Attention: Most of the venues listed on this
section are old and they may have changed their style
and attitude against LGBTQ people in the course of time. Please click on the address links for more
up-to-date reviews on Google Maps and
click here to share your experiences.
Apero Cafe & Bar - Lefkoşa
Mahmut Paşa
Sk 47, Lefkosa,(Nicosia), Northern
Cyprus.
This LGBTQ friendly venue known for hosting
solidarity party for
Queer Cyprus Association in August 2024
is described by a visitor
comment on Google as
"Lovely, locally owned spot with excellent
coffee, food, drinks and cocktails, by an indigenous owner who is a social and
political activist legend, pays his team well and takes care of them, tries to
keep the prices fair and accessible, and is dedicated to protect and save the
historical old Nicosia and local culture. Gem!"
Lorenza Cafe, Lefkoşa
Lefke
Hani, No:5, Surici, Lefkosa, Northern
Cyprus.
A gay-friendly cafe & restaurant recommended in 2008. It
is located in the area of Asma-Alti just behind
historical
Buyuk Han building.
Hoi Polloi Cafe, Lefkoşa
Arasta Sokak, Lefkosa,(Nicosia), Northern Cyprus
A small LGBT friendly cafe very close to Lorenza Cafe,
both facing the same courtyard behind the
Buyuk Han, (Listed in 2016)
Click here to share your experiences, to add
or remove any venues.
Nightlife and Other Popular Bars and Clubs in
Northern Cyprus
Bars and Clubs in North Cyprus are full of action, beat
and spirit. Many of the bars have live music on regular
basis, with various bands playing music from pop to
rock, blues and Jazz. Any old times you can find
satisfying music in and around the island for all
emotions. Girne (Kyrenia) is probably the most famous
town in North Cyprus because of its picturesque harbour
area and the imposing castle overlooking it, which also
has the most colorful nightlife in the Turkish part of
the Island. There are many lively bars in Girne lining
the beautiful harbour. If you like going out at night,
you may go to one of the discothèques. Discos in Cyprus
are usually combined with bars, or have special VIP
sections away from the dance floor, where you can
reserve a table for your friends to enjoy the music and
dance away in VIP style. Although usually the music in
discos is played by great DJ’s, some clubs may invite
local live-bands to play on special occasions. The
gambling casinos of the big hotels are open until
morning, and many rich Turks from the mainland Turkey,
where gambling is forbidden also visit North Cyprus for
the sake of these Casinos.
Here are just a few of the popular regular (non-gay)
bars and clubs with their link at Google Maps.
Ego Bar - Girne
Sitare Bar
- Girne
Rock Onyx
Bar & Club - Girne
Losers Club - Girne
Ice Club - Girne
Zephyr Bar - Lefkosa
Barasta Cafe
and Bar - Lefkosa
Monks Inn - Magusa
Q Bar
- Magusa
Click here to share your experiences, to add
or remove any venues.
Gay Bars in Southern Cyprus (Greek Administration
Part)
These are the gay and gay-friendly bars and clubs in the
southern part of Cyprus Island. For more information
please click on the venue names to find them on Google
Maps.
Secrets Freedom Club
- Athenon 9, Larnaca, Cyprus (Greek Administration)
Lube
Bar - Stavrou Poskoti 19, Larnaca, Cyprus
(Greek Administration)
Ithaki Venue - Nikiforou Foka 33, Nicosia,
Cyprus (Greek Administration)
Different Bar - Bar St, Paphos,
Cyprus (Greek Administration)
Click here to share your experiences, to add
or remove any venues.
Please remember that bath houses and saunas are usually
not explicitly confirmed as gay or gay-friendly venues
by their owners/managers. Therefore, we are listing here
only the ones which are being visited by the local gay
men frequently.
Korkut Hamamı (Closed)
Beliğ Paşa Sokak Lefkoşa, KKTC.
