The best beaches in Famagusta are the golden sandy bays and beach clubs strung along the east coast of North Cyprus, from the city sand by the Old Town to the family shallows near the Salamis ruins. Famagusta (Gazimagusa) sits on a wide, sweeping bay, so its swimming beaches run north and east of the walled town rather than along the harbour itself.
The best beaches in Famagusta fall into 3 types: city beaches by the Old Town, family sand near Salamis, and beach clubs toward Iskele. Every entry below gives the location, the drive from the city, the facilities on the sand, and whether it charges to enter, so you can match a beach to the day you have in mind.
- Famagusta’s best beaches run along the east coast of North Cyprus, from city sand by the Old Town to family bays near Salamis and beach clubs toward Iskele.
- The public sand is free to enter, and you pay only for a lounger, umbrella, or watersports hire.
- Palm Beach is the closest swim to the walled city, about 15 minutes on foot from the Venetian walls.
- Glapsides and Silver Beach lead for families, with shallow, gently shelving water near Salamis.
- The sea is warm from about May to October, and the coast is busiest through the July and August peak.
The best beaches in Famagusta at a glance
The best beaches in Famagusta, North Cyprus range from the city sand by the Old Town to the family bays near Salamis and the beach clubs toward Iskele. Across Famagusta beaches, North Cyprus keeps its east-coast sand free to enter, and a typical Famagusta beach day pairs a swim with the Old Town or the Salamis ruins. The table below compares the headline beaches on location, type, entry, and who each one suits.
Palm Beach
Palm Beach is the closest sand to the walled Old Town, a soft golden strand on the southern edge of Famagusta Bay next to the fenced Varosha (Maras) ghost town. Loggerhead (caretta) turtles are sometimes seen swimming offshore in the clean water.
The Arkin Palm Beach Hotel fronts part of the sand with a private guest beach, sun loungers, and beachside service, while the open shore gives walkers direct sea access about 15 minutes on foot from the Venetian walls. The fenced Varosha seafront alongside it partially reopened in October 2020, so its promenade can now be walked. Palm Beach suits couples and anyone pairing a swim with a morning in the Old Town.
Glapsides Beach
Glapsides Beach is the liveliest local beach, a wide sandy shore a short drive north of the city, roughly 5 to 8 km out, with shallow water that shelves gently for children. The sand draws a young, active crowd, students among them.
A restaurant, bar, mini market, showers, and sun loungers line the shore, and watersports run through the summer. Entry is free, with a small charge for a lounger or umbrella. The village of Yenibogazici sits inland behind the sand, so Glapsides Beach anchors its own patch of coast a little apart from the town.
Silver Beach
Silver Beach is the pick for snorkelling, a sandy beach a short drive north of the city that shelves gently into the sea beside the ancient city of Salamis. A cafe sits on the shore for the day.
Offshore, a shallow reef with a lagoon and the submerged ruins of an old building give snorkellers something to explore, and the calm, less crowded water suits families. Its position next to Salamis makes it an easy stop after touring the ruins.
Salamis Beach
Salamis Beach is the watersports beach by the ruins, a fine-sand public shore at the entrance to the ancient city, known locally around Bedi’s bar. Two beach cafes sit on the front.
Sun loungers line the sand, and operators hire out banana rides, pedalos, and jet skis through the summer, so the beach pairs an active day on the water with a walk around the Salamis site. Clean, shallow sea keeps it comfortable for families between activities.
Derinya Public Beach
Derinya Public Beach is the municipal beach on the Varosha side, a tidy public strand about 8 km from the centre that reopened to the public in 2019. It runs about 240 metres along the shore.
The municipality keeps 240 sun loungers, restaurants, and buffets on the sand, and the beach opens from 08:00 to 22:00 in season. Easy access and full facilities make it a straightforward family choice close to the city.
Kocareis Beach
Kocareis Beach is the quiet alternative north of the centre, an open, natural sandy shore with clean water and few facilities. It draws people after a calmer swim away from the busier family beaches.
With little on the sand beyond the view, it rewards anyone who brings water and shade for a low-key afternoon. The relaxed, low-density feel makes it a local favourite for a slow morning by the sea.
Which are the best beach clubs in Famagusta?
Famagusta’s best beach clubs are Lush Beach Club and Pera Beach Club, the 2 standout venues that pair sunbeds and a pool with food, music, and sea views. Both sit on the coast north and east of the city rather than in the town itself.
Each works as a full-day destination that runs from a calm afternoon on the loungers into a lively evening, so the choice comes down to the mood you want.
Lush Beach Club
Lush Beach Club is the sunset club at the Long Beach Resort, on the Long Beach coast toward Iskele about 18 km north of Famagusta. By day it is a calm pool-and-lounger sanctuary with Mediterranean views.
The Lush Beach Club Famagusta visitors head to turns livelier after dark, with dancing under the stars to oriental, contemporary, and Caribbean music, and it claims one of the best sunsets on the island. Resort guests enter free, and it works best as a long afternoon-into-evening stop.
Pera Beach Club
Pera Beach Club is the show club at the Grand Sapphire Resort, a shoreline venue on the Famagusta coast with a relaxed daytime feel and a livelier evening. It leans on live entertainment once the sun drops.
As a Famagusta beach club, Pera runs live shows on Wednesdays and Saturdays with professional dancers, violinists, and singers, so an afternoon on the sunbeds rolls into a night of music. It suits visitors who want the evening to match the swim.
