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NCI North Cyprus Property Investment Zones
NCI has created North Cyprus Property Zones to help overseas property buyers make sense of the pricing differences between the different North Cyprus areas. These property zones also help property seekers identify the right area for their search, as different property area zones are suitable for different types of investors and lifestyle buyers. This article is to help you choose the zone which is right for your property purchase.
Where are the different North Cyprus Property Zones?
An overseas property buyer can purchase a property anywhere in North Cyprus! However, NCI recommends focussing your property search primarily on the North Coast areas with metropolitan Kyrenia Town as the central hub – stretching from rural Tatlisu on the east side, to rural Kayalar on the west side.
Realistically priced properties in these areas will offer the safest investment in terms of capital growth, all year and/or holiday let income as well as the ability to resell your property whenever you wish. The best investment zones are those which are near the coast, have good access to airports and are close to the type of established infrastructure and facilties which ex pats expect.
We have colour coded the zones to help our clients easily distinguish the zone labels on our website properties. The NCI Property Investment Zones are:
- CENTRAL LOCATION ZONE (including CENTRAL PRIME ZONE). Catalkoy to Lapta, with Bellapais and Ozankoy as Central Prime.
- COASTAL PRIME ZONE (Esentepe, Bahceli going east – Karsiyaka going west)
- RURAL COAST (Tatlisu, Kayalar)
- EAST COAST (Iskele, Famagusta, Bafra)
See the section below on how to choose the zone which is right for you.
Price differences between North Cyprus Property Zones
One reason we have created Property Investment Zones is to make sense of the price differences in North Cyprus. Browsing online, you will see that prices vary hugely between properties which look similar in size or type, but which are in different areas. This can be confusing for those new to Cyprus who don’t understand the areas.
You will find that properties of the same size and type will be a similar price to other properties in the same property zone.
Areas will affect rentability (all year, holiday let or both), and nearby facilities. Other factors which affect price apart from area will of course be the age, condition, size, views and quality of build. Understanding the benefits of each zone will help you identify which area is for you.
How to choose your property investment zone?
We at NCI ensure you avoid wasting time viewing properties which will not suit your area needs. Only a team with our 20 years’ experience in assisting with North Cyprus relocations and property sales will be able to guide you quickly and efficiently to a short list of properties that are 100% suited to your needs.
For detailed recommendations about which investment area will best suit you, click to complete our 2-minute PROPERTY QUESTIONNAIRE. We will then send you more detailed proposals. However, here is an outline of the benefits of each property zone.
Central Location
This area is the central zone stretching from Catalkoy on the east side, to Lapta on the west side of Kyrenia. This area is the most sought after on the North Coast by all nationalities and is ideal for those needing to relocate full time, as it has all the English Schools (Necat British College in Alsancak and English School of Kyrenia in Bellapais), Universities (including Girne American University), very good healthcare/hospitals, ex pat banking, the attractions of Kyrenia harbour, 5 star casino hotels, excellent shopping, restaurants and all the modern facilities close by which are expected by those needing a European style living area. Most of the people living here are all year residents.
Properties in this zone will have excellent all year letting potential. In addition, properties in this area will also have great holiday letting potential if they have use of a swimming pool. To see the up to date starting prices for purchase and rental potential, see our other article HERE.
The Central Location is not known for its good public or sandy beaches, although there are high class beach clubs on both sides including the Escape Beach Club in Alsancak and Chamada Beach Club in Catalkoy).
Prices in the Central Location are some of the highest in North Cyprus.
Click here to –> VIEW OUR CENTRAL LOCATION PROPERTIES HERE
To include – Central Prime
We have given the beautiful hillside residential area of Bellapais and Ozankoy a separate PRIME category within the Central Location as these areas are the most exclusive in the Central Zone and properties here can fetch the highest rents. Monthly all year rentals, especially in the new luxury modern homes, can reach up to £5,000 per month and there is huge demand for all year residences here from those seeking the most exclusive and high-end residences. This area is close to the English School of Kyrenia, the world-class village of Bellapais with its fabulous Abbey, as well as being just a stone’s throw from central Kyrenia. These are some of the most expensive lifestyle and investment properties, but can still easily fetch 8% net p.a. for an investor renting out a luxury villa and more for holiday lets.
Click here to –> VIEW OUR CENTRAL PRIME RESIDENCES HERE
Coastal Prime
Going east beyond the central zone we come to Alagadi, Esentepe (including hillside Karaagac) and Bahceli. Going west, we come to Karsiyaka. These areas have a 25–30-minute driving time to central Kyrenia.
These are the areas with huge investment potential for those who cannot afford the central zone but still wish to be within a reasonable commute or distance from Kyrenia. This is also ideal for those who wish to be away from the city and nearer to the beach and for leisure activities such as golf. About half of the people in these areas are residential owners and half, or just over half, are holiday property owners, or holiday let investors.
The best extended sandy beaches are on the west side (a 10km long stretch from Lapta to Karsiyaka) and this is why we recommend the west side as the best investment for a RESORT RESIDENCE such as Aqualina – CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS. The west side also has longer established infrastructure such as dense concentration of bars, restaurants, shops, healthcare and facilities within walking distance of many of the properties.
However, on the east side of Kyrenia (Esentepe, Karaagac and Bahceli) there is on the other hand the huge advantage of a more unspoilt and exclusive rural atmosphere, the famous Alagadi Turtle-nesting beach, new leisure investment such as the 18-hole Korineum Golf & Beach Club with Spa, possible forthcoming marina in Bahceli and slightly closer access to Larnaca and Ercan Airports. There are also new beach clubs and beaches being created there, including the Belediye Esentepe Beach with its exclusive Hilltown Beach Club.
