... contested lands ...
Northern Cyprus
Europe's forgotten corner
Northern Cyprus
Europe's forgotten corner
Nicosia - Kyrenia - Famagusta - Varosha - Karpas
In a pre-pandemic edition, The Rough Guide referenced the slogan of the Tourist Board of Northern Cyprus: ‘The Mediterranean as it used to be’, whilst also emphasising that the busy resorts, malls and familiar international chains of the Republic of Cyprus in the South of the island are replaced by remote villages and a slower pace of life in the North. Sounds idyllic. Yet, ten years or so on, ‘the Mediterranean turbocharged’ might be a more accurate description. What happened?
Bellapais Abbey
I first came to Cyprus in the 1990s as a very small cog in a massive international effort to help solve the ongoing tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. My brief was to work in the North, with journalists, trade unionists, politicians, indeed with anyone who was opposed to the separatist approach by Turkish Cypriot president Rauf Denktaş, who for years had resisted any attempts at unifying the island. What was on offer was the UN’s Annan Plan (see Box 2); a detailed proposal on how to overcome the division with a subsequent integration of the unified island into the European Union. What I encountered in those early years was a depressed region, ghost town-like settlements, hardly any significant economic activity, limited tourist facilities, and very few visitors. Most of the limited number of cars were old Renault 9s, either painted in grey or silver. The odd British expat promenaded along the beautiful streets of Kyrenia; content that they had found their cheap Mediterranean bolthole. And yes, some shady characters were there too in the safe knowledge that international arrest warrants did not apply to the internationally unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The place was completely shut off from the rest of Europe, apart from commercial and political links with its sponsor state Turkey. The remoteness and isolation was much appreciated by visitors. Yet it was also depressingly miserable for Turkish Cypriots.
Green Line, Nicosia
Box 1: A brief history of Northern Cyprus
The island of Cyprus gained independence from British rule in 1960. The country’s new constitution assigned cabinet posts, parliamentary seats, as well as civil service jobs to both communities, based on an agreed ratio. Alas, inter-communal violence soon broke out, fuelled by two paramilitary groups: Greek Cypriot Enoka (which promoted enosis, or the island’s unification with Greece), as well as Turkish Cypriot TMT (which aimed for the partition of Cyprus). On July 15, 1974, the military Junta regime of Greece and the Cyprus National Guard backed a Greek Cypriot military coup d'état, designed to integrate the island within Greece. It provided Turkey with the justification to invade parts of the island 5 days later in order to protect Turkish Cypriots.
Following the Turkish invasion, Greek Cypriots living in the North abandoned their homes and fled to the South, while Turkish Cypriots in the South did the same and escaped to the North. Since then, the island is de-facto partitioned, with a buffer zone (referred to as the Green Line) that is monitored by the UN, separating the two sides.
In 1983, Northern Cyprus unilaterally declared the establishment of the TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus), which to this day is only internationally recognised by Turkey. The rest of the world views the territory as being a part of the Greek Cypriot Republic of Cyprus. As a consequence of the diplomatic non-recognition, a trade embargo has been imposed on Northern Cyprus, making the entity heavily dependent on Turkey for economic and financial support. Its merchants cannot sell their products on international markets. Its harbours and airports are only open to their Turkish counterparts. Its citizens find their freedom of movement severely curtailed. As far as international law is concerned, Northern Cyprus, its businesses, organisations or citizens are not recognised and thus simply do not exist.
View from Kantara Castle
But by 2005, the picture started to change; first gradually, then rapidly. The challenge of the government of Northern Cyprus was to eke out an existence, despite the fact that the international community (bar Turkey) did not recognise the statelet, and thus did not engage in any trade relations. Yet, the authorities managed to establish three revenue streams. Casino licenses were granted to a limited number of hotels, all of which had to have at least 500 rooms and ought to be located away from schools or urban centres. The gambling industry, which is banned in Turkey proved to be an almost instant success.
