If you are looking for something different whilst planning a trip to North Cyprus and you enjoy the great outdoors, then there are a growing number of specialist tour operators adding itineraries to accommodate the likes of the walkers, bird watchers and divers amongst us.

North Cyprus has so much to offer those who love an environment orientated holiday, and the world seems to be taking a stand of sorts against mass tourism these days, so it’s nice to see that there are companies who are grasping all that is beautiful about this part of the island and promoting its unique qualities in terms of nature and the environment.

You can do your own research to see what takes your fancy, but we will detail some of the different types of holidays that you can take in North Cyprus, and some of the organisations which can offer some great deals and packages to suit your requirements.

Walking Holidays

There are a variety of companies offering walking holidays which focus mainly on the cultural and historical as well as wildlife and scenery.  Whilst walking with these companies there are scheduled visits to historical sites, cultural centres and other places of interest for example.  When you are doing your research you will find that most of them have a detailed itinerary already available to view, so that you can see exactly what’s planned for the trip and where you will be staying.

Try www.responsibletravel.com or www.kudutravel.com and also check our article on walking groups which gives useful information on ways to go about joining a group when in North Cyprus.

Bird Watching

There are a great many interesting species of birds which are either resident or migratory in North Cyprus, and companies are quick to promote the island’s worth as a great bird watching country.  Specialist operators offer packages from 7 to 12 nights usually, and you will visit different parts of the island renowned for their bird spotting opportunities.

Try www.ornekholidays.com and check our article on birds in North Cyprus and where to see them.

Activity Holidays

If you fancy some action whilst you are visiting or even living in North Cyprus then there are tour operators who can organise an array of sporting activities for you to try, such as paragliding, diving, quad biking, tennis etc.  If you fancy something a little more sedate then there are themed holidays which will allow you to try your hand at making bread and local cheese and take part in traditional village life perhaps.

Try www.iah-holidays.co.uk / www.ornekholidays.com / www.ecotourismcyprus.com, and also check our articles on land and water activities to choose from when in North Cyprus, as well as opportunities to experience a more eco-tourism themed holiday.

Diving

Diving in North Cyprus is a fantastic opportunity to add to your existing catalogue of dives, improve your skills and attain additional certificates, or to learn from scratch.  North Cyprus is well known for its wonderful marine life and some excellent dive sites, with shallow waters that are ideal to learn the basics of diving.

Try www.cyprusholidaysave.com/cyprus/scuba-diving-north-cyprus or check out our in-depth article on diving which gives some useful information on companies and ways to go about diving whilst in North Cyprus.

Orchid Hunting

There are some specialist groups which can take you on walks to some of the best countryside in North Cyprus, where you will be able to find many different and rare varieties of orchid for which the island is famous.  On the itinerary will also be the chance to sample some of the many historical sites that North Cyprus has to offer.

Try www.walksnorchidsnorthcyprus.com.

Golf

What holiday destination these days doesn’t have the opportunity to swing your clubs should you so wish?!  North Cyprus doesn’t disappoint in that area either, and you can book a package deal that will give you the opportunity to try your hand around this challenging but excellent 18-hole championship golf course, Korineum.

Try www.directtraveller.com/north-cyprus/golf-holidays or www.cyprusparadise.com/golfpackages.

Cycling

If you are a cycling enthusiast then how about trying out a weeks mountain biking which will take you from one side of North Cyprus to the other?  Tailored packages to suit, or a set itinerary – the choice is yours – with transfers and bike transportation all accommodated.

Try www.cyprusactive.com

That’s our round up of the more specialist type holidays available here in North Cyprus, and we hope it’s given you some food for thought!

Considering North Cyprus is surrounded by water, it comes as no surprise that there is a wealth of water activities and sports to participate in, and in this article we will give a brief summary of what is available and some of the companies that can offer a variety of facilities to ensure you have a great time, whatever you choose to do.

