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Camping in Polis, Cyprus

camping, cyprus, paphos, picnic, polis Add comments
The last time i went camping was more than 5 years ago on the occasion of the first anniversary of landing in Cyprus. We didn’t celebrate the anniversaries after that and now after 6 years, there are probably a few of us still in Cyprus as compared to the 42 when we went camping last time.
This time, it was with a group of around a dozen friends. Until the last minute, we were discussing on where to go camping. The options were to either go to troodos or to the more famous, well known Polis camping site. We chose the latter for the numerous other things we could do in Polis, as the site was right on the beach. But, all we ended up doing most of the time was to just play cards!
Polis is a beautiful little hamlet in the north-west of Cyprus. It is probably the first choice for camping in Cyprus. Polis is just a short drive away from Latchi, a popular fishing village. The Baths of Aphrodite, a famous tourist stop in Cyprus is also very close-by. Polis can be used as a gateway to explore the wild west of Cyprus - Akamas.
The camping site is in the midst of a large Eucalyptus grove situated right on the shore. There are clear directions to the site once you enter Polis. Even though the site is huge, almost every inch of it is occupied during the summer weekends. We had to spend some time walking around the site to find a location for us to pitch our tents. We were lucky as a group was just packing off when we arrived and we got a location under the trees and also close to the beach.
Few of the things you need to keep in mind before going camping:
  • Get your own tents. They have stopped renting out tents. Also, get some bedding/pillows to put inside the tents as the ground is uneven, unless you want to totally rough it out!
  • You have to get your own lighting. Either you can get a long wire with a bulb and attach it to the electricity outlets available or you can get one of the portable lamps which run on gas (like the ones you see in the middle of one of the photos below). They cost around 10 pounds and are available in all the big supermarkets. The gas containers last for around 4 hrs each and a replacement costs under 50 cents.
  • It can get cold in the nights. Though it is very hot nowadays, we found it to be pretty cool in the mornings and a light blanket was needed.
  • Try to get a portable stove to make the wonderful late-night or early-morning tea/coffee. The cafe there near the camping site is a lame substitute.
  • Take Torch Lights. You will definitely search for dropped keys at least once :-)
  • Mats to put on the ground. Or you can use the sun-screens of the cars as a substitute.

camping polis cyprus tents camping polis cyprus tents

I had always wanted to drive along the road to the east of Polis, going towards Pomos and Kato Pyrgos. It is supposed to be one of the most picturesque drives in Cyprus. On Sunday, after we packed our stuff and left the camping site, we decided to go for this drive. It was a good drive even though it was 12 in the noon and it was very hot. This place would look much more beautiful in winter and spring with the beach on one side of the road and the hillocks on the other. The road goes close to the Kokkina, the Turkish Cypriot enclave surrounded on all sides except the sea by the Greek Cypriot part and totally cut-off from the other Turkish Cypriot areas. Even after 6 years of roaming around a lot in Cyprus, there are times like this when i go to an area or drive on a road for the first time. This is testimony to the fact that Cyprus has a lot more to offer than just its beaches and you can never get bored of it.

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written by Rajaram S


3 Responses to “Camping in Polis, Cyprus”

  1. 1. Anonymous Says:
    September 1st, 2007 at 3:53 pm

    How wonderful to see and hear about someone else enjoying the incredible beauty of the “real” Cyprus, far from the tourist ridden beaches. I live near Polis and regularly make that special drive towards Pomos and then beyond (your post doesn’t mention going further than Pachyammos, the nearest village to Kokkino).
    If you have time to make the 40 minute detour (up and then down the other side to get round the Turkish enclave of Kokkino), you will come to a tiny village called Mansoura. There is a tiny restaurant there run by a wonderful family, Choulla and Andreas - the fish is the freshest imaginable and you wil eat a feast for next to nothing in price. Next time, visit the Mansoura tavern - further details below:
    http://www.cyprus-travel-secrets.com/cyprus-restaurants-mansoura-tavern.html

    i look forward to reading more about your travels around Cyprus.
    Best wishes

    Helen

  2. 2. Anonymous Says:
    April 16th, 2008 at 12:06 am

    Looks so amazing and beutiful ! I always urge people to get outside the city and do a little Camping/

  3. 3. Family Camping Guide Says:
    August 22nd, 2008 at 3:42 am

    Why is it they have stopped renting out tents? I think mostly the campsite do offer a rental tents. but camper have the choices if they bring their own tent is okay.

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