Golf guide • Cyprus • Nicosia District

Golf and Nicosia: Cyprus's capital between ramparts and southern fairways

Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus in the centre of the island, has no golf course: the nearest championship courses are Limassol Greens, an eighteen-hole Cabell B. Robinson design opened in 2025, about 1 hour 15 minutes by road, and the courses of the Paphos area, such as Minthis, almost two hours away. Visitors come for two or three nights of culture, the Venetian ramparts, the old town and the dividing line, alongside a golf stay on the coast, ideally from March to May and in October and November.

Plan this tripUpdated 11 October 2026

Let us say it from the outset: Nicosia is not a golf base. No championship course lies within an hour of the city: the island's great courses are near the south coast, around Limassol, or in the hills of Paphos. But the capital, set in the middle of the Mesaoria plain, deserves two or three days on a Cyprus golf trip: this is where the island's history reads most clearly, and you leave with a different idea of Cyprus from that of the beach resorts.

The old town sits within a Venetian enclosure of 1567–1570, some five kilometres of star-shaped ramparts and eleven bastions, among the best-preserved Renaissance fortifications in the eastern Mediterranean. It is crossed by the United Nations buffer zone, established after 1974, which separates the south of the city from its northern part. Crossing points let you walk from one side to the other, so the city reveals itself in two halves, Byzantine churches on one side, an Ottoman caravanserai on the other.

For golf, the simplest plan is to head out in the morning to Limassol Greens, opened in 2025 beside the Akrotiri salt lake, about 1 hour 15 minutes by motorway, then return for dinner. For Minthis and the other courses of the Paphos area, better to move your base: our Paphos guide covers them in detail. Nicosia then fits in at the start or end of the trip, 45 minutes from Larnaca airport.

The courses

Fairway lined with old olive trees, a bunker and a pond at the foot of dry hills in hazy light

Limassol Greens

Architect: Cabell B. Robinson
Opened 2025
18 holes
Par 71

The nearest championship course to Nicosia occupies a former 140-hectare citrus estate on the western edge of Limassol, against the Akrotiri salt lake, the largest on the island. Cabell B. Robinson designed a par 71 of 6,304 metres here, inaugurated in its full version in December 2025: Bermuda fairways, bentgrass greens, pot bunkers and sandy contours that recall the nearby dunes of Lady's Mile. Olive and carob trees line the play. A modern, accessible course, with a 30-bay driving range, half of it equipped with TrackMan.

Signature hole. Holes 5 and 6 cross a natural wetland, with forest as a backdrop: the wildest stretch of the course.

Official website

Minthis Golf Club

Architect: Donald Steel; Mackenzie & Ebert
Opened 1994
18 holes
Par 72

At Tsada, in the hills north-east of Paphos, Minthis is almost two hours from Nicosia: a full day out, or better still, a night on site. Designed by Donald Steel and opened in 1994, the course was reworked by Mackenzie & Ebert, who rebuilt the greens and bunkers and created new holes on the back nine. A par 72 of 5,902 metres, it rolls between olive groves, orchards and vineyards, facing the Troodos range, next to a 12th-century monastery. The club is GEO certified for its environmental management.

Signature hole. The 15th, a par 3 played to the only island green in Cyprus.

Official website

Where to stay

MAP Boutique Hotel

Marios Polycarpou turned a former nightclub on Stasinou Avenue into a sleek boutique hotel a few minutes' walk from Ledra Street and the old town. Everything is controlled from an app; ask for the Penthouse Suite on the top floor for its panoramic view, or the MAP Suite with its panoramic bathtub. Limassol Greens is an hour and a quarter away: a base for alternating golf days with evenings on foot.

The Classic Hotel

On Rigenis Street, inside the ramparts, a boutique hotel in natural tones, from singles to 55 m² suites. Its restaurant, 59 Knives, is named after the 59 vintage army knives found when the family house was converted into a hotel. Before the drive to the course, order the Cypriot breakfast there, served from 7am with island produce. The old town and the Ledra Street crossing point are within walking distance.

