Famagusta Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Famagusta, Cyprus)

The tourist attractions available in Famagusta are quite different to nearby Ayia Napa, being considerably less touristy and more for the native Cypriots. North Cyprus is well known for its extensive gambling and innumerable casinos, and Famagusta is certainly no exception to this.

Scuba diving is one attraction for both tourists and locals, and some superb Mediterranean dive spots are just a short boat trip away. While you're staying in Famagusta, do take a look at the ghostly, deserted Varosia (Maras) strip, before heading to Protaras to enjoy a ride onboard their open-top Red Bus Tour.

Gambling and Casinos

Address: Famagusta, Cyprus
The five-star Salamis Bay Conti Hotel and Casino is where the main gambling action takes place and this venue ranks amongst the best on the whole island, with almost 150 different slot machines and around 20 individual gaming tables, including blackjack, roulette and craps. Further popular Cypriot casinos are to be found at the Palm Beach Hotel and Casino, and the relatively nearby Kaya Artemis Resort.
Open hours: daily - hours vary
Admission: free

Red Bus Tour

Address: Protaras / Famagusta, Cyprus
Tel: +357 9642 3602
Jump aboard the Red Bus Tour if you have two and a half hours going spare, and enjoy a guided tour around the Protaras area, offering you the chance to learn more about south-eastern Cyprus. Bus tours depart in nearby Protaras and then take you into Ayia Napa, through the surrounding villages and right up to the boundary known as the 'Green Line', with English commentary along the way. Try to take this tour at the beginning of your holiday, so that you have time to revisit any of the attractions that you find most appealing. As busy times, the Red Bus Tour can become fully booked, and so advance reservations may well be required. If you are feeling the heat and wish to cool down, then take a seat on the open-top upper deck and enjoy both the breezes and the stunning views.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge, discounts for children

Scuba Diving

Address: Famagusta, Cyprus
Scuba diving is an especially popular attraction in this part of Cyprus and a number of enticing and truly exceptional dive spots are conveniently located within the Famagusta area, both to the north and around the Karpas Peninsula, and to the south-west, between Ayia Napa and Larnaca, where the renowned Zenobia shipwreck is located. The Karpas area also contains more than its fair share of shipwrecks and underwater attractions, where if you are fortunate, you may even encounter the remains of some sunken amphorae, as well as the occasional barracuda, tuna or even a turtle.
Open hours: daily - seasonal variations
Admission: charge

Varosia (Maras)

Address: Varosia, Famagusta, Cyprus
Perhaps the most haunting and downright weird tourist attraction on Cyprus, the abandoned Maras district (known in Greek as the 'Varosia') really is a sight worth seeing. The Varosia is a lingering reminder of the relatively recent year of 1974, when the Turkish invasion took place and this whole area was barricaded off with barbed wire, becoming something of a no-man's land. The beach and crumbing high-rise tower blocks remain unused and make the Varosia area of Famagusta appear rather like a ghost town, with just a tiny portion of this former leading beach resort being still occupied. Tourists with their own set of wheels may like to drive along the western side of Maras and peer through the fence, although do bear in mind that photography is not permitted.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free, view from outside of the area only