DK Travel : Cyprus : Places of interest

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Kalopanagiotis

The valley view is the chief charm of this little village, along with a 13th-century frescoed church. In addition, there are some fine old-fashioned mansions, as well as a couple of graceful Venetian bridges spanning fast-running streams. There are good walking trails nearby.
Kantara Castle

Commanding the western end of the Kyrenia range, Kantara’s walls ascend from a formidable barbican gate to a ring of inner battlements and towers. When Richard the Lionheart conquered the island this was the last refuge of the Byzantine prince of Cyprus, Isaac Comnenos.
Karpas Peninsula

This long, rocky spit is the least developed part of the island, with sandy beaches on its north and south coast and a scattering of historic Christian churches, including the monastery of Apostolos Andreas, which is being restored with UN and EU funding. Within is a holy well famed for its mystic healing properties.
Kathikas

Set amid chalk hills and vineyards, Kathikas is a laid-back farming village that, although close to bustling Pafos, has remained immune to tourism. Five minutes’ drive from the centre, the Sterna Winery is open for tastings (see Sterna Winery).
Kikiriko Fun Park, Agia Napa

Kikiriko is Greek for the “cock-a-doodle-do”, and one of the main attractions of this park, which is especially designed for children of all ages, is a giant bouncy cockerel. There are also swings, roundabouts, climbing frames and other activities for all the family to enjoy.
Kolossi Castle

Kolossi is no fairy-tale fantasy castle, but a solid, forbidding fortress which bears testimony to the military skills of its medieval builders. For a while, it was a stronghold of the piratical Knights of the Order of St John, and was surrounded by the vineyards from which they made the celebrated sweet wine, Commandaria, which was named after their “commandarie”. Sacked by Genoese marauders in the 15th century, it retains many of its original features from that period, thanks to a careful restoration in the 1930s, including a private apartment and a coat of arms of one of the commanders. There are great views of the coast from the castle turrets.
Kourion

Tier after tier of stone benches, able to seat up to 3,500 spectators, rise above the circular floor of Kourion’s amphitheatre, where gladiators and wild beasts are depicted on a well-preserved mosaic. These days, the restored theatre is the summer venue for more humane cultural events, including Cyprus’s annual theatre, jazz and classical music festivals (see Shakespeare Festival, Kourion). Kourion’s builders must have had an eye for landscape, too, for the theatre has fantastic views over the coast, vineyards and wheat fields of the Akrotiri Peninsula from its position 80 m (260 ft) above sea level (see Kourion).
Kyrenia

Beneath the jagged sierra of the Kyrenia range, this city is home to a pleasant collection of shops, restaurants and hotels around and above a superb natural harbour. It is dominated by the battlements of a massive Venetian sea-fort that withstood every assault for centuries until, in 1570, its defenders surrendered to the Ottomans. The North’s best hotels arefound either side of the city (see Northern Cyprus Resorts; also see Northern Cyprus Hotels).
Larnaka Archaeological Museum

Carved limestone column drums and capitals from ancient sites stand in the garden of the Archaeological Museum. Inside is one of the best introductions to the southeast’s fascinating archaeological sites, with its displays of Stone Age, Bronze Age and Roman discoveries brought here from Chirokitia, Kalavassos and many other local excavations (see Larnaka Archaeological Museum).
Larnaka Fort and District Medieval Museum

Huge rusting cannons stand guard over the waterfront from the battlements of Larnaka’s medieval fort, from which there are good views of the bay. Inside, the District Medieval Museum’s collection occupies a gallery on the first floor, with ferocious swords and daggers, medieval armour and flintlock muskets outshining an assortment of 12th- to 18th-century pottery and displays of Byzantine, Lusignan and Ottoman odds and ends. Occasionally in summer open-air theatrical performances are staged here.