Fishing has long been a part of traditional Turkish Cypriot life, as you will discover if you wander along the Old Harbour in Girne, where you are greeted by a panorama of fishing boats and yachts. Although many of the locals go fishing with nets and long lines dotted with hooks, there are also many others who fish by rod, multiplier reel and trolling.
A warm Mediterranean climate allows for a long fishing season in North Cyprus (approximately from mid March until the end of November), meaning you can venture out into the sea almost every day. The waters are home to 80 species of fish, ranging from the smaller peacock and rainbow wrass, small parrot fish, mackerel, cod, plaice, sea bass, bream and eel to the larger tuna, swordfish and mineri.
From Girne Harbour - or the charming coastal villages of Boğaz or Kumyalı on the Karpaz Peninsula, also great locations for fishing, you can ask anyone in the boats about joining a local fishing trip. You can also enquire about daily sailing schedules and private charters, and the more experienced might like to try their hand at deep sea fishing. Then, when you reach dry land, there are plenty of fish restaurants to choose from; sample the day’s succulent catches with a mouth-watering array of Meze and then wash it down with a glass of raki.
