Beaches and Nature in North Cyprus: Alagadi Turtles and the Kyrenia Range

North Cyprus's coastline and countryside range from a monitored turtle nesting beach to hiking trails through the Kyrenia (Beşparmak) mountain range. The details below are drawn from verified sources; for anything that shifts by season — dates, capacity, statistics — you're pointed to the relevant official or institutional source rather than given a fixed figure.

Alagadi and SPOT: the turtle nesting beach

Alagadi beach, east of Kyrenia, is one of North Cyprus's nesting sites for the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtle. It has been monitored since the 1990s by SPOT (Society for Protection of Turtles).

• Night restriction — from 1 June to 30 September, entering or staying on the beach, and lighting fires, is prohibited every night from 20:00 to 08:00; only authorized staff or a SPOT volunteer are exempt.
• Guided night watches — in June-July, SPOT runs limited-capacity guided egg-laying watches, which require online registration opening in early June via cyprusturtles.org.
• Hatchling-release watches — in August-September, usually around 17:00-18:30; these are generally free and don't require booking, but check SPOT's site for the current schedule before you go.
• Visitor conduct — avoid sitting on or near marked nests, don't disturb the tape or markers around a nest, and follow instructions from staff on site.

Beach inventory: region by region

North Cyprus's beaches cluster in four areas: Kyrenia (Alagadi, the Escape/Alsancak stretch, Karakum), Famagusta (Glapsides, Palm Beach), Iskele (Long Beach), and the Karpaz Peninsula (Golden Beach and Kaplıca).

Entry fee versus service charge — Under Article 38 of the constitution, the coastline is treated as state property and cannot be closed off from public access; a business cannot charge a "beach entry fee," only a service charge for things like sunbeds, umbrellas, showers or parking. If you bring your own towel and just sit down, it's free. In practice, a sunbed-and-umbrella set runs roughly 100-200 TL at municipal public beaches and roughly 400-1,000 TL at private beach clubs/hotel beaches (sometimes redeemable as a food-and-drink credit).

Whether a beach is public or business-run, and lifeguard/flag arrangements, vary by site, and there's no systematic official source covering this — this guide does not generalize on those points.

• Kyrenia area — Alagadi (the nesting beach above), the Escape/Alsancak stretch, Karakum.
• Famagusta area — Glapsides, Palm Beach.
• Iskele area — Long Beach (a long, open stretch of sand).
• Karpaz Peninsula — Golden Beach (Altın Kumsal) and Kaplıca; both have their own nesting and access texture and are covered in more depth in a dedicated Karpaz guide — mentioned only briefly here.

Before heading to any specific beach, it's worth checking locally whether there's a sun-lounger charge, whether a lifeguard is on duty, and where the public-access stretch actually starts.

Hiking the Kyrenia (Beşparmak) range

The Kyrenia range runs roughly parallel to the north coast and has a handful of known hiking routes.

• Alevkaya forest station — short nature walks around the herbarium, known for a substantial plant collection.
• Around Buffavento Castle — trails climbing toward the castle ruins are among the better-known routes in the area.
• Toward Lapta — a walking route descending toward Lapta is also referenced in local sources.

Together, these form part of the roughly 255 km Kyrenia Mountain Trail (Beşparmak Trail), coordinated by the Forestry Department and the Ministry of Tourism. A physical topographic map is available, free or for a token fee, from the Forestry Department in Nicosia or from tourism offices in Kyrenia and Nicosia. On-the-ground trail signage has faded over the years, so downloading the offline GPS track for "Beşparmak Parkuru" on Wikiloc before you set out is, in practice, more reliable than relying on signposts alone.

Boat trips and diving

Day boat trips run out of Kyrenia harbour, typically combining a bay tour with swim stops.

Along the north coast, dive centres work their own reef and wreck sites. Note: one of Cyprus's best-known wrecks, the Zenobia, lies in the south of Cyprus, off Larnaca — it is not part of North Cyprus dive itineraries. Divers looking to dive in the north are directed to sites along that coastline instead.

Flamingo season and the Medoş tulip

• Flamingos — wetlands near Famagusta host flamingo flocks during winter, roughly December through March. Exact numbers and dates shift year to year, so no quantitative claim is made here.
• Medoş tulip — an endemic tulip species found only in North Cyprus; it flowers in March in the Tepebaşı/Avtepe area and is marked with a local festival. The village name varies between sources, hence the "area" phrasing.

Incirli Cave (a cautious note)

Incirli Cave, near the village of Çınarlı, is reported to be open to visitors. Access details — opening hours, whether a permit or guide is required — could not be officially confirmed; this guide stays cautious here. Check locally for the current situation before visiting.

Before you go: a short checklist

• Don't visit Alagadi at night between 1 June and 30 September (20:00-08:00 entry ban); for a guided watch, check SPOT's site for the current registration window and schedule.
• Check locally at your chosen beach for sun-lounger charges (roughly 100-200 TL public / 400-1,000 TL beach club) and lifeguard cover — these details vary business to business.
• Get a Forestry Department/tourism-office map or the Wikiloc GPS track before hiking the Kyrenia range — on-the-ground signage has faded.
• Remember the Zenobia wreck is in the south when planning a dive in the north.
• Beaches on the Karpaz Peninsula (Golden Beach, Kaplıca) and the peninsula's wider texture are covered in a dedicated Karpaz guide.

This guide deliberately avoids fixed dates, quotas, and statistics for anything that shifts seasonally — always confirm current details with the relevant official or institutional source before visiting.