If you want to find a hotel that suits the need for some quiet time, as well as an establishment that can cater for excitable kids, then there are a number of great options here in North Cyprus.

During the holiday season hotels and holiday villages will lay on activities and fun days for children, and many have designated pools and facilities for them to spend hours being entertained in.  You can also feel completely at ease with leaving your little devils to make new friends and in the hands of the hotel staff who will make sure that your children are always safe and well looked after.

In this article we will give you a feel for some of the hotels that are suitable for families – some of which provide all of the above facilities, whilst some are just nice places for families to stay without the 24-hour activity schedule!

Jasmine Court Hotel, Kyrenia

This 5 star hotel has one of the best reputations for being a family inspired oasis! There is a special kid’s unit which has its own pool and lifeguard to ensure that children swim and play safely in the water, and it has various activities such as table tennis, pool, billiards, darts and a mini football pitch which should keep all children occupied for most of the day if the pool doesn’t!

If your kids are old enough, then they have an on site diving school to tempt them to try something new, or if they just want to get a thrill from the water they can try inflatable surfing and canoeing.  In the evenings then there is plenty of entertainment to experience at one of the hotel’s Cypriot Nights with folk dancing and music, which the kids love!  All in all, a great hotel to allow families to have a fun packed holiday, with help on hand to allow parents to have some peace too!

Acapulco Resort, Kyrenia

One of the best self contained holiday complexes, with hotel and bungalows, Acapulco has its own beach, pools for adults and kids, as well as various beach and water activities to keep youngsters entertained all day.  Kid’s clubs are organised to help children mingle and make friends, and as well there are separate activities for adults too.

Evenings are fun packed with music and themed events, and once the kids are off to their beds, parents can rest assured that people are on hand to keep an ear and eye on their loved ones.

Oscars Resort, Kyrenia

One resort that can testify to being a true kid’s paradise is Oscars Resort!  Water activities such as wave pool, bumper inflatables, water slide park and designated kids’ pool will most certainly keep children from feeling bored at any time.  The resort also organises a host of other stuff from indoor and outdoor activities including pool games, darts and table tennis tournaments, mini disco and evening restaurant based entertainment.

Kids love this place, and its popularity is testament to its aim of being one of the most popular family orientated hotel resorts here in North Cyprus.

These are our three choices for a perfect family friendly resort offering a packed itinerary for your children and yourselves, but there are many others which you can try, such as Mountain View, Five Fingers Holiday Bungalows, Pine Bay Club, Pitoresk Holiday Village, The Ship Inn and many more.

Palm Beach, Famagusta

If you are staying in the Famagusta area then the Palm Beach Hotel and Salamis Bay Conti are also great for families, with large beaches and shallow waters which are great for kids.  Alternatively, if you have chosen to stay in a quieter hotel with your family, why not think about having a day out at one of the superb beach clubs which can offer a great range of facilities and activities for children to enjoy.

Whether it’s an action packed establishment, or a quieter more family run establishment that caters for children, then you can certainly find something to suit in North Cyprus.

In addition to this article there is also plenty of information and recommendations for other types of accommodation such as luxury hotels, spa inspired hotels, budget accommodation, boutique retreats and business friendly hotels in our other related articles – just click on any of these links.

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.

There’s plenty to keep children and adults busy when visiting or living in North Cyprus, and whilst researching this article we were pleasantly amazed at the amount of activities that you can get involved in – we never knew there so much to do before!

In this article we will give you an A-Z selection of some of the more land based activities and sports available for everyone to participate in – and they range from activities suitable for thrill seekers through to those that might appeal to the more subdued among us!

Archery – a more sedate activity but still one which can be quite addictive, requiring concentration and precision – something which you might find you have in abundance if you are on holiday!  You can try the centre in Çatalköy on the east coast, contact +90 (0)533 846 7463 or also the Kaya Artemis Resort in Bafra offers archery lessons, contact +90 (0)392 630 6000.

