Northern Cyprus walking holiday

country:	Cyprus
trip type:	Introductory walking holidays
departures:	2009: 20 Dec 2010: 13 Feb, 14 Feb, 21 Feb, 14 Mar, 21 Mar, 28 Mar, 3 Apr, 4 Apr, 11 Apr, 12 Sep, 19 Sep, 10 Oct, 17 Oct, 24 Oct, 19 Dec, 26 Dec 2011: 12 Feb, 13 Feb, 20 Feb, 13 Mar, 20 Mar, 27 Mar, 2 Apr, 3 Apr, 10 Apr, 11 Sep, 18 Sep
price:	From £696 (8 days) including flights from the UK. Price includes 7 breakfasts and 5 lunches. Single room option £80. This trip can also be booked without flights
vouchers:	Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday

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Introductory walking holidays here

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the amazing things you'll be doing

Picturesque harbour town of Kyrenia located in the foothills of the Besparmak Mountains on the Mediterranean coast, we spend the week exploring a landscape dotted with medieval castles and quiet rustic villages. We walk through forests of Mediterranean pine and juniper, across a landscape that is a profusion of wild flowers and herbs.

At the crossroads of Mediterranean trade, Cyprus has absorbed many of the great maritime cultures of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Mycenaeans, Phoenicians and Egyptians were followed by Roman and Byzantine traders, who in their turn were supplanted by the Crusaders, Venetians and Turks.

The island is covered with castles, fortresses and abbeys that attest to the continual occupation of the island. Over the coming week we plan to visit some of these monuments to a turbulent and eclectic past. We visit the trio of Byzantine fortresses of St Hilarion, Kantara and Buffavento, as well as the Crusader abbey of Bellapais, made famous by Lawrence Durrell. We also visit the divided city of Nicosia, as well as the coastal town of Famagusta, the inspiration for the setting of Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’. There are many walking trails around the island, walks on a specific tour may vary. Although all walks are included it is of course possible to opt out any of the walks, and spend the day relaxing.

Special highlights:

Kyrenia. Picturesque harbour town set amidst stunning scenery.
Bellapais Abbey. Famous 12th century Crusader Abbey.
Island Fortresses. Visiting the three bastions of St Hilarion, Kantara and Buffavento.
Kyrenia ranges. Stunning walking amidst Mediterranean scenery.
Nicosia. Visit to the divided city.
Famagusta. Once the richest city in the world.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Arrive Ercan and transfer to hotel in Kyrenia. Arriving at Ercan we transfer by charter bus to our hotel just outside the picturesque town of Kyrenia. An ideal base for our week's stay, Kyrenia is a lovely eclectic mix of Venetian facades, mosques and minarets and a Crusader castle, which dominates one end of the old harbour; a setting further enhanced by the dramatic backdrop of the Besparmak Mountains. 7 nights hotel H+.
Day 2:	Kyrenia, Bellapais and Nicosia. After a morning briefing we set off for nearby Kyrenia to visit the splendid castle and harbour. We then drive to the village of Bellapais made famous by Lawrence Durrell in his book 'Bitter Lemons'. Much of the village still retains the easy charm of those Durrell days, but the main attraction is the Crusader abbey after which the village is named. Originally founded by Augustinian canons fleeing Palestine in 1200, the abbey went into decline after it was plundered by the Genoese in the 14th century. The monks of the abbey earned a reputation for scandal that was certainly not in keeping with their pious vows, keeping concubines on site and refusing to accept any but their own children as novices! Indeed the village that grew up around the abbey is reputed to be people by the descendants of those very monks. After visiting the abbey and the famous 'Tree of Idleness', we have our first walk to the village of Ozankoy for a picnic lunch, following the original crusader footpath. This afternoon we'll make a trip down to Nicosia, the last divided capital city in the world, straddling both sides of the Green Line that partitions the city. The northern part is very much Turkish in influence, dotted with Gothic and Ottoman monuments, including the 13th century Selimiye Mosque, which is reputed to be one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the country. We will spend some time visiting the old centre of the city before returning to our hotel. (Included meals: B, L).
Day 3:	Visit St Hilarion Castle; walk to Karaman; then onto Ilgaz. This morning we take a short bus transfer to St Hilarion Castle. Set in the Kyrenia hills to the southwest, the castle is the best preserved of the three fortresses built by the Byzantines and Crusaders and sits on a dramatic hilltop overlooking Kyrenia. The castle is steeped in legend and intrigue and has been a military objective throughout the centuries; it was one of the last castles taken by the Crusaders in 1191 and during the 13th and 14th centuries it proved a major obstacle to both Frederick II and the Genoese. Local legend has it that the castle contains a secret room, room 101, which leads into an enchanted garden filled with treasure. The story also goes that the fortress was used by Walt Disney as the model for Snow White's castle. After visiting the castle we descend towards the villages of Karaman and Ilgaz en route back towards Kyrenia. (Included meals: B, L).
Day 4:	Transfer to Kantara Castle; walking in the area. We head east today as we drive along the coast to Kantara Castle, the easternmost and the lowest of the three bastions, located in the foothills of the Kyrenia ranges. As with St Hilarion, the castle saw its fair share of conflict during the crusades and the conflicts with Frederick II and the Genoese. 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 illjudged slight against Richard’s fiancée. After visiting the castle we will pick up our trail through the variety of landscapes of the Kirpasa Peninsula, upon which the castle stands. Finishing up at Kaplica beach with time for a swim before we transfer back to Kyrenia by chartered bus. (Included meals: B, L).
Day 5:	Full day excursion to Famagusta. This day is left free for personal exploration. Once one of the richest cities and most important trading ports in the world, Famagusta has been an eyewitness to the history of the last 2,500 years. The once, so called, "City of 365 churches", ravaged by severe wars and earthquakes, still contains beautiful examples of medieval and gothic architecture. Its majesty had apparently had an influence on the artistic muse of a certain William Shakespeare, who is purported to have used it as the setting for Othello. Indeed the Venetian Citadel, overlooking the harbour, is popularly known as "Othello's Tower". There is an option this afternoon to visit the ancient site of Salamis, a few miles to the north, and the most important ancient city on the island; the site is strewn with Mycenaean, Roman and Byzantine artifacts. Alternatively you may prefer to relax and spend your free time on one of the local beaches. (Included meals: B).
Day 6:	Visit Buffavento Castle; then walk onto Taskent. Transferring by bus again this morning, we head for 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 will likely give you some indication as to why. From here on a good day you can see half the island, with views of the Troodos Mountains, Famagusta and Nicosia stretching out beneath you. Taking some time to explore the area around the castle we then head west, towards the town of Taskent. We follow a fairly steep path up to a forest track over the mountains before reaching the valley for a picnic lunch. Continuing downhill we admire stunning views of the coastline and Bellapais village. Those who wish to stay for sightseeing or refreshments may do so, otherwise we continue walking to the hotel. (Included meals: B, L).
Day 7:	Forest walk to Armenian Monastery & Herbarium. Besparmak is known locally as “The Five Fingered Mountain” and its chiselled peak is very much in evidence as we drive to Alevkayasi this morning. 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. Following a forest trail this morning we head for the Armenian monastery of Sourp Magar. Originally founded in the 11th century as a Coptic monastery, it was used as a summer resort by the Armenian Church and was an important site of pilgrimage for Armenians travelling to and from the Holy Land. Unfortunately the monastery felt the full wrath of the invading Turkish forces in 1974 and now sits abandoned and derelict amidst a dense forest on the northern slopes of the Kyrenia Mountains. A short distance from the monastery the track leads to the forestry station at Alevkaya, where we visit the Herbarium. Founded by the British botanist, Dr Deryck Viney, the small Herbarium will be of principle interest to those interested in botany as it contains over 1000 preserved specimens of endemic plants. This is an excellent way of identifying flowers and plants we have seen on our rambles. Cyprus has some 30 species of orchid, for which it is justifiably famous, but it is also abundant with cyclamen, anemones and oleander. (Included meals: B, L).
Day 1/2:	Tour ends Kyrenia (Included meals: B).

small group adventure holiday

Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.

award winner

This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.

how this holiday makes a difference

A visit to Northern Cyprus allows for a great adventure into a relatively unknown country with a recent turbulent history of political and economic isolation. As a consequence of this, the area has remained reasonably unspoiled and undeveloped compared to the rest of the Mediterranean.

We use locally owned accommodation throughout the trip and encourage clients to buy local produce and dine each evening in a local restaurant which all helps develop the tourism infrastructure in this fledging destination hotspot. Our one week walking trip concentrates on the Besparmak range where we walk through stunning countryside and follow quiet mountain trails leading to imposing Crusader castles.

In Kyrenia we wander the harbour front and narrow cobbled back streets in this wonderful laid back tour. The town is an ideal base for exploration due to its central (and beautiful) location. The hotel we use tries to minimise its impact on the environment by encouraging guests to use less water and towels, as well as purchasing local food from the many markets of the area.

The local staff are always on hand to advise on the best restaurant to dine in or bar to sip a cold beer. After a briefing from the tour leader, which includes how to minimise the affects during your stay on the environment, we take countryside paths from the hillside village of Bellapais and its famous monastery and up to the Crusader castle of St Hilarion, before winding down to the coastal plains on century old tracks.

The tour leaders are from the region and this local knowledge assists in giving a historical and personal angle on the areas you will travel through. The group size, at 16, has been specifically chosen to give a personal viewpoint and minimise the impact on the environment, as well as being able to use the locally owned accommodation that is generally smaller than the large chain of hotels.

For centuries the high mountains have been a place of refuge and fortification and our walks offer exquisite views as we visit both Kantara and Buffavento castles. Trails lead us through pine forests to an ancient Armenian monastery as we walk along the spine of this breathtaking range, from where on a clear day the snow-capped mountains of Lebanon can be seen.

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