The coast at Kyrenia
Box 2: The UN Annan Plan of 2004
Following the election of Turkish Prime Minister (now President) Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2003, Turkish Cypriot president Rauf Denktaş was forced to soften his previously hard-line stance on a solution to the Cyprus problem. A peace deal brokered by UN General Secretary Kofi Annan was put to a referendum, held separately in both communities. The agreement envisaged the establishment of a joint supreme court, as well as a two-entity federation responsible for foreign policy and international agreements, with both communities largely managing their own affairs. The area around the Northern Cypriot town of Morphou, which was traditionally inhabited by Greek Cypriots would be handed back to the South. Denktaş campaigned against the Plan, yet 65% of the votes in Northern Cyprus supported it. However, Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected the Plan (76%), arguing that the federation would give equal representation to Turkish Cypriots, who only constituted a fifth of the population. There was also scepticism about the Plan’s stipulation that any town or village in the North could only have a maximum Greek Cypriot population of 6%. Add to this the exclusion of any recourse to European courts on property issues, and the overwhelming narrative emerged that the Plan would have been a terrible deal for Greek Cypriots. What became clear in the referendum debate, is that most Greek Cypriots lay a claim on the whole of the island (which seems justified given that community’s size). Turkish Cypriots however want to rule themselves (which also seems justified in light of the inter-communal tensions in the run-up to the 1974 invasion). There is very little intersection between these two points.
Karpas Peninsula
Next up were universities. While Northern Cyprus was diplomatically isolated, there was nothing to stop students to come to this part of the island via Turkey in order to get an academic degree. Quickly, privately-run outfits established themselves (the latest count runs to an incredible 20 plus institutions of higher education!), almost all of whom with highly questionable academic credentials (the notable exception being the Eastern Mediterranean University in Famagusta).
And what to do with those marvellous agricultural products including olive oil, as well as sheep and goats’ cheese (which in the South is marketed as halloumi)? Merchants discovered a loophole in international trade relations by shipping their produce to the Turkish port of Mersin where it was re-labelled and sold on as Turkish products. These three pillars – gambling, education, agriculture – allowed for a modest economic development. Most notably however, the authorities in the North did not allow the transfer of property that was previously owned by Greek Cypriots who after the 1974 invasion had escaped to the South. The hope was that at some stage, unification surely must happen, and any illegally acquired title deeds would only undermine such a process.
near the Green Line, Nicosia
In 2017, negotiators from both sides, joined by the UK government as well as the UN, met in the Swiss resort of Crans Montana in the latest attempt to reach an agreement (see Box 3). The discussions failed miserably and since then, Northern Cyprus adopted Plan B. Simply put, the shackles were off. Casino licenses were now given freely to property developers and Turkish-based hotel chains. Vast tracts of land, predominantly on the north coast around Kyrenia and on the stretch of land between Famagusta and Iskele on the east side of the territory were sold off to construction companies. Foreign investment, irrespective of its origin and thus including money from rogue regimes such as Russia or Syria, was welcomed into the country without any questions being asked, with the government taking a 3% cut. New markets were opened up, for instance an easy visa regime granted to Iranians who came in droves to establish second homes that allowed them to enjoy more moderate and secular religious attitudes, in particular for female family members. It resulted in a spectacular construction boom fuelled by cheap migrant labour from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan. After decades of international isolation and a stalemate in negotiations over the island’s unification, Northern Cyprus was now up for sale.
the abandoned town of Varosha
Visitors will find evidence of this turbocharged economy all over the territory. Hotels, apartment blocks and commercial buildings have been built at breathtaking speed, resulting in an un-coordinated mishmash of styles with little environmental foresight or architectural coherence, in a free-for-all approach to urban planning. A gleaming hotel tower next to a run-down shack. A luxury car dealership opposite a vacant lot full of rusting agricultural machinery. At least the Republic of Cyprus in the South is fighting back. Claiming a violation of international law, it continues to prosecute individuals who have been involved in the sale and development of previously Greek Cypriot owned property. The authorities’ biggest coup came with the arrest of Israeli businessman Simon Aykit who remains in custody awaiting trial.
