Golf Trip Planner logo
Golf Trip PlannerPrivate Concierge
Golf guide • Cyprus • North coast of Cyprus, Kyrenia district

Golf in Esentepe: one course between the Kyrenia range and the sea

Esentepe is a village on the north coast of Cyprus, some twenty kilometres east of Kyrenia, at the foot of the Pentadaktylos range. People come for a single course, Korineum, a par 72 of 6,232 metres opened in 2007 on a hill of olive and carob trees facing the sea, with its own hotel and beach. The best seasons run from March to May and from October to November.

Plan this tripUpdated

Esentepe, Agios Amvrosios in Greek, rises in tiers between the sea and the limestone ridges of the Kyrenia range, Pentadaktylos in Greek and Beşparmak in Turkish, the "five fingers". It is a hill village some twenty kilometres east of Kyrenia, where carob and olive trees run down to the shore. Korineum golf course opened here in April 2007: it was the first 18-hole course in the north of the island, and it remains the only course in the area.

Let us be clear: Esentepe is a one-course destination. You do not come here to play club after club, but to play the same layout several times, changing tees and strategy, and to enjoy everything else: the beach, the Byzantine monasteries in the mountains, the harbour at Kyrenia. The island's other courses are in the south, notably around Paphos, much too far for a day's golf from Esentepe.

The stay is therefore simple to organise: you sleep at Korineum, beside the course, or further west among the vineyards of Ilgaz, and alternate morning rounds with a day in Kyrenia or a walk in the mountains. Four to six nights are enough. In spring, rock roses and anemones flower in the rough, and the scent of wild thyme rises from the ravines.

The courses

Raised green beyond a ravine of flowering garrigue, a carob tree laden with pods and the sea on the horizon

Korineum Golf & Beach Resort

  • Architect: David Hemstock
  • Opened 2007
  • 18 holes
  • Par 72

Korineum occupies 65 hectares of garrigue, olive and carob trees on a hillside, with the sea and the mountains in view from every hole. David Hemstock's layout, built with Peter Harradine as consultant, measures 6,232 metres from the back tees for a par of 72. The lower part of the course is fairly gentle; the higher you climb, the more the ground is cut by ravines and hollows. The paspalum fairways stay playable all year. Five tees per hole let everyone find their distance, but a buggy is a must for the upper holes.

Signature hole. The 8th, "Cascade Carry", is a 490-metre par 5 that demands a drive over a ravine from the tee. The 5th, "Vertigo", is another par 5, of 436 metres.

Official website

Where to stay

Korineum Golf & Beach Resort

The golf hotel, in two buildings, the Residence opened in 2009 and the Elite added in 2011, set in a pinewood above the course. The smallest rooms measure 31 m², the best look out to sea. Half board, the pool and access to the private beach, served by a shuttle, are included, along with two hours a day on the clay tennis courts. Spa and gym on site.

Gillham Vineyard Hotel

On the edge of the village of Ilgaz, in the wooded hills west of Kyrenia, an adults-only hotel of 31 suites surrounded by the vines of the Etel estate. The suites range from the single-storey Beaujolais to the Sparkling Suite, the most luxurious; all look out over the vines and the mountains. The spa, on the edge of the vineyard, is for guests only. Allow a quarter of an hour to Kyrenia, then some twenty kilometres of coast to the golf course.

Pool on a stone terrace beneath pines, rows of vines in the foreground and limestone mountains at dusk

Where to dine

The Valley Restaurant

The à la carte restaurant in the Korineum clubhouse, with an international menu and traditional Cypriot dishes. The estate produces its own extra virgin olive oil and carob syrup, harvested on the course. Worth knowing: half board is served at the Carob Island buffet, so keep the Valley for an à la carte evening, without getting back in the car.

