Bellapais Abbey & village

Bellapais sits above Kyrenia on a hillside overlooking the coast. As the road climbs, the town and sea come into view below you. The village lanes lead towards the abbey.

The abbey is built into the hillside, with vaulted lower levels supporting the rooms and terraces above. Take a look from more than one level if access allows.

The village lanes are narrow and parking can be busy, especially during events. Arrive earlier in the day if you want more time before the crowds.

Bellapais Abbey was established in the early thirteenth century and became home to the Premonstratensian order, known as the White Canons. The surviving buildings show the Gothic architecture of the Lusignan period.

The church, cloister and refectory were built at different times. Visiting them in turn gives you a sense of how the monks worshipped, moved through the abbey and ate together.

Bellapais, also called Beylerbeyi, is still a lived-in village. Beyond the abbey are stone houses, gardens, narrow lanes, cypress trees and restaurant terraces.

Lawrence Durrell lived in Bellapais in the 1950s and wrote about it in Bitter Lemons. Reading a little before your visit adds another perspective to the village lanes.

Several trees have been associated with Durrell’s “Tree of Idleness”. Treat the competing stories as part of the village’s literary history, and leave time to sit for a drink after the abbey.