Bowling – A new bowling facility opened in 2008 and we think it is just called Ice-Bowling – it’s on the old Lefkoşa road in Famagusta, near to the Eastern Mediterranean University.  This new bowling alley means you can now go ten pin bowling in a state of the art facility which has 10 bowling lanes!  Perfect for a great night out spent with friends – and you can also try out the ice skating at the same venue too!

Clay Pigeon Shooting – this popular sport has been going for some years in North Cyprus and the Gönyeli Gun Club near Lefkoşa is open Tuesday-Saturday from 2p.m. and offers Skeet and Trap shooting.  For more information contact +90 (0)533 8460641.

Cycling – you can hire bikes yourself via Kozan in Karşiyaka on the west coast  or partake in cycling tours with some companies very dedicated to ensure you see the best of the island.  Group tours and holidays can be organised with transportation for bikes included.  Try either Cyprus Cycling on +90 (0)542 8515500 or Cyprus Active via their website  www.cyprusactive.com or by telephone +90 (0)533 831 9072.

Go-Karting – If you fancy a race around a track why not have a go at either ZET International Karting (Tel : +90 (0)533 866 6173) towards Güzelyurt on the west coast, or Cemsa Racing (Tel : +90 (0)392 223 6235 or +90 (0)392 223 6584) in Lefkoşa.  Both have great racing tracks and modern facilities to keep you there all day if you wish!

Golf – you have the 11 hole CMC Golf Club near Güzelyurt (Tel : +90 533 840 1798 or +90 542 851 3884) or the seriously flash 18 hole championship Korineum Golf & Country Club in Esentepe.  Contact +90 392 600 150 to find out about rates for rounds and maybe even a few lessons

Horse Riding – there are various establishments which offer horse riding treks up into the mountains of North Cyprus, but be careful who you choose as the standards are sometimes not what you would expect compared to your home country.  One of the most popular riding stables is the Çatalköy Riding Club which offers lessons as well as wonderful days out on horseback with themed routes.  Check out their site www.catalkoyridingclub.com or call +90 (0)392 824 4030 to find out more.  There is also the Cemsa Riding School in Lefkoşa which has stables located next to the racing circuit facilities – the animals certainly don’t seem to mind the racket!

Ice skating – Why not test out your balancing skills and your grace and agility by having a go at the new modern venue Ice-Bowling in Famagusta.  It’s near to the Eastern Mediterranean University in Famagusta – but note, the ice rink is not made of ice but it’s artificial – however that shouldn’t detract from the fun!

Paint Balling – there is a child inside all of us, and who doesn’t enjoy playing shoot the baddy!  Sunset Beach Club in Lapta can offer a paintball extravaganza as well as lots of other activities.  Call +90 (0) 533 865 4959 for more details.

Paragliding – ok, not entirely land based but that’s where you start off and end up!  An exhilarating experience would be most peoples’ description, and something that you should definitely try at least once!  On a clear day the views as you descend from your mountain departure are breathtaking.  One company operates this activity and that’s Highline Paragliding (Tel : +90 (0)542 855 5672) or check out their website www.highlineparagliding.com.

Quad Bike Safaris – located in Lapta on the west coast one company offers personalised safaris, day trips, half days and all tuition and for a guaranteed thrill – call +90 (0) 533 847 3732 to book your place.

Racket Sports – Badminton/Squash/Tennis – there are various facilities available usually within local belediye sports halls and facilities, university campuses and hotel resorts, so you can always find out when they are free and book yourself up for a session of wrist flicking fun!  Try the excellent facilities at the Middle East Technical University in Lefkoşa or the Ertuğrul Apakan Sports Hall in Kyrenia for badminton. Tennis courts are modern and asphalted for those who fancy a bit of ball bouncing, and most of the time you don’t need to book, just turn up and you should find a free court.  Some of the universities have tennis facilities such as the Girne American University, contact +90 (0) 392 650 2000 for more information.

Rugby – North Cyprus has a very healthy rugby scene due to the current Pumas team!  You may like to get involved and they would be more than happy to have you on board.  They train and play at Alsancak Belediye stadium and have a fixture list which includes trips to play teams in Turkey too.  Contact them via their website www.cypruspumas.com for more information.

