Where to stay
- Inside the walls — boutique hotels and apartments; everything on foot.
- Just outside the walls (around Eleftheria Square / the commercial centre) — city hotels, easy parking.
- Engomi / Strovolos — larger business hotels in the suburbs.
Food and drink
Nicosia has a lively café and bar culture, especially around Faneromeni and Onasagorou Street. Eat a meze in Laiki Geitonia, and on the north side try a Turkish coffee in the Büyük Han or kebab near the Selimiye Mosque.
Money and practicalities
- The south uses the euro; on the north side prices are in Turkish lira, though euros are often accepted at a less favourable rate. Cards are widely accepted in larger places.
- Do not photograph military posts or UN positions along the buffer zone.
- Many shops close on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons in the south.
Sample plans
One day
Morning at the Cyprus Museum, walk along Ledra Street, cross to the Selimiye Mosque and Büyük Han for lunch, return for coffee at Faneromeni.
Two days
Add the Leventis Museum, a walk around the walls and Famagusta Gate, and an evening in the old-town bars.
From Nicosia
Continue north to Kyrenia and Bellapais (about 30–40 minutes by car), or south-west into the Troodos.
