Kyrenia

Kyrenia (Greek: Κερύνεια, also Girne in Turkish) is a harbour town in Northern Cyprus.

A picturesque port with a population of 46,000 (2019), Kyrenia is the most popular tourist destination in Northern Cyprus. A Venetian harbour town in the past, it is backed by the dramatic wooded hills of Beşparmak Mountains.

Understand

Get in

By air

Pegasus Airlines flies into Ercan International Airport 📍 (IATA: ECN), the main airport of North Cyprus. Another option is flying into the Larnaca International Airport 📍 (IATA: LCA) in the south, and then crossing the border into the north.

By bus

Frequent buses depart from Nicosia outside the Kyrenia Gate in the north of the city, on Cemal Gürsel Caddesi. Their final stop is the bus station 📍.

By boat

The ferry terminal 📍 is a 20 min walk from the bus station. Ferries operated by Akgunlerdenizcilik connect Kyrenia to Alanya, Taşucu and Mersin, and those by HADO to Hatay, all in Turkey.

The fast ferry from Alanya only runs in summer: from Alanya Th & Su at noon, from Kyrenia W Sa at 10:00. This is a catamaran (shown in timetables as deniz otobüsü) for foot passengers taking about 2 hr 30 min.

A similar fast-cat ferry, summer only, takes 80 min from Mersin. It runs from Mersin Su Tu Th at 21:00, from Kyrenia M W F at 23:00.

The third fast-cat route, summer only, takes two hours from Taşucu. It runs Fridays only from Taşucu at 14:00 and from Girne at 10:00.

The only car ferry is from Taşucu and takes 6 hours. It runs four times a week in summer: from Taşucu on Su M Tu Th at 23:30 and from Kyrenia M Tu at 14:00, W F at 23:30. This ferry runs all year.

Delta Cafe Bar, 35.34178°, 33.33155°. Quiet restaurant with a menu and wifi, so a good option when waiting for the ferry queueing to begin. Accepts cards. 2019-02-10

Get around

The best way to explore Kyrenia is with a rental car, as public transportation is not that good in the Kyrenia area. If you are staying in the central Kyrenia there are "Lapta Dolmuş" (buses) to go to the beaches in the west side of Kyrenia.

Public buses are available from Kyrenia to Nicosia (capital city) and Famagusta. If you are visiting Güzelyurt then Çimen Taxi (7-seater) is available, as you are sharing the cost, it is cheap.

You can find a scooter/bicycle hire place called Easy Rent A Car on down the main street heading towards Nicosia.

Bicycle hire €8 (Nov 2016)
Scooter hire €19 (Nov 2016).

See

Kyrenia Castle, 35.34161°, 33.32236°. Next to the harbour. An ancient castle of uncertain origin, but probably built by the Byzantines in the 7th century. Richard the Lionheart conquered it (and the rest of Cyprus) in 1191 on his way to Jerusalem, only to lose it to the Lusignans, the Venetian, the Ottomans and eventually the British, who used it as a prison. 2017-11-01
Shipwreck Museum. Within Kyrenia Castle. This small museum houses the preserved wreck of a wooden merchant ship dated 306 BC, found in 1967 off the coast of Kyrenia. The cargo of 400 amphorae (clay jugs) filled with olives and almonds was still (relatively speaking) intact. The drawing of the ship is now on the Cyprus versions of the euro 50, 20 and 10 cent coins. 2017-11-01
Fresco Museum. At the Church of Arkhangelos.
Baldoken Graveyard & St Andrews Church.
Museum of Decorative Arts.

Do

Golfing
Scuba diving
Turtle bay dive centre
Walking
Kyrenia range walks
Orchids walk
Paragliding
Turtle watching.
Boat tours - best way to discover shores of Kyrenia and enjoy the sun and sea.
Nightlife - Kyrenia is home to many dance clubs (such as Club Locca or W Club) and many concerts take place in the city, especially during the summer. Check the schedule before going!
Etel Winery (Gillham Vineyard Hotel), Alsancak (Ilgaz village), +90 533 850 84 06, tourism@gillhamvineyard.com. A complete insight and experience of wine culture. Guests are able to discover the complete wine making process, from the planting of the vines to the final production of the wines, more than that, visitors can choose from a wide selection of tours, wine education courses, wine lectures and much more that will enhance the guest’s wine culture experience. 2018-11-21

Buy

The official currency of North Cyprus is the Turkish lira (TL). All major currencies are easily exchanged and most shops do accept euro, British pound and US dollar. But it is always better to carry some Turkish lira for small shops in the villages.