Pale stone courtyard with a potted lemon tree, an olive tree and a small wrought-iron table at dusk

Where to dine

SCALE

On the ground floor of the MAP Boutique Hotel, chef Athinagoras Kostakos cooks contemporary Mediterranean food based on seasonal produce. The restaurant serves from breakfast to dinner and draws neighbourhood locals as much as hotel guests. In the evening and at weekends the room fills up fast: book ahead.

Zanettos Tavern

Opened in 1938 on Trikoupi Street, in the old town, this taverna bills itself as the oldest in Nicosia. People come for the Cypriot meze, a long succession of small plates to share among playing partners. Open in the evening only: set aside a whole evening.

Wooden taverna table covered with small meze plates, grilled skewers, pitta bread and a glass of red wine

Beyond golf

The ramparts and the old town

The walls built by Venice between 1567 and 1570 trace a circle of about five kilometres, punctuated by eleven bastions. Of the three original gates, the Famagusta Gate now hosts cultural events, and the old moat has become a string of gardens. Inside, St John's Cathedral, completed in 1665, holds a cycle of frescoes that alone justifies the visit.

Across the line

Ledra Street, the pedestrian artery of the centre, leads to a crossing point reopened on 3 April 2008. After a passport or identity card check, a few minutes' walk brings you to the northern part of the city and the Büyük Han, an Ottoman caravanserai of 1572 and the largest on the island, then the Selimiye Mosque, formerly the Lusignan-era Cathedral of Saint Sophia, converted after 1570.

The painted churches of the Troodos

About an hour's drive to the west, the foothills of the Troodos shelter ten Byzantine churches and monasteries inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. Asinou, at Nikitari, is the closest to Nicosia: a 12th-century church dedicated to the Panagia Phorbiotissa, renowned for its Byzantine frescoes. A fine rest day between rounds.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the right seasons: highs are around 20°C in March, 25°C in April, 30°C in May and October, and 23°C in November, with very little rain. July and August are oppressive in Nicosia, with average highs of around 37°C, and suit only golf played at dawn. Winter is mild, around 16°C, but it is the rainy season, most marked in December and January.

Getting there

Larnaca airport (LCA), the island's main gateway, is about fifty kilometres from Nicosia, roughly 45 minutes by car. A hire car is essential for golf: Limassol Greens is about 1 hour 15 minutes by motorway, Aphrodite Hills about 1 hour 30 minutes and Minthis almost two hours. Cyprus drives on the left.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a golf course in Nicosia?

No, there is no eighteen-hole course in Nicosia or its immediate surroundings. The nearest championship course is Limassol Greens, about 1 hour 15 minutes by road, and the courses of the Paphos area are 1 hour 30 minutes to two hours away.

What is the nearest golf course to Nicosia?

Among championship courses, Limassol Greens, a par 71 of 6,304 metres designed by Cabell B. Robinson and opened in 2025, on the western edge of Limassol, beside the Akrotiri salt lake.

Should you stay in Nicosia for a golf trip to Cyprus?

For a golf-focused trip, it is better to stay near Limassol or Paphos. Nicosia suits two or three nights of culture at the start or end of the trip.

When is the best time to play golf in Cyprus from Nicosia?

From March to May and in October and November. In July and August, average highs are around 37°C in Nicosia and golf is played only at first light.

Can you cross into the northern part of Nicosia?

Yes, several crossing points cross the United Nations buffer zone, including the one on Ledra Street, open to pedestrians since 2008. A passport or identity card is required.

Tailor-made

Your golf trip: Nicosia

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

Sloping fairway lined with umbrella pines and olive trees, a flag on the green, blue sea and limestone cliffs at sunset

North coast of Cyprus, Kyrenia district

Esentepe

1 course

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 →