Ask what to do in North Cyprus and the answer won't fit in one sentence. In the morning you sail out to the coves by boat; in the afternoon you join a diving school. Tandem flights launch from the top of St. Hilarion. Castles, monasteries — and at night, turtle watching at Alagadi. Most activities start from Kyrenia; the Beşparmak (Five Finger) ridge sits right above the city, while the tip of the Karpaz Peninsula is more than two hours' drive away. Distances that look short on the map stretch out on mountain roads. Some things you can do in any season. Turtles, festivals and boat tours, though, follow the calendar — plan accordingly. There's also the matter of quotas: limited-capacity activities like turtle watching and tandem flights need to be arranged in advance.
Setting Out to Sea: Boat Tours and Diving
Day boat tours depart from Kyrenia's old harbour; most head out in the morning and return by late afternoon. The route runs along the western coast: anchor is dropped at coves like Kervansaray, Escape and Deniz Kızı, with a swimming break at every stop and lunch on board. The season opens in May and closes in October. In winter no tour boat leaves the harbour — the sea isn't suitable.
The diving side, I'd say, is richer than people assume. There are close to 20 sites east and west of Kyrenia, most within twenty minutes of the harbour. Among the known wrecks on the "TRNC (North Cyprus)" side is the World War II gunboat HMS Cricket, which sank in a storm in 1947. The Achilleas, the Vera K and a Wellington bomber join the list. One correction: the ancient ship displayed at the Shipwreck Museum in Kyrenia Castle is something else entirely — it's not a dive site but a museum piece raised from the sea and exhibited in the castle. PADI, CMAS and BSAC affiliated schools cluster in Kyrenia. If you don't have a certificate you can do a trial dive; a certification course spreads over several days.
A View from the Sky by Paraglider
In the Beşparmak Mountains, tandem flights take off from the hill on the western slope of St. Hilarion Castle, at about 750 metres. The interesting part: no experience or training is required — the pilot straps you in front and flies you down. Take-off is on the mountain, landing at a designated area on the Kyrenia shore. Flights run year-round as long as the weather allows, booked by the day. One warning: don't leave the flight to the last day of your holiday. If the wind turns, there's no flying that day, and you may have no day left to make it up. When booking, you can ask about the pilot's licence and insurance; tandem flights in the TRNC (North Cyprus) operate under regulation. This is where the island's best photos come from. St. Hilarion is a castle worth visiting in its own right; on top of that, you see Kyrenia and the Beşparmak ridge from above.
A Day Safari on the Karpaz Peninsula
The Karpaz answer to what to do in Cyprus is a safari tour, and the route is more or less fixed. It starts with Kantara Castle or the northern coast, continues with the Ayias Trias Basilica, and passes through the village of Dipkarpaz. The last stop is the Apostolos Andreas Monastery at the peninsula's tip — the Orthodox world's best-known pilgrimage stop on the island. On the way back there's a swimming break at Golden Beach, one of the least developed stretches of sand in the Eastern Mediterranean. This is usually the longest day on the what-to-do-in-Cyprus list. There's a jeep safari version and a minibus format; "safari" here means a jeep tour, not a wildlife expedition. Along the way you'll meet the free-roaming wild donkeys of the Karpaz National Park — a colony descended from animals left ownerless after 1974, used to people, and they approach vehicles on their own. Can you hand-feed them? Don't. It harms the animals' health and teaches the donkeys to linger on the road; watching from the window is enough. Separate fees may be charged at the monastery and national park entrances — ask whether those items are the participant's responsibility in the tour programme.
Hiking the Beşparmak Ridge
A marked hiking trail runs along the Beşparmak ridge; it's a route divided into stages that crosses the island almost end to end, and it can also be walked in short day-trip sections. Most of the trails start from the Alevkaya Forest Station. The herbarium at the station displays more than 1,200 plant specimens compiled by botanist Deryck Viney; a twenty-minute path descends to the ruins of the Sourp Magar Monastery, with a picnic area around it. The best period is spring. That's when the orchids and endemic flowers bloom; setting out on a long stage in the midday heat of summer is not recommended.
Turtle Watching at Alagadi
The address for turtle watching is Alagadi Beach, 16 kilometres east of Kyrenia. Two species nest here at once: Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas. Contrary to popular belief, it's not only the loggerhead. During nesting season the beach is closed to the public between 20.00 and 08.00. Observation happens only with SPOT volunteers, in registered small groups; there's no way to go down on your own. Flash photography and lights are banned too. If you want to see hatchlings emerge, aim for late summer; in that period, nest excavation viewings are announced day by day, and you need to ask about the programme on site.
Golf, and Music at Bellapais
The Korineum Golf & Country Club in Esentepe is the TRNC's (North Cyprus's) first 18-hole course; par 72, championship length. There's also a three-hole academy course and a practice area, equipment can be rented, and lessons are given with an instructor. The facility is open year-round, but the real season starts in mid-September and ends in late May; in summer the island stays too hot for golf. Bellapais Abbey, meanwhile, is the venue for evenings. It's used as a concert stage throughout the year, and in spring and early summer its courtyard hosts international music festivals; we've covered the abbey itself and the village in our places-to-visit guide. Being on the course in the morning and at a concert in the abbey courtyard in the evening fits into a single day. The island is small enough for that.
Shopping at Büyük Han and Final Flavours
Büyük Han in Nicosia is a caravanserai built in 1572 during the Ottoman era; after the 2002 restoration it turned into a courtyard shared by craft workshops and cafes. Lefkara lace and wood carvings are sold here. Buy your halloumi (hellim) from the Bandabuliya right next door, the covered municipal market; those who go early in the morning find the stalls fuller. And don't forget zivania. This high-proof spirit made from grape pomace sits in markets and supermarkets alike as a souvenir. Most of the big hotels in Kyrenia also have casinos; they ask for ID at the door. The road you set out on asking what to do in Cyprus ends here: you give your days to the sea, the mountains or the sky, and your evenings to the bazaar and the table. The distances are short, the schedule is packed.
