Güzelyurt is almost the last major town on North Cyprus’s north west coast – although Lefke sits slightly further west and inland. You will also find Güzelyurt referred to as Morphou, which is the Greek name for the town. The translation of Güzelyurt depends on the sources you read and the people you speak to, but it basically means ‘beautiful native country’ or ‘fatherland’ – while neither is a perfect literal translation, both meanings get right to heart of the matter and that is that Güzelyurt and the surrounding villages in North West Cyprus are stunningly beautiful, rich and fertile.
Güzelyurt is said to have been inhabited since Bronze Age times, and it was also a major centre for copper mining during its history. Today, it is more commonly associated with being the citrus growing centre of North Cyprus. Under the British rule the town was also a major part of the transportation network, it was connected by rail to Lefkoşa and Famagusta mainly for transporting of copper.Although Guzelyurt is not as culturally or architecturally rich as other towns and cities in North Cyprus, it does have deep historical roots, and it’s certainly worth visiting to see the Archaeology and Nature museum and the St. Mamas monastery. Taking in the easy laid back way that life appears to meander along in Güzelyurt is also another good reason to visit! Visitors may be tempted to plan their trip around the bustling market day on a Saturday, so as to make a day of it.
There are some lovely stretches of sandy beach within reach of Güzelyurt too, although these can be hard to find if you don’t have a good sense of direction! They are accessible offering the sandy and shallow waters of Güzelyurt Bay, and we will attempt to offer decent directions in our beach article for this area!
If you’re looking for the ‘real’ Cyprus, drive out to Güzelyurt, explore the town and the surrounding villages and get lost in a Cyprus that time has forgotten and left untouched. We will tell you more about Güzelyurt and its surrounding areas like Lefke in our related articles, so please take a look if you would like more information.
