So what can you do to raise your heart rate, practise your sport or pump some adrenalin. Once again there is something for everyone as there is no shortage of sporting activities. Let’s see if any of the activities below appeal to you:
Golf – The North of Cyprus offers the highly rated Korineum Golf, Tennis and Beach Club. Centred around a spectacular and grand club house, there is a challenging 18 hole course, a 3 hole practise course, a luxury driving range, a tennis centre, hotel and beach club. The course is perfectly placed in the undulating hills with breathtaking sea and mountain views. Golfers of all levels will find this a challenging course with plenty of obstacles to negotiate. Pro golfers from around the world admire the Korineum and describe it as long, unforgiving and the greens are true. The club house has a choice of restaurants and superb elevated terraces where people from around the world sit together enjoying the views sampling from a delicious European menu or simply sipping on a well deserved ice cold Efes beer. Efes is the local brew and is a huge hit with foreign guests to North Cyprus. The beach club is also luxurious with a choice of grassy or sandy areas and a super beach side restaurant. For non golfers the Korineum has a traditional oriental spa for massage and a wide choice of treatments.
Water Sports – A sunshine island surrounded by sparkling seas is a haven for water sport enthusiasts and North Cyprus does not disappoint. So here are some to choose from:
Scuba Diving – Apart from miles of rocks, and coves to explore, Cyprus has the exciting MS Zenobia dive. Just of the coast of Larnaca this huge Swedish built ferry (172.2m) capsized on her maiden voyage and, lying at a depth 42m, became a top ten world dive site (The Times Newspaper). There are plenty of dive schools for all levels of experience.
Wind Surfing – This fast action sport has definitely caught on in a North Cyprus with some perfect conditions particularly on the west coast. Although an early days sport, there are a handful of reputable schools available to surfers of all levels.
Paddle Boarding – Check out your balance and core strength wherever you see calmer waters and, of course, if you have a board. If not, you are never far away from a club where you can hire equipment.
Sailing and Boating – Although North Cyprus is not abundant with marinas and sailing clubs, recent years have seen the development of the super Karpaz Gate Marina. There are several small harbours and a number of new marinas on the drawing board and at planning stage. One of the major tourist attractions is the ancient Kyrenia Harbour where you can jump on board a choice of Turkish gullets and take a daytime or sunset cruise. These cruises average four hours with lunch or dinner served whilst sitting on anchor in stunning locations. The average price is around 15 euros and includes a delicious lunch, swim and cruise and even a free drink. It is the perfect way to catch a breeze and take refuge from the very strong sun in the summer months.
Fishing – A hugely popular pastime amongst the local people, they simply love fishing. You can choose between seaside, fishing from the sands and rocks or venture a few kilometres off-shore for some game fishing and you have a chance of catching some substantial tuna or swordfish. At the right time of year you may be lucky enough to see a school of dolphin playing in the surf. Be positive and expect to catch from the following list :- rainbow, parrot, red soldier, red/grey mullet, rays, octopus, mackerel, cod, plaice, bass, bream and eels. There are plenty of organised trips where your chance very much depends on the experience of the captain. Vision Group can give you some tips on those trips that have the highest success rate but …. you must be able to keep a secret.
Gyms, Health Clubs and SPAs – Every hotel or private residential development has a gym and spa. You will be very impressed with the size, number and quality of these clubs and the up to date equipment and range of classes with spinning and yoga particularly prominent. There is no excuse for not exercising when in North Cyprus. If you want to pamper yourself and lie around in saunas, spas and relax rooms, the luxury spa choice is huge. Each have a super menu of treatments and all at very competitive prices compared to the established world prices. In many of these clubs and spas you will feel you are in a grand palace as they have spared no expense in the construction as the hotel construction costs are generally financed by casino income and gamblers love to give their money to these establishments.
Motor Sport – For come reason many young Cypriots love racing and mostly off road. There are several off road events where you will see both high powered jeeps or motor cross bikes roaring in the mud or flying through the air. There are also 5 top class go karting tracks to challenge your friends. All such sports are substantially cheaper than similar quality facilities throughout Europe so why not have a go?
