Kyrenia
A harbour town on the north coast, a horseshoe of old warehouses under a huge castle holding a Bronze Age shipwreck.
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Kyrenia's old harbour is a tight horseshoe of stone quays with the carob warehouses behind converted to restaurants, and at its eastern end a castle whose Venetian bulk swallows the Byzantine and Lusignan work inside it. The castle holds the Kyrenia ship, a Greek merchant vessel that sank around 300 BC and was raised in the 1960s with much of her hull and her cargo of amphorae and almonds, one of the oldest recovered trading ships anywhere. The Kyrenia range rises steeply behind the town.
What you actually see
- The old harbour - a horseshoe quay ringed by converted carob warehouses.
- The castle - Venetian ramparts enclosing earlier Byzantine and Lusignan work.
- The Kyrenia ship - a merchant vessel of around 300 BC, raised and displayed in the castle.
- The mountain backdrop - the Kyrenia range rising directly behind the town.
When to go
April to June and September to November are the best. Summer is hot and the harbour restaurants crowded. Winter is mild but many places close.
Honest expectations
The harbour front is entirely given over to restaurants and prices reflect it. The castle involves a lot of steps and ramparts without railings. Bring ID for the crossing points and check current rules.
Nearby
Bellapais Abbey is in the hills above, and St Hilarion is west along the range.
What to pack for Kyrenia
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.