Attention: This Turkish bath has been closed in
early 2023 and not clear if / when it will re-open. It
changed owners according to a comment on Google. Check on
Google Maps
for updates
Also known as Hamasi Korkut Hamam, it has a spacey hall at the entrance but the bath
section is fairly small, even lacking a proper navel
stone. The main reason you can prefer over the
historical Buyuk Hamam is that this one is more
gay-friendly and action is more likely. It is also
cheaper naturally, costing around 5-7 US Dollars to enter.
It is 5-10 minutes walking distance from the Buyuk Hamam.
Buyuk Hamam
Irfan Bey Sokak, Surlarici (old city) Lefkosa,
Northern Cyprus.
Attention: This Turkish bath has been closed in
2022 and not clear if / when it will re-open. Check on
Google Maps
for updates
This is rather tourist hamam than being a gay / cruising
venue, though a possibility always there to meet other
gay people in any hamam. Buyuk Hamam (Grand Bath)
is also known as Turk Hamami in the city. This bath was
built over the ruins of a Latin Church (St George) in
the 14th century. Today, the church’s marvelous front
door actually lies several feet below street level, so
you can really appreciate the ornate carvings of the
original doorway.
Gay Friendly Sauna or Bath Houses within the Greek Cyprus
Administration
Vinci Sauna, Larnaca (Greek Cyprus
Administration)
Attention:
The Vinci Sauna in Larnaca was the only explicitly gay
sauna in the whole of Cyprus Island, but after it was
closed during the Covid 19 period it was not reopened
again, mainly because of the increasing popularity of
gay dating applications.
Click here to share your experiences, to add
or remove any venues.
Cruising spots are not as crowded as they used to be
before the Internet era, especially after mobile apps
became popular. Although there may still be some gay men
in these places, usually after dark; it is advisable to
be a little cautious especially in parks and secluded
beaches. It is recommended that you do not carry very
valuable items or large amounts of money with you, just
in case. Here are some possible cruising areas and
beaches in Northern Cyprus:
Girne Feneri
- The lighthouse of Girne and the breakwater.
Girne
Limani - The neighborhood of Girne harbour and the water front.
There may also be some rent-boys around.
Lefkosa Kugulu Park - The neighborhood of the old
city walls, and the street between Lefkosa Turkish High
Scholl (LTL) and the library are most visable cruising
areas especially recommended from 21:00 until 02:00 am.
Kale Arkasi Beach
(Girne) - The area behind the Girne
Kalesi (castle) is a popular swimming and cruising place for gay
men. Girne can be considered the most gay friendly city
in Northern Cyprus.
Salamis Beach (Magusa) - It is the popular beach for gay men in
Northern Cyprus, some 10 km away from Gazi Magosa (Famagusta)
- The part of the beach 1 km after Park Hotel is said to
be where gay men usually hang out and wait under the
bushes for cruising. Gazi Magusa is the second most
popular vacation district in Northern Cyprus after Girne.
The ruins of Salamis antic city is one of the most
famous historical attraction on the island.
Alagadi
Turtle Beach -
Visitor
Recommendations
"I visited N.Cyprus recently and went
to Salamis Beach and Alagadi
Turtle Beach. As the article mentions these are not
gay beaches but some times there could be some action.
Alagadi is a really beautiful beach but I also had a bad
experience. Aladagi is really nice but do act in caution"
(John S. from UK / September 17 2012)
Click here to share your experiences, to add
or remove any venues.
Gay Beaches & Cruising Spots within Greek Cyprus Administration.
These are the most popular gay and gay-friendly beaches
in the southern section of Cyprus Island. Please click
on the beach names to find them on Google Maps.
Municipality Gardens - Nicosia
Dasoudi Park - Limassol
Ayia Napa Gay Beach - Ayia Napa, Cyprus (Greek
Administration)
Pissouri Beach - Pissouri, Cyprus (Greek
Administration)
Avdimou Beach - Pissouri, Cyprus (Greek
Administration)
Governer's Beach - Pendagomo.
