Visiting the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on the island of Cyprus – How to get there and what to expect once you arrive.
For any serious traveller, a visit to Cyprus is an absolute must, because not only will you be visiting the Republic of Cyprus, but there is also the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is a de facto state and is recognised only by Turkey.
And maybe a little lesser-known fact is that there are two areas that belong to the United Kingdom, known as Akrotiri and Dhekelia on the island, and together they are officially British Overseas Territories, as is Gibraltar.
And yes, you can go there. You don’t need to take your passport. There is no border control.
Last year, I backpacked the Spanish Autonomous City of Ceuta, which is located on the continent of Africa, and now, I have backpacked the United Kingdom in Cyprus!
Akrotiri and Dhekelia are one of the 330 countries and territories on the Travelers Century Club list.
What are Akrotiri and Dhekelia
The British Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) of Akrotiri and Dhekelia are parts of Cyprus which stayed under British jurisdiction and remained British sovereign territory when the 1960 Treaty of Establishment created the independent Republic of Cyprus.
King Charles III is the head of state and they are answerable to the MOD. The currency used is the Euro.
In short, Akrotiri and Dhekelia are military bases, and they exist due to their proximity to the Middle East.
Further reading: America’s secret military deployment on British Cyprus.
Where are Akrotiri and Dhekelia
As previously mentioned, both are located on the island of Cyprus. Dhekelia is just east of Larnaca, and Akrotiri is just west of Limassol, shown in grey below:
Credit: Free World Maps.
How to get to Akrotiri and Dhekelia using public transport
You can easily visit both areas using public transport. Bus 425 will take you from Larnaca to Dhekelia, and bus 24 will take you from Limassol to Akrotiri.
Bus 24 from Limassol to Akrotiri:
Bus ticket from Limassol to Akrotiri:
Final stop on route 24 in Akrotiri:
Bus stop in Larnaca for the 425 to Dhekelia:
What to expect when you are there
Dhekelia
I arrived in Larnaca, so I backpacked Dhekelia first. The Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia is basically just a 50 square mile Military Base. Obviously, I was limited as to how much I could explore.
I took the bus to the last stop, a dusty parking lot (in the British part) opposite the power station, which is actually located in the Republic of Cyprus:
Turning inland up the hill, there is a church, an abandoned cafe, and a supermarket, but these are also in Cyprus, an area declared as the EAC Refugee Settlement:
The EAC Refugee Settlement was established in 1974 after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the eventual occupation of the northern part of the island. The invasion created around 200,000 refugees. The area in which the settlement belonged to the Electricity Authority of Cyprus – EAC.
It is not just here that buildings and businesses have been abandoned. It’s quite common all over Cyprus:
Back on the main road, the plan was to walk the 5km back towards Larnaca, through the British zone. This is what I saw.
There is a small church and harbour:
There are two cafes (both were opening later in the day) and a small beach:
On both sides of the road is MOD property with strict NO PHOTOS signs. And 2 defunct checkpoints:
Then later is the Royal British Legion:
The sign said, Open to All, but there was a private function going on. It looked like I had gatecrashed a WI meeting.
On the right, they were conducting live firing exercises:
The “border” is nothing more than an old sign:
And a change in the tarmac:
So that was Dhekelia. Yup, I know, there’s not much to see, but I went there and reported back. What did you do today?
Akrotiri
Akrotiri has more going for it.
A short walk from where the bus stops is the Akrotiri RAF Base:
It’s a military zone. Be careful of what you are taking photos of:
Sign to RAF (Royal Air Force) Akrotiri:
Obviously, this is a military zone and photos are not permitted, so I was careful with the selfies so as not to include anything I shouldn’t have.
The town of Akrotiri exists to house some of the personnel who work on base in non-military roles. I met a lady on the bus from the Philippines who worked as a childminder on the base. She lived in Akrotiri but said most lived in Limassol.
There is a supermarket, a couple of pubs, an Indian restaurant (this made me laugh) and a chippy. I can’t imagine military personnel going into the town for a night out. But maybe they do.
The Swan Pub in Akrotiri:
Akrotiri Arms Pub:
George’s Fish and Chips in Akrotiri:
Indian Spice Palace in Akrotiri:
And the Limassol Salt Lake:
I was happy to see a sign, “Welcome to Akrotiri”, which is just as you enter the small town, not when you cross the ‘border’.
There is also the Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, a short walk from town:
With quite a few murals of Saint George, slaying the dragon:
And the Church of Timios Stavros:
If you have your own wheels, going to the Akrotiri Sand Dunes and the Holy Monastery of St Nicholas of the Cats would be possible.
So that was Akrotiri and Dhekelia. There ain’t an awful lot to see, but that’s the whole point. It’s to go there and experience it, just because you can, and I don’t know personally anyone who has been there.