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North Cyprus Beaches

West from Kyrenia:

Riviera Mocamp. 4km from Girne, near Karaoglanoglu, signposted from the main road. Small sandy bay for children, but otherwise rocky, with a small jetty for swimming off. Restaurant and showers.

Escape Beach

Escape. 8km west, below the restaurant of the same name. You can drive the car right down to the beach, by following the sign for Yavaz Cikartma, just west of Altinkaya Restaurant from the main road. The Sunset Restaurant and Beach Bar is at the end of the long sandy bay. The water is shallow and safe for children desperate to use air-mattresses and dinghies — there is an island, known as Golden Rock, protecting the entrance to the bay. It is so close that you can wade across to it. Denizkizi. Belonging to the hotel of the same name, but open, like all the hotel beaches, to fee-paying non-residents. 9km from Girne, a sandy bay with safe, sheltered swimming. Bamboo umbrellas, showers and changing cabins. Beach cafe and children's play area. A variety of unusual watersports offered by Dolphin Sailing.

Denizkizi. Belonging to the hotel of the same name, but open, like all the hotel beaches, to fee-paying non-residents. 9km from Girne, a sandy bay with safe, sheltered swimming. Bamboo umbrellas, showers and changing cabins. Beach cafe and children's play area. A variety of unusual watersports offered by Dolphin Sailing.

Mare Monte. 12km west, belonging to the hotel of the same name. Longish walk down steps to the beach, a mixture of rock and sand, floating raft just offshore. Straw umbrellas, beach cafe, children's playground, popular among the local people as well as with tourists. A ten-minute walk along the beach brings you to the ancient ruins of Lambousa.

Celebrity. The hotel beach, but very small. 14km west with all amenities. LA Just beyond the Celebrity complex, with sunbeds, umbrellas and a snack bar.

Horseshoe Bay. 20km west of Girne and 3km before Kayalar. A shingle beach with pretty coloured pebbles, good for snorkelling but not suitable for young children. Simple beach restaurant.

Karakum. A small horseshoe cove of sand ideal for young children, just 3km east of Girne. The old Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant used to be the signal to fork left towards the shore, but this establishment seems to have disappeared. You'll need a keen sense of direction to get down to the water in the right place, before branching right to follow the coast to the cove.

East from Kyrenia:

Acapulco. Belongs to the holiday village, Club Acapulco, 10km cast of Girne. Probably the best beach on the north coast for children, and one of the most expensive, with a long stretch of clean sand bounded by rocky promontories. Straw umbrellas, sunbeds, watersports. On the eastern promontory stands the excavated neolithic site of Vrysi. Shallow water and gentle shelving. Self-service beach restaurant. Children's playground. Tennis court.

Lara. 2km east of Acapulco, a very pretty bay with rock and sand. Sometimes a little 'tarry'. Attractive restaurant with picnic area. Fine for children, but adults may prefer the area of smooth limestone rock slabs and rock pools beyond the western edge of the sandy bay. The cliffs behind these rock slabs ai"c also fun to explore, with caves and other weird formations.

Alagadi. 18km from Girne, the longest stretch of sand on the north coast, unquestionably one of the most beautiful spots on the island now designated a Halk Plaj (Public Beach), with all the litter that this entails. Inland the view ils directly onto the five peaks of Be§parmak Mountain. Access from the main road is possible via a number of dirt tracks, and then there is usually a walk of 200-300m to the sea. It is sometimes called 'Turtle Beach' as it's a favoured spot for loggerhead turtles to come and lay their eggs.

Karaagac. 25.5km from Girne, a small secluded shingly bay not visible from the road. The track off is marked by a small group of stone farm buildings, but is too rocky to be driven far. The walk to the sea takes about ten minutes, and takes you through the ruins of ancient Kharcha, for which this beach was once the harbour.

Yah Gazinosu. 53km from Girne, a cluster of small sandy beaches visible from the road. No amenities.

North Cyprus Beaches (Enlarge)

Kaplica. 69km from Girne, a long, remarkably clean sandy beach just before the turn-off to Kaplica and Kantara Castle, whose outline can be seen on the crest of the mountains above. The derelict shell of a large hotel stands in front of it, and redevelopment of this lovely spot will probably not be long in coming. Good picnic spot en route to Kantara. Yeni Erenkoy. 67km east of Girne, soon after the town ofYeni Erenkoy, a track leads down onto the sandy Halk Plaj or public beach which has a restaurant, showers and cabins that function from April to October. Karpaz Plaj. 2km beyond Yeni Erenkoy at the Florya Restaurant. Swimming is possible, though a bit tricky, in the rocky bay below. There arc three abandoned Greek churches here.

Ayios Philon. Some 4km beyond Dipkarpaz, the sandy bay below the ruined basilica, once the harbour of ancient Karpasia. New home to Oasis at Ayfilon.

Aphendrika. 10km beyond Dipkarpaz, the end of the road on the northern coastline, where a group of three picturesque ruined churches stand. The walk to the sea is a long one, 1.5km to the east of the ruins across the fields. The beach is sandy with advancing dunes and is utterly deserted.

The southern coastline of the Karpas has many beaches, often sandy, but most are difficult to reach and have no amenities whatsoever. The most magnificent stretch of all lies close to the tip, a few kilometres before the Apostolos Andreas Monastery. It is known as Golden Sands, though the wild dunes often look more red than golden, and is a major breeding ground for sea turtles. It is marred only by tar and accumulated sea debris. The tip itself is rocky and swimming is very tricky.

North Cyprus Tourist Guide: North Cyprus | General Info | Kyrenia | Kyrenia History | Kyrenia Harbour | Kyrenia Castle | Hilarion Castle | Restaurants | Bellapais | Alsancak | Kantara Castle | Beaches | Karmi Village | Lapta Village | Nature | Korineum Golf Course

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