Esentepe Exclusive: Apartment or Villa, Which Suits You?
Short answer: Esentepe Exclusive is our residential project in Esentepe, Kyrenia, built on a 25,600 m² plot, and it offers four options: a studio apartment, a loft apartment with a private pool, a 2+1 penthouse apartment and a villa. If you want a compact holiday home, the studio stands out; if you want a pool of your own, the loft; if you need two bedrooms, the penthouse; and if you want a detached home with a garden, the villa. Construction is ongoing, so we recommend asking our sales team in writing for the current availability and plans of each type.
This article is for readers who are considering Esentepe Exclusive but cannot decide which type of home suits them. We compare the options by how you will use them and list the questions to ask about each. The official presentation of the project is on our Esentepe Exclusive project page.
Where is Esentepe Exclusive?
The project is in Esentepe, east of Kyrenia, in an area where the sea meets green hillsides. According to the travel times shared on our project website, Kyrenia is about 35 minutes away, Nicosia 50 minutes and the airport about 60 minutes.
Esentepe is usually described as "20–25 minutes from Kyrenia". This is not a contradiction: Esentepe stretches along the coast in a long strip, and two homes that are both said to be "in Esentepe" can differ by more than 10 minutes' drive. So do not rely on the general area time. Look at the measurement taken from the project's own location and, if you can, drive the route once at the time of day you would normally travel. We describe the area's golf course, Alagadi Beach and winter life in our guide Is Esentepe a good place to buy a home?
Allow for the seasons too. Esentepe quietens down in winter. The village centre and the area around the golf course stay lived-in all year, while some of the coastal developments go quiet out of season. If you plan to live here year-round, ask our sales team whether the on-site restaurant, café bar and mini market will stay open through the winter months after handover, and get the answer in writing. A visit between November and February will round out the impression you formed in summer.
Esentepe Exclusive, under construction in Esentepe, Kyrenia, exterior visualisation.Which home types are in the project?
We planned the project on a 25,600 m² plot and set aside 480 m² of it for social facilities. The homes fall into four groups:
- Studio apartment: living and sleeping space in a single room; uses the shared pool and social areas.
- Loft apartment: the only apartment type in the project with a private pool.
- 2+1 penthouse apartment: a two-bedroom apartment on the upper floor.
- Villa: a separate option for those who want detached living.
Private gardens and terraces are among the project's features, and we show on the floor plans which homes have them. The apartments include air conditioning, and a jacuzzi is optional. We do not give the number of each type or their dimensions in this article. Because the homes available for sale change over time, it is better to ask our sales team for up-to-date details in writing.
Which option suits whom?
The table below compares each option by the feature we have confirmed in the project, the use it may suit and the key question to ask.
| Option | Distinguishing feature in the project | Who it may suit | Key question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Compact plan, shared facilities | Single people, and those who will use the home a few weeks a year | Is there storage space and a balcony or terrace? |
| Loft | Private pool for the apartment | Couples who do not want to share a pool | Who looks after the pool and its winter shutdown, and who pays the cost? |
| 2+1 penthouse | Two bedrooms, upper floor | Families, and those who often have guests | How are the roof insulation, terrace waterproofing and access to the top floor handled? |
| Villa | Detached living | Households who want a garden and privacy, and stay for long periods | Who is responsible for the plot boundary, the garden and upkeep of the outdoor areas? |
One detail to note when reading the table: in this project the private pool is only available in the loft type. The other homes use the shared swimming pool. We cover the differences in upkeep, maintenance charges and use between having your own pool and sharing one in our article Private pool or shared pool?
Apartment or villa: what should you look at when deciding?
The choice between an apartment and a villa often starts with the budget, but daily life is what really sets them apart. In our experience, these three questions help people decide faster.
How many months a year will you use the home? For a few weeks of summer use, the ease of locking up an apartment and leaving comes first. If you will spend most of the year here, a garden and detached living make more sense.
Who will look after it? A villa leaves more of the upkeep to you: the garden, the exterior and, if there is one, the pool. If you live in Türkiye and will manage the home from a distance, think about who will take on these tasks before you buy.
Social life or quiet? In an apartment you are closer to the social life of the complex. In a villa you have more privacy, but the walk to the social areas may be longer. We cover this comparison in more depth in Apartment or villa in Cyprus?