Limassol, Cyprus (Greek Administration)
Yeronissos Isle - Occacsional nude bathing. Phapos,
Cyprus (Greek Administration)
Other Beaches in Northern Cyprus:
North Cyprus has a varied coastline and offers many
amenities for swimmers including luxurious beaches of
big hotels and many public beaches. The Northern and
eastern shores of North Cyprus are lapped by the clear
blue waters of the Mediterranean. All along the
coastline there are bays and beaches where swimming and
sunbathing is possible almost the whole year round.
Girne (Kyrenia) Beaches
Kyrenia is home to some fabulous intact beaches
including
Acapulco Beach, Escape Beach, and Alagadi
Beach. Acapulco beach is a very popular tourist beach
and provides most facilities including sun loungers and
a bar. Windsurfing is also very popular at Acapulco
Beach. Escape beach is located just 5km from Girne / Kyrenia
city and is one of the most beautiful beaches in
Northern Cyprus with fine golden sand and clear waters,
where there are a number of different water sports
including deep sea diving, jet-ski, banana boats,
canoeing, and pedal boating.
Escape Beach Club is
privately owned and sponsored and has turned the entire
beach area into a desirable destination for holiday
makers with a large and sophisticated restaurant, open
air dance club, sun beds, massage centre and scuba
school. Most of the boat trips from the harbour in
Kyrenia sail out to Escape Beach and drop anchor there.
Alagadi Beach, also known as turtle beach is located
approximately 10 miles east of Kyrenia. This sandy beach
is full of large sweeping dunes and the clear water is
also shallow. Alagadi beach has the longest stretch of
beach on the coast, and for once it’s also a public
beach that locals and tourists alike can enjoy. Behind
the beach, the Five Finger Mountains rise up to provide
a wonderful view even when you are not looking at the
sea! Alagadi beach is one of the major beaches in
Northern Cyprus where the loggerhead and green turtles
come to nest, and so is sometimes called "Turtle Beach".
Access to the beach from the main road is via dirt
tracks, and most access points involve a walk through
the impressive sand dunes behind to the sea itself. The
first track giving access to Alagadi beach from the main
road is a pretty 1.5km drive through olive trees and
down to within 300m of the sea.
Gazi Magosa (Famagusta) Beaches
Famagusta has long been famous for its miles of sandy
beaches. Some beaches are owned by hotels and have an
entrance fee.
Bafra Public Beach is 9.7 km from Bogaz in
the village of Çayirova. Bediz Public Beach is situated
on the east coast of Cyprus, north of Famagusta and well
signposted from whichever direction you approach.
Glapsides Beach is only 200m away from the Bediz Beach.
Silver Beach is situated at the far south of the Salamis
ruins, which is a great spot for swimming and
snorkeling.
Karpaz Beaches
The Karpaz Peninsula or “panhandle” as the British
called the north-east part of Cyprus is a land where
time stands still. There are miles of sandy beaches in
Karpaz with not a single person in sight. Ancient towns,
basilicas, ruins and tombs scatter the area waiting to
be explored.
Malibu Beach Club provides crystal clear
water for good swimming. There is a snack bar and sun
shades there. There is a stretch of coast known as the
Golden Sands which has 5 miles of un-spoilt beach and a
magnificent scenery. The turtles use this beach in the
summer for nesting.
Queer Cyprus Association
Initially called Initiative Against Homophobia founded
in 2007; re-named as Kuir Kibris Derneği - Queer Cyprus
Association in 2012 aims to stop homophobia and
transphobia within the society, prevent the
discrimination through sexual orientation and sexual
identities. Accordingly, Initiative Against Homophobia
is a civil society organization which intend to protect
the fundamental rights and freedoms of LGBT people and
to increase the acknowledgement of people toward LGBT
people.
