Guide

North Cyprus Travel Guide (Places to Visit in the TRNC)

North Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a de facto state located in the north of the island of Cyprus, surrounded by the waters of the Mediterranean. It is not recognized by any country other than the Republic of Türkiye. Going back to the 1400s, the island's history reaches as far back as the Republic of Venice. During a period when it was part of the Ottoman Empire, the Ottomans leased the island to the United Kingdom for 60 years in order to get Russia out of our lands. After the Treaty of Lausanne, a consul of the Republic of Türkiye was appointed to the island in 1925. After that, until 1960, the parties repeatedly sat down at the table on the island, but the pressure was aimed at getting the Turkish side to withdraw from it. In 1960, on an island whose population was 70% Greek Cypriot and 30% Turkish, both sides had an equal say. However, using the Turkish minority on the island, the Greek Cypriots massacred many of our citizens in 1963 in the event that went down in history as Bloody Christmas. From 1963 to 1974 the Greek army maintained its dominance on the island, taking many Turkish citizens captive and forcing many others to migrate to Türkiye. In July 1974, Bülent Ecevit, known as the Conqueror of Cyprus, carried out a major landing with the Turkish Army and regained control of the island.

In 1976, the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus was established.

General Information About the TRNC
Capital: Lefkoşa
Population: 382.836 (according to 2020 data)
Currency: Turkish Lira (TRY)
Religion: 99% Muslim
Languages spoken: Turkish, Greek
Geographical Location of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

To the north lies Türkiye at a distance of 65 km; to the east, Syria at 112 km, Israel at 267 km and Lebanon at 162 km; to the south, Egypt at 418 km; and to the northwest, Greece at 965 km.
Currency in Cyprus
The currency used in the country is the Turkish Lira. 1 US dollar equals 32,62 Turkish Lira and 1 euro equals 35,36 Turkish Lira. (Based on July 2024 data.)
Ethnic Makeup of Cyprus

According to a European Union Eurostat study, 67% of the total population of the island of Cyprus is Greek Cypriot and 33% is Turkish. The island is also home to small British, Armenian and Maronite (Catholic Syriacs living in Lebanon and Syria) communities.

Getting to Cyprus

Visa

Citizens of the Republic of Türkiye can enter North Cyprus with just their ID card, without needing a visa or passport.

International Travel
The easiest and fastest way to get to North Cyprus is by air. To reach North Cyprus from Türkiye, you can use Ercan Airport. You can visit North Cyprus from Türkiye and Europe with Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, Ajet and many other airlines. Flights from outside Türkiye connect via Türkiye. Ercan Airport is about 30 minutes from Lefkoşa (the capital) and about 40 minutes from Girne.

Tourists heading to South Cyprus (Turkish citizens are not allowed to cross between the two sides of the island) can use Larnaca Airport. This airport is 40 minutes from Lefkoşa and 1 hour 20 minutes from Girne.

GETTING THERE BY SEA:

To get to the TRNC, you can take a ferry from Mersin, Alanya or Taşucu in Türkiye's Mediterranean region. There are 3 ferry routes between Türkiye and the TRNC:

Girne – Alanya, Girne – Taşucu and Mağusa – Mersin. Ferries between Mağusa and Mersin run 3 days a week. Ferries between Taşucu and Girne run every day of the week. The crossing takes around 2 hours by fast ferry and 4-5 hours by regular ferry. Alanya – Girne sailings run only in the summer months.
Intercity Travel Within the Country

There are 30 settlements in Lefkoşa, 42 in Gazimağusa, 42 in Girne, 12 in Güzelyurt, 43 in İskele and 18 in the Lefke district. Both buses and dolmuş run within the cities and between the districts. The main route of the private buses known as kombos covers Girne, Lefkoşa and Gazimağusa. Buses run every 20 minutes in summer and once an hour in winter. Bus tickets can be bought from the driver. Buses run between 05:00 and 21:00 and between 21:00 and 04:00. Another option is the dolmuş. There are dolmuş services to every part of North Cyprus. You can travel by dolmuş both within the cities and between districts.

Renting a car is also very common in Cyprus, but because North Cyprus was a British colony for many years, traffic flows on the left, just as in England, and so the steering wheel is on the right. Traffic rules, above all giving priority to pedestrians, are strictly observed. There are heavy fines for those who break them, and there are hidden speed cameras along the roadsides. Car rental costs around 2000 TL per day on average.
Getting Around Town

For getting around town there are minibuses and taxis. Most of the minibuses are worn out; a short hop costs around 34 TL on average. Depending on the distance, you can also travel for between 40 and 60 lira. Taxis, unlike the minibuses, are quite luxurious and comfortable. They are also a bit pricey. A short ride costs around 200 lira on average. Girne – Kapalı Maraş costs 3000 Turkish Lira, and if you make the round trip it will come to 4500 lira. With taxis, you also have the option of not running the meter and negotiating the fare instead.

