How to get to North Cyprus

Traveling makes our life interesting and eventful.

How to get to North Cyprus? To get to this fairytale land where it is always hot. Well, okay, they lied a little 🙂 Not always, but 300 sunny days a year 🙂 I’ll tell you – that’s a lot. Taking into account the fact that the northern peoples are not used to such an amount of “vitamin D”. So, those who love the sun – you need to get here. This is your island. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is today officially recognized only by Turkey. But for the rest of the world, such a country does not exist. Even during the Ottoman rule, a fairly large Turkish community was formed in Cyprus. Initially, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots lived in peace, with a significant number of intermarriages among them. But for 300 years of Ottoman rule, unfortunately, the islanders could not find common ground. And in 1974, there was a military conflict, as a result of which the island was divided into two parts. Negotiations at the UN on a possible unification led to nothing. Now the border separating the North from the South is called the “Green Line”. This is a buffer zone guarded by the UN armed forces and British formations.

Briefly about the TRNC

• The official language is (Turkish), but two languages are used in conversation: English and Turkish
• its own currency (Turkish lira), there are also the dollar, the euro and the British pound (GBP) in free circulation
• Telephone code (+90)
• your Internet domain (.nc.tr)
• Multiple Cryptocurrency Exchanges
• the island is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea
• Clean air and many, many mountain peaks

A visa is not required to visit Northern Cyprus. Upon arrival, tourists receive an entry stamp (sometimes put in the passport, but more often in a separately filled out insert sheet). Stay in the country is possible for 30 days, in some cases it can be extended up to 90 days.

How to get there

There are no direct flights from your host country to North Cyprus. It is possible only from Turkey to fly to the only airport Ercan. The airplane flies for about 40-50 minutes, sometimes an hour. You can fly from the following Turkish cities: Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Izmir, Adana, etc. Importantly! The sea route is open only to Turkish ships. If you want to get to the TRNC through Europe, then you need to fly to South Cyprus. Then, take a taxi or shuttle to get to the “green line” and legally cross the border through the checkpoint. You can cross the land border both on foot and by rented car. If you want to go by private car, then it is possible, but in other articles we will tell you more about this entry scheme. Summing up: “how to get to Northern Cyprus?”. You can enter from Turkey or through Southern Cyprus.

Emergency numbers

Ambulance: 112
Police: 155
Fire Department: 199
Forest Fire Notification: 177

What is important to know about North Cyprus

• The capital of Northern Cyprus is Nicosia, which is called Lefkosa here. The city is both Southern and Northern Cyprus. The dividing “green line” passes through the city
• In the TRNC (as well as on the South Side), three-pin sockets are widely used – a legacy of Great Britain
• The ideal time to go is from the end of April to the end of October. The summer heat is quite easy to tolerate due to the low humidity
• There are 2 mobile operators: KKTCELL and TELSIM. Both support roaming with Russian operators, but it will be cheaper to buy a SIM card from a local company. Just remember, if you stay in the TRNC for more than 3 months, your mobile phone will have to be cleared through customs and pay tax (this is provided that you put a local SIM card in your phone)

• 

  Turkish Cypriots are very friendly people. Almost everyone knows two languages (Turkish and English), but they will surprise you. A dozen Russian words are pronounced nicely, such as: “Hello”, “Goodbye”, “How are you?”, “Come in to eat”, etc. 🙂

Cities

Northern Cyprus is almost 2 times smaller than the southern part of the island. There are also resort cities here. And interestingly, each city has several names:

• Nicosia (Greek: Λευκωσία – Lefkosia; Lefkoşa – Lefkoşa)
• Kyrenia (Greek: Κερύνεια / Turkish. Girne)
• Famagusta (Αμμόχωστος, Turkish – Magusa or Gazimagusa, Turkish. Gazimağusa)
• Guzelyurt (Turkish: Guzelyurt; Güzelyurt)
• Iskele (Greek: Τρίκωμο and Iskele in Turkish: İskele)
• Lefke (Turkish: Lefke; Lefke, Greek: Λεύκα)
• Karpas (Greek: Καρπασία, Turkish: Καρπασ� Karpaz) is a peninsula in the northern part of the island of Cyprus

Cuisine of Northern Cyprus

Kebab, or in other words, meat fried on the grill. The cuisine of Northern Cyprus is rich in a variety of kebab and mise (these are small salads). Shish kebab is a shashlik familiar to us. But the meat is not marinated in it, but only sprinkled with salt and fried. Sheftali kebab is cutlets in the form of lamb sausage with parsley and onions, wrapped in intestines. My personal recommendation! 🙂 Very, very tasty… Pirzola is young lamb on ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper. Or, for example, Hellim is a traditional Cypriot cheese made from sheep’s milk. But the local Yogurt will not be to everyone’s taste. In short, this is a fermented milk product that vaguely resembles a mixture of curdled milk and sour cream.

Beaches of Northern Cyprus

• Long Beach is a one-and-a-half-kilometer sandy beach, which is considered one of the best resorts in Northern Cyprus. Very clean, well-groomed beach with excellent infrastructure
• Silver Plaji Beach is located right next to Salamis, so it is very convenient to combine relaxation and viewing historical ruins
• A city beach in Famagusta. There you will be located near the desert city of Maraş
• Bafra Beach (Mehmetçik Belediye Plaji / Bafra) is one of the most popular beaches north of Famagusta
• Golden Beach is located on the Karpas Peninsula. Huge. Wild. The most beautiful beach with golden sand is one of the most beautiful and clean in the TRNC

In fact, when it comes to beaches, there are a huge number of them in Northern Cyprus. These are paid beaches or free ones: for any “want”. By the way, there are very cool beaches at hotels and casinos. So, for those who like to sunbathe and wet their feet a little – just right.

Real estate

Today, the real estate market in North Cyprus is huge. Houses, complexes and apartments in them are being built for every taste and budget. And also, a huge number of author’s villas and bungalows. Our personal recommendation: come, see for 3-4 days with a manager who will show the island and tell all the secrets about it. It will tell the real stories of your compatriots who have been living here for more than a year. Many, by the way, successfully run their businesses here. In general, it will be possible to drive and see different cities of Northern Cyprus. So to speak, to make a comparison live. A day or two to rethink everything and buy yourself or a villa for personal needs. For example, come with your family 1-2 times a year, as if to the country. Or choose a villa or apartment for investment. Or you can even move to live in Northern Cyprus with your whole family. Many did so and do not regret the choice made.

What is currently for sale in North Cyprus

Source: Veles Enterprises Article prepared by: Valerii Veles

If you have any questions regarding a residence permit, buying air tickets. As well as questions about apostilled powers of attorney, please contact Veles Property. Our contact phone numbers: +90 542 879 8449 (Elena, Iskele), 0533 840 4838 (Vera), 0533 833 3398 (Irina)