New part of Golden Coast beach in Varosha set to open (video)

A new part of the Golden Coast beach in Varosha, stretching to the Venus hotel, is almost ready, the Cyprus News Agency reported on Sunday.

The beach is where Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan visited in November last year, having a ‘picnic’ with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and his wife.

A pathway to the beach planted with palm trees has been completed and a place selling drinks and snacks has been created but is not open yet.

Beach umbrellas and sunbeds have been set up on the beach although it has not yet been opened to the public.

Part of the beach in the fenced city of Varosha has been in operation since 1975 in addition to three beachfront hotels but only for members of the Turkish army. This area is still fenced off to the public, and people are not allowed to pass through it to get to the new stretch of beach.

On the stretch of Kennedy Avenue visitors have to use to access the beach a large area has been levelled off although it is not clear what it will be used for.

Changes have also been made to the Municipal garden, which has been cleaned up and it appears it will be reopened. The Turkish Cypriot press has recently reported that a National Cyprus Garden is to be created.

Since part of the fenced area was opened in October last year the streets that are now accessible have been cleaned up although it is not possible to enter any of the building as they have been roped off and CCTV cameras installed.

At the same time, some of the well-known buildings along the seafront have fallen into disrepair: the Faliro nightclub has collapsed, as has part of the outdoor areas of the nearby King George hotel.

Despite the movement in the area when it was first reopened, when a CNA photographer visited this week there was little movement there.