Walking in Northern Cyprus

Our trip begins at our hotel, a small resort located around 1.5 miles from the centre of Kyrenia. For those arriving on time our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 8pm for the welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Kyrenia at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into either Ercan Airport (North Cyprus ECN) a 25 minutes' drive from the hotel or Larnaca Airport (Cyprus LCA) and 1.5 hours' drive. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.

If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you could choose to head into Kyrenia to sample some excellent North Cyprus food and explore the town's waterfront setting. Kyrenia is particularly famous for its 'picture postcard' vista of its striking Crusader castle and old harbour set against the dramatic backdrop of the Besparmak Mountains.

Our base for the week is The Ship Inn, located around 1.5 miles from the centre of Kyrenia, a 45 minute walk or can take a local bus or a taxi. The hotel facilities include an outdoor pool, bar and restaurant, the comfortable rooms are all en-suite with air conditioning and a balcony or terrace.

Our main introductory briefing will be after breakfast this morning before we drive along the coast, eventually leaving the built up coastal development behind, and through a rural landscape of green fields, olive groves and small villages. En route, we will stop off at Cyrpus\ largest cave at Incirli to see its impressive collection of stalactites and stalagmites along a 100 metres/330 feet passage. After visiting the cave we continue our drive to Kantara village and we start our walk through pine forest. Along the way the views eventually open up and we pick a scenic spot with vistas along the north coast for our picnic. In springtime we have the chance to see wild flowers and orchids. Eventually we reach Kantara Castle which we visit after our walk.

Kantara Castle has seen its fair share of conflict over the centuries. Indeed, Richard the Lionheart won a famous victory here when he defeated the self-proclaimed king of the island, Isaac Komnenos, after the latter's ill-judged slight against Richard's fiancé.

After visiting the castle, we drive down to the seaside and Kaplica Beach where you have the opportunity to swim.

Today's leisurely 7.5 kilometre/4.7 mile walk is expected to take around 2 to 3 hours with 50 metres/165 feet of ascent and 450 metres/1475 feet of descent.

Please note that the order of the walking days may be changed to take account of weather conditions, as some of the trails are slippery when wet. Your Leader will advise of any changes on the tour.

A short drive this morning takes us into the Besparmak Mountains, ascending to the Arapkoy area, where we leave our vehicle and start walking along the forest trails towards Bellapais village. Our path today follows an undulating well-graded path through pine forests with excellent views that stretch all the way down to the Karpaz Peninsula on a clear day. We will break for a picnic lunch along the way, just before we start our descent to picturesque Bellapais village.

Made famous by Lawrence Durrell in his 1950s award-winning autobiography, Bitter Lemons, much of Bellapais village still retains the easy charm of those Durrell days. The village's main attraction is Bellapais Abbey, now an imposing ruin with spectacular views of Kyrenia and the Mediterranean Sea, it was founded by Augustinian monks fleeing the Holy Lands in 1200. The abbey flourished until it was looted and vandalised during the 14th century Genoese invasion. It went on to earn a reputation for scandal and corruption, eventually shutting down in the 16th century.

After visiting the abbey we will drive to Kyrenia harbour to visit the imposing castle, which also contains the Shipwreck Museum - home of the remains of a well preserved 4th century BC merchant ship. There is time to stroll around the harbour before we head back to our hotel.

Today's moderate grade 12.5 kilometre/7.8 mile walk is expected to take around 4 hours with 300 metres/985 feet of ascent and 350 metres/1150 feet of descent.

This morning we visit Saint Hilarion castle, a stunning historic fort overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. There is time to explore the three floors of the castle complex on foot, one of the best preserved of the Crusader castles. Built into the hillside there are some steep sections and steps to climb to the upper floors. We meet at the cafe where you can try a refreshing homemade lemonade before we walk from the castle towards Lapta on the western edge of the Besparmak Mountain range.

The first section of today's walk follows a track through a remote valley than runs behind Saint Hilarion Castle. In the spring the pathway is full of wild flowers and it should be possible to spot orchids along the way. There is a steep section of around 100 metres/330 feet where we descend along a dry river bed, where you will need to pick your footing carefully and sometimes use your hands as well if you prefer, after which the path levels out as we re-join a forest track. We break for a picnic at the charming village of Karmi (also known as Karaman) nestled below the peaks of the Besparmak Mountains. Winding our way through the narrow lanes we make our way to the church of Virgin Mary in the central square, an ideal spot to enjoy our lunch. There is a small cafe and shop in the village where it's possible to purchase further drinks and snacks.

After lunch we descend to Gillham vineyard, close to Lapta, where our vehicle meets us and takes us back to our hotel.

Today's moderate grade 10 kilometre/6.2 mile walk is expected to take around 4 hours with 150 metres/490 feet of ascent and 450 metres/1475 feet of descent (including a short steep section).

Today has been left free for you to use as you wish. You may choose to visit Famagusta - once one of the richest cities and most important trading ports in the world. The so-called 'City of 365 Churches' has been ravaged by wars and earthquakes throughout history, but still contains beautiful examples of medieval and gothic architecture. William Shakespeare is purported to have used it as the setting for Othello and the Venetian Citadel overlooking the harbour is popularly known as Othello's Tower. Just 5 miles to the north of Famagusta is the ancient site of Salamis, which is also well worth a visit and included in the day trip. With its significant collection of Mycenaean, Roman and Byzantine artefacts, it is the most important ancient city on the island.

Alternatively, you may prefer to use your day to relax, spending time by the hotel's pool or on one of the local beaches.

Today we head out towards the west coast, through one of the most fertile agricultural regions in Cyprus. From the village of Akdeniz, our walk this morning takes in pretty countryside, through west coast pine forest and fields in flower (seasonal), and along the way we will visit a few interesting historical sites including some 5th century BC tombs and 2500 year old Greek fish ponds. We have a picnic lunch on route, before descending to the coast. Our walk continues along turtle beach and arable land until we reach Akdeniz village. After the walk, we can spend some time at Akdeniz Caretta beach, there is a cafe for a drink and the opportunity to swim before we drive back to the hotel.

Today's leisurely 13 kilometre/8.1 mile walk is expected to take around 4 hours with 200 metres/655 feet of descent.

This morning, we head again into the Besparmak Mountains and to the highest of the Kyrenia strongholds, the ruined fortress of Buffavento. The name means 'buffeted by the wind' and a walk up to the top of the highest tower helps us to understand why. The zig zag path gradually ascends to the ruins, with some steeper steps to get to the top to the castle. On a clear day, our efforts are rewarded with a spectacular view over half the island, with the Troodos Mountains stretching out beneath us and Famagusta in the distance.

After visiting Bufavento Castle, we start our final walk which takes us to the base of Besparmark, translated as the five fingered mountain because of its distinctive jagged peaks. Legend has it that the mountain was formed when the Byzantine hero, Dhiyenis Akritas, leapt across the sea from Anatolia leaving his handprint forever etched into the landscape as he landed. While we walk keep your eyes peeled for endemic wild plants and flowers and we have the opportunity to see the north coast of Cyprus as well as inland Nicosia, which is the capital city of Cyprus.

Today's moderate grade walk is 13 kilometres/8.1 miles, which is expected to take around four hours with 70 metres/230 feet of ascent and 170 metres/560 feet of descent. The forest paths are uneven under foot in places and undulating with a few very short steeper sections.

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel.

There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like an airport transfer today, you need to depart from either Ercan Airport (North Cyprus ECN) a 25 minutes' drive from the hotel or Larnana Airport (Cyprus LCA) and 1.5 hours' drive.