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Camping in North Cyprus

We get asked a lot about cheaper accommodation options available in North Cyprus and indeed there is plenty to choose from these days apart from the obvious resort style hotels and the more luxury hotel end of the market.

One such question led to investigating the North Cyprus camping scene and what was on offer for those who wanted the ultimate in budget accommodation!  There are various options and places open for those wishing to pitch a tent and sleep in, shall we say a more natural environment! Joking aside, North Cyprus is a pretty ideal location for those who just want the freedom of travelling the island and sleeping where they want, within reason of course.

Generally speaking, there is no real limitation on where you can pitch a tent here, and we have seen the odd one man tent on the more remote beaches in North Cyprus, so it’s not unfeasible to go completely off the beaten track and do your own thing. However, one word of warning (well two actually!) and that is, never light fires unless you are in an authorised site, and try not to camp near to a military zone or you might find the odd soldier or two shining their torches into your abode asking what you are doing! You will find military zoned areas all over North Cyprus presently, and that does include beach areas, so if you are looking to bed down for the night it’s a good idea to have a reccy before pitching to make sure you aren’t encroaching!  You can spot military zones in North Cyprus usually by fencing and signage (the pic here should explain!).

If you would prefer to go camping in style then there are several camping sites in North Cyprus which at least cater for the more basic needs in life such as electric, washing facilities, and have the locality to be able to have a meal and a beer or two should you wish. It’s worth noting however that they may not be of the same standard as you might expect from other European countries, and some of them actually have caravan sections that have seen better days, but if its versatility you want and you are not concerned about mod cons then it’s a great option to consider.

There are currently six camp sites mainly located toward to the east of North Cyprus, ALL close to the beach and with facilities available:

Iskele – Onur Camping – located north of Famagusta.
Kaplica – Kaplica Belediye Camping (local council run site) – located just north of Kantara Castle and near to the eco-tourism village of Büyükkonuk.
Kumyalı – Pelikan Camping – located north of the main town of Mehmetçik.
Lapta – Incirli Camping – on the western coastal road this is the more touristy side of camping with bars and restaurants nearby.
Salamis – Salamis Camping – located just outside Famagusta; this is a good base for sightseeing campers.
Yeni Erenköy – Yeni Erenköy Belediye Camping (local council run site) – the northern most site entering into the Karpaz region.

These sites are all available for those wishing to stay a night or more and to pitch your tent should cost you around 25TL (approx £10) per night at the time of writing.

There are other options too though with some of the more budget beach accommodation facilities offering you the opportunity of renting a tent for your stay on those lovely golden beaches in the Karpaz! Try Burhans Golden Beach which is located on the wonderful Golden Beach itself – there are two types of tent to choose from and prices include breakfast, so you don’t need to be totally lost as to where to find supplies when you wake up hungry!

There are many other places dotted around the Karpaz region that can offer camping facilities so perhaps it may be worthwhile looking around to see what’s on offer at the time your are visiting. It really is a wonderful sight to behold if you are lucky enough to be camped on a beach where turtles come to nest – imagine sitting outside your tent and being able to see the arrival of a turtle and the laying of their eggs – but whatever you do, do not disturb them!

Alternatively if you would like to join a group of people who enjoy the complete camping experience then you can always book a camping holiday too! You could try Onur Tourism who organise camping trips – we couldn’t find a website or email address unfortunately but you can call them by phone at +90 (0)392 227 6898 or 223 1704.

So if you fancy a holiday with very little limitation on where you can stay, and a holiday which could prove very cost effective then why not give camping a try – you might just get completely carried away with the freedom of it!

For more information on accommodation options and the various places to stay in North Cyprus then please check our Hotels in North Cyprus section for more information and articles.