Click here to read more about LGBT Rights in
Northern Cyprus (Wikipedia)
Unfortunately there are not many officially gay or
lesbian hotels in Northern Cyprus, but most of the
tourist hotels are very welcoming and they can also
be recommended to gay people for various reasons
such as their location, quality, price and liberal
atmosphere.
You can make Instant
reservation via online & secure system of
Booking Com and help us
maintain our websites without any extra cost
to you.
Free
cancellation and discounted options are available.
Instant
& secure hotel reservation via Booking Com.
Best
price guarantee by Booking Com
No
commission will be charged by us
The reservation, payment and cancellation
procedure of hotels will be handled via Booking Com.
Click Here for all hotels in Kyrenia / Girne, Northern
Cyprus
Click Here for all hotels in Famagusta / Gazi
Magosa , Northern
Cyprus
Click Here for all hotels in Nicosia /
Lefkosa in, Northern
& Southern Cyprus
Click here to add new
gay friendly hotels.
Here is a list of the most gay friendly hotels with
a direct link to their Booking Com
pages, thus you can book them instantly or later.
Althea Kalamies Villas Ellinon 34, Protaras
5295, Kıbrıs
Royal Apollonia
- CY 4048, Georgiou 'A 68, Limassol
Amargos Boutique Hotel - Megaro Mitsi St 11, D, Larnaca
Alkisti City Hotel - Ayiou Lazarus Street 1, Larnaca
The Ivi Mare (Adult) - Poseidonos Ave 12, Paphos 8204
Casa Mespilea - Pygmalionos 3, Paphos 8046
Click here to add new
gay friendly hotels.
Cyprus Island is located in the east of Mediterranean
Sea, off the south coast of Turkey and west coast of
Syria. Cyprus Island was within the territories of
Turkish (Ottoman) Empire since 1570, until the British
Empire first took the administrative control of the
Island in 1878 and then annexed it completely during
WWI. It stayed as a British colony until it declared
independent in 1960, when the administration was justly
divided between the Turkish and the Greek Cypriots.
There has been clashes between two societies afterwards,
which became unbearable for the Turkish part when the
nationalist Greek Cypriots and the military dicta regime
in Greece took serious steps to unite the Island with
their motherland Greece. As a result Turkey made
military intervention to Cyprus in 1974, based on its
rights originating from treaties as a guarantor state
and took the control of one-third of the island. Until
then there has been a de facto independent Turkish state
in Northern Cyprus. The Turkish - controlled North took
the name of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus after
declaring independence in 1983, though only recognized
by Turkey officially. A final attempt of uniting the
Island was unsuccessful because the Greek Cypriots
refused the United Nation referendum known as "Annan
Plan" in the year 2004.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is divided into
five districts which are Lefkosa (Nicosia), Magusa (Famagusta),
Girne (Kyrenia), Guzelyurt (Morphou) and Iskele (Trikomo).
Girne is the major tourism district of North Cyprus.
Once upon a time, Girne harbour was lined with
warehouses in which the fruits of the countryside were
stored waiting to be exported. The harbour is currently
used largely for pleasure craft, and the buildings are
now mostly all restaurants, with outdoor tables along
the water. The castle at the east end of the old harbour
is a very spectacular site and within its walls there is
a twelfth century chapel showing reused late Roman
capitals. Bellapais Abbey monastery in the village of
Bellapais is also very significant historical monument
near Girne. A larger harbour is located a few miles east
of the town centre, used by commercial shipping and
ferries from the Turkish mainland.
Famagusta contains spectacular ruins, including a
magnificent amphitheatre, Roman baths, a gymnasium and
royal tombs. The mosaics are particularly beautiful.
Just inland from Famagusta are the church and monastery
dedicated to St. Barnabas, the founder of the apostolic
Cypriot Orthodox Church in 45 AD. Barnabas, a Cypriot
from Salamis who visited the island, accompanied by St.
