Kyrenia Old Harbour
A horseshoe harbour below the castle: old carob warehouses, fishing boats, seafood tavernas and the best sunset on the north coast.
Kyrenia (Girne in Turkish) is the main resort town of North Cyprus, and the old harbour is its heart. The honey-coloured stone buildings once stored carob pods for shipping; today they house cafés and restaurants.
The castle closes the harbour on one side, the breakwater with its old lighthouse on the other — from there you see the whole bay and the Five Finger Mountains.
Boat trips leave from the harbour for swimming coves and fishing. Behind it lie narrow old-town lanes with workshops and small churches.
Tips
- Waterfront prices are higher — two streets back the same fish costs less.
- Best view: from the breakwater at sunset.
- Summer middays are very hot — come in the morning or after 6 pm.
Getting there
Kyrenia town centre. Parking is scarce and paid — park higher up the hill and walk down.
Prices, opening hours and entry rules change — check official sources before you travel.
Nearby
Kyrenia and the northKyrenia Castle and Shipwreck MuseumA Byzantine, Lusignan and Venetian fortress holding one of the oldest merchant ships ever found, from the 4th century BC.
Kyrenia and the northSt Hilarion CastleA fairy-tale castle on crags over 700 metres up — local legend says it inspired Disney’s Snow White castle.
Kyrenia and the northBellapais AbbeyA 13th-century Gothic abbey high above the sea — one of the finest medieval buildings in the eastern Mediterranean.