Gemikonaği (Karavostasi)

Gemikonaği (Karavostasi) Citrus groves stretch westwards from Morfou, towards Morfou Bay. The thin strips of beach are not so great: there's no shade, the pebbles are uncomfortable, and it's all a bit narrow. But there aren't many people about and the sea is pretty calm. The villagers from the Troödos foothills in the South used to make the short trip to Morfou Bay to swim before 1974, but due to the border, they now have to trek over 100km away to Larnaka.

The once-flourishing port of Gemikonağı dominates the bay, and you will spot the long-abandoned and slowly disintegrating jetty before you actually catch sight of the port itself. The town was once home to a large American-run mining enterprise that for many years mined the now scarred hinterland immediately south and east of town. That industry ceased after 1974, and the place has taken on a backwater appearance, not unlike the town of Kato Pyrgos further along the coast in Tylliria in the Republic.Nonetheless, the town still supports a small local tourist industry and a few restaurants. Small beaches to the west of Gemikonağı testify to the area's pull on the few visitors who prefer alternative dining and bathing options to the often crowded and more expensive spots elsewhere in the North. Gemikonağı is one place in the region to base yourself for a day or two.