North Cyprus Guide ::

North Cyprus is the third largest island in Mediterranean Sea.

Flights:
The main carrier is Kibris Turkish Airlines (Cyprus Turkish Airlines), however you can also fly with Turkish Airlines to Istanbul and then get a connecting flight to Northern Cyprus.

Tickets can be obtained from Cyprus Turkish Airlines direct (0870 600 1123 or www.ctaholidays.com), however we recommend you use one of the following, as obtaining tickets from Cyprus Turkish Airlines can be difficult:

Best Cyprus Hotels - www.best-cyprus-hotels.com

Car Hire:
A car in North Cyprus is essential if you want to explore the beauties the island has to offer. We can organise car hire for you or you can contact one of the following:

Best Cyprus Hotels - www.best-cyprus-hotels.com

Comments about North Cyprus in the British Press:

"Kyrenia Harbour... must be one of the most beautiful sights in the world."
Mail on Sunday 'You' Magazine

"...softer beaches and more impressive monuments than any in the South"
The Financial Times

"...the North is the best of Cyprus, their stretch of coastline is beautiful..."
The Sunday Express

"Northern Cyprus was as good as we'd been told; miles of untainted beaches lapped by clear blue water, superb weather, cheap prices. From the moment we landed... ...we were overwhelmed by hospitality. It was as if we and the Turkish Cypriots were old friends who'd been long parted."
Mail on Sunday 'You' Magazine

As the third largest island in the Mediterranean, Cyprus has been occupied by a succession of civilisations over the past 2000 years, all of whom have left their mark. History abounds everywhere; from the three great Crusader castles built in the time of Richard the Lionheart, to the Roman ruins at Salamis, each conquering empire has contributed to the beauty and culture of this remarkable island. Climate: Northern Cyprus is blessed with the most pleasing climate in the whole of Europe. The winters are mild, and rarely extend beyond February, and with over 300 days of sunshine a year, the temperatures can reach into the 70's as early as March. In April and May, Northern Cyprus is at its most beautiful, with fields of wild flowers in full bloom, and the weather is not unlike that of a good English summer. June, July and August are the hottest months and ideal for sun worshippers. Not suprisingly, September and October are the most popular months, when the weather is still wonderful warn (rarely below 80 F), but the evenings are cooler. Currency: The currency of Northern Cyprus is the Turkish Lira - the exchange rate varies daily.

Kyrenia (Girne) is a coastal city located in the north of the island surrounded by the beauties of nature and constituting a showcase for the TRNC. Kyrenia places of interest: Kyrenia Castle, Sunken Vessel Museum, Folklore Museum, Fine Arts Museum, Peace and Freedom Museum, Cafer Pasha Mosque, Hz. Omer Tekkesi, Bellapais Monastery, St. Hilarion Castle,and St. Chrisostomos Monastery

Famagusta grew in size and importance under the Lusignans in the 13th century. Places of interest: Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Castle of Othello, Namik Kemal Dungeon, Sinan Pasha Mosque, The Ruins Of Salamis, The Royal Tombs Of Salamis, Kantara Castle and the City Walls.

Nicosia, a city with along history whose greatest development took place under Lusignan rule, is now the Capital of the TRNC. Places of interest: Museum of Atrocities, Ethnographic Museum, the Venetian Column, Arap Ahmet Pasha Mosque, the New Mosque, Haydarpasha Mosque, Library of Sultan Mahmut II, Lapidari Museum, Kumarcylar Han, Dervish Pasha Mansion.

Beaches
There are many sandy beaches on the north coast,the closest, "The Acapulco" is 4km away. Most beaches provide food and drink, there is usually a small payment to use the beaches,however this is well worth it as they are all well kept and very clean.

Climate
Climate of North Cyprus is typical Mediterranean. It has dry, long summers, and warm, short, light rainy winters.

Entry Requirements
A valid passport is required for entry to North Cyprus.

Car Rental
Prices are excellent for the travellers who wish to act freely. You can hire a car with your driving licenses. We drive on the left in North Cyprus just like in England, so you will not confuse. Wearing seatbelt is compulsory. All signposts are international.

Currency
The Turkish Lira (TL) is the currency used in North Cyprus. Foreign currencies and travellers' cheques are accepted in banks and exchange offices. Most credit cards are valid in many places, but bank charges may apply in some places.

Location
Cyprus is situated at the cross point of 35°N latitude and 33°E longitude.

How to Come to North Cyprus
By Plane
There are frequent scheduled and charter flights out of England and other European Countries to the island. More than 60 flights per week arrive at Ercan airport during the summer. There are several flights from three airports of London: Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow. Most of them arrive in the evening. North Cyprus has direct air links only with Turkey, where all planes from Europe must first touch down. From Turkey, you can choose from a number of scheduled flights from Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Adana and Antalya. However, it is almost guaranteed by now that after Turkish side's positive attitude towards the UN peace plan direct flights will start to Ercan Airport from several countries.

