Car hire in Northern Cyprus

You can rent a car for a minimum of 3 days. The car can be delivered to Ercan airport or to your home or hotel. Cars cannot be delivered to the south of the island, but a transfer to and from the airport can be arranged and the rental car can then be delivered to your chosen location in the north.

You must be over 25 years old to rent a car and you will need your driver’s license and passport to complete the paperwork. Then you will need to bring your driver’s license and contract with you. Petrol in North Cyprus is cheaper than in the UK, so sightseeing in your air-conditioned rental car is a must.

You can drive to the Kyrenia (Girne) area to see the harbour, Kyrenia Castle, Bellapais Abbey, St. Hilarian’s Castle or just walk around the town center and have lunch or a drink while you’re there.

The Famagusta (Maayusa) area has a great history. You can visit the Monastery of Saint Barnabas, the ruins of Salamis, the ancient city walls or the deepest harbor in North Cyprus. Or maybe you would like to see the city center. There are also some beautiful beaches around Famagusta that you can relax on once you’ve seen some of the sites.

Nicosia (Lefkoaya) might appeal to you more. You have the Old City and the Kyrenia gate, the Selimiye Mosque, the Grand Inn, the covered bazaar. The border has now been opened so you can walk to the south of the island. You will see a difference between north and south immediately. In the north of the island, the surrounding area is narrow cobbled streets, but as soon as you cross the border it’s just like any other main street. You even have Debenhams, McDonalds, Marks & Spencer, Peacocks, Next etc as well as the Greek stores.

The Karpaz Peninsula (Pan Handle) is very popular, although some people stay overnight to break up the journey. There are miles of sandy beaches for you to enjoy and sometimes you are more likely to see donkeys than people! Scattered throughout are ancient ruins, villages, and tombs for you to explore. The beaches in the Karpaz area are also popular with the endangered Chelonia Mydas and Caretta Caretta turtles. Also around the Karpaz area there are traditional Cypriot rural villages where the locals live off the land. They all make you feel welcome on their part of the island.

It’s just the main cities/towns that you can easily visit if you have a car. Apart from them, you can drive to the mountains, the views are fantastic and the villages are beautiful. Or follow one of the side detours to a secluded and unknown beach.