Kyrenia (Girne in Turkish) — a harbour town on the northern coast of Cyprus, in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognised only by Turkey, making it one of the world's most unusual political territories) — is one of the most beautiful small harbours in the Eastern Mediterranean: a horseshoe of medieval walls enclosing a perfectly preserved Ottoman and Venetian harbour, backed by the Kyrenia mountain range (the Pentadaktylos) where Crusader castles sit on almost every prominent peak, and fronted by a castle of Byzantine, Crusader and Venetian construction that houses one of the world's most remarkable ancient shipwrecks. The political situation (crossing from the south requires a passport; the north uses Turkish lira; most EU travel insurance does not cover northern Cyprus) adds complexity for UK visitors, but the combination of exceptional historic heritage, dramatically beautiful landscape and very affordable prices (northern Cyprus is significantly cheaper than the south) makes Kyrenia one of the most rewarding — and most unusual — destinations in the Mediterranean.
UK citizens can cross from south to north Cyprus through several designated crossing points (the most convenient for Kyrenia is the Ledra Palace crossing in Nicosia, or the Agios Dometios crossing near Nicosia for car transit). The crossing is straightforward — passport check, no visa required for UK citizens — and northern Cyprus can be visited on a day trip from Nicosia or the south. Rental cars from the south are generally not permitted to cross (check with your rental company); northern Cyprus rental cars are available in Kyrenia.
Kyrenia Castle & the Ancient Shipwreck
Kyrenia Castle — a massive Byzantine-Venetian-Ottoman fortification enclosing almost the entire inner harbour, its walls reaching 30 metres above the sea — is the northern coast's most important monument and houses within its medieval halls the most extraordinary exhibit in Cyprus: the Kyrenia Ship, a merchant vessel that sank approximately 300 BCE and was discovered by diver Andreas Kariolou in 1965. The ship — one of the oldest recovered ancient vessels in the world — is preserved in a controlled-atmosphere gallery within the castle, its original timber hull still largely intact, with a reconstruction of its cargo (almonds, amphorae of wine, millstones) displayed alongside. The castle's battlements provide exceptional views across the Kyrenia harbour and the mountain ridge behind. Entry is approximately 5 Turkish lira (check current rates); the castle museum is well captioned in English.
St Hilarion Castle & Bellapais Abbey
St Hilarion Castle — 11km west of Kyrenia on a dramatic twin-peaked crag of the Kyrenia mountains, rising 732 metres above sea level — is the finest Crusader castle in Cyprus and one of the most spectacularly sited medieval fortifications in the world: built by the Lusignan Crusader kings on Byzantine foundations, its successive rings of walls climb the mountain crag over a vertical distance of 300 metres, with views from the upper tower (a 30-minute climb from the main gate) extending in clear weather to the Taurus Mountains of Turkey, the coast of Lebanon and the hills of the Troodos in the south. Bellapais Abbey — 6km east of Kyrenia in the village of the same name — is the best-preserved Lusignan Gothic monastery in Cyprus: the refectory (still intact, with its Gothic barrel vault and rose window above the reader's pulpit) and the cloister are of exceptional architectural quality; Lawrence Durrell lived in Bellapais village in the 1950s and wrote about it in 'Bitter Lemons of Cyprus' (1957), still the finest literary description of pre-partition Cyprus.
Practical Visiting & the Crossing
Day trips to northern Cyprus from Nicosia or the southern resorts are straightforward: the Ledra Palace crossing in Nicosia is open 24 hours; UK passport holders cross without a visa; the crossing typically takes 10–20 minutes (longer on busy weekends). Car hire from the south is usually not permitted to cross — hire a northern Cyprus taxi from the crossing point (approximately 20 Euros for Kyrenia, 45 minutes) or arrange a northern Cyprus rental car in Kyrenia. The northern Cyprus tourist office in Kyrenia town (on the harbour front) has excellent English-language maps and guided tour information. The harbour restaurants serve fresh fish at prices significantly below the south (a mezze and grilled fish for two, approximately £20–25); local Kıbrıs wines (from northern Cyprus vineyards) are good and very affordable.