By Boat
There is a ferry service three times a week throughout the year between Mersin and Gazimagusa (Famagusta). Also a little ferry boat linking Tasucu and Girne (Kyrenia) during at all seasons and a new boat link has been established during the peak season between Alanya, Antalya and Anamur to Girne (Kyrenia). You are advised to reserve your places before departure.

Language
The official language is Turkish. English language is widely spoken.

Museums
During the summer period (May-October), opening times vary. In winter times opening hours are as follows: 9am-1pm and 2pm-4.30pm. Museums are closed on National holidays. For more information you can contact with the Museums and Antiquities Department through the telephone number:
00 90 392 22 72916

Tourist Information in UK
Norht Cyprus Tourism Centre, 29 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3EG, UK. Tel: 0207 631 1930

Shopping
Popular souvenirs include: potteries, wicker baskets, copper, silver, bronze, and onyx objects, Turkish dolls, meerschaum pipes and tavla boards (backgammon), jewellery, leather cloths and the textiles can be purchased at low prices. You can find many kinds of Turkish Cypriot craft work in many places. Shop opening times are 8am-1pm and 3pm-7am. Export of antiquities is illegal.

Electricity
240 Volts. Plugs are in English standards.

Telephone
For international calls dial
00 90 392 followed by your number here.

Town Codes
Girne (Kyrenia) : 81
Famagusta : 36
Lefkosa (Nicosia) : 22

Transport
Taxis are in reasonable prices. Ask for a price before you depart. There is also a collective taxi system mainly using minibuses known as Dolmus. Bus departures are frequent between big and smaller towns during the day. Public transport services are less frequent after 5pm and during the weekends.

Population
The approximate population of the whole island is 900.000 of which 215.000 live in TRNC - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Around 15,000 British people are living permanently in North Cyprus.

Surface Area
Total area of the island is 9251 km². The TRNC is 3242 km² and is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily and Sardinia. Britain, which was the last ruler of the island gave the island its independence in 1960, but before leaving, established two sovereign military bases on the island. These are Akrotiri (124 km²) and Dhekelia (132 km²) and they cover an area of 256km². 244 km² is the United Nations controlled green line (no man's land).

Food
Cyprus Specialities
If you know the food of Turkey, then you know Cyprus food, but there are one or two things that you won't find in Turkey. Probably the most famous of Cypriot culinary specialities is hellim cheese. This full-fat soft cheese is made from whole goats milk, salt and a touch of mint. It is typically served with salads.
Another speciality is molohiya, a green leafy vegetable which grows only in Cyprus and on the banks of the Nile. It is usually cooked with chicken or meat and is delicious and wholesome. Another interesting vegetable unknown outside Cyprus is kolokas, a root vegeable which when cooked (again with lamb or chicken) has the texture of potato, but a sweeter taste. Most of people who visited Cyprus said that they never tasted a better kind of potatoes than Cyprus ones.

In addition to the usual Turkish kebabs, there are two which are only to be found in Cyprus. One is kup kebab, lamb or goat wrapped in foil with potatoes and herbs and cooked for hours in a clay oven. The other is sheftali kebabs, which are small, spicy and sausage-like. They are skewered and cooked over hot charcoal.

Cyprus is also famous for its several fruits - water melon, melon, banana, strawberry, apple, citrus fruits of all kind, peach, apricot. Cyprus melon, famous for its delicious taste is another popularity of Cyprus.

Restaurants and Cafes in Kyrenia
In places frequented by tourists, as, for example, the old harbour, there may be found one or two restaurants of a good standard, but many are little more than cafes in terms of culinary offerings, and are, in Cypriot terms, expensive. Their saving grace is that you can dine by the sea under a star-lit sky.
Moving away, and exploring the backstreets, you will find cafes that offer real Cypriot cuisine at astonishingly low prices. Generally, in these cafes, there is no menu, or, if there is, you may well not understand it. What you do in these places is to examine the contents of the hot and cold cabinets and order a little of this and a little of that, and make up a meal to your own liking. There are three such cafes around the town square, and several others if you care to explore. You may find the Girne Restaurant, tucked away on a square close to the harbour. This is open 24 hours a day, serves real Turkish food, and the most delicious freshly cooked naan bread. If you are looking for real Cypriot food, you need to search a little harder. Find the street where the two stores 1001 and Ordu Pazari (Army Stores) are situated, walk along this street (away from the harbour) until you come to a small parade of shops set back from the pavement on your left, and take the first left. This brings you into a street of various shops and a selection of cafes. These cafes cater almost exclusively for Cypriots and, for the main part, are very good, as well as being exceptionally inexpensive. My wife and I ate at Beyti Kabap Salonu, where we tried (what else?) Beyti Kebap, which is undoubtedly the King of Kebaps. If you haven't tried it, try it here.
Because there are many English and Germans living in Cyprus (particularly in Kyrenia), you will also find restaurants - mainly out of town - offering all types of cuisine : English/French, Indian, and Italian, sometimes all three plus Turkish! There are also one or two chinese restaurants. Fish restaurants abound. Some of these restaurants are of a very high standard.

