North Cyprus or is also called Turkish Cyprus, or the Turkish part of Cyprus.
This part of the island has many names and depends on who pronounces it. If they are tourists, then basically they do not worry about anything, they came here to rest and can use all three names. If this is a resident of the Greek part of Cyprus, then they mainly use the name North Cyprus, since the Cypriots do not like the fact that their island is divided between the two countries, and some of them still cannot recognize it.
Where is Turkish Cyprus located?
As you might have already identified by the name, Turkish Cyprus is located in the northern half of the island. On this territory are located such cities as:
- Famagusta
- Salamis
- Lefkosa (northern part of Nicosia)
- Soli
- Kyrenia or Girne.
To get to northern Cyprus you will need to cross one of their border points.
Our trip to North Cyprus
Now we are brave and can talk about how easy it is to cross the border, about how friendly and kind people there are. But the first time we went, we were a little scared. Why? Probably at first, we were worried, because we didn’t know how the passport control was going, we didn’t even prepare for it.
How to get to Northern Cyprus.
To cross the border, we chose the checkpoint at Pergamos, as it was located closest to us. We drove up to the border, there was no long queue, there were only one or two cars in front of us. We got out of the car and showed the documents. As it turned out later, we need car insurance for the Turkish part. We issued it in a nearby booth in 5 minutes, returned, showed all the documents again to the officer, and drove off. It’s all.
10 minutes of your time, taking into account the time for obtaining insurance, and you are already in Northern Cyprus.
We also later found out that it was enough for only one person to get out of the car and show the officer the documents of all travelers, which also saves time.
Once in the Turkish territory of Cyprus, we went to Famagusta.
What is Turkish Cyprus really like?
Let’s just say this part of the island is different from southern Cyprus. It seemed to us that it is poorer than south Cyprus. But this does not mean that it is worse, just different.
Roads in North Cyprus
Roads differ, they are a little worse, you can find many holes on the way. You need to be especially careful if you are driving in a rural area, not on the main road, since here on the road there can be both large holes and in general, there are areas without asphalt.
As for the highways, we can say that sometimes the road is perfect there, and sometimes it is also uneven.
Be careful, especially those who have a passion for high speed! If you have seen speed control signs in south Cyprus, but you can safely ignore them, as there are no cameras. Then in the Turkish part of Cyprus, after such signs, there are cameras and record your speed.
Food in northern Cyprus
Turkish cuisine prevails here. Also on this part of the island, you can find Arabic, Armenian, American, Chinese, Italian, French cuisine.
Since, after all, this is Cyprus and not Turkey, even Turkish cuisine is slightly different from the original, it is with Cypriot motives. For example, you can find sheftalia and dolma and Greek salad.
To be honest, we really like the food in this part of the island, which is why we often spend our weekends here. We love juicy iskender kebab, we love crispy lavash and ayran.
After visiting a lot of places, we found the perfect iskender kebab on an island in Nicosia! Come read :).
Currency
The main currency here is the Turkish lira. But if you don’t have a lira, you can pay for a service or food using euros. Here the ratio of the euro to the lira is considered to be 1:10. For example, you were told that one bottle of water costs 10 liras, which means you can offer 1 euro in return.
Also, everywhere there is the possibility of paying by card, which simplifies the whole process. In the restaurant, tips can also be included in the bill and paid by card.
Prices
We can please you at the expense of prices in Turkish Cyprus. Almost all the prices that you paid on the southern part of the island can be divided by approximately two here :).
In a restaurant, for example, we pay about 15 euros for two people. This amount includes tips, drinks, and main meals.
Once we decided to go to the cinema in Lefkosa. We chose a VIP room and paid 4 euros per person for it.
The gasoline price is also very pleasant – 50-60 cents per liter.
The price for a car wash is 3-5 euros.
The price for a sun-bed on the beach is 1 euro.
These are the prices here.
The beaches
North Cyprus has over 50% of the best beaches in Cyprus. Almost all of them are sandy, with very warm seawater and, most importantly, they are half empty. And all because mainly Turks, residents of this part of the island, and a few Europeans rest in Turkish Cyprus. All the rest come to rest in southern Cyprus.
On the one hand, we would like to wish more people to come and relax on the beaches of Turkish Cyprus. At least for the sake of supporting the inhabitants of this part of the island. On the other hand, how cool it is that such wonderful beaches are empty and the sea is just for us.
Near Kyrenia, there is still a deserted beach, where turtles swim and lay their eggs. It is far from buildings, roads, hotels.
Things to see in North Cyprus
North Cyprus is home to 80% of all the island’s attractions. Here you will find the ancient castles of Kantara, Bufavento, the castle of St. Hilarion, which are located in the mountains. There is also a large number of monasteries, temples, mosques, which are mainly concentrated in Famagusta.
What to visit in North Cyprus?
Arriving in the Turkish part of the island, you will not be bored. We will write a small list of what you can visit and see here:
- Kyrenia mountains
- Kyrenia (Girne)
- Famagusta, the old city with all its mosques, the new city
- Beach in Famagusta
- District Varosha
- Beach in Varosha area
- Lefkosa, central part, market, Lefkosha sleeping quarters
- Turkish restaurants
- “Doner & Kebab” in Lefkosa and taste the most delicious iskender kebab there
- Safari tour
- Go to the cinema
- Visit the casino
- Karpaz Peninsula, golden beaches of the peninsula
- Turtle Beach
And that is not all. We promise to add to the list on the sly;).
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