Bahceli beaches are the free turtle sands, rocky swimming coves, and resort shoreline along the coast below Bahceli village, in the Kyrenia district of North Cyprus. The village sits on the northeast coast road about 25 to 30 minutes east of Kyrenia (Girne), right beside Alagadi Turtle Beach, so its swimming spots run from protected nesting sand to a private resort lagoon.
Each beach below gives its location, the drive from Kyrenia, the facilities on the sand, and whether it charges to enter, so you can match one to the day you have in mind. The Bahceli beach North Cyprus travellers picture is quieter and rockier than the resort strands west of town, with clearer water for snorkelling and the Kyrenia (Besparmak) mountains standing behind the whole shore.
- Bahceli has 3 named swimming spots and a string of quiet coves in the Kyrenia district of North Cyprus.
- The village sits about 25 to 30 minutes east of Kyrenia, right beside Alagadi Turtle Beach.
- Turtle protection runs from 1 May to 31 October, when the sand is off-limits between 8pm and 8am.
- Bahceli Beach is a rocky stretch of about 600 metres that needs aqua shoes, not soft sand.
What beaches are there at Bahceli?
Bahceli has 3 named swimming spots and a string of quiet coves: the free, protected Alagadi Turtle Beach beside the village, the rocky Bahceli Beach itself, and the private shore at the Deja Blue eco-resort. The coast here trades sand for clear water and calm, well away from the busier clubs west of Kyrenia.
The beaches near Bahceli divide into free nature and private resort. Alagadi and the rocky Bahceli Beach cost nothing to enter, while the Deja Blue shore stays with the resort’s residents and guests. For the wider run of sand either side of town, the best beaches in Kyrenia stretch west along the Alsancak and Catalköy coast. The table below compares the Bahceli beaches on location, type, entry, and who each one suits.
Alagadi Turtle Beach
Alagadi Turtle Beach sits a short drive west of Bahceli, about 15 to 20 minutes east of Kyrenia and roughly 18 km along the coast road. Entry is free, and the long sand splits into 2 bays known locally as Alagadi 1 and Alagadi 2.
On-site amenities are minimal: a fish restaurant, a cafe, and toilets, but no loungers for hire, so pack shade and drinking water. Of the 2 bays, the eastern one wins swimmers over with cleaner, sandier water and clearer snorkelling, while a diesel power station sits set back behind the western end. As the district’s principal turtle-nesting shore, Alagadi keeps strict protection rules through the warmer months, set out in full below.
Bahceli Beach
Bahceli Beach is the village’s own rocky shore, a strip of about 600 metres of unspoilt coast roughly 25 to 30 minutes east of Kyrenia. There is no infrastructure here, only nature, so it stays quiet even in high summer.
The descent into the water is gentle but stony, so aqua shoes make entry comfortable and guard against sea urchins on the rocks. Clear, calm water and rocky ledges make this a strong spot for snorkelling and slow swims rather than sunbathing on sand.
Deja Blue Beach
Deja Blue Beach is the private shoreline of the Deja Blue eco-wellness resort at Bahceli, built around a sheltered turquoise lagoon. The resort keeps a beach bar, an a la carte restaurant serving organic food, water sports, and natural biological pools along the sea.
The beach and its facilities stay with the resort’s residents and holiday guests rather than day visitors, so there is no published day-entry fee. For anyone staying at or buying into the resort, it is the most equipped stretch of the Bahceli beachfront.
The coastal coves
The Bahceli coves are the small rock and pebble inlets scattered along the village shore, a few signposted and others reached on foot down the coast road. They give solitude and clear water well away from the resort strands nearer Kyrenia.
Bahceli swimming here suits confident swimmers and snorkellers: the entries are stony rather than sandy, the water is calm, and the sea life is easy to spot in the shallows. Pack water, shade, and sturdy footwear, because the coves carry no facilities.
“The coast here trades sand for clear water and calm, well away from the busier clubs west of Kyrenia.”
Is there a beach club at Bahceli?
No, Bahceli has no large commercial beach club of its own, which is part of its quiet appeal. The nearest full club scene sits a short drive either side: the Korineum Golf and Beach Resort about 10 minutes east, and the Catalköy clubs, such as Acapulco and Cratos, west toward Kyrenia.
The one exception in the village is the Deja Blue resort, whose beach bar and water sports work as a private Bahceli beach club for residents and guests. Day visitors who want loungers, music, and a full bar head to Korineum or the Catalköy strip, while Bahceli itself keeps its shore natural and low-key.
Warning
During those months the sand is off-limits between 8pm and 8am, torch and phone light is prohibited because it disorients the hatchlings, and the marked nests ringed with red cages must be left completely alone.
What makes Alagadi a protected turtle beach?