Ledra Palace located inside the buffer zone
Box 3: Failure at Crans Montana 2017
During the preceding years, amicable relations between the President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot President Mustaf Akinci raised hopes for a solution to the conflict. Once more, both sides agreed to the establishment of a joint Supreme Court, accompanied by a federal system with a senate (with equal representation of both communities) and a parliament (with 36 Greek Cypriot and 12 Turkish Cypriot members).
Anastasiades however abruptly left the negotiations in the Swiss mountain resort of Crans Montana, prompting widespread speculation in the media over the reasons for his departure (with conspiracy theorists prominently blaming Vladimir Putin). Anastasiades came clean in 2025, pointing the finger at the Turkish government who insisted on maintaining a military base which could be used for foreign policy interventions outside of Cyprus (for instance in Syria). For the Greek Cypriot representatives, a concession on such a point was inconceivable.
Nicosia Old Town
The most striking feature though is the extraordinary mix of ethnicities. Students from Africa, businesspeople from Turkey, social care workers from Kyrgyzstan, hospitality staff from Pakistan, construction workers from Afghanistan, all of whom contributing to an economy in overdrive. Only on occasion does one come across the odd pale European complexion or English, French or German speaking voices, but also glammed up tourists from Russia or Belarus. Northern Cyprus welcomes anyone. No sanctions or travel restrictions here.
Buyuk Han, Nicosia
A 2021 census showed the population in the North of being about 290,000. To anyone who has spent time in the territory, this figure seems a gross underestimation. This impression was confirmed by a Turkish Cypriot activist, who told me that there are around 450,000 cars registered in Northern Cyprus. Add to this around 50,000 Turkish soldiers stationed in the numerous barracks that are dotted around the territory, a sizeable and growing Turkish population, the many students, refugees from the war in Syria, second-home owners from across the Middle East, as well as thousands of migration workers, and the overall population could easily be twice or even three times that figure. In amongst this spectacular ethnic mix, visitors have to look hard to come across any natives. It is estimated that around 90,000 Turkish Cypriots have remained on the island. Many though have left. Since 2003, Turkish Cypriots (but not Turks) have the right to claim a passport from the Republic of Cyprus. Once that country joined the European Union in 2004, such a passport entitled the holder to free EU movement and before Brexit, many chose to settle in the UK. The Greek Cypriot government claimed that just over 30,000 Turkish Cypriots were issued with such a passport (which would be around a quarter of the overall population). Walk the streets of the North London borough of Haringey, and you start to realise where a lot of them have settled.
Nicosia Old Town. Green Line Dead End
Despite this raw development shock, the territory nonetheless harbours some marvellous gems. The key is to try and block out some of the all too apparent ugliness, and appreciate archaeological and natural wonders and above all, the remarkable hospitality of the locals, who just like many visitors are often baffled as to how the political and economic parameters are unfolding in front of their very eyes.
There is widespread confusion over place names in Northern Cyprus. Up until the end of the British administration in 1960, English was one of the official languages, and unsurprisingly towns and villages had English names (as well as Greek or Turkish ones). And if locals conversed in English, those were the names that they were using. With the establishment of the Turkey-sponsored TRNC in 1983, Turkish place names, in particular on road signs, became ever more prominent. As such Kyrenia turned into Girne, Nicosia into Lefkosa, Morphou into Güzelyurt, or Famagusta into Gazimagusa. Yet to this day, Turkish Cypriots (as opposed to Turkish mainlanders) prefer the English expressions. Without taking any political sides and given that this post is in English, I continue in this tradition.
