North Cyprus remains a hidden gem of the Mediterranean, far less visited since separation in 1974 but, thanks to the abundance of archaeological remains from many civilisations that inhabited the island over the centuries, it is considered the most beautiful and historically interesting part of the island. With superb walking through unspoiled areas teeming with flowers and wildlife, and the relaxed local Turkish Cypriot culture, this is a walking and sightseeing tour not to be missed.
The group flight usually arrives into Lanarca in the early evening and the group will be met and transferred to the start hotel. The transfer takes approximately 1.5 hrs and includes crossing the border to North Cyprus. Land Only clients should aim to arrive at the hotel this afternoon. In the evening our guide will hold a short meeting to discuss the plan for the following day, to give advice on the local area and to answer any questions.
Accommodation: Hotel Pia Bella or similar
Comfortable Hotel
After the Welcome Briefing, we will have a short 20 minute transfer to Bellapais village and the beautiful 12th century Bellapais Abbey, set in the mountains to the south. There will be some free time to explore the beautiful village and the abbey before starting our short walk to Cattalkoy village where we get the transfer back to Kyrenia. The walk today is mainly along an old dirt track; it is fairly undulating, with views out towards the coast along the way.
Kyrenia is a pretty harbour town and a great base from which to explore North Cyprus. Archaeological excavations show the area was first settled as far back as the 10th century BC, and today historic buildings and winding lanes offer a glimpse of the past, sitting side by side with more modern additions. Our tour also takes in a visit to Kyrenia's Crusader Castle, which features in English history as far back as the third crusade, when it was taken by Richard the Lionheart. Since then the castle has been updated and used by civilizations as diverse as the Ottomans, the Venetians and the British. As well as glorious views and fascinating architecture, the castle also houses the Shipwreck Museum, home to a 4th century Greek merchant vessel and its cargo.
Walk: Distance 5 km Ascent 153 m Descent 145 m Max Altitude 350 m Time: 2 hours
Accommodation: Hotel Pia Bella or similar
Comfortable Hotel
Today we transfer approximately 25 minutes to the Saint Hilarion Castle, a former stronghold of the Kyrenia mountains. Originally a hermitage site, the monastery and church were built in the 10th century and later fortified. The site consists of three main parts, linked by steep staircases; the lower section was for the stables and men of arms, the middle section was home to the church and the upper section was for use by only royalty. The stunning views from the upper level are well worth the climb!
We will spend some time exploring the castle and enjoying the magnificent views of Kyrenia, before starting our walk through the hills to Malatya village. The first part of our walk is through the forest, following an old riverbed with some loose rocks underfoot. We then reach an old dirt track which we follow into the village, with stunning views of the coast ahead of us and the impressive Saint Hilarion Castle up on the hills behind us. We will walk through several small villages today, getting a good sense of local life along the way. We’ll stop for lunch in a square in one of these villages.
We will transfer back to the hotel this afternoon, stopping en route to enjoy a drink on the seafront if time allows.
Walk: Distance 14 km Ascent 205 m Descent 400 m Max Altitude 900 m Time: 4 hours
Accommodation: Hotel Pia Bella or similar
Comfortable Hotel
We head east approximately 1.5 hrs today, towards the Karpas peninsula. In the morning, we will visit Incirli cave, the largest on the island, which contains an amazing collection of stalactites and stalagmites, before heading to the crusader castle at Kantara. Kantara Castle is one of three mountain fortresses built by the Byzantines along the Kyrenia Mountains along with Saint Hilarion Castle and Buffavento Castle. It was used as a beacon station, communicating with Buffavento Castle with the use of fires. The castle boasts an incredible 360 degree view of the region. On a clear day you can see not only both coasts of the Karpaz Peninsula but also the mountains of Turkey! After a picnic lunch near the castle, we will walk down the slopes of Five Finger Mountains to the beautiful Kaplica beach. If time allows, there will be a chance to swim at Kaplica beach after our walk, before we transfer (approximately 1 hr) back to Kyrenia.
Walk: Distance 8 km Ascent 50 m Descent 450 m Max Altitude 740 m Time: 3.5 hours
Accommodation: Hotel Pia Bella or similar
Comfortable Hotel
Today has been left free for further exploration of the island. Of the many options available, of particular interest is a trip to the ancient city of Salamis and the historical city of Famagusta. This trip starts with a visit to St. Barnabas Monastery, followed by a tour of the Ancient city of Salamis, which remains the biggest Roman site on the whole island of Cyprus. There will be a lunch break by the sea before the tour continues to the ghost town of Varosha, which is closed to the civil life since 1974. The trip finishes with visiting the old walled city of Famagusta, where the St. Nicholas Cathedral is located. This tour can be arranged locally (please note that you may be joining a larger group on this tour). Of course you could choose to spend the day relaxing, or explore under your own steam.
