Glapsides Beach (Famagusta)

When you are choosing between Famagusta's three public beaches, the decision usually comes down not to the sea but to where you will leave your car. Glapsides Beach is the only one of the three that answers that question with a number: the municipal car park beside the sand holds 300 vehicles, and no such capacity has been announced for the other two. For this piece we looked at the post-2026 facility list, the prices and who fills this Salamis road beach, roughly 8 kilometres from the city centre, and when. Getting into the sea is, of course, free (money leaves your pocket only if you rent a sunbed and umbrella). After the July 2026 renovation the beach is served by, as a general figure, "406 sunbeds", 14 of which stand in a separate section reserved for visitors with special needs. This is a city beach, so an "Eastern Mediterranean University" student and a Famagusta local share the same sand, and nobody flashes a so-called exclusive card to move into a private section.

The First Stop Out of Town on the Salamis Road

The beach sits northwest of the city centre, on the edge of the Famagusta-Salamis road. The distance to the centre is commonly given as 8 kilometres, though we should say that one source measuring from the walled city puts it at 5.4 kilometres. Since the difference comes from the starting point, both figures describe exactly the same road. The road is signposted, so the turn-off is hard to miss even on a first visit. Coming from Ercan, the drive to the city takes about forty-five minutes, and as the beach lies beyond the city it asks for a few minutes more. Don't worry, those without a car are not stranded either: the minibuses on the Salamis road line run as far as the beach. But is it the same stop as the ancient city of Salamis? No. Leaving the city, "Glapsides" comes first; the ancient city appears a few kilometres further along the same road. For anyone putting both into the same day, the order therefore forms by itself: pass the beach on the way out to the columns, then hit the sand on the way back. Since the same minibus line serves both stops, no extra detour is needed.

Who Benefits from the Car Park?

The car park right next to the beach holds roughly 300 vehicles and is run by the municipality. That is why even when the sand fills up on a July-August weekend, the problem of finding a spot does not grow. By contrast, no car park capacity has been announced for "Palm Beach", and there is no such figure for "Silver Beach" either; for a family arriving by car, this is clearly the most concrete difference between the three beaches. Is parking charged? The municipality's announcement does not price the car park as a separate item; it only establishes the principle that no payment is made without receiving a service. In other words, you will find out at the entrance whether there is a fee, and assuming it is free on the strength of the announcement may be a premature decision. Because the car park adjoins the sand, carrying the cooler bag and umbrella from the car to the shore does not call for a long walk. Even on a busy day the path from car to sand takes no more than a few minutes, and for families with children that is where the real convenience lies.

What Is on the Beach After the 2026 Renovation?

In July 2026 the municipality increased shower and changing room capacity, and in the same works placed 406 sunbeds on the beach. Of these, 14 stand in a separate section reserved for visitors with special needs; the municipality explains the aim as helping them "enjoy the sea more comfortably". Toilets, changing cabins and a restaurant-bar complete the list of facilities, so there is no need to go back to the city for lunch. The lifeguard was on the tower throughout the season, and is on the tower during the season. That is the good news so far. Once the season closes, supervision ends and the beach is left to itself; no opening and closing hours have been announced, and services vary with the season. Swimming in winter is allowed, but don't be surprised if you look up at the tower and see nobody. The municipality did not give the number of showers as a figure; it only announced that capacity had been increased. The visible side of the renovation is the row of sunbeds; the invisible side is the water and cabin infrastructure.

Sunbed and Umbrella 150 TL, Entry Zero

You pay nobody to get into the sea at Glapsides Beach, because that is the municipality's principle and there is nobody checking at the gate. Those who bring their own umbrella go straight down to the sand; those who rent equipment pay. The rental fee, according to the municipal announcement dated 19 July 2026, is 150 TL for a sunbed and umbrella. The figure we are quoting here belongs to that summer and can change within the season; it is therefore worth asking the municipality or the hotel you are staying at the day before you go. The pricing model works the reverse of the one at hotel beaches… At a hotel the equipment is included in the room rate but the gate is closed; here the gate is open, but the equipment is charged separately. A family of four planning to spend the day with two sunbeds and one umbrella should budget accordingly. Those who bring their own mat, meanwhile, close the same day at zero, with the only cash they carry set aside for the restaurant-bar.

Fine Sand, and the Sea Stays Shallow for a Long Way

The ground is fine-grained sand and deepens slowly from the shore. An adult who has walked well out still has feet touching the bottom; even 20-30 metres out the situation does not change. For a family with a child who cannot swim, staying close to the shore is enough, as the gradient does not suddenly drop into a deep hole. As we mentioned earlier, the waves are small, the water is warm in summer, and it does not feel cold to anyone wanting to cool off. This shallowness is exactly why it is one of the first beaches in Famagusta that comes to mind for those arriving with small children; the car park is the second reason. The same feature works against the adult who wants to swim proper strokes, since reaching deep water calls for a long walk. Families who bring an inflatable boat or a beach ball are comfortable here for the same reason: the shallows.

Students on Weekdays, Famagusta on Weekends

The Eastern Mediterranean University campus is on the same Salamis road, three kilometres from the centre. While the university is in session, the weekday crowd on the beach is therefore made up of students, especially international students. You might assume weekdays are empty; during term time they are not, as student traffic fills those days too. July and August weekends, on the other hand, belong to Famagusta locals, and this is the busiest slice of the year. This is exactly where the difference from hotel beaches shows: nobody asks for a guest card at the gate, and there is no single uniform crowd on the sand. Students and families, locals and tourists wait in the same row of sunbeds. The only window in which these two waves do not overlap is the summer weekdays when the university is closed; that is when Glapsides Beach gets to breathe. If you are looking for a quiet day, it is worth adding the university's academic calendar to your own.

Its Name and Its Neighbours

There is no official record of the name's origin. According to a common account, the name "Club Sides" given to the area in the British period turned into Glapsides in local speech, though this remains at the level of anecdote. The neighbours draw a clearer line. Palm Beach, adjoining the Varosha (Closed Maras) gate, is to the south, and Silver Beach is at the northern end; all three are run by the same municipality and entry is free at all three. The difference shows in capacity: Palm Beach was renovated with 200 sunbeds, while Silver has been under the municipality since 2016 and was left out of the 2026 renovation. The 406 sunbeds and the 300-space car park are therefore, without doubt, found only at Glapsides Beach. If you bring your own umbrella, the only item you would pay for also falls away, and what remains is choosing one of the 300 spaces in the car park.

To fit the walled city and Salamis into the same day, see our Famagusta travel guide; for the neighbouring beach's new 200-sunbed layout, read our Palm Beach Famagusta page; and for which of the island's beaches keep the gate open and which charge at the door, our guide to free beaches in North Cyprus has the answer.