“Golden Beach at the tip of the Karpaz peninsula keeps about 5 km of pristine, protected orange-brown sand, home to wild donkeys and nesting turtles.”
Which beaches lie near Famagusta toward Iskele and Karpaz?
The best beaches near Famagusta stretch north and east toward Iskele and the Karpaz (Karpas) peninsula, from the wide golden sand of Long Beach to the wild dunes of Golden Beach. Each rewards a short drive out of the city.
Long Beach, on the coast toward Iskele, runs for a long, unbroken stretch of golden sand backed by an open-air theatre, cycle paths, sports grounds, and restaurants, and it is the base for the Lush and Pera beach clubs. Bogaz Harbour, an old fishing village a little further on, adds fish restaurants over a working harbour.
Bafra, about 9 km beyond Bogaz, gathers 2 large luxury hotels with full beach facilities and a smart resort strand. Further out, Golden Beach at the tip of the Karpaz peninsula keeps about 5 km of pristine, protected orange-brown sand, home to wild donkeys and nesting turtles, and rewards the longer trip with near-empty dunes.
How do you plan a beach day in Famagusta?
To plan a beach day in Famagusta, pick a stretch of coast and a way to reach it: the city sand sits by the Old Town, the family beaches gather north near Salamis, and a hire car or minibus (dolmus) links them. The sea is warm from about May to October.
Warning
Most beaches have no lifeguards, and the midday summer sun burns exposed skin in about 10 minutes. Carry sunscreen, water, and shade.
The beaches are busiest through the July and August peak, so an early start finds space and shade. There is no train, so most people drive or take a Salamis-route minibus, and the coast is about 45 minutes from Ercan Airport and roughly 1 hour from Kyrenia (Girne). Visitors often build a Famagusta beach day around the things to do in Famagusta, swimming in the morning and touring the Old Town, the Venetian walls, or the Salamis ruins by afternoon.
Safety needs a little planning. Most beaches have no lifeguards, and the midday summer sun burns exposed skin in about 10 minutes, so carry sunscreen, water, and shade. Costs are easy to read: the public sand is free, a lounger or umbrella costs a small fee, and the beach clubs charge a day fee or admit resort guests.
Why do Famagusta’s beaches matter if you plan to live here?
Famagusta’s beaches matter to residents because they turn the coast into a year-round part of daily life, not a summer treat. Free public sand a short drive away, from the city shore to the quieter bays near Salamis, shapes weekends from spring through autumn.
That everyday access to the sea is a large part of the appeal of living in Famagusta, where homes sit minutes from both the city beaches and the calmer sand toward Salamis. The long warm season keeps the coast usable for half the year, and the mix of free sand and paid clubs means a beach day fits any budget, from a towel on public sand to a reserved lounger at a club.
The student market and beach-close property
Eastern Mediterranean University drives the city’s rental market, an English-medium campus established in 1979 that reports around 20,000 students (EMU). Its student body keeps demand steady the year round.
That scale, published by the university (EMU), keeps beach-close flats letting well through the year alongside holiday lets, so Famagusta property near the coast draws buyers as well as holidaymakers. Entry prices here generally run lower than on the Kyrenia coast, which is a large part of the east-coast appeal for a first purchase.
The bottom line on Famagusta’s beaches
Famagusta rewards anyone who reads its coast as a set of choices rather than one beach. Palm Beach puts sand within a walk of the Old Town, Glapsides and Silver draw families to shallow water near Salamis, the Lush and Pera clubs run the lively end, and the sands toward Iskele and Karpaz reward a longer drive. Point yourself north from the walls, respect the free public sand as much as the paid clubs, and the east coast works for a day trip, a holiday, or a life beside the sea.
FAQ
The best beaches in Famagusta are Palm Beach, Glapsides, Silver Beach, and Salamis Beach, strung from the Old Town shore north toward the Salamis ruins. Palm Beach is closest to the walled city, Glapsides is the liveliest, Silver Beach is best for snorkelling, and Salamis Beach leads for watersports.
Yes, Famagusta has 2 main beach clubs, Lush and Pera. Lush Beach Club sits at the Long Beach Resort toward Iskele, with a pool by day and music at night, while Pera Beach Club at the Grand Sapphire Resort runs live shows on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Both charge a day fee or admit resort guests.
Glapsides Beach is a short drive north of Famagusta, roughly 5 to 8 km along the coast toward Salamis. There is no train, so a hire car or a Salamis-route minibus (dolmus) is the usual way to reach it. Ercan Airport is about 45 minutes away.
Yes, Famagusta’s public beaches are free to enter, from Palm Beach to Glapsides, Silver Beach, and Long Beach. You pay only for a sun lounger or umbrella, or for watersports hire. The beach clubs, Lush and Pera, charge a day fee or admit resort guests instead.
The best family beaches in Famagusta are Glapsides and Silver Beach, where shallow, gently shelving water and sun loungers suit younger children. Glapsides adds a restaurant, bar, and mini market on the sand, while Silver Beach offers calm water and snorkelling next to the Salamis ruins. Both have free entry.
Yes, you can swim near the Old Town at Palm Beach, the closest sand to the walled city on the southern edge of Famagusta Bay. The soft golden shore sits about 15 minutes’ walk from the Venetian walls, next to the fenced Varosha district. Loggerhead turtles are sometimes seen offshore.