Walking– a relatively new organisation, the Kyrenia Mountain Trail Association offers a range of walks located along the stunning 230km long Besparmak and Kyrenia mountain chain.  Contact them via their website www.kyreniamountaintrail.org for more information or call +90 (0)533 845 39 35.  There are other companies which offer walking tours such as the Hash House Harriers who organise walks every month.  For more details please check our walking groups article.  Or how about walking with dogs from the Kyrenia Animal Rescue centre in Arapköy?  They are always in need of dog walkers so what better way to see some scenery and get some fresh mountain air!  Call +90 (0)533 8694098 for more information, opening times are 10am-1pm Monday to Saturday.  For more information on walking tours, activities and holidays please visit our Specialist Tours & Operators article.

Well we hope this article has given you a good insight into how much you can do here in North Cyprus, and no doubt we shall be adding additional articles in the future.  We haven’t even covered football, volleyball, martial arts, darts, snooker and so on, but you can always do your own digging to find out more!  For more information on water based activities, turtle watching and an in-depth article on diving please click on the links.

The yearly arrival in North Cyprus of the turtle population brings about hectic activity by marine groups, volunteers and the general public!  Beaches all over the island are cleared and made ready for female turtles which come to nest all across the shores of North Cyprus.

There are two types of turtles which come to nest in North Cyprus and these are the loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) and green sea (Chelonia Mydas) turtles; they make the yearly journey to nest and then return to the sea, leaving their eggs deep in the sand to hatch.  Environmental groups have been active since 1992 in helping to protect these precious and endangered creatures, monitoring the hatchlings to ensure that their survival is as guaranteed as much as possible.

Turtles nest on the same beaches every year, and they also like to nest on the same beaches you like to sunbathe on so please don’t dig your sandcastles too deep or bury the tip of your beach umbrella too far from the seashore as you might accidentally crush or unearth precious eggs!  Most nests on the beaches which are monitored now indicate nests with wire cages and coloured rocks though so you should have no worries!

Nesting and breeding takes place from late May right through to October, when the mature females, usually aged between 20 and 25 years old, will return to the exact beach of their own birth to lay their eggs.  They can lay up to an astonishing 100 eggs, but given that the survival rate of baby turtles once in the sea is probably pretty low its not surprising that they lay so many!  Once the female has laid her eggs they will then take around 2 months to hatch.  Tiny delicate baby turtles have to hatch themselves, struggle to reach the surface through sand and then reach the sea, so you can imagine how much energy they have to use to achieve their goal!

This is where the hands and help of groups and volunteers come in handy, with nests being monitored and beaches being cleaned from any debris that could obstruct the babies’ progress.  Hatchings are given a helping hand too, with volunteers helping to excavate the nest, taking statistics of each hatchling and then helping them down to the seashore.  This then gives the survival rate an extra boost, which is badly needed, but one which will hopefully prolong the life of the species for years to come.

The main groups involved are the Marine Turtle Research Group and SPOT
(Society for the Protection of Turtles), and also the local Department of Environment.  The research group actively recruit yearly volunteers to help with the nesting season – if you would like to know more about them please visit www.seaturtle.org/mtrg/projects/cyprus or click on the link for SPOT.

If you would like to attend one of the nesting evenings where you can wait to see a female come to lay her eggs on Alagadi Beach during the nesting season, or to experience the sight of an excavation of baby turtles, then you can either contact the Society for the Protection of Turtles on +90 (0)533 846 9563 or you may come across them in the old harbour in Kyrenia and you can book yourself on their list.  It’s an experience not to be missed, and one we at Essential Cyprus thoroughly recommend, although patience is required as you might wait a long time for a female to come ashore!

Alternatively you can visit The Hut on Alagadi Beach where volunteers will be happy to help.  You can also read a diary which is usually written by one of the volunteers and which appears in the Cyprus Today newspaper, published every Saturday.