The Economy of Cyprus
Tourism and education rank at the top of the country's sources of income. Agriculture and trade also play an important role in the North Cyprus economy. The unemployment rate is 7.8%. (2021)
Public Holidays in Cyprus
1 January: New Year's Day
23 April: National Sovereignty and Children's Day
1 May: Labor and Solidarity Day
19 May: Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day

20 July: Peace and Freedom Day
1 August: Communal Solidarity Day
30 August: Victory Day

29 October: Republic Day 15 November: TRNC Republic Day
In addition, Ramadan Feast and the Feast of the Sacrifice are also celebrated.

Souvenirs to Buy in Cyprus

Gifts worth buying include Cyprus-themed magnets, handmade covers and cloths, hellim cheese and wooden trays shaped like the map of Cyprus. Among the Cyprus magnets are ones featuring donkeys. Because there are lots of donkeys in certain parts of the island, they are printed on magnets as a symbol.
Accommodation in Cyprus

Accommodation in Cyprus is very well developed. Since tourism is the country's main source of income, there are hotels to suit every budget. Options include guesthouses, hostels, Airbnb and 4, 5 and 7-star hotels. The hotels are very comfortable, and many of them have their own private beach.

Beaches of Cyprus

The water in Cyprus is truly incredibly clean and deep blue. There are both sandy and pebbly stretches. There are a great many beaches around the island. Some of them are:

Glapsides, Denizkızı, Altınkum, Alagadi, Yeşilırmak, Camelot and Kapalı Maraş beach.

Getting a SIM Card in Cyprus
You can use your Turkish line in Cyprus, but you need to have it enabled for use abroad. If it isn't enabled, keep it in airplane mode and get online via Wi-Fi. There are also packages for the TRNC. Using these packages you can get online more cheaply; otherwise, since your own package won't be used, you may pay high fees every time you use the internet.

If you want to get a SIM card in Cyprus, you can buy one from KKTC Turkcell, KKTC Telsim (Vodafone) and Türk Telekom dealers.

Casinos in Cyprus

Casinos are one of the things Cyprus is most famous for. You can find a casino in every city and even every district of Cyprus. There are 26 casinos in total. As we like to put it, in these casinos, once you get a gaming card inside, the open buffet food and drinks are free and unlimited. On top of that, while you play, waiters bring cigarettes and alcoholic drinks right to you to keep you comfortable. Entry to casinos in North Cyprus is prohibited for those under 25, TRNC citizens, students and military personnel. The most famous casino in Cyprus is the Merit Royal Premium Hotel Casino, located in Alsancak, Girne. Entry is free.

Inside, the machines start at 10 lira and go up to whatever high amounts you are willing to risk losing or winning. Every machine has a limit; if you are a beginner and playing for the first time, my advice is to start with the lowest machines.

The live gaming area is a separate, exclusive section, and its restaurant is different too. If the card you got at the entrance is valid only for the machines, you cannot eat in that section. Merit casinos have 4 types of cards. Your card is checked at the entrance of every restaurant. A maximum of 2 people can eat at the restaurant with one card.

Cypriot Cuisine

In my view, a country's food is a very important detail for travelers, because even a single great meal can make you travel to that country, that city, a few more times. In Cyprus, two dishes and the meze stand out in this respect. The most important ones, which you can also find in restaurants, are Hellim Peyniri and Şeftali Kebabı. Although hellim cheese is common in our country too, in Cyprus it is an indispensable part of the table. Hellim Böreği is also very famous. Şeftali Kebabı gets its name because it looks like a peach once cooked. It has nothing to do with peaches. It is a type of kebab made by stuffing the fatty inner membrane of a sheep or goat, also called the "shirt", with minced meat, onion and parsley, wrapping it like a dolma, and cooking it on a skewer or on the grill.

Other famous dishes:

Molehiya
Piruhi
Pilavuna
Kolakas
Girit Usulü Çullama
Kleftiko
Dilifti
Soğan Bastı

Hellim Böreği

Şeftali Kebabı

The best and most famous restaurant to eat Şeftali Kebabı is Niyazi's.

Places to Visit in Cyprus

KAPALI MARAŞ

Kapalı Maraş, home to Greek Cypriots before 1974 and one of the most famous resorts in the Mediterranean, passed to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus side when the Greek Cypriots fled south during the Cyprus Operation, whose first step was taken on 13 August 1974 with the slogan "Let Ayşe go on vacation", and the area has remained practically a ghost town ever since. Kapalı Maraş, where the wealthiest people in Cyprus lived and where big factories (Toyota, Philip Morris) were located, has been abandoned for more than 50 years. With a ruling issued 2 weeks ago, the court decided that the property owners of the area can reclaim the rights that passed to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The Greek Cypriots will get their rights back after 50 years. The sea here is extraordinarily beautiful. Entry is free. Opening hours are from 09.00 in the morning to 18.00 in the evening. Inside there is only a cafeteria, plus changing rooms and showers by the sea; apart from these there are no facilities.

Gazimağusa: Kapalı Maraş