Travel Guide Akrotiri

Wedged between the Limassol salt lake (10.5 km2) and the Royal Air Force airstrip, this village is worth a visit for its pink flamingos and its very special status. Of the five communes of the Akrotiri sovereignty base (123 km2), it is the only one entirely under the control of the British and their police force, the SBA Police. But, for practical purposes, since the Brexit, it remains subject to Cypriot and EU laws. In fact, there are few controls on entry to the territory. The sovereignty base at Akrotiri was created in 1960, at the same time as Dhekelia (Agia Napa region), when Cyprus gained independence. The UK maintains its last Mediterranean air base here, RAF Akrotiri, which is used for military operations in the Middle East. British military and civilian personnel (around 2,000) reside near the airstrip or in the Episkopi cantonment. As for the village's inhabitants, they enjoy dual Cypriot and British nationality. However, they do not take kindly to the nuisance caused by military activities, be it the noise of fighter planes or the waves emitted by the nearby listening station.