Ozanköy is a traditional village in the foothills just east of Kyrenia in North Cyprus, set among olive, carob and citrus groves. Known as the Poet's Village and for its olive and carob heritage, it offers a quiet, green village atmosphere with an old church, local cafés and an autumn pekmez festival, only a few minutes from Kyrenia.
Ozanköy, historically known as Kazafani, is a traditional village in the foothills of the Beşparmak mountains, about three miles east of Kyrenia's harbour. Its Turkish name translates as the Poet's Village, and it sits in a green, unhurried landscape of ancient olive groves, carob and citrus trees, positioned just below the mountain village of Bellapais and slightly inland from the coast at Çatalköy.
Ozanköy has kept a distinct village core even as it has grown into a sought-after residential area, and that mix of the traditional and the settled is part of its appeal. At its heart are stone houses, narrow lanes, an old church and local cafés, including a well-known village bookshop, while the surrounding orchards give the village its long-standing association with olives and carob. Its elevated position catches a breeze in summer and offers views over the coast and up to the mountains.
The village is proud of its rural traditions, celebrated each year around early September with the Ozanköy Pekmez Festival, which marks the carob harvest and the making of pekmez, the thick carob molasses the area is known for. It is a lively time to visit and a window onto a way of life that still runs through the village.
Ozanköy suits travellers who want a peaceful, authentic village base close to the coast rather than a resort. Kyrenia's harbour, shops and restaurants are only a few minutes away, Bellapais and its abbey sit just up the hill, and the beaches at Çatalköy are a short drive down towards the sea, making Ozanköy a green and convenient spot to slow down.
Ozanköy is a place to slow down rather than tick off sights. Wander its lanes and olive and carob groves, visit the old village church, and pause for coffee at a local café or the village bookshop. The setting, between mountains and sea, offers views and walking in the surrounding countryside and up towards Bellapais, whose abbey is a short drive uphill. Time your visit for early September and you can catch the Ozanköy Pekmez Festival, celebrating the carob harvest. Kyrenia's sights and the beaches at Çatalköy are both only minutes away.
See all attractions in Kyrenia (Girne)
More ideas: Rainy Day Activities in North Cyprus
Ozanköy has a range of villas, apartments and holiday homes alongside a few smaller places to stay, popular with a settled international community as well as visitors. It suits those wanting a quiet, green village base within a few minutes of Kyrenia. For larger hotels and resorts, Kyrenia and the nearby coast offer a wider choice. Prices vary from modest to premium.
See all hotels in Kyrenia (Girne)
Planning where to stay: North Cyprus: Top All-Inclusive Luxury Hotel Experiences
Dining in Ozanköy is relaxed and local, with village taverns and cafés serving traditional Cypriot dishes, meze and grills, several with views over the countryside and coast. The village bookshop café is a well-known spot for a coffee. For more variety, Kyrenia's harbour restaurants are only a few minutes away. Expect modest, unhurried village prices.
See all restaurants in Kyrenia (Girne)
More on eating out: North Cyprus Cooking Classes: Learn Local Cuisine
Ozanköy lies in the foothills about three miles east of Kyrenia, roughly a five to ten minute drive from the town and around 35 to 40 minutes from Ercan Airport. A car is the easiest way to get around, linking the village with Kyrenia, Bellapais just uphill and the beaches at Çatalköy below. The village lanes are best explored on foot once you are there.
Getting around: Getting Around North Cyprus by Bus: Your Public Transport Guide
Spring and autumn are the loveliest times to visit Ozanköy, when the weather is mild and the groves are green, and early September brings the pekmez festival and the carob harvest. Its elevation keeps it a little cooler than the coast in summer, though the inland heat is still best handled early in the day. Winters are quiet and mild, with the village green and calm, better for walks and village life than beach days.
Timing your trip: Best Time to Visit North Cyprus: Weather by Season
Part of the Kyrenia (Girne) area
Last updated: 31 August 2026
Yes, for a quiet, authentic village close to Kyrenia. Ozanköy offers olive and carob groves, an old church, local cafés and an autumn pekmez festival, only a few minutes from the town and beaches.
They are the same village. Ozanköy is the Turkish name, meaning Poet's Village, and Kazafani (or Kazaphani) is the older name.
Its olive and carob groves, its nickname as the Poet's Village, its traditional village character close to Kyrenia, and the Ozanköy Pekmez Festival celebrating the carob harvest.
An annual festival held around early September that celebrates the carob harvest and the making of pekmez, a thick carob molasses the village is known for.
About three miles east, a five to ten minute drive, making it an easy and quiet base close to the town, Bellapais and the coast.