Paul and St. Mark and was later martyred in Salamis in
52 AD. The church of St. Barnabas is preserved exactly
as it was since abandoned in 1976. Famagusta harbour is
dominated by a great citadel sometimes known as
Othello's Tower in reference to the (fictional) play by
Shakespeare. It contains a splendid 14th century Gothic
Hall. The Venetian Palace was used, after its
destruction in 1571, as a prison during the Ottoman
Empire, and among the prisoners was Namik Kemal, the
National poet of the Ottoman Empire, who was held there
between 1873 and 1876, after having been exiled to
Cyprus by the Sultan. Please visit the Website of
Gazimagusa (Famagusta) Municipality
The capital Lefkosa situated almost in the centre of the
island was divided by the "green line" between the
island's two communities in the south and north
respectively. It is the seat of government as well as
the main business centre. Click here for Official
Website of Municipality of Lefkosa (North Nicosia)
Güzelyurt is a market town in the north-west of the
island. It contains one of the many churches in the
country dedicated to St. Mamas, popularly believed to
have lived as a hermit in a cave near Guzelyurt.
Guzelyurt (Morphou) is home to one of the islands
crossing points, which was opened in 2003 by the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Administrative district of Iskele is encompassing the
northeastern portions of the Gazimagusa district
including the whole of the Karpasia Peninsula (Karpaz
Yarimadasi).
Arrival to Northern Cyprus.
Direct flights to Northern Cyprus are forbidden by the
government of the Greek Cypriots in the south. The
airports of Gecitkale and Ercan are only recognized as
legal ports of entry by Azerbaijan and Turkey, so all
flights to Northern Cyprus must currently be routed via
those countries. The Republic of Cyprus also allows
passage across the Green Line from the part of Nicosia
that it controls (as well as a few other selected
crossing points), since the TRNC does not require a visa
or leave entry stamps for such visits. Cyprus Turkish
Airlines (CTA) operate direct* flights to Ercan, the
airport in North Cyprus, from the UK but flights stop at
Turkey for an hour en-route. Turkish Airlines operate
daily services to North Cyprus from Stansted,
Manchester, Heathrow and twice a week from Dublin. A
change of aircraft is necessary at Istanbul. An
alternative to flying to North Cyprus is to fly to
Larnaca in South Cyprus and ask a friend or take a taxi
to North Cyprus. The extra driving time on the ground
(45 mins) is saved by using a non-stop flight.
Both car and passenger ferries run daily between
Turkey's Mediterranean coast and the port of Girne (Kyrenia)
in northern (Turkish) Cyprus. Most service is to and
from Tasucu, the small port near Silifke (a district of
Mersin Province of Turkey) east of Alanya and west of
Adana on the Turkish Mediterranean coast. Fast catamaran
passenger ferries ("sea bus") depart Girne for Tasucu
every morning at 09:30 am, and depart Tasucu for Girne
at 11:00 am. The voyage takes about two hours and costs
about 40 Euro one-way, or 50-60 Euro for a round-trip..
Slower car ferries depart Girne at 12:00 noon daily
except Sunday, and depart Tasucu at 24:00 midnight daily
except Friday. The voyage takes four or five hours.
Passengers pay somewhat less than on the fast catamaran
passenger ferry. Cars cost around 60 Euro. In summer,
there may also be fast catamaran passenger service
between Girne (Kyrenia) and Alanya (3.5 hours).
Internal Transportation.
Busses, mini-busses, and service taxis ply the routes
between all the towns and many of the larger villages.
Regular taxis are also available. Bus fares are cheap,
and taxis are very reasonable. Whilst public transport
will enable the visitor to enjoy `rubbing shoulders` wit
the locals, those with limited time are advised to hire
a car. Rent-a-car prices are affordable in North Cyprus.
A good inexpensive network of buses and mini-buses
operates between all the main towns, in addition there
are Dolmush (shared taxis) operating on the same routes.
Taxis are widely available but do not carry a meter.
However, there are standard journey charges.
