Ferries to Syria and Lebanon from North Cyprus
October 16, 2009 by Essential Ed
Filed under North Cyprus Living, Transport
We have had a few people recently ask about the option of travelling to Syria or Lebanon via North Cyprus (and vice versa of course!). Despite their own troubles these countries remain appealing places to visit for intrepid travellers, so we have delved a littler deeper for you.
The service was started in 2007 by the Akgünler maritime company here in North Cyprus and the timetable has since run for the months of May through to the end of September. Originally the route just went from Famagusta to the Syrian port of Latakia (or Al Ladhiqiyah to those from Syria). However, it has since expanded to incorporate the Lebanese port of Tripoli (or Tarabulus to those from Lebanon) at the northern tip of the country. Hence you can now travel to both countries should you wish, with ferries to Lebanon sailing via Syria.
Sailings at the time of writing departed from Famagusta every Monday at 12 noon and return from Latakia every Thursday at 11am. There were no timings for Tripoli though as the service had finished when we enquired but will start again in 2010.
Ticket prices for a return journey to Syria cost $310 per person and to Lebanon $155. Hotel accommodation could be arranged via their partners if required. Total journey time is around three and a half hours, making it a pretty short journey if you are looking for a short break holiday.
The service has run into some difficulties in form of objections from south Cyprus, who have raised issue with the fact that Lebanon has allowed transport links with an unrecognised state, but as it is not a direct link yet, the Lebanese government are happy to let the service continue. Plans by Akgünler are however afoot to obtain a direct ferry link in the future.
So, unfortunately even though this article is a little late for you to catch a ferry this year, keep your ears alert for the start of the new season next year. To find out more about the service you can check Akgünlers website, or for more general information check out our article on Ferry Boat travel to and from North Cyprus.
hello, how can i confirmed a cyprus visa issued to me on my behalf ,i am from nigeria and seeking to relocate to cyprus?? thx
Hi there,
We don’t believe that North Cyprus has an embassy or consultate in Nigeria, so you would need to talk to your local embassy representative to see how you can obtain a visa prior to travelling. Obviously Nigeria is not in the EU so you would need to have a visa to come here before arriving. Hope this helps.
Check our article on Visas & Permits for more information - http://essentialcyprus.com/visas-for-north-cyprus.
hi, thanks for the info. I’m from Japan, interested in traveling through Cyprus to Syria or Lebanon. The article says “but will start again in 2010.” though is it working now? any new info? I hope to know if it’s available. thanks.
Hi there Marie,
Unfortunately we are not aware of when the timetable may start again - we have emailed Akgunler and hope to be able to update you shortly. When we find out we will also email you off-line with more info.
Many thanks - ed
Hi - thank you very much for the useful information. do you know if the ferry between cyprus and syria has a car service (i.e. can i put my car on the ferry?).
Hi Enrico,
As far as we know from last years ferries, it is just foot passengers only. This may change in the future. We will attempt to get some clarification for you though!