Car Rental in Kyrenia (Girne): Where to Drive, Where to Park, What to See

Kyrenia — Girne to everyone who lives here — is the postcard version of North Cyprus: a Venetian harbour, a crusader castle, and the Beşparmak mountains rising straight up behind the town. It is also where most visitors stay, which makes car rental in Kyrenia the most requested service we run.

Why you want a rental car in Girne

The harbour and the old town are walkable. Almost nothing else is. Bellapais Abbey is up a hill. St Hilarion Castle is up a bigger hill. The good beaches spread east and west along a coast road with no useful public transport. If you rent a car in Girne, all of that is a fifteen to thirty minute drive; without one, each becomes a negotiated taxi fare.

Free delivery to your Kyrenia hotel or villa

We deliver rental cars anywhere in Kyrenia free of charge — hotels on the coast road, apartments in the centre, villas up in Çatalköy, Ozanköy and Bellapais. Give us the address and a time; we hand over the keys there. Most customers landing at Ercan take Ercan Airport car rental with free delivery instead and simply drive over the pass, which takes about 30 minutes.

Which car to choose for Kyrenia

• Economy car — the right answer for most couples. The old town's lanes are narrow and parking is tight; a small car is a genuine advantage here.
• Standard / family car — more comfortable for four people plus luggage on the mountain pass.
• SUV — worth it if you are heading up to the hill villages, or continuing east to Esentepe and the Karpaz.
• Automatic — strongly recommended if you are not used to driving on the left. The climb out of Kyrenia involves a lot of gear changes you do not need to be thinking about.

Parking in Kyrenia

There is paid parking near the harbour and free street parking a few minutes' walk back from it. Avoid driving directly into the harbour lanes in high season — park on the ring road and walk down; it is faster and considerably less stressful.

Drives worth doing from Kyrenia

• St Hilarion Castle — 20 minutes up the mountain, the best view on the island.
• Bellapais Abbey — 15 minutes, a Gothic ruin above the village Lawrence Durrell wrote about.
• Alagadi (Turtle) Beach — 25 minutes east, nesting green turtles in summer.
• Esentepe and the golf coast — 40 minutes east on a fast coastal road.
• Nicosia — 30 minutes south over the pass, for the walled capital.

Booking car rental in Kyrenia

Pick your dates, choose a vehicle, and tell us where in Girne to bring it. Comprehensive insurance is included, delivery is free, and support is available on WhatsApp in English, Turkish, Russian and German for the length of your rental.