Bellapais, officially Beylerbeyi, is a hillside village in the Beşparmak (Five Finger) mountains just above Kyrenia in North Cyprus. It is best known for Bellapais Abbey, a 13th-century Gothic monastery, its literary link to the writer Lawrence Durrell, and its relaxed café culture around the Tree of Idleness. It is one of the island's most atmospheric villages.
Bellapais, known officially by its Turkish name Beylerbeyi, sits on a natural terrace in the foothills of the Beşparmak mountains, a short drive up from Kyrenia. The name comes from the French belle paix, meaning beautiful peace, and the village has kept exactly that character: narrow lanes, whitewashed and stone houses, vine-shaded terraces and long views over the coast and the Mediterranean below.
The heart of the village, and its main reason to visit, is Bellapais Abbey. This 13th-century Augustinian monastery is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the eastern Mediterranean, entered through a fortified gatehouse and taking in a well-preserved church, delicate cloister arches and a vast vaulted refectory. The refectory's acoustics make it a natural concert hall, and each year in late spring the village hosts a music festival with classical performances held within the abbey walls.
Bellapais also has a literary claim to fame. The British writer Lawrence Durrell lived here in the 1950s and wrote his memoir Bitter Lemons of Cyprus about village life, and visitors still seek out the Tree of Idleness, the old tree near the abbey said to bring on a pleasant laziness to anyone who sits beneath it. Cafés and taverns cluster around it, and lingering over a Turkish coffee or a long lunch is very much the point.
Beyond the abbey and its cafés, the village rewards a slow wander through its lanes and craft shops, and it makes a good starting point for walks into the surrounding mountains. Bellapais suits travellers after atmosphere, history and quiet rather than beaches or nightlife, and with Kyrenia only about ten minutes down the hill, it works well as a peaceful base or an easy half-day trip.
The clear highlight is Bellapais Abbey, best explored slowly: the fortified gateway, the 13th-century church, the Gothic cloisters and the great refectory, which hosts classical concerts and the village's late-spring music festival. Beside it stands the Tree of Idleness, the tradition-steeped spot to sit with a coffee and take in the view. The village lanes hold craft and lace shops, cafés and taverns with vine-shaded terraces overlooking the coast, and the surrounding Beşparmak mountains offer walking trails and old paths into the hills. Bellapais also pairs naturally with St Hilarion Castle and the sights of Kyrenia, both a short drive away.
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Bellapais offers a small selection of boutique hotels and guesthouses along with villas and holiday homes, many taking advantage of the elevated views over the coast. Staying in the village means quiet evenings, cooler mountain air in summer and the abbey on your doorstep once the day visitors have left. For a wider choice of hotels and resorts, Kyrenia is only a short drive down the hill.
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Dining in Bellapais is about setting as much as food. Traditional taverns and cafés cluster around the abbey and along the village lanes, serving Cypriot meze, grills and fresh local dishes on terraces with sweeping coastal views. Evenings are especially memorable when the floodlit abbey provides the backdrop. Prices range from casual café stops to relaxed sit-down meals.
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Bellapais sits in the hills just above Kyrenia, roughly a ten-minute drive up a winding mountain road, and about 40 minutes from Ercan Airport. A car is the easiest way to reach it and to continue on to nearby sights such as St Hilarion Castle, though taxis from Kyrenia are straightforward. Once in the village, everything is within an easy walk, and the beaches of the north coast are only a short drive back downhill.
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Spring and autumn are the loveliest times to visit Bellapais, when the weather is mild and the surrounding hills are green and, in spring, full of wild flowers. Its elevation keeps it a little cooler and fresher than the coast through the summer, which makes it a pleasant escape from the heat, and the late-spring music festival is a highlight of the calendar. Winters are quiet and mild, ideal for exploring the abbey and lanes without the crowds.
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Part of the Kyrenia (Girne) area
Last updated: 31 August 2026
Yes. Its 13th-century Gothic abbey, literary history and relaxed hillside setting make it one of the most atmospheric villages in North Cyprus, and it is an easy trip from Kyrenia.
Bellapais Abbey, its link to the writer Lawrence Durrell and his memoir Bitter Lemons, the Tree of Idleness, and its peaceful mountain-village atmosphere with coastal views.
They are the same village. Bellapais is the widely used name and Beylerbeyi is the official Turkish name.
About a ten-minute drive up the mountain road, making it an easy half-day trip or a quiet base close to the town.
Yes. The abbey hosts a music festival each year in late spring, with classical concerts held in its vaulted refectory and grounds.