Accommodation: Hotel Pia Bella or similar
Comfortable Hotel
We start our day with a 45 minute transfer to the magnificent Buffavento Castle. Standing at 970m, it is the highest Crusader castle on the island and a highlight of the week. Buffavento was built in the 11th century as a part of the island's defences against the Arabs, and also controlled an important mountain pass. The dramatic location offers glorious views over Kyrenia and the Five Finger Mountains.
This afternoon we will walk from the castle taking the footpath which leads us down to Bellapais village. We will have our lunch at the top of the mountain where you will see the both sides of the Five Finger Mountain. Our route takes us along a narrow path, which is a bit rocky underfoot, passing between the mountains, and offering us stunning views in both directions. The vehicle meets us in Bellapais village, and we will transfer about 10 minutes back to Kyrenia.
Walk: Distance 16 km Ascent 300 m Descent 350 m Max Altitude 970 m Time: 4 hours
Accommodation: Hotel Pia Bella or similar
Comfortable Hotel
Today we transfer approximately 30 minutes to the start of our last walk, the Five Finger Mountains. The walk takes us on a path up towards the Herbarium of Alevkaya (currently closed for renovation), where we will stop for lunch. This afternoon we will walk to Sourp Magyar, the only Armenian Monastery in the mountains, and on to Kyrenia rock, which offers excellent photo opportunities.
Walk: Distance 10 km Ascent 100 m Descent 120 m Max Altitude 650 m Time: 4 hours
Accommodation: Hotel Pia Bella or similar
Comfortable Hotel
Our adventure ends after breakfast in Kyrenia. Those on the group flights will be transferred back to Larnaca for the flight to London.
This single-centre holiday is based at the following hotel. If you'd like to extend your stay here, or upgrade your room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347, use our live webchat or email usa@exodustravels.com
Our aim is to provide holidays that are unbeatable for choice and flexibility. We've listed our most popular travel options below, however you aren't limited to these - we can tailor-make virtually any holiday to suit.
To find out more about the travel options available call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347, use our live webchat or email usa@exodustravels.com
Here at Headwater we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can continue to develop, and where necessary improve, our services and ensure our holidays continue to be the best they can be. As this is a relatively new holiday, we don't yet have any customer reviews available from our customers, but here are the comments that have been received from previous Exodus travellers.
North Cyprus is an overlooked destination. The history, castles and scenery are amazing. The walks are of reasonable difficulty due to the terrain, and for May the heat made it worse, but a fabulous holiday nonetheless.
This was my first trip with Exodus having traveled many times with some of the competitor companies, and I was not disappointed. From start to finish the trip was wonderfully organised, problems which cropped up handled very well and everyone on the trip was well considered by our tour leader. A great base in Kyrenia from which to explore the island with some simply lovely walks high up in the mountains. The optional excursions were well planned and interesting and I took full advantage of these too. I would highly recommend the trip and hope to return to undertake another excursion with Exodus in the not too distant future.
We enjoyed an interesting week of hiking and learning with a fantastic guide, Gizer, and a very friendly group. The distances and terrain were different each day and all very interesting and well thought out. Late March is a terrific time to go as not too hot and an abundance of wildflowers in bloom. Our guide was a true professional and we feel went above and beyond to make our trip interesting and enjoyable. The extent of his knowledge in all things, flora, fauna, history, and food was so helpful. The staff at the center based hotel was excellent, as was the food! The history and beauty of North Cyprus is not to be missed. We’re so glad we went!
I was happy to go to a place that is pretty much free of tourists, certainly in February. The hotel was lovely, the food was good and the walks were scenic if not too varied. At least one was really a bit more than moderate. The guide, Gizer, was fantastic, filling us with more than enough information about everything. North Cyprus has an interesting and pretty sad history.
An excellent week's walking in North Cyprus with a great group and a superb guide. The guide's commentary on the history of the sights we saw including the ancient castles, churches, mosques, monastries really added to the trip.