Golden Sands Beach
Karpas Peninsula
Karpas Peninsula
Top of the agenda of many visitors (and indeed UN personnel on weekend outings), is the sparsely populated and on occasion even wild Karpas peninsula in the far north-eastern corner of the island. Before the 1974 invasion, this was firmly Greek Cypriot territory, and you can still spot the odd Greek Orthodox monastery on the roadside, culminating in the Apostoles Andreas monastery at the tip of the peninsula. To get there, you can either take the coastal road from Famagusta along a depressing strip of expanding suburbia with retail outlets, hotel complexes and loads of apartment towers seemingly placed at random in some fields. Alternatively you can take the newly built road from Kyrenia along the north coast all the way to Yenierenköy; the gateway to the Karpas. Once you leave the construction sprawl behind, this turns out to be a rather fabulous drive with stunning scenery. To the left is the glistening Mediterranean Sea and to the right the towering hills of the Kyrenia mountain range. This is Northern Cyprus at its most picturesque, that has so far been spared commercial tourist developments. Once in Karpas, make sure to go past the village of Dipkarpaz. Soon you will be driving through fields and alongside beautiful bays. Near the end of the road, just 5 km before the Andreas Monastery, you will come across a sign for the Golden Sands hotel. Follow the dirt track to the end before you hit a stupendous expanse of - well - golden sand that is one of Cyprus’s most glorious beach and swimming spots. Shame though about the strewn rubbish and run-down public facilities. The area is a nature reserve for nesting turtles, which forbids any commercial development. Hence no investment, and hence no money for maintaining this spectacular stretch of land.
Landing Beach
Beaches
Visitors will quickly come to the realisation that large tracts of the coastline of Northern Cyprus were handed over to hotel developers who of course reserve access to their guests. There is also an abundance of commercial beaches, most famously the landing beach where the Turkish army first set foot on Cypriot soil during the 1974 invasion. The place is located about 15 km west of Kyrenia. You can’t miss it. There’s a gigantic monument overlooking the bay with a tank, airplane and helicopter thrown in for good measure. Diana beach is another commercial entity about 10 km east of Kyrenia. All of these are privately-run outfits with excellent facilities (such as changing rooms, showers, sunbeds and umbrellas) but of course you have to pay for the privilege of using them; about 10 Euro per person per day. Yet, an excellent and free option can be found at the Turtle Beach in the village of Alagadi, about 20 km east of Kyrenia. And once more, just like the Golden Sands beach it is a nesting place for sea turtles and thus mercifully free from commercial development. Alagadi beach has three sections, the best one being the middle part, where rather conveniently a decent restaurant plies its trade.
Turtle Beach, Alagadi
Crusaders Castles
To get away from the dust, heat and crowds, head for the hills of the Kyrenia mountain range to visit three fabulous Crusaders castles. The one that is easiest to reach is St. Hilarion, accessible via a slip road that leads off the highest point of the Nicosia – Kyrenia road. The site was originally a monastery built by the Byzantines in the 8th century. The ruins that can be visited today were most likely built under the command of John d’Ibelin some 500 years later. Of all the three castles this is the most complete complex with commanding views across the Kyrenia bay.
St. Hilarion Castle,
The same cannot be said of Buffavento. First you have to find it. From Nicosia, take the main road towards Famagusta, then turn north/left on the main road towards Catalköy. At the crest of the mountain pass, a tiny, badly signposted road leads you for 6 km to a parking lot. And then you have to engage in a steep 30-minute hike to be rewarded with far-reaching views across the central Nicosia plain and towards the Troodos mountains in the South. Not too many tour groups here as the ascent is just too steep, but with a moderate level of fitness the site is yours to enjoy without any crowds disturbing the peaceful setting.
Buffavento Castle
My favourite castle though is Kantara, located at the entrance to the Karpas peninsula, and easily accessible (with decent sign posting) from the Famagusta coastal road. Especially at sunset, it is a spectacular location with views across the Kyrenia coast in the north and the Famagusta coast to the east. The castle ruins are spread out over several levels clinging on to a steep mountain side. But at least the car park is right at the foot of the site.