One last comment and that is please take note of the following during the nesting season:

• Do NOT go to the beach area between 8pm and 8am during breeding season.
• Do NOT use ANY boat or jet-ski in the 2 mile radius of the protected beach area.
• Do NOT throw plastic bags or bottles and any litter or any food on the beach or in the sea.
• Do NOT dig or use beach umbrellas or sun beds near turtle nests.
• Do NOT bring dogs or any animals onto the beach.
• Do NOT light fires on the beach.
• Do NOT touch baby turtles for your own safety as they may carry salmonella.

Northern Cyprus is probably the last place on earth untouched by the fast food giants like Macdonald’s, Burger King, KFC and Pizza Hut – which means that others have been free to develop their own fast food outlets offering a far wider, less restricted choice.

The popular Simit Dünyası chain, found in most towns, offers a good choice of pides (traditional bread type pizzas), simits (baked dough rings covered in sesame seeds), pizzas and other various other offerings, all are fairly cheap and ready to take away or eat in.  Another successful chain on the island offering the same kind of thing is Dano Patisserie where you can also try some of their yummy sweet cakes or freshly baked breads.

If you class pizza as fast food, then again there seem to be a vast amount of places to choose from these days, including the brilliant Mani Peni on the New Harbour roundabout in Kyrenia.  Fast food it may be, but the restaurant uses fresh ingredients like mozzarella and rocket on their pizza menu making it a tad more fancy!  The pizzas here are baked traditionally and you can watch them being made, or you can choose from winter warmers such as good old ‘spag bol’ or a steak cooked to your liking, all available as take away options.

Another good choice for fast food is Pasta Mania on the road to Edremit, west of Kyrenia, which is a popular place for those seeking a more pizza and pasta orientated meal with take away options available.

There are also a range of burger bars such as Burger City, these restaurants are attached to the Lemar supermarket chain so you can always find them when you visit the supermarket!  There are other alternatives on the burger front, usually from smaller outlets such as Kermia Fried Chicken (yes KFC!) in Lefkoşa, or some of the cafes do their own versions too.

Fish and chips are also available from a growing number of places, with Cod Baba in Karaoğlanoğlu being one of the more popular fish and chip venues where you can order to take out or eat in.

Another fantastic service, if you don’t want to walk any further than your front door, is the take-away delivery service offered by a lot of restaurants like Ezic, Passport and Beytis which all have a moped delivery service.  You can find contact details of these restaurants via the web or through the local Buzz Book directory or in the local Cyprus Today newspaper, however be warned that they only deliver within a certain radius so you could be out of luck if you are up in the mountains!

One more definitely worth mentioning is the relatively new, but seemingly very successful www.yemeksepeti.com – you can order your fast food meal by logging on via the internet, placing an order online, and hey presto it’s delivered within 20-30 minutes (hopefully!).  You don’t even have to talk to anyone but the delivery guy! Your order will be delivered from the specific restaurant you choose, and you pay on delivery.   We’ve tried it with great results!

Oh, and we must not forget the good old döner kebab!  If you fancy a quick bite to eat on the move then there are plenty of places where you can order a take out döner – this is either chicken or meat cooked on a revolving spit, sliced into thin strips and wrapped in a flat bread and served with salad – yum!

So there you have it, a rather brief look at the take-away and fast food options available to you in North Cyprus.  If you would like to find out more about other options including family restaurants, European and international , a la carte or hotel dining or traditional Turkish Cypriot cuisine, please click on any of the links.

In this article we will try and detail some of the best eateries to take your kids to, so that you as adults can also enjoy a good meal with some beautiful scenery and a relaxed atmosphere whilst being assured that your children will be made welcome.

There are some restaurants which really cater well for children with play areas and a variety of kiddie’s dishes on the menu, and you don’t need to feel awkward if your little darling or darlings have a temper tantrum in the middle of dinner either!  You can be sure that a waiter or restaurant owner will try to coax them out of it, often doing a really good job of it too!

Eziç Chicken is one such family friendly place, and there are now three Eziç venues to choose from in Kyrenia – the original Eziç on the main road to the west of town, the Eziç Premiere in Upper Kyrenia, or Eziç Peanuts restaurant on the coast just near to the general hospital.

There is also an Eziç restaurant in Lefkoşa as well, with the same standards of service and variety of menu choices available.  Obviously chicken is on the menu in many forms, but the menu also has a wide and varied choice featuring pizza and pasta favourites, salads and of course a complete children’s menu as well.

