Catalköy beaches are the golden-sand bays, beach clubs, and quiet coves along the coast at Catalköy, a village on the shore east of Kyrenia (Girne) in North Cyprus. Old maps name the village Agios Epiktitos, and its shoreline runs from the small Diana cove near town out to the free turtle sands of Alagadi in the east.
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 Besparmak (Kyrenia) mountains rise behind the whole stretch, and Catalköy sits close enough to town that a resident can reach a paid club or free sand within a few minutes of home.
- Catalköy has 5 main beaches plus a run of small coves along the Kyrenia coast.
- Acapulco backs the largest aqua park in North Cyprus with 1 km of golden sand.
- Alagadi Turtle Beach is free and protected from 1 May to 31 October for nesting turtles.
- Catalköy sits about 10 to 15 minutes east of Kyrenia by road, with no train.
- Beaches near Catalköy are swimmable from May to October, once the sea holds its warmth.
What beaches are there in Catalköy?
Catalköy has 5 main beaches and a run of small coves: the Shayna Beach club in the village, the natural Lara Beach, the small Diana cove toward town, the resort sand at Acapulco, and the free Alagadi Turtle Beach to the east. Together they cover paid clubs, family sand, and quiet nature.
The best beaches in Catalköy fall into 3 types: beach clubs for a full day, family sand for children, and free nature for a quiet swim. Shayna and Acapulco charge a day fee, Diana rents sunbeds for a small charge, and Alagadi is free to enter. For the full run of sand either side of town, the best beaches in Kyrenia stretch west toward Alsancak as well. The Catalköy beaches North Cyprus buyers ask about most are Shayna and Alagadi, though the village has more range than a single bay. The table below compares them on location, type, entry, and who each one suits.
Shayna Beach
Shayna Beach is the village’s own beach club on a soft, golden-sand bay, with a deck of sun loungers, umbrellas, and cabanas running the length of the shore below the Besparmak (Kyrenia) mountains. A modest day charge covers a lounger, and the water stays calm for swimming and paddleboarding.
On site you get a beach bar, a fish restaurant, a massage service, beach tennis, toilets, disabled access, and free parking, though the spaces fill fast in high summer. The Shayna Beach Catalköy visitors book for a full day turns lively after lunch, with live music and themed party nights. Nearby, Niazi’s Restaurant and the Karsiyaka Meyhane add Turkish meze within a short walk.
Lara Beach
Lara Beach is a natural, largely undeveloped golden-sand stretch on the Catalköy coast, with a beach club fronting part of the sand for a small day fee. Loggerhead turtles nest here, so it stays wilder than the resort beaches and rewards visitors who bring their own water and shade.
Rock pools at one end give children somewhere to explore, while the open sand suits sunbathers and slow swims. There are no lifeguards and the shorebreak can run fast, so the Lara Beach Catalköy nature lovers favour suits confident swimmers rather than small children. Free street parking sits near the entrance, and dogs are not allowed on the sand.
Diana Beach
Diana Beach is a small, sheltered cove west of Catalköy toward Kyrenia, about 5 minutes east of the town centre. A café restaurant sits on the sand, sunbeds and umbrellas rent for a small charge, and the calm, shallow water makes it an easy family choice.
You can hire a water scooter here, and the gentle shelving keeps the swimming safe for young children. The Diana Beach Catalköy families reach in minutes works best for a short, low-key afternoon rather than a full resort day, so it pairs well with a morning elsewhere on the coast.
Acapulco Beach
Acapulco Beach wraps around the Acapulco Resort at the edge of Catalköy, about 4 minutes from the village and roughly 10 km, or 10 minutes, east of Kyrenia. Its 1 km of golden sand backs the largest aqua park in North Cyprus, so it is the coast’s headline family beach.
Non-residents pay a day pass, which covers swimming pools, water slides, and a kids’ play area alongside the sand. Watersports run from jet-skiing to windsurfing and canoeing, and the calm shallows near the shore keep younger children safe. Next door, the quieter Vogue Beach Club offers loungers and ice cream for anyone who wants the same bay at a slower pace.
Alagadi Turtle Beach
Alagadi Turtle Beach sits about 8 minutes east of Catalköy, or 15 to 20 minutes east of Kyrenia along the coast road, roughly 18 km from town. Entry is free, and the beach opens into 2 bays, Alagadi 1 and Alagadi 2, as the district’s principal turtle-nesting shore.
Facilities stay basic: a fish restaurant, a café, and toilets, with no sunbeds, so bring an umbrella and water. The Alagadi beach Catalköy residents treat as their nearest wild sand keeps strict protection rules right through the summer, covered in full below. Of the 2 bays, the eastern one draws swimmers with cleaner, sandier water and clearer snorkelling.
Which is the best beach club in Catalköy?
The best beach club in Catalköy is Shayna Beach, the village’s full-service club with a deck of loungers, a beach bar, a fish restaurant, and live music by a calm, golden bay. Acapulco runs the bigger resort beach next door, and the quieter Vogue Beach Club shares the same stretch of coast.