Boat Trips are a very relaxing way of viewing the Mediterranean and the wonderful coastline of North Cyprus.  There are many companies offering boat trips, and they can be found in the old harbour of Kyrenia, where prices usually cost around £20 per person, with lunch provided on-board.  Leaving each morning they will take you either east or west along the coastline, stopping off for lunch and a swim before returning in the early evening.  Try Blue Dolphin which has a wonderfully crafted gullet boat.

Diving or Snorkelling is a great introduction for children and adults to water activities in North Cyprus, and there are several diving centres which either operate within a hotel resort or beach club, so they are very easy to find out about.  You can participate in trial dives if you are on holiday and then go on to do a diving course if you have time, or if you feel diving is something that you want to do more of.  Instructors should be fully qualified and be able to provide the necessary accreditation and insurance.  Why not try Amphora Diving in Alsancak, Kyrenia, who offer a great range of dive courses and some excellent dive locations to explore www.amphoradiving.com, or Famagusta is also another popular diving area so try www.themarineacademy.com. Our more in-depth article on diving in North Cyprus gives you more information should you wish to know more.

Fishing is another relaxing way to spend your holidays or free time!  Again many of the boats located in any of the harbours such as Kyrenia or Boğaz offer fishing trips, or you can even ask a local fisherman if you can join him!  The waters in North Cyprus are home to around 80 species of fish, ranging from the small parrot fish, mackerel, cod, plaice, sea bass, bream and eel to the larger tuna, swordfish and mineri, so you should be able to catch something on a trip!  Try the Amanda Suzanne Tel :  +90 (0)533 842 9965 or +90 (0)533 877 9607.

Sailing/Yachting courses can be found in the local harbour towns and is actually a very calm and tranquil way of skirting the coastline with the summer weather meaning the seas are extremely calm.  It’s become a very popular pastime since the first Eastern Mediterranean Yacht Rally in 1990 which visited North Cyprus as part of its route, which is now a major feature of the yachting calendar featuring around 100 vessels.

Water Sports are certainly one of the most popular ways of enjoying your holiday.  You can try anything from inflatable donuts and bananas to jet-skis, dinghies, parasailing, waterskiing or wakeboarding.  Again a lot of these facilities are available at beach clubs and hotel resorts so they are easy to find.  No websites are available but why not try Camelot or Sunset Beach Clubs in Alsancak who provide all sorts of fun water sports for the family to try.

Water Parks are another favourite for the kids – and perhaps adults too!  The Oscar (tel. +90 (0)392 815 4801) and Acapulco Resorts (tel.+90 (0)392 824 44) to the east of Kyrenia, both have great water slide parks to spend hours mucking around in, with slides, huge pools, flumes and even organised daily pool and poolside activities for children in the summer.  Both are open to non-residents of the hotel, but you should expect to pay an entrance fee for the day.  If you are on the west coast of Kyrenia then there is the slide park and wave pool at the Club Lapethos in Lapta, or in Famagusta there is the Club Exotic which has a slide park.

Swimming comes last but not least!  There are without question plenty of places to have a dip in the Med, and you can either drive along the coast to find some wonderfully secluded and sheltered spots, or spend the day at one of the many beach clubs around the central areas.  There are also indoor and outdoor pools at the major hotels that are also open to non-residents, normally being free for use if you have a bite to eat whilst you are there.

So, we hope this has given you a good idea of what is here in North Cyprus to tempt you in the way of water based activities, now all you have to do is find time to try them all!  You can find out more about land based activities in other our related article as well as a more in-depth look at diving.

Diving is a very popular pastime for many in North Cyprus, and there are some really good organisations that can provide training courses, trial dives and trips to great diving locations – both in the north and south of the island.

If you are interested in donning a wetsuit during your stay, or indeed if you’re living in North Cyprus and fancy taking up a water based activity as a hobby or interest then take a look at this article, which will give you an idea of what to expect and how you can become a qualified diver or just dive for pleasure.