Amphora Restaurant

The fine-dining restaurant of the Gillham Vineyard Hotel, led since 2017 by chef Eyal Lavy: Mediterranean cooking with Provençal, Spanish and Italian accents. Start with the sea bass tartare, sharpened with a raki and lime vinaigrette, then the scallops or the beef fillet, and ask for Flamma, an Etel estate Syrah aged twenty months in oak.

Niazi's Restaurant

A Kyrenia institution, in the town centre opposite the Dome Hotel. In 1949, in his small grocery-cum-restaurant in Limassol, Niyazi Cemali invented the 'full kebab'; the family business moved to Kyrenia after the island's division in 1974. Order it: cold meze, grilled halloumi, then seftali, köfte, shish and lamb chop, seared over charcoal in front of you. Pace yourself, the plates keep coming.

Beyond golf

Antiphonitis monastery

In the mountains above Esentepe, near the village of Kalograia, the Church of Christ Antiphonitis dates from the 12th century. Its dome, carried on eight pillars, is the only one of its type preserved in Cyprus. Some of the frescoes were stolen after 1975; paintings from the late 12th and 15th centuries remain, including a Last Judgement. The site is open to visitors as a museum.

Kyrenia and Bellapais

Some twenty kilometres to the west, Kyrenia harbour lines up its cafés below the castle, with its round Venetian towers of 1540, which houses a shipwreck museum displaying an ancient vessel raised from the sea with its cargo of amphorae. On the heights, the Gothic abbey of Bellapais, built from 1198, is best visited late in the day, when the light falls on the cloister.

Alagadi beach

About seven kilometres from the golf course, Alagadi beach is a sea-turtle nesting site, where you can sometimes watch the eggs hatch. The beach is protected: check the access rules before you go and respect the marked areas. The area around the course is also home to partridges, foxes and endemic plants that flower in spring.

Small domed Byzantine stone church with arcades in a pine-wooded valley, wild flowers in the foreground

When to go

Spring is the best season, from March to May: the garrigue is in flower, temperatures are mild and the course is at its best. October and November bring back mild weather after the summer heat. Summer is long, dry and hot, with highs around 33°C in July and August: you then play at sunrise. Winter stays mild, around 16–17°C in the afternoon in January, but it is the rainy season.

Getting there

Most golfers land at Larnaca (LCA), less than an hour and a half by road, then cross the line of division at a crossing point, passport in hand; check that your hire car's insurance covers the north. Ercan airport (ECN), closer, is served only from Turkey, which means a stopover, and the Republic of Cyprus regards entry via Ercan as irregular.

Frequently asked questions

How many golf courses are there in Esentepe?

Just one: Korineum Golf & Beach Resort, an 18-hole par 72 opened in 2007, the first in northern Cyprus. The island's other courses are in the south, notably around Paphos.

Who designed Korineum golf course?

The layout is by David Hemstock, with Peter Harradine as consultant for construction. It measures 6,232 metres from the back tees.

When is the best time to play golf in Esentepe?

From March to May and in October and November. Summer is very hot, around 33°C in July and August, and winter wetter, though the paspalum course remains playable all year.

Which airport is best for a golf trip to Esentepe?

Larnaca, less than an hour and a half by road, with a checkpoint crossing between the south and north of the island. Ercan is closer, but is linked only to Turkey, with a compulsory stopover.

How many days should I plan for a golf trip to Esentepe?

Four to six nights: three or four rounds on Korineum, a day in Kyrenia and Bellapais, and half a day for the Antiphonitis monastery or Alagadi beach.

Tailor-made

Your golf trip: Esentepe

Tee times, suites, transfers and tables: your concierge replies within 24 hours with a proposal shaped around you.

Cobbled lane between honey-coloured stone houses with wooden balconies, bougainvillea and a church dome at sunset
Nicosia District

Nicosia

2 courses
Green lined with olive and carob trees above a limestone ravine, blue sea and dry hills on the horizon
Paphos District

Paphos

4 courses
Explore: Cyprus →