Kyrenia North Cyprus | Kyrenia — pros for living there, moving, and buying property
We share interesting details about life in Kyrenia: how comfortable it is for foreigners to live here, whether real estate costs a lot, and how about entertainment, medicine, and education.
If you are considering Kyrenia as a place to move to permanent residence, to invest in real estate, this review may be useful for you and give you some valuable insights. It will give an idea of the city as a whole and how profitable it is to buy real estate here.
Life in Kyrenia. What you need to know if you are going to buy a property in Kyrenia
Kyrenia, or Girne (as the town is called in Turkish) is a picturesque resort in Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
The port city, stretching between the sea coast and mountains, is the center of the district of the same name.
A little more than 30 thousand people live in the city itself. The main source of income comes from tourism, so there are many hotels, cafes, and entertainment venues in Kyrenia.
There are many foreigners in Kyrenia, including those who have come here over the last year and a half.
These are mostly British, German, and Scandinavian pensioners, as well as young overseas families with children, so there is a big diversity of international communities in the area.
In Northern Cyprus, foreigners are attracted by the mild Mediterranean climate with 300 sunny days a year, the security of life, stunning scenery, and affordable prices.
Sea and Beaches in Kyrenia
In Kyrenia itself, there are no beaches from the classical point of view.
In addition, Turkish military installations are located on the coast, making it difficult to access the sea. But you can find a place to swim, of course. For example, 10 km to the east of the city there is a fashionable beach of the Acapulco Beach Hotel with a gentle and sandy shore, the only thing to remember is that there is an entry fee for the beach.
Don't want to pay? Then head a little further east to Alagadi Beach. It is located in a protected area, however, the main rule for visiting the place is not to disturb the turtles living there and not touch their masonry.
Escape Beach is another popular beach with an entry fee, located 9 km west of Kyrenia. People often come there to go diving. A little further, a kilometer to the west of the city, there is another beach called Denizkizi Beach. It belongs to the hotel, it is well-equipped and suitable for families.
Transport Infrastructure in Kyrenia
Ercan Airport is located 42 km away from Kyrenia. It only accepts flights from Turkey: Antalya, Istanbul, and so on.
The order of entry should be taken carefully and thought over in advance: due to the partially recognized status of Northern Cyprus, entry through Southern Cyprus will not allow you to get a residence permit in Kyrenia and other areas of the TRNC in the future.
At the same time, Southern Cyprus does not recognize arrivals at Ercan Airport, which is why some tourists have difficulties obtaining a Schengen visa in the future. It is more convenient to get from the airport by taxi or by rented car.
As for public transport in Kyrenia, you can only rely on minibusses (dolmus), and they go mainly along the main street of the city, without turning anywhere. Therefore, for comfortable travel throughout and about the city, you have to use a taxi or a car.
P, BecausericesBecause for Food, Mobile Services and Rentals in Kyrenia
Due to the fact that for a long time Cyprus was a British colony, not only Turkish lira (the official currency) but also pounds are used here.
In pounds sterling, prices are indicated for everything: real estate in Kyrenia, cars, and rental housing. In stores, you can pay in US dollars and euros, but you receive ve change in lira, and the exchange rate does not differ much from the bank one.
It is more profitable to buy vegetables and fruit in the market in Kyrenia, which is open on Wednesdays in the city center.
If you buy in supermarkets, a grocery basket for a week for a family of three people is going to come to 1500-1700 lira (80-90 dollars).
If you miss the products from your homeland, check out the Three Bears, which is a store with a deli department where you can find dumplings, kvas, salted fish and much more.
Mobile service and connection in Kyrenia are provided by two main operators: Turkcell and Telsim.
There is a Multimax provider for home Internet; an annual connection at maximum speed costs $ 240. ISo that your SIM card keeps working for three months after entry, you need to register your smartphone using IMEI and pay customs duty.
The newer and more expensive the phone is, the higher the tax rate gets.
More often, for those who come to Kyrenia to rent real estate for the first time, it is quite clear what they have to do: they first need to take a closer look at the country and districts, assess the prospects, and then make a decision to buy real estate.
A two-room apartment in the suburbs (2 bedrooms + a living room) with a pool in the courtyard and two bathrooms will cost about $350-400 per month, in the city - $600. You will have to pay at least $ 1,400 for a villa every month, and, of course, if you are lucky to find such a price.
You can rent a car in Kyrenia for about $ 20-25 a day if we talk about a long-term rental of a decent foreign car.
If you stay in TRSU for more than 90 days, it will be more profitable to buy a car, a simple old car in good condition ffor$5,000. To re-register the ownership of the car, you have to go to the tax office and it takes no more than 15 minutes, not counting your waiting in a line.
It usually takes about a month to obtain a local driver's license. This is also applied to citizens of other countries who have a corresponding bilateral agreement with Turkey. Do not forget: the traffic in Kyrenia is left-hand, the cars are of right-hand drive, so at first you have to get used to it.
