Boğaz is a small fishing harbour on the east coast of North Cyprus, between İskele and Bafra. It is best known for the seafood restaurants ranged around its harbour, serving the day's catch straight off the boats. With sandy beaches nearby and Kantara Castle on the ridge above, it makes a relaxed stop on the way to the Karpaz Peninsula.
Boğaz, sometimes written Boğaztepe, is a small working fishing harbour on the east coast of North Cyprus, sitting between the resort area of İskele to the south and Bafra and the Karpaz Peninsula to the north. It has kept the feel of a traditional harbour town: a jetty, a fleet of small wooden fishing boats, and a line of waterfront restaurants that have been grilling the morning's catch since long before tourism reached the east coast.
Seafood is the reason most people come. The restaurants around the harbour are known across the region for fresh fish and meze, with boats landing their catch at the pier and, in places, a fish market where you can choose your fish. For many in nearby Famagusta, Boğaz is the answer to where to eat fish at the weekend, and a long, unhurried lunch by the water is the main event.
Beyond the harbour, Boğaz has some pleasant patches of sandy beach and clear water, quieter than the developed resort strips to the south. The town sits at a genuine crossroads on the east coast: İskele and the sands of Long Beach lie just south, the wild Karpaz Peninsula begins to the north, and on the mountain ridge directly above stands Kantara Castle, the easternmost of the island's three crusader mountain fortresses, well worth the drive up for its views.
Boğaz suits travellers after seafood, a relaxed harbour atmosphere and a handy base or stopping point on the east coast. It is more low-key and traditional than İskele or Bafra, and works well combined with a day exploring Karpaz or the castles above.
Boğaz is centred on its harbour, and the main draw is simply eating well: the waterfront fish restaurants serve the day's catch and meze, with fishing boats and, in places, a fish market at the pier. Beyond the food, there are quiet sandy beaches and clear water for a swim, and the harbour itself is a pleasant place to wander among the boats. The real bonus is the position: Kantara Castle stands on the ridge above, the sands of Long Beach at İskele lie just south, and the Karpaz Peninsula, with its monasteries, wild donkeys and Golden Beach, begins to the north.
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Boğaz has a modest range of accommodation, with a couple of larger hotels and smaller guesthouses around the harbour, quieter and more traditional than the big resort strips nearby. Staying here suits those wanting a relaxed harbour base within easy reach of İskele's beaches, Bafra's resorts and the Karpaz Peninsula. Prices are generally modest. İskele and Bafra offer larger resort hotels close by.
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Seafood is the heart of dining in Boğaz. The restaurants ranged around the harbour serve fresh fish and Cypriot meze, often with the catch landed at the pier that morning, and people travel from across the region to eat here. A long lunch or dinner by the water is the classic Boğaz experience, at generally modest prices.
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Boğaz has some pleasant patches of sandy beach and clear, calm water around the harbour, quieter and less developed than the resort beaches to the south. They suit an easy swim and a relaxed afternoon rather than a full beach-club day. For longer sands, the open stretch of Long Beach at İskele lies just south, and Bafra's resort beaches a little to the north.
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Boğaz sits on the east coast, roughly 25km north of Famagusta and about a 30 to 35 minute drive from Ercan Airport. A hire car or taxi is the most convenient way to reach it, and the roads here are quiet. Its position makes it an easy stop between İskele to the south and the Karpaz Peninsula to the north, with Kantara Castle a short drive up onto the ridge above the town.
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Spring and autumn are pleasant times to visit Boğaz, with mild weather for harbour walks, beaches and drives up to Kantara Castle. Summer is hot and busiest, and the calm clear water is good for swimming, with the season stretching well into autumn. The fish restaurants serve fresh catch year-round, so Boğaz works as a seafood stop in any season, with winters quiet and mild and better suited to a long lunch than the beach.
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Part of the İskele area
Last updated: 31 August 2026
Yes, especially for seafood. Boğaz is a traditional fishing harbour known for fresh fish restaurants around its pier, with quiet beaches and Kantara Castle nearby, on the route to the Karpaz Peninsula.
Its fishing harbour and the seafood restaurants ranged around it, serving the day's fresh catch. People travel from across the region to eat fish here.
They refer to the same harbour town on the east coast. Boğaz is the common name and Boğaztepe is also used.
Yes. It has some pleasant patches of sandy beach and clear, calm water, quieter than the resort beaches nearby. Long Beach at İskele lies just to the south.
On the east coast of North Cyprus, roughly 25km north of Famagusta, between İskele and Bafra, at the gateway to the Karpaz Peninsula.