Alagadi is protected because it ranks among North Cyprus’s most important nesting beaches for 2 endangered sea turtles, the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the loggerhead (Caretta caretta). Egg-laying females come ashore from late May, their hatchlings break out from mid-July into September, and conservation rules cover the beach for the whole season.
Protection runs from 1 May to 31 October. During those months the sand is off-limits between 8pm and 8am, torch and phone light is prohibited because it disorients the hatchlings, and the marked nests ringed with red cages must be left completely alone. The Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT) checks every nest, frees hatchlings after dark, and leads guided night walks all summer from its Alagadi base, bookable each day. Check the latest walk times with SPOT before heading over. Stick to the wet sand, take your rubbish with you, and keep dogs away, so this protected shore stays safe for the turtles.
Where is Bahceli and how do you reach the beaches?
Bahceli sits on the northeast coast of North Cyprus, about 25 to 30 minutes east of Kyrenia (Girne) by road, short of Esentepe. There is no train or regular bus, so a hire car, taxi, or resort shuttle is the way in, and Ercan Airport is around 40 minutes away.
From Kyrenia, follow the coast road east through Catalköy, past the Alagadi turnoff, and up to Bahceli village, where side lanes drop to the shore and the coves. Ercan is the closest airport at about 33 km, roughly 45 minutes by car, while Larnaca in the south sits around 75 km away, about 1 hour 30 minutes. The easy run down to the sea is a large part of the appeal of living in Bahceli north cyprus, where homes sit a few minutes from both the turtle sands and the quiet coves.
How do you plan a beach day at Bahceli?
To plan a beach day at Bahceli, pick the season and a beach type first: the best beaches Kyrenia coast offers east of Girne swim well from May to October, when the sea is warm enough for long stays. The free sand at Alagadi and the rocky Bahceli Beach cost nothing, while the Deja Blue shore stays private.
Costs stay easy to read. Alagadi and Bahceli Beach are free, the coves charge nothing, and only the Deja Blue resort keeps its beach for residents and guests. Safety needs a little thought, because these beaches carry no lifeguard and the midday summer sun burns exposed skin quickly, so pack sunscreen, water, and shade. Bring aqua shoes too, since the Bahceli shore and its coves are stony rather than sandy.
Why do Bahceli’s beaches matter if you plan to live here?
Bahceli’s beaches matter to residents because they turn the coast into a year-round part of daily life, not a 2-week holiday. A short drive reaches free turtle sand, a rocky snorkelling cove, or a resort lagoon, and the reliable May-to-October weather keeps the shore usable for half the year.
That everyday access shapes where people buy. Demand for beachfront property in Bahceli holds up where the coves and the Deja Blue shore sit close, because a home here puts the sea within a few minutes. For residents, the mix of free nature and a private resort beach means the coast fits any budget, from a towel on the rocks to a lounger by the lagoon.
The bottom line on Bahceli’s beaches
Bahceli rewards anyone who treats its coast as quiet nature rather than a resort strip. The free Alagadi sand keeps its bays for the turtles under strict summer rules, the rocky Bahceli Beach and its coves reward snorkellers, and the Deja Blue lagoon adds a private resort option. Point yourself east of Kyrenia, respect the protected sand as much as the coves, and the Bahceli shore works for a day trip, a holiday, or a life beside the sea.
FAQ
Yes, you can swim at Bahceli beaches, though the water is rocky rather than sandy underfoot at the village shore. Alagadi Turtle Beach offers open sand and calm bays, the Bahceli Beach shore and its coves suit snorkelling over rock, and the Deja Blue lagoon gives sheltered swimming for resort guests. Aqua shoes make stony entries comfortable.
No, Bahceli’s own beach is a rocky 600-metre stretch that needs aqua shoes, not soft sand. The nearest true sand is Alagadi Turtle Beach a few minutes west, which splits into 2 bays of open, protected sand. Most Bahceli swimming happens off the rocks and in the coves.
Bahceli is about 25 to 30 minutes east of Kyrenia (Girne) by road, along the coast through Catalköy. Alagadi Turtle Beach, beside the village, is roughly 18 km from town. There is no train, so a hire car, taxi, or resort shuttle is the usual way to reach the coast.
You can see turtles at Alagadi Turtle Beach next to Bahceli from late May to September, during the nesting and hatching season. Females lay eggs from late May, and hatchlings emerge from mid-July into September. The Society for the Protection of Turtles runs guided night walks and dusk hatchling releases through the summer, so evening is the time to visit.
Yes, the main Bahceli beaches are free to enter, including Alagadi Turtle Beach and the rocky village shore and its coves. You pay nothing for the sand itself. The exception is the Deja Blue eco-resort, whose private beach and bar stay with its residents and holiday guests.