The north of Cyprus, explained before you cross

The north of Cyprus is the other half of the island’s story, and plenty of British visitors see it on a day out from the south. Here’s what it is, how you get there, what changes when you cross and what gov.uk advises, in the language the UN and the EU use. The full story, in facts, is in the Cyprus problem. Check that your travel insurance covers the north too, as I explain in healthcare in Cyprus.

What the north is

From summer 1974 onwards the Republic hasn’t governed the north, some 3,355 km² going by the Spanish foreign ministry. Proclaimed in 1983, the entity calling itself the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ is recognised by Turkey alone and was ruled invalid by the UN Security Council, with London refusing recognition too. For the UN, the EU and the UK there’s a single Cyprus, the Republic.

Nobody knows the population exactly. The Spanish foreign ministry talks of estimates around 350,000, with some 80,000 in north Nicosia, in the absence of reliable statistics. Kyrenia district lies entirely in the north, and parts of Nicosia, Famagusta and Larnaca districts do too, including towns such as Morphou.

How to get there

You visit the north by crossing from the south. There are nine open crossing points, according to the UN, three in Nicosia, two in the British base at Dhekelia and the rest spread west and east. Any of them will do, according to gov.uk, but the two Ledra crossings are foot traffic only. Each crossing is covered in crossing to northern Cyprus.

Never arrive on the island via the north, though. Landing at Ercan or sailing into a northern port is illegal entry in the Republic’s eyes, with fines or refusal at the border to follow. More in Ercan airport.

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What changes on the other side

Several things at once. Lira is the currency, euros are usually fine, and cards are a risk after reports of charges well beyond the bill. A hire car from the south usually needs extra insurance to go north, which you can buy at some crossings.

Gov.uk is frank that British consular help there is limited, and days spent north of the line count towards your Republic allowance. So I’d check my travel insurance covers the north before going, and if you’re thinking of staying over, read hotels in northern Cyprus first.

Safety and military areas

Gov.uk advises against taking photographs near military buildings, warning that you could be arrested, and the Spanish foreign ministry adds that some military zones in the north aren’t properly signposted. In the buffer zone itself there are still minefields, so stick to the official crossings.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Nicosia and pick one that fits your day.

What there is in the north

I’ll be careful here. The official sources I can cite say little about what to see on the other side, so I’m not giving opening times, prices or descriptions I can’t check. What is documented is the past of its towns. The Union of Cyprus Municipalities records Famagusta as one of the island’s six towns and capital of its district, with Enkomi and Salamis in its area, notes Kyrenia’s very ancient origins, and places Lapithos, one of the ten ancient kingdoms, 14 km from Kyrenia. See Kyrenia and Kyrenia district.

Using what Britannica, the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and the archaeological missions do publish, I’ve written a page for each sight in the north, always without opening times or prices. The Kyrenia range has three fortresses on its peaks, Kantara Castle at the eastern end, St Hilarion Castle above the town and, between the two, Buffavento Castle. Down by the harbour, Kyrenia Castle holds a Greek merchant ship that sank around 295 BC, and up the slope sits the village of Bellapais with Bellapais Abbey, a Gothic ruin.

On the east coast, about 7 km from Famagusta, lie the ruins of Salamis, with St Barnabas Monastery two and a half kilometres away. Inside Famagusta’s walls, Othello Tower reopened in July 2015 after EU-funded works, and the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, once St Nicholas Cathedral, has been a mosque since 1571. To the north-east, the Karpas Peninsula ends at Apostolos Andreas Monastery, restored between 2014 and 2016 with money from both communities. And at the far western end, by Morphou Bay, the ancient city of Soli and Vouni Palace fit into a single outing.

Varosha, the former resort quarter of Famagusta, needs a note of its own. The Security Council wants it under UN administration and criticised the partial reopening announced in 2021. Which parts are open to visitors isn’t covered by any citable official source, so it stays off my list of sights.

Where the bus does not go, a car does: compare car hire in Nicosia before you arrive rather than at the desk.

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