Each club suits a different day. Shayna is the Catalköy beach club for a lively, social afternoon with food and music, Acapulco pairs its sand with the aqua park for families, and Vogue keeps things slow with loungers and ice cream. West toward Kyrenia and along the same Catalköy strip, Cratos Beach Club adds wooden cabanas and the Cage Club nightclub, while Chamada runs a beach by day and DJ nights in season, so the coast covers everything from a family swim to a late dance.
Warning
Protection runs the length of the season, from 1 May to 31 October.
What makes Alagadi a protected turtle beach?
Alagadi earns its protection as one of North Cyprus’s key sea-turtle nurseries, shared by the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the loggerhead (Caretta caretta). Nesting females haul up the sand from late May, the young dig out from mid-July into September, and the beach carries conservation rules across the whole warm season.
Protection runs the length of the season, from 1 May to 31 October. During those months the sand is off-limits overnight, from 8pm to 8am, artificial light from torches and phone screens is prohibited because it steers hatchlings off course, and the caged, red-marked nests must stay untouched. The turtle beach Catalköy visitors head east for is watched over by the Society for the Protection of Turtles, which cages each clutch and leads guided night walks in summer. Stick to the wet sand, carry your litter out, and keep dogs off the nesting beach.
How do you get to Catalköy’s beaches?
To reach Catalköy’s beaches, drive the coast road east from Kyrenia (Girne): the village sits about 10 to 15 minutes from the town centre, with Diana Beach nearer town and Alagadi about 8 minutes further east. There is no train, so a hire car, taxi, or hotel shuttle is the way in.
From Kyrenia, follow the coast road east through the village, past Shayna and Acapulco, and on to the Alagadi turnoff. Ercan Airport is the closest at about 38 km, roughly 40 minutes by car, while Larnaca in the south sits around 85 km away, about 1 hour 30 minutes. The short, reliable run to the sea is a large part of the appeal of living in Catalköy, where homes sit a few minutes from both the clubs and the quiet coves.
How do you plan a beach day in Catalköy?
To plan a beach day in Catalköy, settle the season and the type of beach before you set off: the beaches near Catalköy are swimmable from May to October, once the sea holds its warmth for long stays. Alagadi’s sand is free, while Shayna and Acapulco charge a day fee.
Costs are easy to read. Alagadi is free, Diana rents sunbeds for a small charge, and each paid Catalköy beach at Shayna or Acapulco sets its own day rate for a lounger and the facilities. Safety needs a little planning, because most of these beaches have no lifeguard and the midday summer sun burns exposed skin quickly, so pack sunscreen, water, and shade. For a change from the sand, the At Ciftligi stables above the village run horse riding, and Baris Beach adds another quiet bay along the shore.
“For anyone living in the village, Catalköy’s beaches are part of the weekly routine, not a fortnight’s treat.”
Why do Catalköy’s beaches matter if you plan to live here?
For anyone living in the village, Catalköy’s beaches are part of the weekly routine, not a fortnight’s treat. A short drive puts a beach club, a family cove, or free turtle sand within reach, and the long May-to-October season keeps the coast in use for half the year.
That everyday access shapes where people buy. Demand for beachfront property in Catalköy holds up where the clubs and coves sit close, because a home here puts the sea within a few minutes. For residents, the mix of paid clubs and free nature means the coast fits any budget, from a towel on the Alagadi sand to a reserved lounger at Shayna.
The bottom line on Catalköy’s beaches
Catalköy works best when you read its coast as a set of choices, not a single beach. Shayna brings the club day with food and music, Acapulco and its aqua park keep children busy, Diana holds a calm cove close to town, and Alagadi guards its sand for the turtles under strict summer rules. Weigh up how far east you want to drive, treat the free bays with the same care as the paid clubs, and this stretch of shore rewards a quick swim, a full holiday, or a home by the sea.
FAQ
Yes, Catalköy has sandy beaches at Shayna, Acapulco, Lara, and Alagadi, with golden sand at each. The Shayna club and the Acapulco resort beach keep groomed sand and facilities, Lara stays natural and undeveloped, and Alagadi runs long and free a few minutes east. Diana adds a small sandy cove toward town.
The best family beach in Catalköy is Acapulco Beach, where about 1 km of golden sand backs the largest aqua park in North Cyprus, swimming pools, and a kids’ play area. Diana Beach suits families wanting a quieter cove with calm, shallow water, and Shayna keeps clean facilities and gentle swimming too.
Yes, Alagadi Turtle Beach a few minutes east of Catalköy is a live nesting ground for green and loggerhead turtles. The best sightings come after dark between late May and September, when females nest and, later, hatchlings scramble to the sea. Book a guided evening walk with the Society for the Protection of Turtles rather than searching the sand alone.
Catalköy is about 10 to 15 minutes east of Kyrenia (Girne) by road, along the coast toward Alagadi. Diana Beach is roughly 5 minutes from the town centre, Acapulco about 10 minutes, and Alagadi 15 to 20 minutes. With no rail line on the island, most visitors arrive by hire car, taxi, or hotel shuttle.
Yes, Catalköy has Shayna Beach as its main beach club, a full-service club with loungers, a beach bar, a fish restaurant, and live music by the bay. The Acapulco resort beach and the quieter Vogue Beach Club share the same coast, while Cratos Beach Club adds cabanas and a nightclub nearby.