Essential Guides

In this North Cyprus essential information area Direct Traveller has composed all the essential information needed for your holiday in North Cyprus. Essential Information on North Cyprus language, North Cyprus currency, North Cyprus food, North Cyprus weather, North Cyprus activities and a lot more things that you may need for your holiday in North Cyprus are presented here for your convenience.

Events

There are plenty of unusual festivals that happen in North Cyprus each year, and these can sometimes help you to plan the time of year you want to visit. 

Here is a list of some of the events you might be interested in attending. 

January

- 1st - New Year's Day

- 24th - Mawlid Al Nabi (Birth of the prophet Mohammed)

March

- Karpaz Tulip Festival

- European Film Festival

- Famagusta Photography and film festival

April

- 23rd - Children's Day

May

- 1st - Labour Day

19th - Youth and Sports Day

- Bellapais Music Festival

- Bellapais Silk Cocoon Festival

June

- Bellapais Music Festival

- Guzelyurt Orange Festival

- Walnut Festival

July

- 5th-12th International Iskele Folk Dancing Festival

9th - Beginning of Ramadan

20th - Peace and Freedom Day

- Famagusta Culture and Art Festival

- Guzelyurt Orange Festival

- Miss North Cyprus Beauty Pageant

August

- 1st - Social resistance day

7th - End of Ramadan

8th - Eid al-Fitr

30th - Victory Day

- International Cyprus Theatre Festival

- Karpaz Grape Festival

- Halloumi Festival

September

- International Cyprus Theatre Festival

- Halloumi Festival

15th - Eid al-Adha
29th - Turkish Republic Day

- North Cyprus Olive Festival

November

- 15th - Northern Cyprus Republic Day December - Kyrenia Jazz Festival

Beaches

North Cyprus beaches range from small sandy coves that are seemingly untouched by tourists to large popular golden stretches that hundreds of people flock to every day. There is a great range of water sports and beach activities, with the largest concentration available in Kyrenia and Famagusta, although kite surfing is also popular in Guzelyurt. The fantastic weather also means that the sea is constantly warm and always seems inviting for a swim. 

There are many beaches around the Karpaz peninsula and Guzelyurt Bay, though tourists should be cautious of these at certain times of year as they are hatching grounds for the rare loggerhead turtles. This does of course also mean that visitors can experience the once in a life time moment of seeing new born turtles struggling out of their shell and fighting to get into the sea. Many hotels have private beaches although there are also public ones for people who aren't staying in beach front properties. Glapsides Beach, which is north of Famagusta is perfect for water sport enthusiasts, while the Karpaz Golden Beach is supposedly the birth place of Aphrodite, a goddess who would have nothing less than the islands most beautiful beach as her first vision of the world.

Climate and weather

North Cyprus has a typical Mediterranean climate, with very warm summers that average around 30 degrees Celsius in July and August. You'll find that from April to June the nature comes to life best, with exotic flowers in bloom and plenty of sun, while September and October are popular visiting times due to the weather cooling down a bit so that you can still catch the sun, but without such an intense humidity. As in most places, January tends to be coldest in North Cyprus, though sunshine can still sometimes be prominent through even the winter months. Weather Chart for North Cyprus The climate in North Cyprus is typically Mediterranean, with intensely warm summers, in particular during the months of July and August. The climate stays warm with sunshine throughout the most part of the year, though is slightly cooler with occasional rain fall around winter. 

Emergency Contact Numbers

Here's a list of important emergency contact numbers for North Cyprus. Note also that if in need of any help whilst abroad your representatives can always help you to contact the right services and aid you in solving any issues. 

Police Emergency: 155 General Directory: 228 34 11 

Kyrenia: 815 2125 Nicosia: 288 3311 Famagusta: 366 53 10 Guzelyurt: 714 2140

Fire Emergency: 199 Forest Fires Hotline: 177 

Kyrenia: 815 2111 Nicosia: 227 1259 Famagusta: 366 5389 Guzelyurt: 714 2200 

Ambulance Emergency: 112 Hospitals Kyrenia: 815 2266/ 815 2254 

Nicosia: 228 5441 Famagusta: 366 2876/ 366 5328 Guzelyurt: 714 2125

North Cyprus Background

The regions within North Cyprus have such a rich history it's no wonder that the culture is influenced by and marked from multiple periods, countries and civilisations. From the modern Turkish influence in the language, money and food to the Roman remains and tombs as well as Byzantine castles, Venetian churches and Ottoman mosques such as in Nicosia, North Cyprus is a patchwork of historical wonders combined to create a very unique country. Almost every important empire to have passed through Cyprus has left a mark on it over thousands of years and yet in the modern there are still many areas that maintain a natural and untouched allure that draws people from all over the world every year. 

Turkish Language

Even though a large number of Turkish people are taught English at school, much like we often learn French or Spanish, their knowledge might be quite limited (as our French or Spanish might be). 

So to make it easier for you with basic requests and enquiries, why not learn a few simple Turkish words and phrases? 

English                     Turkish                         Pronunciation 

Hello                          Merhaba                          MEHR-Ha-Bah 

What Is Your Name     Adiniz Ne                         Ah-Duh-Nuz Neh 

My Name Is                Adim                              Ah-Dum 

How Are You              Nasilsiniz                          Nah-Suhl-Suh-Nuz 

I'm Fine Thank You     Iyiyim Tesekkur Ederim    Ee-Yee-Yim Tesh-Ek-Kewr Eh-Der-Eem 

Yes                            Evet                                Eh-Vet 

No                             Hayir                               Hay-Yur

Please                        Lutfen                              Loot-Fen 

Thanks                       Mersi                              Mer-See 

Where Is The/A          Nerede                             Neh-Red-Eh 

Bus Station                Otogar                              Oh-Toh-Gar 

Toilet                         Tuvalet                            Too-Vah-Let 

Airport                       Havaalani                        Hav-Ah-Ah-Lah-Nuh 

Water                        Su                                   Soo 

Left                           Sol                                   Soul 

Right                         Sag                                  Saah 

Straight Ahead           Dogru                               Doh-Roo

North Cyprus Local Life

The people of North Cyprus are known for their hospitality; the sort of people who will invite you to dinner at their house and happily sit and talk to you for hours after meeting you for only a few minutes. The sort of locals who will go out of their way to accommodate for you and your family, and do everything within their power to please their guests, including serving seemingly never ending plates of food! They are naturally laid back and casual people, with a somewhat strict and old fashioned set of ideals on public behaviour (no passionate kissing or prolonged hugging). The locals are proud and generous people and it's partly because of them that North Cyprus has the charming environment that it does.

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