Kantara Castle
Archaeological Sites
Salamis, located just to the north of Famagusta is the island’s biggest archaeological treasure. The site is vast, but mercifully, the artefacts are organised by the museum along two separate trails with the most important findings strung along the shorter path. Salamis was founded in 1075 BC by settlers from Greece and Anatolia and was a centre of culture and power for well over 1700 years. Its decline began with frequent raids by Arab tribes from the 7th century onwards. An earthquake in the 4th century also did not help and when the harbour started to silt up, residents eventually moved south to what today is Famagusta
Salamis gets most of the headlines, evidenced by the sizeable number of tourist buses that ferry day trippers from across the North but also from the Republic of Cyprus in the South. But if you desire your archaeology to be more compact you might want to head to Northern Cyprus’s most western fringe to Solis, just outside the coastal village of Gemikonagi. The turn off sign from the coastal road might be easy to be missed, but not the gigantic roof structure that covers not one but two Roman basilicas dating respectively from the 4th and 6th century. Further up the hill is an impressive amphitheatre that formerly accommodated over 4,000 spectators. The site was partially demolished by the British authorities in the 19th century in order to build the fortifications of the Egyptian Port Said.
Amphitheatre at Solis
Nicosia (Lefkosa)
The capital of Northern Cyprus (and indeed of the Republic of Cyprus) is Europe’s last divided city. No ‘Wall’ or fortifications as in Berlin or in Gorizia/Nova Gorica, but a buffer zone (referred to as the Green Line) that separates the town’s two entities. Amble through the old quarter either in the North or in the South and you can easily spot a ghostly collection of abandoned houses and damaged ruins, in a scenery reminiscent of a war video game.
Selimiye Mosque, Nicosia
Taking a glimpse at the Green Line alone explains the large number of day trippers crossing from South into North at the checkpoint on Ledra Street in the centre of Nicosia, or at the crossing at Ledra Palace a couple of kilometres to the west. They are greeted by a warren of shops selling counterfeited products, but also spices, linen, arts and craft. At its centre is the Selimiye Mosque, housed in the 13th century gothic St. Sophia Cathedral. Its towers (and Turkish, as well as Turkish Cypriot flags) are clearly visible in the South and for many Greek Cypriots constitute a furious reminder of the island’s division. The area around the mosque/cathedral has been pedestrianised with a number of bars and restaurants offering an atmospheric choice for an evening out. Right next to it is Büyük Han, built in the 16th century and the island’s best preserved caravanserai. It has a wonderful courtyard that houses shops, arts stalls and cafés.
Arab Ahmet Quarter Nicosia
Visitors should also head for the Arab Ahmet neighbourhood on the western fringe of the Old Town. The quarter is named in honour of Arab Ahmet Pasha, one of the commanders of the Ottoman conquest of Nicosia in 1570. With the help of international aid many historic houses have been restored and today the district is arguably the architectural highlight of Northern Cyprus. It is also located right next to the Green Line and the moat that used to encircle the town with a clear view towards Ledra Palace; a former hotel whose residents had to flee to escape the advancing Turkish Army back in 1974. Being in the centre of the Green Line, at one stage the Palace accommodated UN troops monitoring the buffer zone. Nowadays, it serves as an arts and exhibition centre, but also as a place for bi-communal conferences.
Kyrenia (Girne)
Located on Cyprus’s north coast, Kyrenia at one stage was the jewel in the island’s crown, thanks in large parts to its crescent shaped harbour with the stunning Kyrenia mountain range as a picturesque backdrop. The harbour features prominently on the highlights reel of every tourist outfit operating in the North, as does to a lesser extent the mighty Kyrenia Castle right next to it. But Kyrenia’s beauty and enviable location were also not lost on property developers. Leaving the Old Town in any direction and visitors quickly come across a jumble of high-rise apartment blocks, shopping outlets, casino hotels and a plethora of estate agencies. The town’s infrastructure can barely cope with the number of visitors. But for many locals, Kyrenia has become a no-go area of mass tourism, traffic congestion and inflated prices. Sure, it’s not as bad (yet) as Venice or Dubrovnik, but the town’s development trajectory certainly points in that direction.
