North Cyprus - "flying Dutchman" on the political map of the world: its existence as a state is recognized only by Turkey, for the rest of the world it is part of the unified Republic of Cyprus .Echoes of this "non-recognition" are felt here at every step: the entry visa is not put on the passport, but on a separate leaflet, the local airport does not appear on the IATA lists, and you can only get to Northern Cyprus by air after landing in Turkey .However, the main tourist advantages of the region do not cancel: the local beaches are quite on the level, the historical "excursion" is abundant, and the local hotels, although they do not grab stars from the sky in terms of service, but offer quite affordable prices .The

The capital is Nicosia (Lefkosa), the main cities are Famagusta (Gazi Magosa), Kyrenia (Girne), Guzelyurt (Morfou). Each city has two names: Greek and Turkish.

A complete list of the cities of the country can be found on the city page and the resorts of North Cyprus, and about when it is best to go here and what to do on the site, you can read on the page tours to North Cyprus.

North Cyprus visa

Due to the fact that the embassies of Northern Cyprus have nowhere else but Turkey, there is no visa for visiting the country.

How to get to

Direct flights to the only airport of Northern Cyprus Ercan are carried out only from Turkey: from Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Izmir and Adana. They are regularly carried out by local airlines Turkish Airlines, Atlas Jet, Pegasus and Anadolu Jet. The journey takes about an hour. From the airport to the capital of North Cyprus Nicosia half an hour drive, and to Famagusta and Kyrenia - about 40 minutes.

Catamarans and ferries connect the Turkish Alanya and Tashuja with Kyrenia. Ferry from Alanya goes about 2, 5 hours, from Tashuja - almost 4 hours. Automobile ferries run only from Tashuja.

Customs office

In Northern Cyprus, you can freely import personal jewelry, sports equipment, photo and video cameras. The maximum amount allowed for import / export is USD 10,000 or its equivalent in other currencies. Without paying a fee, you can import 400 cigarettes or 0, 5 kg of tobacco, a liter of any alcoholic beverages.

Useful phone numbers

There are no diplomatic missions of Northern Cyprus in Russia.

The nearest Russian embassy is located in the Republic of Cyprus: Ag. Prokopiou street, Engomi; tel .: (22) 774-622; website

Ambulance: 112, police: 155, fire department: 199, forest fire notification: 177

Codes of some cities: Nicosia - 22, Kyrenia - 81, Famagusta - 36, Guzelyurt - 71.

Transport

North Cyprus boasts an extensive network of bus routes and regular departures. There are many buses, it is possible to move between cities from early morning until about 17:00. The fare depends on the distance - every 50 kilometers will cost about 1, 5 EUR.

Another popular form of public transport - shuttle buses, called here "dolmush" or "combos". By popular routes, a large number of minibuses are always shuttled: the nearest one will have to wait no more than 10 minutes. To stop it, just raise your hand. Tariffs are very low: for example, from Nikosia to Kyrenia you can get for 4-5 TRY (about 2 EUR).

In cities, you can also go by taxi. Within Nicosia, the trip will cost 2-3 TRY (about 1-1, 5 EUR). Taxis are equipped with counters.

Rent a car

To rent a car, the driver must be at least 25 years old and not older than 70, and also have a driving experience of at least three years. In many car rental agencies, these requirements are foolishly watched and rented to cars by tourists 18 and older with at least two years of driving experience. The rental price starts from 20 EUR.

Safety of tourists

On the assurances of the local Ministry of Health, water in Northern Cyprus can be drunk from the tap. It is better, however, not to do this, the benefit of inexpensive bottled Turkish drinking water is everywhere.

The climate of Northern Cyprus

The climate of Cyprus is Mediterranean temperate, with dry hot summers and quite warm in winter. Summer heat lasts from mid-May to mid-October, when the temperature can rise to +35 ° C in the shade - however, due to moderate humidity, the heat is easily transferred.

See our weather forecast for the coming days at the main resorts of North Cyprus.

Beaches of North Cyprus

Beaches in North Cyprus are very diverse: public, private and owned by hotels, equipped and wild. For the passage to the popular equipped beaches (with sun loungers, umbrellas, toilets and showers), a fee is charged - about 8 TRY (about 3 EUR), however, there are enough free beaches. Among the latter is the well-known turtle beach of Alagadi, where sea turtles lay eggs in the summer. In such periods, the area for holidaymakers is marked by special signs.

Most of the beaches are sandy, but sometimes the bottom goes to pebbles a few meters from the shore, and you need to be careful not to get injured by stones.

Beach activities: boating, scooter rental, water skiing, paragliding, traditional "bananas" and "bagels". On the north coast, you can windsurf and dive.

For holidays with children, the beaches of Acapulco Beach, Deniz-Kizi, Escape Beach, Camelot Beach are best for them: they have long shallow waters and many children's entertainments. Escape Beach is also considered the most fashionable youth beach with club DJ-parties in the open air.

Banks and exchange offices

Despite the fact that the official currency of North Cyprus is a Turkish lira, it is possible to pay EUR freely here, with US dollars and pounds sterling.

You can exchange money both in banks and in private exchange offices: the rate is almost the same everywhere, there is no commission.

Banks in North Cyprus operate in the summer from Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 12:00, in the winter from Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00. The "exchangers" have a more convenient work schedule: until 20:00, and often until 22:00.

