Güzelyurt

For the village in Cappadocia, see Güzelyurt.

This page describes the northwest of Northern Cyprus, mostly administered as Güzelyurt District, plus Lefke District at its west tip. Few tourists come this way but it's easily reached from the resort of Kyrenia or the capital Nicosia, and gives you a glimpse of traditional Turkish Cypriot villages. In 2011 the area had a population of 30,590.

Towns

• 1 Güzelyurt, formerly known as Morphou, is the only town of any size.
• 2 Taşpınar, formerly Angolemi, is a traditional village.
• 3 Lefke is the main village in the west.
• 4 Gemikonağı, formerly Karavostasi, is a port in the west.
• 5 Erenköy is an exclave, separated from the rest of TRNC. It's now a military area so you can't enter, and a thorn in the flesh of the Republic of Cyprus, who call it Kokkina.

Understand

This string of villages has long had a predominantly Turkish Muslim population, but they were an ethnic minority within the Republic of Cyprus. The area was governed as Nicosia District, a long straggling entity but it corresponded to a valley and transport route between mountain ranges. Ethnic tensions in the 1960s led to violence across Cyprus and in 1974 Turkey invaded and began to occupy the north of the island. A first ceasefire broke down and Turkey advanced to control the northwest around Morphou. A second ceasefire held along a negotiated line, and to this day there is a UN buffer zone, a broad "no man's land" dividing an already straggling Nicosia District into two ribbons. Population exchanges then entrenched the ethic split: the village of Morphou lost its Greek Orthodox residents and became Güzelyurt, while Astromeritis a few kilometres south ejected its Turkish Muslims.

Fifty years later, this "frozen conflict" has blighted the entire island but especially rural areas like this. A political thaw in the 1990s enabled Kyrenia and Nicosia to develop as tourist resorts, but this didn't touch the far northwest. Publicly-sourced maps such as the one on this page persist in showing pre-1974 town names and district boundaries, lest their sponsors be accused of "colluding with illegal occupation". The area is peaceful and safe to visit; lots of countries must wish their borders were as peaceful as this one. But as with the geological fault lines that created these mountains and valleys, the traveller is bound to wonder if some shift in political tectonics will shake it yet again.

Get in

Most visitors drive from the beach strip at Kyrenia. The closest border crossing is Zodia / Astromeritis south of Güzelyurt, see Northern Cyprus#Get in for the rules; it's simple for individuals, but the car involves some paperwork. The other crossings are south of Lefke and west of Yeşilırmak.

Buses from Nicosia run every 30 min and take 45 min to Güzelyurt. Most continue to Lefke, another 30 min. Several per day run from Kyrenia to Güzelyurt, taking an hour.

Get around

Taşpınar Mosque

You need your own wheels to see much of this area.

Dolmuşes potter hourly between Güzelyurt, Lefke, LAU Lefke University, Gemikonağı and Yedidalga.

See

• Archeaology and Nature Museum, Ecevit Cd, Güzelyurt, ☏ +90 392 714 2202. Daily 08:00-15:30. This used to be the palace of the Bishop of Morphou. The ground floor is natural history (lots of stuffed birds) and the upper is archaeology, with classical era works in the courtyard. See also the church of Mamas Monastery adjacent. Adult 50 TL. (updated Mar 2024)
• 1 Soloi is a Roman city west of Gemikonağı. The main feature is its theatre, restored and still occasionally used for performances, at other times you might have it to yourself.
• 2 Vouni, on a hilltop further west near Bademliköy, is a Persian palace dated to the 5th century BC. The ruins are scrappy but the views are spectacular.

Do

• Beaches are mostly stony and undeveloped. For water sports head to the Kyrenia resort strip.
• Golf: CMC Golf Club is on the coast, by the hospital at Yeşilyurt. It's nine holes with astroturf.

Buy

All the villages have small supermarkets, open daily till 21:00 or later.

Eat

Cafes in the main towns serve traditional Turkish cuisine.

Drink

Amphitheatre at Soloi

Cafes may serve alcohol. There are no free-standing pubs.

Sleep

• Güzelyurt Otel, ☏ +90 392 714 3412. Tatty place south edge of town on the road to Zodia border crossing. (updated Mar 2024)
• Aphrodite is a beach resort at Gaziveren 10 km west of Güzelyurt. It's not open for bookings in March 2024.
• 1 Vouni King Hotel, Şehit Günfer Hasan Sokak, Yeşilırmak, ☏ +90 533 840 9119. Smart friendly resort hotel near Yeşilırmak border crossing. B&B double 2000 TL. (updated Mar 2024)

Connect

As of March 2024, Güzelyurt, Lefke and their highways have 4G from KKTC Turkcell and KKTC Telsim. 5G has not rolled out in Northern Cyprus.

You don't pick up Greek Cypriot networks here, as the UN buffer zone is a few km wide.

Go next

• Kyrenia the beach resort and Nicosia (North) the capital are an hour's drive east.
• The border crossing south of Güzelyurt brings you to Astromeritis on the road between Nicosia (South) and the Trodos Mountains.
• The border crossing to the west brings you to Kato Pyrgos. The road along the coast eventually reaches Paphos.