All the restaurants under the Eziç brand are run with first class style, they are brilliantly managed and the staff are highly efficient and courteous.  As ideal as they are for families with children, they are also nice places to go for quiet couples, lone diners and large groups – all sit comfortably and enjoy the freshly prepared and cooked meals.

Another restaurant under the same theme is Passport in Kyrenia, serving a similar menu and providing the same standards and welcome in a modern and tastefully furnished venue.  Both Eziç and Passport offer a home delivery and takeaway service as well, although beware as they really only deliver to a radius not too far from base!

Or perhaps try the Kervan Pizza Garden Terrace in Karaoğlanoğlu, a really popular place to be at sunset due to its location above the Kervansaray Beach, here you can have an early dinner whilst the sun goes down.  Again, this is a great place for kids with a not too fancy or fussy menu, but meals are always freshly prepared and there is an adequate menu for children to choose from.  Plenty of friends meet up here for a cold beer or two to while away the evening as well.

Another good option for children and adults are the fish and chip restaurants that are becoming more and more popular it would seem, such as Cod Baba in Karaoğlanoğlu, with various outlets available offering dining in or take away options.

And where we would be without the good old burger?!  Burger City franchises are a great option if your kids are craving the ultimate in fast food, and you can find them attached to most of the Lemar supermarkets all over North Cyprus.  There are even Kentucky fried chicken type outlets in North Cyprus too, the most well know actually being called Kermia Fried Chicken in Lefkoşa!

For Lefkoşa again they are many places to choose from such as the Califorian which is another good quality and inexpensive eatery which is popular with families, it serves pizzas, pasta and burgers, all done American style as the name suggests!  And yes, it is Califorian and not Californian!  Biyer on the same road is also a nice place to take children, and again you have a good choice of meals suitable for kids.

If you head out Famagusta way you can also find some good venues for children, and you might think about trying the Glapsides Beach Restaurant which serves a range of snack type food if you are not in the mood for a full 3 course affair, or La Fortuna which serves a range of pastas and pizzas.

Kyrenia harbour also has a wealth of cafes and restaurants to choose from, and you can choose from a full menu to snacks or sandwiches to suit children and adults’ appetites, and of course the harbour is a lovely place to spend the afternoon watching the world go by, or exploring the museums and castle.

As you can now probably tell there are many options for dining out with children, and anyway, in the vast majority of restaurants you would never be discouraged from visiting with children.  Obviously there are some more sophisticated establishments around where children might be slightly less welcome, but then you probably wouldn’t want to take children to them anyway, instead saving such places for a special treat on adult only occasions!

Why not browse our other articles where you will find out more about the other types of cuisine available in Northern Cyprus, such as à la carte and hotel dining, European and international, traditional Turkish Cypriot cuisine, or even a relatively new take on food here in North Cyprus, the take-away!

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.

When we talk about cinema in North Cyprus, we don’t just mean the usual blockbuster movies that anyone can see no matter where in the world they live, we also mean that North Cyprus does have its own budding cinematic scene. 

Arts venues are host to various screenings, with offerings from local and international film makers, and you can see them in a variety of places such as at Sidestreets in Lefkoşa.  Often these cinematic events are bought together by both Turkish and Greek Cypriots, who seem to thrive on working closely to provide a vibrant arts scene.

You can also attend films shown as part of the yearly North Cyprus International Film Festival, which normally occurs in May each year.  This festival combines films from an international perspective, including many small independently made films.  Films are generally available to see on a rotation basis via the main cinema venues, which are detailed at the end of this article.  However, most of them are shown in their native language with Turkish subtitles, so it’s worth checking out the local press for those films that will be shown in your mother tongue.

Another film fest is the Golden Grapes Film Festival, (we like the name!), held in August every year, and this is aimed at both local professional and amateur film makers who present their offerings and are then judged by a panel which features some prominent filmmakers in their own right.

