Top Famagusta activities
Explore by category
Beyond Famagusta
Tours in nearby places
Explore Famagusta District tours
Tours in similar places
Famagusta trip ideas
Perched beside the UN-monitored buffer zone that divides Cyprus, Famagusta has a crumbling, complex history. Churches, fortifications, Crusader landmarks, a Venetian palace, and soaring Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque hint at successive waves of cultures that have made a home beside this island’s gorgeous beaches. There are plenty of things to do here, including Varosha, a once-bustling resort-turned-ghost town that emptied amid the 1974 invasion and has recently re-opened to visitors.
Moderate temperatures and ample sunshine mean spring and fall are the best times to visit Cyprus—May, June, September, and October are all glorious. Even though beach weather is less common in the quiet season between November and April, there’s plenty of blue sky ideal for hiking and exploring. August and July are popular with the seaside crowd, though it can get very hot in lowland Cyprus if you stray too far from the shore.
Many visitors arrive in Famagusta on day trips from the southern, UN-recognized part of the island. Frequent tours depart Nicosia and other traveler hubs. It is also possible to drive from the south to the north, crossing the buffer zone at checkpoints in Nicosia or Deryneia (Dherynia). If you’re driving a rental car, check with the agency to ensure your insurance is valid on the island's north side.
It’s possible to fly into northern Cyprus from Turkey—regular flights link Ercan International Airport with Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. If you arrive this way, however, you might have issues if you attempt to cross the buffer zone into the southerly Republic of Cyprus. Since the UN doesn’t recognize northern Cyprus as a legitimate entry point, the Republic of Cyprus can fine or deny entry to travelers who began their trips there.
Attractions 1 | Tours 11 | Reviews 1 |
Yes, it’s worth visiting Famagusta. The walled city has beautiful historic landmarks, including the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Venetian Palace Ruins, and the crumbling Church of St. George of the Greeks. Right next door is Varosha, a resort city abandoned during the 1974 invasion and recently opened to tourists.
...MoreFamagusta is famous for its historic architecture. This was once a major Mediterranean shipping port, a legacy visible in its houses of worship, grand palaces, and stone fortifications. Today, the city preserves traces of the French, Greek, Genoese, Venetian, Ottoman, and British who traveled, traded, and fought here.
...MoreYes, tourists can visit Famagusta. While northern Cyprus remains unrecognized by the UN—and can’t be reached by plane from most countries, visitors can come by land from the southern part of the island. The neighboring ghost town Varosha was fenced off for decades but has recently reopened to visitors.
...MoreFamagusta is not closed off. It’s a city located in northern Cyprus, which has been occupied by Turkish troops since 1974. Very few flights land in northern Cyprus, so most travelers start in the southern part of the island and cross the UN-monitored buffer zone independently or with a guide.
...MoreYes, you can enter Famagusta from the UN-recognized country of Cyprus, located in the southern part of the island. To arrive, you must cross the buffer zone that splits the island; the nearest crossing is Deryneia (Dherynia), just 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) from Famagusta.
...More