In North Cyprus, most credit cards are accepted for payment. But there is a nuance: using a "credit card", you should always ask in advance for the tax on card transactions - some establish a certain commission, which will be withdrawn from the account together with the principal amount (usually 5-7%). It is profitable to withdraw money from ATMs: the commission for withdrawal of any amount of cash will not exceed 100 rubles. Large purchases are also most profitable to do with the help of bank cards.

Traveler's checks are accepted at most major retail outlets, restaurants, car rental outlets and other establishments. Cashing a check is subject to compulsory collection in the amount of 1 to 6 EUR, depending on the bank and the type of check. To avoid additional costs, it is recommended to take checks with you in EUR or pounds sterling. Checks in US dollars are not accepted everywhere.

North Cyprus Attractions

Panorama of the beach in North Cyprus

Ruins of Salamis

North Cyprus Hotels

In North Cyprus, there are any accommodation options: from the most that there are simple "odnushek" to five-star hotels. Local hoteliers take care of the observance of international standards of hotel services. In general, the services in hotels here in terms of quality are comparable to the same southern Cyprus and Greece. And prices for accommodation in them are also low.

The voltage of the network is 240 V, the sockets are for "English" three-pin plugs. In hotels, there are frequent power outages and voltage drops: it is recommended to use a surge protector.

Shopping and shops in North Cyprus

Local souvenirs: embroidery and laces from Lefkara, beautiful bed covers, tablecloths and home textiles, as well as scarves and stoles .In Famagusta and its environs make cute striped mats with traditional ornaments .Another folk craft - weaving from willow rods: baskets of all possible shapes and sizes, interior items, small paintings and panels .Even in North Cyprus, you can buy "raki", a local alcoholic beverage fortress from 40 ° to 60 °, sheep cheese helium, olive oil, pekmez, olives and olives, as well as the inevitable Turkish sweets .The

The shops of North Cyprus are open from 8:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00. Food markets usually work only on a certain day, for example, the market in Girne the market is open only on Wednesdays from the morning until darkness.

Kitchen and Restaurants

The cuisine of Northern Cyprus is a mixture of Turkish, Greek, Cypriot, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean culinary traditions. As a result, seafood and fish are cooked in dozens of ways, as well as kebabs with "meze" - cold or hot snacks. And of sweets, of course, and there's nothing to say. Popular dishes: Middle Eastern cold snacks hummus and jadjik, mollechy, kebab or kleftico, Turkish koftas and dolma, famous home sweet Cypriot preserves - "majun".

From strong drinks it is worth trying "raki" - grape vodka with the addition of anise, which is insisted in oak barrels. Local and imported Turkish wines are not very palatable (and prices are often overpriced), but alcoholic products from South Africa, Chile, Australia and Argentina, on the contrary, are of good quality. Common types of beer are Efes, Carling and Heineken.

In North Cyprus, you can easily find restaurants with both local and European cuisine: from snack bars to high-end establishments. Recently, exotic establishments began to appear here: Indian, Chinese and Thai.

Entertainment, Excursions and Attractions in North Cyprus

In North Cyprus, many well-preserved medieval monuments and several archaeological parks belonging to the ancient history of mankind.

One of the most popular tourist destinations is the castle of St. Hilarion (St .Hilarion Castle) .The castle was built at the burial site of the Egyptian monk Illarion, the founder of monasticism in Cyprus, who lived here for 7 years in the 4th century AD .Located at an altitude of over seven hundred meters above sea level, in the Middle Ages the castle served as a military base in endless Arab-Byzantine wars, and also during the reign of the French was the summer residence of the kings .Rising along the road to the very top of the castle, admiring the picturesque panorama of the surroundings almost from a bird's eye view .The

Bellapais Monastery - an architectural monument of the Gothic style, founded in 1200 by the first monarch of Cyprus, a majestic structure with a traditional for these places spectacular views from the windows of the abbey galleries.

The harbor of Kyrenia and the medieval Kyrenia fortress are one of the most picturesque places of Northern Cyprus. The harbor leads its history from the ancient Phoenician port, the fortress was built by the Byzantines to protect the city from Arab raids. In the early 12th century the fortress was conquered by Richard the Lionheart and for a long time was used as a place of royal rest and shelter in troubled times.

Separately it is worth mentioning Vouni Palace (Vouni Palace) near the city of Guzelyurt. The oldest building, erected in the 5th century BC. e - during the turbulent history of the island, it was repeatedly destroyed, rebuilt and rebuilt. The local exposition presents artifacts found during excavations. The ruins of the nearby Soloi Ruins are also interesting: there you can admire the many perfectly preserved Roman mosaics of the 4th-6th centuries and view the ancient amphitheater for 4000 people.

The ancient city of Salamis, located near the city of Famagusta right on the beach, is the main attraction of North Cyprus. Here the amphitheater, Roman baths and basilicas are well preserved. It was in this place in 56 AD that the apostle Mark and the apostle Barnabas preached.

At the very end of the island, on the peninsula of Karpas, with its excellent famous golden beaches, one of the main pilgrimage places of Christians is the monastery of Apostle Andrew. The monastery was erected on the site of a holy spring, which was discovered by Andrew the First-Called in the 1st century AD and the water from which it flows to this day

Opening hours of museums in winter - from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 16:45, in the summer - from 9:00 to 19:00. Some small museums close early, at 17:00 - or even at 14:00, so before visiting it is always worth checking the opening hours. On holidays all museums in North Cyprus are closed. North Cyprus photo (59)