North Cyprus classic: 4 days
Kyrenia, Nicosia, Famagusta and Salamis — the essentials for a first trip.
- Day 1
Kyrenia
Harbour and castle, sunset on the breakwater.
- Day 2
Castle and capital
St Hilarion in the morning, then old Nicosia: Kyrenia Gate, Selimiye, Büyük Han.
- Day 3
Salamis and Famagusta
Salamis at opening time, St Barnabas, Famagusta old town and Othello Castle.
- Day 4
Bellapais and the sea
Beach morning, Bellapais in the afternoon and a farewell dinner in the village.
Prices, opening hours and entry rules change — check official sources before you travel.
Places on this route
Kyrenia and the northKyrenia Old HarbourA horseshoe harbour below the castle: old carob warehouses, fishing boats, seafood tavernas and the best sunset on the north coast.
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.
NicosiaOld Nicosia: walls, Kyrenia Gate and Ledra crossingEurope’s last divided capital: a ring of Venetian walls, an Ottoman gate and a pedestrian crossing right in the centre.
NicosiaSelimiye Mosque (St Sophia Cathedral)The Gothic cathedral where Cyprus’s kings were crowned, a mosque with two minarets since 1570.
NicosiaBüyük Han – the Great InnAn Ottoman caravanserai from 1572: a two-storey gallery round a courtyard, a tiny mosque in the middle, cafés and crafts.
Famagusta and the eastAncient SalamisThe largest ancient city in Cyprus: marble columns of the gymnasium, a theatre, Roman baths and basilicas right by the sea.
Famagusta and the eastSt Barnabas MonasteryA monastery by the tomb of the Apostle Barnabas, founder of the Church of Cyprus — now an icon and archaeology museum.
Famagusta and the eastFamagusta Old Town and Lala Mustafa Pasha MosqueA fortress town behind Venetian walls: the Gothic St Nicholas Cathedral, ruins of dozens of churches and quiet lanes.
Famagusta and the eastOthello CastleFamagusta’s harbour citadel, linked with Shakespeare’s “Othello”, set “in a seaport in Cyprus”.
Kyrenia and the northBellapais AbbeyA 13th-century Gothic abbey high above the sea — one of the finest medieval buildings in the eastern Mediterranean.