Beaches in Maraş ready for the summer

The beaches in the fenced-off town of Maraş which were opened to the public last year are ready to host beachgoers this summer.

The two beaches, a total of 800 meters in length will serve swimmers and sunbathers during the summer months.

More than 500,000 tourists and locals have visited the town since it first opened to visitors in October 2020. Since then 3.5 per cent of the resort town, formerly a military zone is now accessible to the public.

Gazimağusa Mayor İsmail Arter who provided information about the beaches in Maraş said that preparations were currently taking place in beach number one which despite having opened to the public last year lacked umbrellas and other basic facilities.

“We needed to clear the area of bushes and shrubs…the area needed cleaning. This is what we did. We also placed sun shades and umbrellas. So basically we are providing the same facilities provided at the other beach,” he said.

The Gazimağusa Mayor repeated that no new beaches had been opened this year as claimed by the Greek Cypriot press and the work was only carried out on the stretch that had been originally opened last year.

He said that the Greek Cypriot administration should focus on creating a suitable climate for negotiations rather than creating a commotion over landscaping in Maraş.