Why Famagusta is the most underrated stop in North Cyprus

Famagusta — Gazimağusa in Turkish — is the historic walled city on TRNC's east coast and one of the most architecturally rich destinations in the eastern Mediterranean. The walled old town, a UNESCO World Heritage tentative site, was the wealthiest port in the Levant during the 14th-century Lusignan period, fell to the Venetians, then the Ottomans, and was left almost untouched by 20th-century development. The Lala Mustafa Paşa Mosque (originally St. Nicholas Cathedral) is the standout: a Gothic French cathedral with an Ottoman minaret added after 1571. Around it stand the Venetian palace ruins, Othello's Tower (yes, that Othello — Shakespeare set the play here) and a near-complete circuit of medieval walls you can walk in about an hour. The newer half of the city is a working Turkish-Cypriot university town with the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) campus dominating the western side. Most visitors come for a day trip from Kyrenia or Iskele, but Famagusta deserves a proper overnight — the floodlit walls at dusk, a fish dinner in Salamis Bay and a quiet morning walk through the old town are some of the most underrated experiences in TRNC.

Top 5 places to visit in Famagusta old town

The old town walks itself in half a day. Start at the Lala Mustafa Paşa Mosque, the former Cathedral of St. Nicholas where the Lusignan kings of Cyprus were crowned — entry is free, modest dress required. Walk five minutes north to the Venetian Palace ruins and the small archaeological museum. Continue to the Othello Tower (paid entry, signposted) on the harbour wall — the views over the Mediterranean and the abandoned Varosha skyline to the south are the most photographed in TRNC. Loop south through the Namık Kemal Square, with its Ottoman-era prison preserved as a museum to the Turkish poet exiled here in 1873. Finish at the Twin Churches and the Sinan Pasha Mosque (originally St. Peter and St. Paul) — both Gothic structures repurposed by the Ottomans. Park outside the walls at the Çanbulat Parking, the Land Gate Parking or the Bostan Parking — the streets inside are narrow, one-way and patrolled. The walking circuit between all five sites is under 2 km and takes 2–3 hours including stops.

Salamis ancient city and Barnabas Monastery — the half-day loop

Eight kilometres north of Famagusta on the coast road towards Iskele, the Salamis archaeological site is one of the largest Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean and the highlight of any Famagusta trip. Founded in the Bronze Age and rebuilt by the Romans, Salamis covers around 5 km² of partially excavated theatre, gymnasium with 15-metre marble columns still standing, Roman baths with intact mosaic floors, an early Christian basilica complex and a colonnaded agora. Allow 2–3 hours; bring water and a hat as there's no shade once you leave the entrance shop. Just inland, 5 minutes by car, the Barnabas Monastery and Tomb is a 5th-century Byzantine site rebuilt under Ottoman rule and now operated as an icon museum and archaeological collection. The site holds the burial of St. Barnabas (the apostle credited with founding the Cypriot church) and an excellent collection of Greek and Roman artefacts. The combined Salamis + Barnabas loop from Famagusta city centre is around 30 km of driving, all on paved coast road, and works as a relaxed half-day with a coastal lunch stop on the return.

Varosha (Maraş), Glapsides Beach and the Famagusta coast

Varosha — Maraş in Turkish — is the abandoned beach district immediately south of Famagusta old town and one of the most remarkable urban decay sites anywhere in Europe. Closed since 1974, parts of the area were opened to pedestrians and cyclists in 2020. You can park your rental car at the Maraş entrance gate and walk in along the designated route past frozen-in-time shops, the famous Varosha Beach Hotel skeleton and the silent main shopping street. The walking loop is around 3 km, takes 90 minutes and the only entry restriction is daylight hours; cars cannot enter the cordoned area. North of the old town, Glapsides Beach is the closest swimming option for Famagusta visitors — soft sand, shallow water, lifeguards in season and a small beach club. Silver Beach further north (around 15 minutes' drive) is quieter and family-orientated. The Salamis Bay strip, between the ancient site and Famagusta, has several large all-inclusive resorts (Salamis Bay Conti and Pia Bella among them) with day-pass beach access for non-guests.

Distances from Famagusta and Sur Car Hire delivery

Famagusta sits 60 minutes from Ercan Airport via Lefkoşa on the new highway, 90 minutes from Kyrenia over the Beşparmak pass and 25 minutes from the Karpaz turn-off at Boğaz. Iskele's Long Beach hotel strip is just 15 minutes north on the coast road, putting Famagusta within easy reach for visitors staying anywhere in the eastern half of the island. Sur Car Hire's main office is 15 minutes north in Bogaz, and we deliver rental cars to every Famagusta hotel — Salamis Bay Conti, Long Beach Club, Palm Beach Hotel, the boutique guesthouses inside the walled city — at no extra charge inside the city limits. The booking process is simple: pick dates online, message us with your hotel name on WhatsApp, our driver meets you at reception with the keys. Payment is at handover in GBP cash or by card. The family business has been operating in TRNC since 1979 — we know which Famagusta restaurants are open during Ramadan, which beach clubs allow dogs, and which mountain road to avoid in winter. Reach us on +90 533 841 79 79 to plan a Famagusta-based itinerary or to swap from a Kyrenia delivery to an east-coast pickup.