Education Establishments in Kyrenia
If you plan to move to Kyrenia with children of preschool and school age, you are probably worried about how the educational system works here. Foreigners with a residence permit are willingly taken to the state Turkish school.
But you should bear in mind that the school certificate will be recognized only in Turkey and in the TRNC, that is, in Northern Cyprus.
Is it good? You decide it is totally up to you. All in all, if you plan to settle down here and put your roots, then there is nothing wrong with that because after finishing school, the child will be able to enter a Turkish university.
And universities in Turkey are famous for their hihigh-qualityducation at a very affordable tuition fees. There is an opportunity to enroll for free.
There is also paid private education in Kyrenia. Expensive, but worth it. Education in a private school begins at the age of five and lasts for 13 years, that is until the child reaches the age of 18.
At private schools (the best of them is The English School of Kyrenia, Necat British College,d Doga International School) tuition fees vary from $250 to $400 per month, the price grows every year and reaches $7000-8000 per year by the senior classes.
Education in private schools is conducted in two languages: Turkish and English.
At The English School of Kyrenia and Necat British College, an English certificate is issued, with which the doors to the top universities in the world are opened: Oxford, Cambridge, or Harvard.
For a graduate who received pure English from native speakers and all-around development, the chances of getting a place at university are quite high.
Universities in Kyrenia
The most popular and largest is Girne American University. It was founded in 1985, there were only 7 students in the first year.
Now more than 18 thousand students study here. There are many faculties, only for engineering specialties there are 7 of them, and there are also faculties of business and economics, law, medicine, architecture,e and dozens of others.
Medical Care in Kyrenia
As in Turkey, Northern Cyprus has a very decent level of free medical care.
There are both public and private clinics, equally well equipped. Private medical institutions specialize in laser surgery, IVF, infertility treatment, and aesthetic surgery.
Some clinics offer services under the membership system: for relatively small contributions, both foreigners with a residence operand mit land residents can receive medical care in a certain category (for example, in cardiology) at a discount.
Most medical services can be obtained free of charge or at a good discount, but only if you have insurance.
Everyone has to pay for dentistry without exception, but the prices are affordable - Europeans often come to Kyrenia and other cities of Northern Cyprus to treat their teeth and get implants.
Tourist Attractions in Kyrenia
Tourists in Kyrenia do not get bored, as there is a lot to go and to see the Bellapais Abbey in the village of the same name, the castle of St. Hilarion, which offers a magnificent view of the entire city.
You should old port of Girne, where the townspeople get together in the evenings to watch the sunset.
There is little entertainment for children under the open sun in Kyrenia: playgrounds mainly consist of simple slides and playhouses.
There are several Kidofarm entertainment centers with labyrinths and slot machines. There are no zoos or large water parks (except for hotels) because the city mainly focuses on beach holidays - quiet, relaxing, and peaceful.
Residential Areas in Kyrenia
The city consists of districts, and each of them has its advantages for buying real estate, for living, and for renting.
Karaoğlanoğlu is a modern area for young people, it is a place where the largest university is located. There are always a lot of students here, life is in full swing, and coffee shops, barbershops, and nightclubs work.
If you want to profitably invest in real estate in Kyrenia at a relatively low cost, choose this area - there will be no problems with renting, there are many students, and the university campus cannot accommodate everyone.
Karşıyaka — this prestigious area was chosen by European pensioners, mostly British, and English is spoken here almost more often than TurkiThe Primorskyrsky district is built up with respectable villas and hotels.
Edremit is a central area near the old city. Real estate here is expensive but is quickly paid off, as the prices rise every year. Real estate is in great demand for both renting and purchasing. The area is built in the same style.
Alsancak is a quiet cottage village within a 10-minute drive from the old town. There is a private school Necat British College, a botanical garden, cafes with national cuisine, and a small vegetable market. For real estate investment, this area of Kyrenia is ideal.
Lapta is a suburb of Kyrenia, there is a large water park, so many foreigners with children choose this area for rent. The town is divided into two parts, old and new, famous for its hotels and stunning beaches. Kyrenia is about a 10-minute drive from there.
Kyrenia is a wonderful place where visitors bask in the sunshine and the goodwill of the locals. There is an almost zero crime rate here, the only thing to be afraid of is that you can be cheated in a store or cafe.
There are no high-rise buildings in Kyrenia, the maximum height of buildings is 5 floors. Such construction contributes to the development of suburban infrastructure, due to foreigners moving for permanent residence, the city is growing and prospering.
Well, if you want to move to Turkey for permanent residence you can see our real estate offers or just contact us by WhatsApp at +905321584244.
Our team of experts will find the best deals for you in the shortest time!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay updated on the most relevant events from life, real estate statstatestat,e and relocation in Turkey.
We know and talk about what others don't know or don't talk about!
