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Alsancak, Lapta and Karşıyaka: west of Kyrenia

The Kyrenia Mountains come very close to the sea here: Selvili Hill (1,024 m), behind Lapta, is the highest point of the range. Lapta was once known for its lemon groves and glazed pottery; today it is known for the registered Lapta Hesap İşi embroidery. Byzantine silver found at ancient Lambousa, on the Alsancak coast, is now held in museums in New York and London. At the western end, the Güzelyalı coast of Karşıyaka is one of the beaches where sea turtles nest.

Heading west from Kyrenia (Girne), you come to Alsancak (Karavas), Lapta (Lapithos) and Karşıyaka (Vasileia) in that order, with the villages of Malatya, İncesu and Ilgaz on the hillside above. All of them fall under Lapta-Alsancak-Çamlıbel Municipality. Kyrenia Castle is 13–21 kilometres away by road. Evlek has 262 listings for sale.

Reviewed by: Onur Dokuzoğlu, architect · Updated: 14 November 2026

Prepared with the help of AI.

to Kyrenia Castle
13–21 kmto Kyrenia Castle
listings for sale
262listings for sale
state primary schools
3state primary schools
AlsancakLaptaKarşıyaka

Alsancak, Lapta and Karşıyaka compared

AlsancakLaptaKarşıyaka
Road distance to Kyrenia Castle13 km17 km21 km
Listings: for sale / to rent158 / 1068 / 336 / 0
State schoolsPre-school, primary schoolNursery to lycée (high school)Pre-school, primary school
On the coastMare Monte beachSeafront walking pathGüzelyalı public beach

Alsancak. Of the three areas, this is the closest to Kyrenia. The private school with a British curriculum is here. This guide includes Yeşiltepe under Alsancak.

Lapta. Lapta has the state secondary school and lycée, as well as the public health centre. The mountain trail and the seafront walking path are here too.

Karşıyaka. The furthest west of the three. Güzelyalı public beach is on the Karşıyaka coast. Most homes for sale are villas.

Malatya, İncesu, Ilgaz. On the northern slope of the Kyrenia Mountains (Beşparmak). The 2011 census counted 180 people in Malatya–İncesu and 72 in Ilgaz. Ilgaz got a village headman's office, a cultural building and a children's playground on 8 July 2025. There are no listings on Evlek in these villages today.

Population, 2011 census: Alsancak (excluding Yeşiltepe) 5,595 · Yeşiltepe 750 · Lapta 5,748 · Karşıyaka 2,091.

Houses, a bell tower and a minaret in Lapta
Photo: muffinn, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
A bell tower in Lapta, with the Kyrenia Mountains behind
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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13–21 km to Kyrenia: getting there

Distances and times were measured by car from the centre of each area.

RouteDistance · timeMeasured
Alsancak – Kyrenia Castle13 km · 25 minFriday, 19:30
Lapta – Kyrenia Castle17 km · 34 minNight, no traffic
Karşıyaka – Kyrenia Castle21 km · 35 minNight, no traffic
Alsancak – Dereboyu, Nicosia (Lefkoşa)35 km · 45 minWeekday, 14:30
Alsancak – Ercan Airport57 km · 1 hr 5 minWeekday, 14:30

The main road runs through all three areas. According to a municipality statement dated 26 March 2026, the infrastructure work on the road is finished and the municipality is now laying the pavements. On that date the work was still going on, and the stretch between the Lapta care home and the entrance to the hotel area was next.

Schools: a state primary school in each of the three areas, with the state secondary school and lycée in Lapta

  • Alsancak Primary School (pre-school and grades 1–5)
  • Lapta Nursery School
  • Lapta Primary School
  • Karşıyaka Central Primary School (pre-school and primary school)
  • Lapta Yavuzlar Lycée: secondary school and lycée
  • Necat British College, Alsancak (private; ages 2–18; English National Curriculum)

Catchment areas and available places can be checked with the school or the Ministry of National Education.

Health centre in Lapta, state hospital in Kyrenia

Lapta Health Centre is the area's public health unit; its renovated building opened on 13 August 2025. Kyrenia state hospital moved into its new building on 2 October 2026. Alsancak and Lapta both have pharmacies.

