Ah Kyrenia! This is my happy place. The place where I wanted to spend my birthday weekend. And this weekend was extra special because my parents came too.

So what makes Kyrenia magical?

For me, it’s the location. Situated on the northern coast of Northern Cyprus, it is hidden from the rest of the island by the dramatic Kyrenia (Besparmak) mountain range. I love driving there from Nicosia. Once you are out of Nicosia, a long, straight road points you at the Besparmak mountains. The mountains look like one solid wall that grows higher and higher the closer you get.

‘How the heck are we going to get over those mountains?!’ I said the first time we visited. Large parts of the mountain are just sheer rock face.

And then, just when you think you are going to crash into them, the road curves, the mountains magically open and there’s a pass that takes you through. It’s a brilliant optical illusion. You drive round the edge of a mountain and – voila! – there’s Kyrenia laid out below, playing a game of hide-and-seek. It’s like entering a different world – so much so that while we are there I don’t like going back across the mountain pass because it breaks the spell.

The mountains look so dramatic that it doesn’t matter where you go in Kyrenia, there’s always an amazing backdrop. These are the Besparmak, or Five-Finger Mountains, so called because the rocky knobbles on them look like five fingers. Legend has it these are the fingers of a young man who was trying to win the heart of a girl. But he had a rival who pushed him into a marsh. The man sank with his arm raised in the air, trying until the end to get out. When the marsh eventually dried out, the man’s five fingers turned into the Five-Finger Mountains.

Kyrenia is a pretty town and the tourist capital of Northern Cyprus. It is filled with hotels, tourist shops, casinos and bars.  There are lots of good hotels in Kyrenia but we always stay in the Pia Bella because we love it there. It’s a fair price at £70-ish a night and it has great facilities. There are two pools, a pretty outside lounge area, a casino and massage therapist. The rooms are a good size with a balcony and mini-bar. In the morning you have an enormous buffet breakfast which you can eat on an attractive outside terrace. Plus, they feed their small group of stray cats. Perfect! I’m not one for lounging around hotels, but I don’t begrudge a couple of hours lounging in this hotel – and Goobie loves the pool.

After a filling breakfast, we use Kyrenia as a base to explore the surrounding area. 15 minutes away, there’s the magnificent St Hilarion Castle that overlooks the town. To the east is Buffavento Castle. There’s also Bellapais Abbey and various rustic villages, such as Ozankoy. We have a list of other places we want to visit in the future – Alagadi beach, Lapta (Lapithos) and the ancient ruins of Lambousa (if we can ever find them).

But of course the central attraction is Kyrenia itself. After a morning exploring and an hour refreshing ourselves in the hotel pool, we head into town for a wander and dinner. Kyrenia used to be one of the ten city kingdoms of Cyprus, founded by the Achaeans in the 10^th century BC. It bears the signs of the various conquerors to come to the island; the Byzantines, Lusignans, Venetians, Ottomans and British. When Turkey took control of the North in the 1970s, the Greek Cypriots in Kyrenia moved to the South. Today the population is comprised of Turkish Cypriots, mainland Turks and Britons.

Kyrenia is particularly known for its harbour. It’s the prettiest harbour I’ve visited in Cyprus so far. Yes, it’s touristy, but it’s done well. The harbour is lined with traditional buildings and cobbled streets, and dwarfing it all are the impressive walls of Kyrenia Castle (more about the castle another time).

It’s great to watch the sun set from the harbour walls. And after dark, the harbour is lit up by the many fish restaurants. There are so many restaurants to choose from, but my favourite is The Carob Restaurant, which is where I chose to have my birthday meal. Part of the restaurant is on the harbour edge, but I prefer to head inside where two flights of stairs take you out onto a balcony area. If you can get a table on a balcony you have an amazing view of the harbour and Kyrenia Castle. And the food is good too. Usually, we finish the evening with a nightcap in the Castle bar, which is nestled into the castle walls. There’s live music and the place has a great atmosphere.

We have just experienced a slice of what Kyrenia has to offer. But we know it’s a winner if you’re looking for a good weekend away. Its rich history, romantic harbour and dramatic backdrop will definitely lure us back again.