A view of Esentepe Exclusive, exterior visualisation.Test your choice against three real scenarios
Tables point you in a direction, but the decision often becomes clear when you picture how a year will actually go. We have taken the three situations we meet most often in sales meetings as examples.
Scenario one: a couple working in Türkiye who will use the home for three or four weeks in summer and during religious holidays. A studio or a loft makes sense for them. The loft's private pool is attractive, but the home will stand empty for ten months. If there is no answer to who will look after the pool water, the pump and the winter shutdown during that time, a studio with a shared pool means less work.
Scenario two: a retired couple who will spend half the year here. A 2+1 penthouse for a guest room or a villa for a garden could be considered. What decides it here is access to healthcare: the state hospital and private hospitals serving Esentepe are in Kyrenia, and according to the times shared on our project website Kyrenia is about 35 minutes away. We suggest trying that drive on a winter evening.
Scenario three: a family with school-age children who will live here all year. The private schools are in Kyrenia, so the daily school run has to be factored in. The family's need for space points to a villa or a 2+1, but the real question is whether the school bus route stops at the complex. Get this confirmed in writing by the school before enrolment.
What the three scenarios have in common is this: the right type depends less on square metres than on the months the home will stand empty and how often you will go down into town. Writing down these two numbers and bringing them to the sales meeting makes the meeting shorter.
What shared facilities does the complex have?
Whichever type you choose, the shared facilities and infrastructure are the same. Our project plan includes a shared swimming pool, a gym, a children's club and a walking path. The restaurant, café bar and mini market are planned to meet some daily needs inside the complex; in an area some way from town, such as Esentepe, a mini market means not having to get in the car for bread or milk.
The infrastructure includes 24/7 site security, security cameras, an automatic entrance gate, a central generator, central satellite, fast internet and parking. How these services will be run after handover and how they will be reflected in the maintenance charge should be among the questions you ask in the sales meeting. We explain how to read what a maintenance charge covers in our complex maintenance charge guide.
What is the construction status, and which documents should you ask for?
Construction of Esentepe Exclusive is ongoing. We share the progress of the works in the "Construction Progress" section of our project website, and we explain how to match progress with the payment schedule in our construction progress tracking guide. Rather than quoting an estimated handover date, we ask you to look at the date in the draft contract and the clauses tied to that date.
We set the payment schedule with each buyer individually, according to their budget. Whichever type you choose, ask for the following documents, dated:
- The floor plan, dimensions and elevation of the home you are interested in.
- If there is a garden, terrace or private pool, their boundaries and dimensions on the plan.
- A list of the items included in the offer and those that are optional.
- The technical specification: joinery, insulation, and kitchen and bathroom materials.
- The handover plan and the draft contract; you can compare its clauses with our off-plan contract checklist and have an independent lawyer review it.
How can you compare Esentepe Exclusive with other areas?
Most buyers considering Esentepe also look at Iskele or at Tatlısu to the east. In Iskele, the beach and the closeness to Famagusta stand out; in Esentepe, the closeness to Kyrenia and the hillside views do. We compare the two in Iskele or Esentepe? If you are looking for a quieter coastal village, you can also look at Dolce Mare Resort, which we are developing in Tatlısu; the details are in our Dolce Mare Resort guide.
Frequently asked questions
What home types are there at Esentepe Exclusive?
There are studio apartments, loft apartments with a private pool, 2+1 penthouse apartments and villas. Our sales team shares the homes currently available for sale and their dimensions.
Does every apartment have a private pool?
No. The private pool is only available in the loft type. The other homes use the shared swimming pool, which is open to all residents of the complex.
How far is Esentepe Exclusive from Kyrenia?
According to the times shared on our project website, Kyrenia is about 35 minutes away, Nicosia 50 minutes and the airport about 60 minutes. Times vary with traffic, so we recommend driving the route once at the time of day you would normally travel.
Is the project finished?
No, construction is ongoing. We share progress in the "Construction Progress" section of our project website. You can ask our sales team for the handover plan in writing.
Is there a shop and a play area for children on site?
Yes. The project plan includes a mini market, a restaurant, a café bar and a children's club. The shared pool, gym and walking path are also part of the social areas.
If you would like to see Esentepe Exclusive in person, or talk through which option suits how you plan to use the home, you can contact us.
This article is for general information only and is not legal or financial advice. Project information is based on our project plan and travel times are approximate. Last updated: November 2026.