An excellent week walking exploring North Cyprus at Christmas with a very pleasant and friendly group. This is not just a walking trip for you get an excellent overview of the history of the ancient castles, monastries etc that you see that really adds to the quality of the holiday. A very good variety of walks across different landscapes but mostly having views of the sea - expertly led by a superb guide.
Walking in North Cyprus was a lovely surprise. The trip was very well organised by Exodus and we had a fantastic guide called Gizer who was very knowledgeable, kind and professional. The trip was a hotel based walking trip at Christmas time. The weather on the whole was perfect for walking and showing off the amazing scenery. (just one afternoon of rain) The walks were varied, quite tough at times but very rewarding. We mostly visited castles and monasteries during the walks. The hotel was a good standard with nice big rooms and very friendly staff. The group were amazing and inspirational. The Guide was fantastic and organised great restaurants with really good food at very reasonable prices for us all. He was the perfect host to show off this beautiful part of the world and he ensured all of us enjoyed our holiday.
Another great holiday organised by Exodus. The beautiful countryside of North Cyprus was well highlighted by this tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and kept the group together well. The weather was a bit hotter than I expected (the eastern Mediterranean was suffering from a hot summer and the temperatures were in the mid-80s whereas I was expecting a few degrees cooler. However, by keeping well hydrated the walks did not provide me with any problems.
You actually have to be quite fit for this holiday. There is a fair amount of walking, especially up to the many castles. In the heat it can be tough especially on the higher climbs. Also some of the terrain can be compared to walking in a dry river bed with a lot of boulders and stones. You will be visiting a fair amount of castles and the odd monastery. You can also see the ghost city of Famagusta. The weather was fabulous, and the group were great fun. Our group leader Gizer was amazing; he was courteous,punctual, and very caring. He was also extremely knowledgable about the various flora and fauna. It was a joy to walk with him. If you stay at the Pia Bella hotel, hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did. The rooms are spacious and modern with a fantastic bathroom. Also the breakfasts were truly delightful with an incredible choice. Yon can sit outside and enjoy the kittens frolicking in the gardens, or inside the large restaurant area. There are two pools, one quite a bit larger where the sun stays all day long. Enjoy.
Arrangements were efficient, the hotel was lovely, the reception and meal on arrival was most welcoming. Walking was as brochure said and the town/suburbs was abundant with flowering plants. Evening meals easily available at very reasonable prices. The guide was full of interesting information about the historical context of the island. As ever the greatest fun was meeting the excellent other holiday makers! The hotel were very attentive to providing me with 'gluten free' meals.
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
Find out about The Headwater Price Promise to ensure you're getting the very best value for money.
This 7 night guided walking holiday includes:
All breakfasts, 5 lunches
All accommodation (see below)
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)
How to book:
For further details, or to check availability, speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form (we'll contact you at a time that's most convenient for you).
To enquire about this holiday, or for further information, call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form.
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 25th Jan | US$949 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 8th Feb | US$949 | Check availability |
| 22nd Feb | US$949 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 7th Mar | US$1049 | Check availability |
| 14th Mar | US$1049 | Check availability |
| 21st Mar | US$1049 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 4th Apr | US$1079 | Check availability |
| 18th Apr | US$1079 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd May | US$1179 | Check availability |
| 9th May | US$1179 | Check availability |
| 23rd May | US$1249 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 19th Sep | US$1249 | Check availability |
| 26th Sep | US$1249 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd Oct | US$1249 | Check availability |
| 17th Oct | US$1249 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 7th Nov | US$1079 | Check availability |
| 21st Nov | US$1049 | Check availability |
| Departing | Tour only | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 21st Dec | US$1249 | Check availability |
The prices quoted for each individual departure supercede those published in our current brochures. Air prices are subject to change and we advise early booking to obtain the best prices. Please see our Planning your holiday and What's included in the price? pages for additional information.
This holiday is operated by our sister company, Exodus
7 nights 4-star Hotel Pia Bella, all rooms en suite
5 days centre-based walking
Reasonable fitness required
Low altitude throughout
Due to the tailor-made nature of our holidays, we need a little more information in order for us to check availability for Walking in North Cyprus. Simply complete the form below (fields marked * are mandatory) and a member of our sales team will contact you (when it's most convenient for you) to provide availability information, travel options and an accurate price. Of course there's no obligation, but if you do wish to proceed with a booking they will be on-hand to assist you throughout the process.
Alternatively, you can call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 to discuss your requirements in more detail.