These areas in the past were purely for holiday properties but are increasingly now attracting all year residents as prices have risen very fast in the central zone. It is in these areas that investors may well also see huge capital growth as the prices start to rise to match the central zone. Rental potential can include all year and holiday lets. Owners in Karsiyaka, Alagadi and Esentepe are still near enough to Kyrenia to commute in for schools and work. New facilities are springing up quickly to enable residents to live here and not need to go into Kyrenia all the time for main shopping etc. There are buses from Kyrenia to Esentepe town on the east, but not beyond at the time of writing.
Click here to –> CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL OUR COASTAL PRIME PROPERTIES
Rural Coast
Beyond the Costal Prime Zone, lies the Rural Coast Zone. Driving distance to Kyrenia here is around 35 – 40 minutes. This includes Tatlisu on the East side and Kayalar on the west. There are no bus services here and life is very much dependent upon a good car and quite a bit of driving.
These areas attract ex pat retirees and residents who like living in a more remote, rural area. Properties are significantly cheaper due to the longer driving time to facilities. Although there are all year residents, most of the people here are holiday makers and holiday renters. This area will be a lot quieter in the winter.
This area has the benefit of easy access to lovely rural areas and better beaches. Those owning in Tatlisu can easily drive to the sandy beaches of the Tatlisu Belediye beach and beyond to Kaplica and the Karpaz. There is a very good new mountain road going quickly to Larnaca and Ercan Airports.
Kayalar to the west is further from the airports but is becoming quite exclusive for property owners who want a rural and peaceful retirement zone. There are some good beaches and it’s only a 10-minute drive to Karsiyaka with its facilities and excellent sandy beaches.
Click here to –> CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE RURAL COAST PROPERTIES
East Coast
The East Coast area of Iskele is witnessing huge development with most of the properties being built being high rise luxury holiday apartment complexes due to the excellent stretch of sandy beach on the East Coast called Long Beach. This area is not so suitable for all year residence for English speaking ex pats, owing to the lack of English Schooling, although there is an excellent English speaking University in Famagusta (EMU). All year residents on the East Coast are mainly those whose main language is not English. Prices have risen sharply, to the extent that they are currently double those of the lower priced resale properties in the Rural Coast areas further north. There is quite a bit of competition for rental income here for investors but excellent payment plans area available for those needing to pay over up to 7 years and NCI recommends this as a long term investment. The facilities are also excellent for family holidays, with most sites offering indoor heated pools and luxury leisure opportunities. Please contact NCI if you wish to get details of the best investments on the East Coast in the Iskele area.
The East Coast area of Bafra is mainly occupied by luxury 5-star hotels. However, there is one luxury Bafra Beachfront golden sand apartment complex which has great investment potential. Please contact NCI if you wish to get details of properties in Bafra.
North Cyprus Tourism Areas
You will see that not all areas of North Cyprus are included in the NCI property zones. This is because areas which are great for tourist trips may not be the best areas for property investment.
North Cyprus falls naturally into 7 main geographical and tourism areas. These areas are: Kyrenia, North East Coast, North West Coast, East Coast, West Coast and Nicosia/Lefkosa. There is more about these areas at the end of this article.
Every area has its own wonderful attractions for tourist visitors and residents. However, some areas are ideal for overseas property buyers, whereas others are not. For example, very few ex-pats live in Nicosia (which is great for shopping but very hot in summer and away from the sea) and only a handful in the more remote Karpaz, even though day trips to the unspoilt Karpaz can be a highlight of a holiday. The beautiful west coast is the long term choice for some investors, but is the furthest from the airports and doesn’t have the infrastructure of the north coast – which most tourists prefer.
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If you are living or spending time in Northern Cyprus you should eventually visit all the beautiful areas of the country. Here is some more detail on each North Cyprus area:
1. KYRENIA – The north coast tourist harbour town of Girne (Kyrenia) with its quaint cobbled backstreets, stunning mountain backdrop, harbour restaurants, old castle and huge array of tourist facilities, apartments and hotels in the outskirts – plus nearby mountainside Bellapais with its famous Abbey and music festivals.
2. NORTH EAST COAST – The north coast East of Kyrenia going towards the Karpaz – including the sandy Turtle beach, Esentepe hilltop town and the surrounding region with its well-known 18-hole Golf and Beach Club, rocky coves with charming cafes and hillside walks with easy access to Kyrenia.
3. NORTH WEST COAST – The north coast West of Kyrenia with its long-established ex pat communities in Lapta and Alsancak – plus the famous Escape Beach Club.
4. WEST COAST – The West Coast Bay Area with its surfing clubs, lovely market town of Guzelyurt and charming University town of Lefke plus ancient sites of Soli and Vouni.
5. EAST COAST – A very well developed tourist beach area with miles of high rise holiday complexes. This area is flatter and has well-known wide sandy beaches (Long Beach), ancient Salamis Roman remains, tomb of St. Barnabas and Famagusta with its ancient walled city and EMU University.
6. KARPAZ – The well-known wild Karpaz (Karpas) Peninsula or “pan-handle” with its wild, breathtaking views of the mountains and coastline, wild donkeys and miles of unspoilt sandy beaches as well as the brand new Karpaz Gate Marina.
7. LEFKOSA – The capital city Lefkosa in the middle of Cyprus (North Nicosia) with its huge array of shops, restaurants, museums and historical features as well as excellent medical facilities and walking cross points to the South Cyprus shops.
For further details on where best to invest in North Cyprus, please contact NCI in the UK or Cyprus.