The main cinemas in North Cyprus show the usual American and British blockbusters, and are the films often rotated weekly between each city and town venue.  Trusty Cyprus Today publishes the weekly film guide, and at the time of writing you can find cinemas at:

Lefkoşa

Galleria Cinema Club – +90 (0)392 2277030

Mısırlızade Galleria Cinema club – +90 (0)392 2289698

Lemar Cineplex – +90 (0)392 2235395

Kyrenia

Lemar Cineplex – +90 (0)392 8223565

Famagusta

Galleria Cinema Club – +90 (0)3651270

Güzelyurt

Lemar Cineplex – +90 (0)392 7146940

It’s also worth noting that due to North Cyprus presently not having any form of copyright law, you can purchase most of the blockbuster movies at a fraction of the cost that you would pay across the rest of Europe.  There are various outlets and DVD clubs all over North Cyprus that have the latest films for rental or sale, and the cost of  movie is usually around 4-5ytl (approx. £2), so you will find it quite affordable to buy the odd new release!

If you’re living in North Cyprus with children of any age you may feel that there is not a lot for them to do. 

We can start by saying that North Cyprus obviously has its own strong community ties and you can always join in with groups that are particularly aimed at promoting Cypriot culture such as HASDER, but your children may need to at least know the basics of the Turkish language before they get involved.  Having said that, the more the expat and local communities mingle the better, and you will quickly find that children can communicate more easily than adults these days and it’s not a big deal for them to get on and speak a mixture of Turkish and English!

For the toddler age group there are now specific toddler groups due to the arrival of younger expat families wishing to settle in North Cyprus.  They are often advertised in the press or by word of mouth, so it shouldn’t take long to become a social yummy mummy!  Toddler groups are often weekly or bi-weekly get togethers, and they give the youngsters and parents a chance to socialise.  Of course if you’re working there is always the nursery option which will also give your children a great start to life in North Cyprus as they will be able to integrate with the local Cypriot children too.

For children of any age there is a lot to entertain, with groups setting up to educate and allow kids the chance to explore their potential and hone their social skills.  The Five Fingers restaurant in Ozankoy is home to Alex and Libby Main who have set up a Garden Bookshop which is used for kids’ book clubs, talks and shows, and they also hold very successful flower shows.

Adults can also enjoy the activities on offer at the Five Fingers Restaurant as well, with talks and book and film launches, all of which have proved very popular for the expat and local communities alike.  If you would like to know more about their activities then feel free to call them on +90 (0)392 815 2010 or +90 (0)533 8458278 or email alex.main@sunnycyprus.net.

There is the newly opened Black Olive Café in Alsancak, located near to British Academy School, it runs craft clubs and various other entertainment activities to suit kids of all ages, and you can even book your child’s birthday parties there too and let them run riot in the purpose built playground.  You can contact them on +90 (0)533 8355133 or by email theblackolivecafe@gmail.com.  It’s also worth noting that Black Olive Café offers exercise classes for adults too.

If children are interested in sports then there is always football which seems to bridge any kind of culture divide, there are tennis courts in Kyrenia and Lefkoşa which act as a social meeting place too, or children can always get involved in a pursuit such as diving, giving them the opportunity to pick up a skill that could become a possible career or hobby in future years.  If your child attends a local school then there are always things to do and trips to go on organised through the school, so they will soon find plenty to keep them busy.

Perhaps your children are more creative than sporty and again there is much to keep their interest and enthusiasm going with music and dance schools, private piano tuition and so on.  The Cyprus Art School is a private education facility that teaches in music and dance and you can contact them on +90 (0)533 8404094 or by emailing kibrissanat@gmail.com.  Alternatively children can join in a variety of classes at various dance studios all over North Cyprus, where they can learn jazz, ballet or contemporary dance for example.  Girne American University in Kyrenia also has a Stage School if kids are after something a little more artistic, and can offer a range of activities such as belly dancing, tap and ballet – contact 650 2220 for more information.

Besides the above, there are many more things that children can do for entertainment, with beaches or water slide parks making for a fun day out for example, as can a trip to the cinema or a castle!  Whatever children enjoy then please visit our water and land activities articles  to get a full run down of everything there is to do in North Cyprus!