Kyrenia Harbour
Bellapais (Beylerbeyi)
Better then to head up into the hills (around 5 km east of Kyrenia) and to the pretty village of Bellapais. Its narrow streets are hardly conducive to car traffic and tour buses so the community mercifully built two parking lots at the entrance of the settlement. This rare show of cogent urban planning allows for an idyllic and charming atmosphere. Bellapais rose to fame for two reasons. First, because of the rather stunning medieval abbey located right in the centre and on top of a steep precipice. Although a ruin, much of the 13th century cloister and church are still clearly outlined and atmospherically lit up at night. Reason #2 is the ‘tree of idleness’, made famous my English author Laurence Durell who lived in Bellapais in the 1950s and included detailed description of village and island life in his book ‘Bitter Lemons’. The tree (a 200 year old Robenia) had to be cut back considerably because of a fungus disease, and a reference to the ‘shrub of idleness’ might now be more accurate. But the two restaurants right next to it have commanding views of the abbey and serve surprisingly decent food for such a spectacular, tourist-frequented location.
Bellapais Abbey
Cast your eyes west along the Kyrenia mountains and you can spot a modern, castle-like structure in the distance. This was the former abode of notorious businessman Asil Nadir, chief executive of UK based Polly Peck, which collapsed in 1990 after an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office which brought charges against Nadir of false accounting and theft. He fled to Northern Cyprus to escape the trial but returned to the UK in 2010, where he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In 2016 Nadir was transferred to Turkey to serve the remainder of his sentence but was released by the authorities one day after his arrival. He died in North Cyprus in 2025.
Famagusta
Famagusta (Gazimagusa)
With Kyrenia suffering more and more from over-tourism, Famagusta, the second city of Northern Cyprus is gradually moving up the tourist agenda. Located on the island’s east coast, the town has much to offer, in particular a fetching though compact Old Town which is surrounded by might city walls, curtesy of the Venetian Empire which fortified Famagusta in the 16th century. The Old Town hosts a variety of places of worship, which pay testimony to the town’s rich cultural heritage; from Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches to mosques with the Lala Mustafa Pasha being the most prominent.
Varosha
Yet most tourist excursions head to Cyprus’s most recent attraction: the former resort suburb of Varosha (or Maras in Turkish). Stories abound from holidaymakers and locals, hastily stopping whatever they were doing to run away from the advancing Turkish army during the 1974 invasion and leaving homes and possessions at the mercy of the occupiers. Being located in the buffer zone as well as on the premises of a Turkish army base, the town was then left to rot for the last 5 decades. Weeds, shrubs, and trees have overtaken cityscapes with faded shop signs still advertising the latest 1970s trends. It is a painful story of a once thriving resort that had earned the nickname of the ‘St. Tropez of the Eastern Mediterranean’ with the likes of Liz Taylor, Richard Burton or Sophia Loren enjoying its white sand beaches.
Varosha
In 2022, the Turkish military authorities allowed visitors to roam a cluster of streets. The procedure is surprisingly simple. Show up at the visitor gate (about 2 km south of the Old Town), have your bag searched for drones or video equipment and you’re in. I rented a clapped-out bike that fit the body frame of a 10-year old (3£ for 4 hours) and rode across the eerie streets in the company of plenty of other visitors, a lot of whom being day trippers from the South, including many Greek Cypriots who unsurprisingly revealed a look of shock and astonishment when inspecting what presumably used to be their family homes or their weekend playground. You can visit the Green Line in Nicosia to get a sense of the absurdity of the division of a European country in the 21st century. But nothing can deliver this imbecilic notion as much as a visit to Varosha. It’s just ludicrous.
Varosha
And of course, a final comment has to be made on the enormous flag that was painted on the side of the Kyrenia mountains, from inside a Turkish army garrison. Apparently, it is the biggest flag in the whole world. Driving across the Nicosia plain, it is clearly visible, not just in the North, but also from the Republic of Cyprus in the South. The flag shines brightly at night, when its contours are lit up, even during the rather frequent power cuts to the North’s electricity supply. While the rest of the region is shrouded in darkness, the flag is – well – turbocharged; a rather fitting yet unintended symbol for this troubled territory.
