When you're choosing your holiday villa for rent in Bellapais, you have a limited choice of views - stunning, really stunning and amazingly stunning! Bellapais is just 3 miles east of Kyrenia, or a short 10 minute drive, but sitting on the terrace of your Bellapais rental villa, you are a world away from the bustle of Kyrenia town.

The mountainside village of Bellapais is an ideal location if you want to relax in your rental villa, as the village is known for its laziness! Author Lawrence Durrell, who lived just off Bellapais' main square, described how if you sit under the Tree of Idleness, an ancient mulberry tree, you may never be bothered to get up again! Certainly, to sit and watch the world go by over a strong Turkish coffee at a café on the square is one of the delights of a villa holiday in Bellapais.

As you cannot fail to notice from your holiday villa windows, the village of Bellapais is dominated by the impressive remains of Bellapais Abbey. The arched windows and elegant colonnades of this once-mighty Augustinian monastery can be seen for miles, and tourist come from all over North Cyprus to visit. The joy of taking a villa for rent in Bellapais is that you can visit the Abbey when the crowds have gone home, and watch the sun set over the ruins while dining at Kybele restaurant, in the Abbey grounds itself.

At night, you may hear music at Bellapais Abbey drifting on the night air to your holiday villa terrace. Every May, Bellapais Abbey hosts its own music festival, where international artists play in the incomparable setting of the stone vaulted Refectory Hall, and regular concerts are held throughout the year.

The relaxed atmosphere of Bellapais is sure to encourage you NOT to cook, even if your holiday villa has a great kitchen. So, if you want authentic home cooking in Bellapais without the effort, try the Pasha Restaurant. Pasha's may be just the front rooms of a house, but the traditional Turkish Cypriot menu is handmade by the owners, and is superb. Try the manti, a cross between dumpling and pasta, or get your fingers around a lahmacun, a type of pizza topped with minced lamb or beef and served rolled. The Kybele and Bella Vista restaurants both offers open-air dining and great views over the Abbey.

From your holiday villa in Bellapais, the best beaches in North Cyprus are just a short drive away. Enjoy the lively vibe of Acapulco Beach, the dark sand of Karakum beach just 3 kms from Kyrenia, or the family-friendly sands and rock pools of Lara Beach. You may even spot baby sea turtles hatching from the sands at Alagadi Beach during the summer breeding season.

Bellapais is an idyllic place to be idle, and your ideal villa for rent in Bellapais is just a click away with Amy Villas.