Places to see in North Cyprus

Kyrenia | Nicosia | Famagusta | Karpaz Peninsula

North Cyprus Kyrenia

As soon as you arrive at the Kyrenia harbour, you can see why Northern Cyprus Kyrenia is so popular. This graceful place is full of restaurants and cafés, ideal for sitting back and simply watching the world go by. The former carob warehouses have been converted into restaurants and shops, giving the harbour lively feel without feeling rushed or crowded. North Cyprus Kyrenia harbour is an elegant horseshoe shape, so nearly every café table has a great view over the water.

The Kyrenia harbour is dominated by the impressive Kyrenia Castle guarding this important and strategic North Cyprus port since the 1500s. It is an excellent idea to visit and explore, and you get some great views of the town of Kyrenia from the top. In the castle area you can find Kyrenia Shipwreck Museum, with the remains of an ancient trading ship. The wreck of the ship sat on the sea bed covered in sand for 2300 years. In 1965 the remains of what was then the oldest recovered ship in the world began to be recovered. The 47ft wrack was pulled from the mud just outside the harbour, are preserved.

Another beautiful place to visit in North Cyprus Kyrenia is Bellapais - pretty village set high in the Five Finger Mountains. Its most famous site is the Bellapais Monastery, also called the Bellapais Abbey. Bellapais Monastery of Northern Cyprus is now complex of picturesque ruins with great Gothic arches and towering stone walls. Since the 1960s the North Nicosia Lapidary Museum introduced impressive plans to repair and restore it.