of boaty fun on your holiday. And believe me, there are no shortage of villas for rent in Cyprus. There are literally thousands of them, from the very modest to the frankly ostentatious. Ours was a decent four-bed place north of Paphos on the west coast, and within easy driving distance of Latsi, where we had identified Trident Boat Hire (www.tridentboathire.com) as a good place to charter a small RIB for a couple of days.
Latsi as a base
Latsi turned out to be a bit of a find. Stuck out on the northwest corner of Cyprus, but still within the Greek zone (most of northern Cyprus is Turkish territory, and while that doesn’t affect tourism significantly there have been issues with Greek-registered boats straying into Turkish waters), Latsi has a quiet, sleepy charm. The harbour is lined with bars and tavernas, there’s a supermarket for provisions and the pace of life is wonderfully laid-back.
Latsi turned out to be a bit of a find. Stuck out on the northwest corner of Cyprus, but still within the Greek zone (most of northern Cyprus is Turkish territory, and while that doesn’t affect tourism significantly there have been issues with Greek-registered boats straying into Turkish waters), Latsi has a quiet, sleepy charm. The harbour is lined with bars and tavernas, there’s a supermarket for provisions and the pace of life is wonderfully laid-back.
Boating from Latsi gives you access to the Akamas Peninsular, home of turtles, the Baths of Aphrodite, and some secluded beaches that can only be reached by boat or with a 4x4 along endless dirt tracks. So it’s a pretty deserted, and consequently rather beautiful, part of the island. Trident has a handful of RIBs for charter: a 5.3 with a Honda 75hp on the back, two 5.7s with Honda 90s, and a 6.5 with a Honda 150hp on the back. All are available with toys such as ringos, wakeboards and kneeboards. The boats are BSC RIBs, built in Italy, and they do seem well put together and reassuringly sturdy. Add in a Honda four-stroke outboard and you’ve got a good, reliable package. The way some of the locals treat rental boats, they need to be pretty sturdy . . .
On the water
On our first day with the boat (we opted for the 5.3 with the 75hp, given that we weren’t going very far, or very fast) we rocked up after breakfast and were met by the Trident crew, who were friendly, helpful, and palpably relieved that two of us (me and middle son Joe) had RYA qualifications and a modicum of common-sense. The boats are supplied with loads of stuff, from coolboxes to waterskis, boards and ringos, so we loaded a few toys on board, had a quick briefing from the Trident guys (go west - if you stray too far east you may get investigated by a Turkish gunboat), and off we went.
On our first day with the boat (we opted for the 5.3 with the 75hp, given that we weren’t going very far, or very fast) we rocked up after breakfast and were met by the Trident crew, who were friendly, helpful, and palpably relieved that two of us (me and middle son Joe) had RYA qualifications and a modicum of common-sense. The boats are supplied with loads of stuff, from coolboxes to waterskis, boards and ringos, so we loaded a few toys on board, had a quick briefing from the Trident guys (go west - if you stray too far east you may get investigated by a Turkish gunboat), and off we went.
The sun shone, the sea was that lovely deep, dark blue you get in the eastern Med, and the RIB zinged along smoothly and comfortably. The cruising area along this coast isn’t huge, but it’s plenty big enough to spend more than a few days exploring. The kids spent hours in the ringo, we stopped in pretty much every cove, dropped the anchor and spent time snorkelling, sun-bathing, and generally loafing about. The bimini was a godsend, allowing those who don’t want to grow a melanoma to recline in some welcome shade.
There are some very lovely coves and bays along the north coast of the Akamas Peninsular, and they are generally very quiet. Sometimes you come across a tourist snorkelling boat, with 25 large Scandinavians flopping about in the water, but otherwise you often have coves to yourself. This is even true in high season, because the only easy way to get to these places is by boat or via an epic offroad drive in your 4x4. In one of the bays, we came across a wrecked ship a mere five metres below the surface. The engines, mast and deck gear were still easily identifiable, and the kids were absolutely thrilled to be diving on a shipwreck. It was definitely one of the holiday’s major highlights.
Land-based attractions
Away from the sea (and you do need the occasional break from the fierce heat and blistering sunshine), Cyprus is a fascinating place to explore. Once you’re away from the touristy coastal strip, Cyrpus is a beautiful Mediterranean island, unspoiled by mass tourism. If ancient ruins are your thing (and for me, there’s nothing I like more than a bit of Ionic entablature or a touch of peripteral octastyle Doric) then there is enough on Cyprus to keep you occupied for weeks. Of particular interest are Kourion, Amathous and Kato Paphos, all of which have extensive ruins and are even of interest to the kids.
Away from the sea (and you do need the occasional break from the fierce heat and blistering sunshine), Cyprus is a fascinating place to explore. Once you’re away from the touristy coastal strip, Cyrpus is a beautiful Mediterranean island, unspoiled by mass tourism. If ancient ruins are your thing (and for me, there’s nothing I like more than a bit of Ionic entablature or a touch of peripteral octastyle Doric) then there is enough on Cyprus to keep you occupied for weeks. Of particular interest are Kourion, Amathous and Kato Paphos, all of which have extensive ruins and are even of interest to the kids.
On reflection, I may have gone too far when I dragged them out to Lemba to look at the Neolithic mud huts. They didn’t even seem all that interested when I informed them that the mud huts were actually reconstructed Chalkolithic dwellings and not Neolithic at all. It’s a lesson learned. Cyprus may well be full of great attractions for us parents but be aware of your kids and pick your battles carefully.
To that end, Nicosia is definitely worth a day out for it’s beautifully-preserved medieval centre, but if you only do one thing then it should be a day in the Troodos mountains. The mountainous, verdant centre of the island is dotted with picturesque villages, many of which have side-streets too narrow for cars. Up in the mountains the temperatures are more bearable and the views are stunning. While you’re there, take a look at some of the famous painted churches of the Troodos region. I’m not big on churches myself, but the 12th Century frescoes are stunning, and some of the later ones are by the great Phillipos Goul.
At the other end of the cultural spectrum, there is Ayia Napa. We didn’t go there, so I can’t tell you what it’s like, but the fact that this is where Premiership footballers go to drink and shag should tell you everything you need to know. Our nearest big town was Paphos, and here the waterfront is packed with restaurants and bars. It’s fairly family-oriented, but there were still several nightclubs doing a brisk trade.
The upshot
In some ways it seems a shame that, when you already have a boat at home, you sometimes end up chartering one while you’re on holiday, but this is a great way of getting a good boating fix while a long way from home. My family doesn’t necessarily want to spend all day every day on a small boat, but a few days here and there, interspersed with time spent by the pool at the villa, makes an excellent compromise.
In some ways it seems a shame that, when you already have a boat at home, you sometimes end up chartering one while you’re on holiday, but this is a great way of getting a good boating fix while a long way from home. My family doesn’t necessarily want to spend all day every day on a small boat, but a few days here and there, interspersed with time spent by the pool at the villa, makes an excellent compromise.