Companies usually run their courses from May through to October and will be accredited to PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) and/or BSAC (British Sub Aqua Club), giving them the necessary qualifications to supervise and teach new divers.  You can often have a free trial in a pool with all the kit you will need, to see if you feel able to take on the task in seawaters, and you will then have an initial classroom talk to go through the basics of diving.

Once you have decided that you really would like to progress after a proper sea based trial dive, (which usually costs around £20), then you have a wide choice of courses to participate in.  You can dive to a beginner’s standard or go on to become a master diver, a rescue diver or even a lead diver.  All courses are either PADI or BASC approved, and are suitable for all age groups with special Seal Group sessions aimed at introducing children to diving.  For serious dive lovers the Amphora dive school now offer a TEC Deep diver course where divers can really discover the deeper depths of the North Cyprus coastline.  Children can start learning at the age of 10 but need to be accompanied by a parent, or from age 12 with parental consent.

Course prices vary but a general cost for one dive is around £25-30, but you can do up to twenty dives for around £500.  You can either invest in some scuba gear yourself to reduce the overall cost and just rent the oxygen tank and weights needed, or you can rent the whole kit from the centre.  If you wanted to qualify in a particular area of diving then course prices can cost from £200 for a PADI or BASC course in Sports Diving or up to £500 for a Master Diver qualification.

Dives normally take place at set times in the morning and in the afternoon, and usually last a total of two and a half hours.  You will be taught to dive in shallower waters until you have received your basic certification, and then you will be able to dive further out from the coastline and can also join groups on excursions and trips to some of the popular dive sites around the island.

There are some great trips to take part in with some fascinating wrecks, marine life such as turtles, and plenty of weird and wonderful fish to see as well as the interesting coastline to explore.  You can take a trip to the Karpaz on the eastern peninsula or to Koruçam on the western tip for around £75, which includes the journey to the area and the dive.

There are around 20 dive sites located all along the coast in North Cyprus and you will not be disappointed as they include ship and plane wrecks, caves, reefs and an abundance of fish that will watch you with intense interest!  The popular ship wreck site, whose contents are now housed in the Kyrenia Shipwreck Museum, is a popular dive for many experienced and beginner divers.  When diving you should expect to see a large amount of fish such as Grouper, Soldier Fish, Sea Bream, Leer, Parrot Fish and sometimes Stingrays and Moray Eels.  The colourful marine and reef life really do give divers an experience to remember.

If you are feeling ultra adventurous and have passed your Advanced level diving test then try a trip to the Zenobia ship wreck located off the coast of Larnaca.  This is a top dive site and is a must for those who really want to experience a wreck which has not been touched and has that ghostly feel about it.  The ship, a roll on roll of type vessel, sank in June 1980 on its maiden voyage when the electronics malfunctioned pumping water into its ballast tanks.  It sunk just outside Larnaca and you can still see the lorry cargo it was holding, swim through the canteen and even come across preserved eggs! Dive centres in North Cyprus organise dives to this site for around £100.

As you can tell there is plenty to see if you would like to try out diving in North Cyprus, so if you fancy something a little different, or would like to see the underwater side of life here, then you are spoilt for choice!  Perhaps try Turtle Bay Dive Centre www.hotelsempati.com/dive-north-cyprus or Amphora Diving www.amphoradiving.com or Nautilus Diving www.nautilusdivingcyp.com, three of the most experienced dive centres, to check out what they can offer and for information on prices and dive sites.

If you’re looking for some rest and relaxation, a bit of pampering and some activities to keep your children occupied – and this applies to all those holidaying or living in North Cyprus – there are now a number of beach clubs that can cater for all your whims!

If you like to be sociable and want to become part of the social beach scene then there are great facilities available at some great venues!  In this article we will detail the main beach clubs for you, giving their locations and what they can offer their guests. We have been quite selective as there are not many true beach clubs on offer, but the ones that are good deserve recognition!