Eat

There are many somewhat touristy restaurants by the harbor. Try typical Turkish cuisine such as lahmacun, meze, Turkish kebab and flat breads. There are many markets selling fresh fruit and vegetables, olives, cheeses, breads and meats. For a splurge, take an excursion to Bellapais in the hills above Kyrenia, which has many classy restaurants.

Drink

There are a lot of bars available around the Kyrenia.

Sempati Bar (Sky sports)
Runch Bar
Roxanne
Riverside Ranch Bar with Sky TV on big screen and happy hours, drinks half price.
The Valley restaurant and Clubbers Bar in Korineum Golf and Country Club. This golf club (which runs a championship golf course) is some 10 miles east of Kyrenia on the coast road.
Alevkayasi Forest Cafe (Flamerock forest cafe), Alevkayasi forest picnic area (Çatalköy to lefkoşa mountain road), +90 533 8770652 (mobile). 10:00 till late. Alevkayasi Forest Cafe is the only one of its kind in North Cyprus. Based near the five finger mountains,the cafe resides in Alevkayasi (flame rock)mountain-forest picnic area and has been there for over 50 years. The cafe is a family run business where you can enjoy the authentic cypriot environment with a choice of a delicious menus or you can even have your own picnic. It is a great place to escape from the scorching heat of the summer months.

Sleep

Dorms

ENTER hostel, Sunshine Resorts, Sht Salim Akbulut sokak, 35.335595°, 33.313337°, +905488208755. Stylish hostel with A/C, common kitchen and balkony. Dorm for €19-22 2023-02-17
Nostalgia Hotel. 4-bed dorm €14 (Nov 2016). Wifi: 12341234. Lockers in room. Towels included. Nice ensuite. Central location.

Hotels

Acapulco Beach Club & Resort Hotel. Catalkoy. 5-star hotel with sandy beach.
Bare Hill Holiday Village, Karaoglanoglu Caddesi, Alsancak (Near Escape Beach), +90 392 821 26 09, barehillholidays@hotmail.com. Family-run hotel. 2015-03-26
The Colony Hotel. Five-star hotel which lies between the mountains and sea.
Club Simena Hotel. 3-star hotel with a gorgeous view of the 5 Finger Mountains
The Dome Hotel. 4-star hotel within a few minutes' walking distance to Kyrenia harbour and castle.
Green Holiday Village. A modern holiday village with wide range of facilities.
The Hideaway Club, +90 392 8222620. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Boutique hotel 5 km from Kyrenia. Comprising a selection of Connoisseur Suites and Club Rooms, the hotel has a relaxed atmosphere around its welcoming pool-side terrace, except for children, who are not welcome during the summer season.
Hotel Sempati. Family-run hotel.
LA Hotel & Resort. A holiday heaven situated on the beautiful coast close to the historic Lapta Village.
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Manolya Hotel. Family-run hotel just next to the beach.
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Oscars Resort, 16 Hasan Esat isik Street. A lovely hotel complete with excellent swimming pool and water slides.
Prince Inn Hotel, 124 Karaoğlanoğlu Road, +90 216-688-68-99. Check-in: noon, check-out: noon. A small family-run boutique hotel 5 km west of downtown. Close to the beach, a local supermarket, and cinema. £12
Riverside Holiday Village. A 4-star family-run holiday resort in the village of Alsancak. Riverside provides free bus service to beaches.
Gillham Vineyard Hotel, +90 533 850 84 03, info@gillhamvineyard.com. Adult only boutique hotel with 31 suites overlooking the vineyards on the outskirts of Ilgaz, approximately 15 minutes from Kyrenia. There's a Wine Spa. and a restaurant. 2018-11-21

Go next

Bellapais has an amazing ruined Gothic monastery and some good restaurants too.
The magnificent St. Hilarion Castle overlooks Kyrenia and is easily visited on a day trip.
Buffavento is another medieval citadel on the Beşparmak Mountains.

Kyrenia - city in Northern Cyprus