WHY NORTHERN CYPRUS ?

Those who visit Northern Cyprus usually return. It is a quiet place. It has not been overrun by tourists. Northern Cyprus is a land of beaches, mountains, castles and villages where time stood still many years ago - well, actually, sometime in the late fifties. If you are old enough there are many things here that you will recall from your childhood, including the music!
Even in Kyrenia, a major town by the standards of Northern Cyprus, the old harbour looks pretty much as it did in 1914, although what once were Carob warehouses are now restaurants and bars.
There is one Turkish word that visitors quickly learn : Yavash=Slowly. There is time. And there is Cyprus time. In Cyprus, no one is in a hurry.
But, like all countries where the pace of life is slow, the people are friendly, and the Turkish Cypriot smile is as bright and as warm as the Cyprus sunshine.
About 200,000 people live in this small country, which is only 120 miles from east to west and about 15 miles from north to south. However, the topography, from the dry central plain, to the mountains, to the coast and beaches, is dramatic in its contrasts. In addition, Northern Cyprus has a wide variety of wild flora and fauna, and is a stopping off point for many species of migrating birds, and there is also a green turtle conservation area.
Historically, there is also much of interest. Cyprus was repeatedly invaded over the centuries, each invasion leaving a legacy that survives to this day.
So, when you visit Northern Cyprus, forget time, forget stress, forget rain and grey days, just relax in the sunshine and do your own thing.
Best time to visit?
The winter months are December, January, and February with max temperatures from 17C to 19C and rain is to be expected. Rain here is often torrential, but does not usually last long. However, even in the winter months, when the sun shines, which is more often than not, it is warm enough to eat breakfast on the patio.
At any time of the year, the sunlight is intense. When you sit outside, it is necessary to position oneself in the shade. In November, and the winter months, and to a lesser extent in October and March, day time temperatures are usually pleasant, comparable to the best early summer days of Northern Europe, but once the sun begins to set it does begin to feel chilly, and you may then need to wear a sweater. But it is often possible to eat your Christmas dinner outdoors.
March sees the beginning of the tourist season even though it can still seem (to the acclimatised!) a little chilly at nights. April, May and June are very popular months, nights are warm, and the fields are carpeted with spring flowers. This is followed by the hot, dry months of July and August. These two months are strictly for dedicated sun-worshippers. It can be very hot indeed, and there is never any rain. Then follows the 'second spring', when a little rain is to be expected. September and October are many peoples' favourite months. It is still very warm, but not unbearably so. Cyprus has a Mediterranean climate. No matter what time of the year, it is always warmer than northern climates. In Cyprus gardens you will see flowers all year round.

Northern Cyprus has also been a heaven for investors within the last year (2004), because:

• World wide diplomatic sanctions are set to be lifted and trade travel embargoes removed.
• The EU has pledged 259 million Euros in aid for Northern Cyprus,to fund improving the country`s infrastructure ,enabling greater foreign investment, and preparing the country for the forecast growth in tourism.
• A new airport (Ercan) opened in May 2004 which will enable planes to fly directly to North Cyprus for the first time since 1974 once the travel embargo is lifted. This will conservatively lift the annual tourist numbers from 433,000 to 2 million people per year over the next five years. This is still below the current level of 2.3 million people visiting Southern Cyprus per year.

Comparison of the two sides of the island :

• According to UN estimates, Northern Cyprus needs to build a further 30,000 villas within the next three years. The current rate is 500-1000 per year, showing a large opportunity to meet demand.
  
  
• Current land prices in Northern Cyprus are approximately 25% and resale villa prices approximately 30-40% of those in the south of the island. Southern Cyprus property prices are, in turn, considerably cheaper (30-40%) than other major Mediterranean countries with similar climates such as Spain and Portugal.
  
  
• Business practices in Northern Cyprus are very similar to the UK, using the same legal system, currency and language.
  
  
• A superb Mediterranean climate, averaging 340 days sunshine a year.
  
  
• Sensible and forward-looking planning strategy at goveenmental level including policies of banning planning permission on any development over two storeys high or within 100 metres of the beach.
  
  

More Information

	Places to Visit in Kyrenia (Girne)
	Leisure in North Cyprus
	Cyprus Photo Gallery
	Cyprus Flora and Fauna
	Chronological History of Cyprus
	Detailed History of Cyprus
	Monthly Averages
	Emergency Calls

Other Useful Links:
North Cyprus Estate Agents - provides unique properties of Northern Cyprus. Holidays Directory
Rent a Cars - The Best Car Rental