Güzelyalı and Mare Monte beaches

Güzelyalı public beach, Karşıyaka

The municipality opened it as a public beach in 2019. The shore is on the Environmental Protection Department's 2026 list of sea turtle nesting beaches.

Mare Monte, Alsancak

According to a 27 February 2026 statement by the mayor, the beach is used by the municipality.

For both beaches, the municipality can tell you about access for the season.

Lapta walks: the mountain trail and the coastal path

In Lapta, the mountain trail and the coastal path are two separate routes. The mountain trail starts near the old Başpınar fountain; it is 10.73 kilometres long, runs at 272–806 metres above sea level and is graded difficult. Signs along the way name the plants. The coastal path follows the shore.

Things to see in Lapta and Alsancak

Lapta

Lapta has the old Başpınar fountain, the Upper Lapta Mosque, the Haydar Paşazade Mehmet Bey Mosque and the Church of Agia Anastasia (1869). Selvili Tepe (1,024 m), behind the village, is the highest point of the Kyrenia Mountains. Lemon groves and glazed pottery are part of Lapta's history. Lapta Hesap İşi needlework was registered as a geographical indication on 11 November 2025.

Alsancak

On 4 November 2026 it was announced that conservation work on the churches of Ayia Irini (1804) and Agios Georgios of Mezere (1854) had been completed. Byzantine silver from ancient Lambousa, on the coast, is held by the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the British Museum; it includes the David Plates, dated 629–630.

Festivals

The Lapta International Tourism Festival is held at the end of June (edition 14 in 2026, 26 June), and the Alsancak Sea Festival at the end of August (28–30 August in 2026).

Karavas, Lapithos and Vasileia: which places are these?

Some sources use other names: Alsancak appears as Karavas, Lapta as Lapithos and Karşıyaka as Vasileia, while Malatya appears as Paleosofos, İncesu as Motides and Ilgaz as Ftericha. The Swedish Cyprus Expedition excavated around Lapta in 1927–1928; people have lived in the area since the Neolithic period.

Questions to ask at a viewing: water, sewerage, electricity, internet

Water

Check the size of the water tank and the water pressure in the house. On 8 January 2026 the municipality announced that the water main between lower Alsancak and the hotel area of Lapta would be replaced.

Sewerage

Ask for documents showing whether the house is connected to the municipal sewer.

Electricity

Ask which appliances the house's backup system can run during a power cut.

Internet

Check with the provider which internet connection is active at the address.

Coast or hillside: indoors in summer

A study of 92 homes in Kyrenia, with measurements taken in August 2025 while air conditioning or fans were running, put 36 of the 46 hillside homes at 150–300 metres above sea level in the "neutral" thermal comfort class, compared with 25 of the 46 homes on the coast. The result was calculated from the measurements; it is not what residents reported. Indoor humidity was higher in the coastal homes. In the January measurements, the calculated thermal comfort indicators of the two groups showed no significant difference; indoor humidity and air speed did differ.

Agencies with listings here

Nearby areas

Frequently asked questions

How far are Alsancak, Lapta and Karşıyaka from Kyrenia?

By road, Kyrenia Castle is 13 kilometres from Alsancak, 17 from Lapta and 21 from Karşıyaka.

Is there a public beach?

Karşıyaka has Güzelyalı public beach, and in Alsancak the municipality uses Mare Monte beach.

Where are the state secondary school and lycée?

They are in Lapta, at Lapta Yavuzlar Lycée. Alsancak has a private school for children up to the age of 18.

Where is the hospital?

Kyrenia State Hospital is in Kyrenia. Locally, the public health service is Lapta Health Centre.

Is the Lapta mountain trail an easy walk?

No. It is a 10.73-kilometre trail graded as difficult.

Is there an "English neighbourhood" in Alsancak?

No, there is no neighbourhood by that name; Alsancak's neighbourhoods are Çağlayan, Yayla and Yeşilova. People who have moved here from European countries live all across the area. Alsancak has a private school that teaches the British curriculum.

What are Karavas, Lapithos and Vasileia?

They are the names older sources use for Alsancak, Lapta and Karşıyaka.

Sources and check dates

Prices and listing counts come from Evlek listings. Distances and travel times come from Google Maps. The sources for everything else, and the dates they were checked, are listed below.

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