Escape Beach Club

Located on the east coast around 5km from Kyrenia, Escape Beach Club is possibly the most popular beach club in North Cyprus.  You can’t miss it as it’s located next to the large ‘five finger’ monument dedicated to the Turkish Army landing day in 1974.  Having been around for the last 10 years, Escape has undergone a number of refurbishments, the most recently of which was in 2008 when the club’s disco moved closer to the 5 Mile restaurant which is next door to the beach club.

During the daytime Escape is full of life in the summer months, and it’s popular for families with children because of its soft sandy beach and shallow waters.  Chill out areas with beanbags, plenty of beach sunloungers, a top class restaurant and bar facilities make for a very relaxing day, with a waiter drinks service on hand so you don’t have to lift a finger or move a muscle if you don’t want to!

Children will be kept occupied as there are lots of water activities at Escape; the water sports available include jet-skis, inflatable banana rides, canoes or pedal boats which are all obviously well supervised.  Additionally, diving in North Cyprus is really popular so you can try your hand at diving with a team on hand to assist you and provide the necessary equipment and expertise.

Night-time at Escape sees the beach club turn into a ‘club’ club!  It’s professionally run and has the benefit of drawing international DJs who often fly in for a night to perform their magic on the decks.  It’s a really popular venue, not only with tourists but also local youngsters too who all party well into the small hours.  This obviously has the knock on effects on the neighbouring residential population, but plans are in place to install more soundproofing in the near future.

The beach at Escape is also very popular with older generations too, and in the early hours of the summer months you will see many older people coming from Lefkoşa each morning to have a swift swim before anyone else arrives!

You can find out more about Escape via their website www.escapebeachclub.com or by phoning +90 (0)392 821 8330, and at the time of writing the entrance fee for the beach facilities was 10ytl.

Vogue Beach Club

Completed in 2005, Vogue is a few miles east of Kyrenia on the way to Alagadi Beach.  It’s located just after the Acapulco hotel complex, and is a great location given that there is nothing else of this kind in the area.

You can class Vogue as being sophisticated and offering relaxed luxury because besides the immaculate beach there is a large pool and a massive Jacuzzi situated up high to give the best views down across the rest of the complex.  You will find sun loungers and umbrellas everywhere on the beach, deck areas and gardens, and you can find a peaceful spot at any time of day.  There is full waiter service constantly at your beck and call, and the prices are very reasonable considering the wealth of luxury you’re basking in!

Vogue Beach Club is situated around a wide cove, and the bay in which you can swim, snorkel, dive and float about is sheltered from the open sea by stunning cliffs on the right, and by a man made promenade on the left.  For this reason it’s also a great place for children, but maybe not very loud ones given the serenity of Vogue!

Water sports are available too, and they have an on site diving instructor who can take you on a trial dive, you can take a snorkel and explore the little rocky outcrops in the surrounding bay, or partake in a few of the more racier water sports such as inflatable banana riding or jet skiing.

The club has its own restaurant which seems to appeal to everyone’s tastes – there’s a kids menu, a vegetarian selection, salads, sandwiches, kebabs and pizzas, and all the food is homemade on the premises and surprisingly good value.

At night Vogue is home to beach discos and party nights, where the noise levels should not really disturb too many people as it’s not a particularly residential area.

Vogue Beach Club can be contact for further information on +90 (0)533 863 4191.

Sunset Beach Club

This beach club, located in Lapta, is a children’s paradise!  Little ones can play all day and really tire themselves out on a variety of exciting apparatus like the water trampolines and playground.  There are both fresh water and salt water pools too, and a nice sandy beach ideal for children.

Whilst perhaps not the most luxurious of beach clubs, it does however cater for families superbly, and staff are on hand to supervise the children whilst adults have a well earned break.