Trip Essentials
How to get there:
Northern Cyprus has its own airport, called Ercan just to the east of Nicosia. The airport offers direct links to the big Turkish cities, but this of course would necessitate a flight to Ankara or Istanbul. Hence, most visitors fly into Larnaca or Paphos on the Greek Cypriot side and arrange for a taxi driver to take them across the Green Line (I booked mine through Sun Rental; see below). Expect a one way taxi fare of between 60 and 100 Euro.
How to get around:
Car; simple as that. While there are public buses (the most notable being a company called Asbestos) that connect Nicosia with Kyrenia and Famagusta, it is impossible to get to the Crusaders’ castles or to the Karpas peninsula without your own set of wheels; unless you join a tour group, but this is just not my thing. I rented a decent vehicle through Sun Rental located on the inner-city roundabout just north of the Old Town, with a well-functioning website that allows you to do your booking online (not always the case in Northern Cyprus). They also offer a fabulous pick-up and drop off service to and from Larnaca airport with rates that are significantly cheaper than those offered by other taxi providers. Highly recommended.
Where to stay:
I chose to stay in the northern part of Nicosia with easy access to the atmospheric Old Town, but also central enough for day trips to Karpas, Famagusta or Kyrenia. It also allowed me to avoid the tourist hordes emanating from the hotel casino complexes on the Kyrenia coast. I found my accommodation through Air BnB and ended up in a spacious and modern apartment (search for ‘Penthouse Center of Nicosia’ on Air Bnb’s website). For a more sedate experience you could do worse than staying in Bellapais Garden at the foot of the Abbey. As the name suggests, much time and effort has been spent on maintaining the rather fabulous grounds with a wonderful swimming pool at its centre.
Alternatively, you could also visit the North whilst staying in the Republic of Cyprus in the South. There are now 9 checkpoints that cross the buffer zone, with the ones on Ledra Street and Ledra Palace (both in Nicosia) offering easy access for pedestrians (don’t forget to bring your passport). You can also join one of several Greek Cypriot tour outfits on excursions to the North, for instance to Varosha and even to the Karpas peninsula. A quick google search reveals plenty of options.
Rüstem Café, Nicosia Old Town, Girne Street
A bookshop with a café and arts exhibition space attached to it; right opposite the Saray Hotel with a lovely atrium garden. Focal point of the artistic community of Northern Cyprus.
El Sabor, Selimiye Mosque Square, Nicosia Old Town
In case you tire of all the meaty kebabs, El Sabor offers excellent pasta dishes; located on an atmospheric square just behind the main mosque in Nicosia’s Old Town.
Zümrüdu Anka Restaurant, Nicosia, Őzguir Street
One of the few places that still serves Meze in the traditional style with halloumi and meat portions served piece by piece as soon as they have been grilled. Attracts a loyal crowd of meat aficionados.
Heybe, Nicosia, Abdi Ipekci Street
Doesn’t get much cheaper than this; enormous, family-run outfit next to the busy inner ring road; home-made soups, kebabs and above all Cypriot-style pizza called Pide.
Abbey Bell Tower or Bella Panorama, Bellapais
Surprisingly good restaurants given the fabulous yet touristy location right opposite Bellapais Abbey with sweeping views across the Kyrenia Bay. Perfect spot for a sunset dinner.
Niazi’s Restaurant, Kyrenia, Temmuz Kordonboyu Street
Bow to the temple of meat. Located just to the west of the Old Town harbour in Kyrenia, this is grilled Turkish food at its satisfying best. Come on an empty stomach.
Vasilia Beach Restaurant, Güzelyurt Road, Karsiyaka
As the name suggests, right on top of a sandy stretch of the Kyrenia coastline and thus very handy as a lunch or dinner spot in between swims. Excellent grilled fish.