The club can also organise fishing and boat trips, and it also runs a water taxi service should you require it!  Besides the beach club itself, Sunset can also organise activity days such as quad biking or paint-balling, and they have other less water orientated activities on site with pool tables and board games.

Sunset also has a restaurant with both Turkish and European cuisine and a bar, and it hosts wedding and birthday parties as well as the odd club night too.

Sun Set Beach Club can be contacted on +90 (0)533 865 4959.

Camelot Beach Club

Situated in Alsancak you can’t miss the huge road-sign telling you where this one is!  Again, Camelot is a very family orientated beach club with plenty for kids to do including scuba diving, inflatable banana rides (everyone seems to do these!), jet skiing or water skiing.

It has a good stretch of very well maintained beach with sun shades and beds, and it is home to the well known Legend Restaurant which offers an extensive menu as well as sumptuous snacks!  The club also hosts some great evenings with DJ nights, as well as entertainment evenings such as salsa dancing for example.

Camelot Beach Club can be contacted on +90 (0)392 821 1369.

Mosquito Beach Hotel & Beach Club 

Newly refurbished in 2007 and based in Alsancak close to the Merit Crystal Hotel, you will find the oddly named Mosquito Beach Club – it was previously known as the Green Coast Holiday Village.

A lot of effort and attention to detail has been given to the beach club facilities, and the club really offers up a feeling of relaxation and calm with huge billowing sun shades around the pool which has its own swim up bar!

Wandering down to the beach there are ample sunloungers and shades, and again there are various water sports available as well as children’s play area and pool.

At the time of writing we hear that it may now be closed having only been open for two years, but we cannot confirm this.

However if you would like to contact them then try www.mosquitocyprus.com or call +90 (0)392 8211212

Acapulco Beach Club & Resort Hotel

One of the larger beach clubs and resort hotels is the Acapulco which is situated on the far edge of Çatalköy on the Esentepe Road.  It has around 1km of long sandy beach and again is an ideal option for families as there is so much for children to get involved with that you won’t have to worry about them getting bored!  There are also organised days for kids organised by the hotel’s on site Kids’ Club.

Acapulco also boasts one of the best water parks, a huge outdoor pool with a children’s section, and if you feel a bit nippy you can always pop to the indoor pool!  To relax even further you can also use their outdoor Jacuzzi.

All kinds of water activities are available, with the width of the beach there’s plenty of room to get active.  You can jet ski, water ski, try your hand at wind surfing, go for a water bicycle ride, get in a canoe and more.

If you still want some more action then there are on site sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts, you can play beach volleyball, table tennis or darts.  And when you want to wind down again take a break at the beachside restaurant and poolside bar which can offer various types of snacks, drinks and cocktails.

Acapulco is a firm favourite for families on holiday as well as the locals who like nothing better than to take the family for a day out or evening out for that matter, as there is the odd disco night organised as well!

You can find out more by visiting www.acapulco-cyprus.com or by phoning  +90 (0)392 8244110.

Oscar Resort

Although not really a beach club, we do think that the Oscar Resort needs mentioning as it has great facilities for kids, with a wave pool that has bumper boats that you can bounce around in for hours on end (fun for adults too!)

The Oscar Resort also boasts an impressive aqua park with fun slides, three pools and a separate children’s area.  Oscars has a man made beach which, although quite small, is adequate for those just wishing to sunbathe or sit out on the jetty all day.

For the more active you can play a game of tennis, table tennis or darts, or be more adventurous and try some water sports.  For something more sedate there are some lovely gardens to walk around complete with their own little waterfall.  Oscars also runs a little road train service to and from Kyrenia so that you can avoid driving for the day!

For more information on what’s available and the road train service check their website www.oscar-resort.com or call +90 (0)392 81 54 801.

Please note that all of the above charge for the use of their facilities, and you should expect to pay around 10-15ytl per person, but make sure you know what you are getting for your money, as meals and drinks are likely not included, although you may get your first drink for free with the entrance fee.