EXPLORE⦁DISCOVER⦁LEARN⦁CONNECT⦁ ENJOY Unique holidays in North with the local experts Hiking around Korucam and Bellapais

Vivid Cyprus is an established North Cyprus holiday and tour agency which offers a personalised service for its clients before and during their holiday. As one of the pioneers of responsible tourism holidays in North Cyprus, including eco-tourism and agri-tourism related holidays, Vivid Cyprus is working hard to help conserve the natural and cultural heritage of the island.

Trip Name: Hiking around Korucam and Bellapais, north Cyprus Trip No. 13232 Trip Duration: 8 days Grade: 2.5 Grading Explanation: 1-5 (1-very easy; 2-easy; 3-challenging; 4-difficult; 5-very difficult) Activity: Hiking on and off road Accommodation : 7 nights in 2 star hotel Recommended time: Daily all year round

Overview of this tour

With this package, we are offering you a set of trails in two different areas of North Cyprus: northwest and centre of Beşparmak range where you can experience nature, ‘touch’ history and enjoy sea views.

Initially hiking will be around Korucam. Several nature trails have been marked around the area suitable for hiking. They start in the village of Korucam and then diverge in different directions but in all of them, due to the proximity to the sea and the altitude of the trail, the views are magnificent. There is a pine forest on the way and the area is dotted with carob and olive trees.

After experiencing Korucam, you will be transferred to Bellapais village, one of the gems of North Cyprus with its 12th century Lusignan abbey. During the next two walks, you might

P a g e | 1 VakıflarCarşısı, Kat 2, No. 10/11, Girne (), KKTC (North Cyprus), 99300. Tel: 0090 392 815 1818 Fax: 0090 392 815 1819 Email: [email protected] EXPLORE⦁DISCOVER⦁LEARN⦁CONNECT⦁ ENJOY Unique holidays in North Cyprus with the local experts Hiking around Korucam and Bellapais climb up to 2 medieval castles: the fairy tale castle of St Hilarion and the one that ‘laughed at the winds’, Buffavento.

As for the accommodation, you will be initially settled in Korucam/Kormacit village which is inhabited by Maronites. Located North West of Cyprus, it is one of two villages in North Cyprus where Maronites live. The Maronites belong to the Roman Catholic Church, they migrated to Cyprus from Lebanon because of continuous persecution. After Korucam, Bellapais awaits you. The resort is located above Bellapais and boasts of its spectacular vistas. The package offers a free day, so you may relax by the pool, sunbathe on the terrace, take a walk into the village or take a cab into Kyrenia and stroll along the harbour.

Itinerary at a glance

Day 1 – Settle in the guesthouse in Korucam / Kormacit

Day 2 - Walk from Cape Korucam to Korucam village – 16 km

Day 3 – Walk the purple trail – linear hike– 18 km total

Day 4 – Walk from Korucam Village to Akdeniz beach – 14 km

Day 5 – Transfer to St Hilarion – Visit St Hilarion castle and start the hike to Bellapais- 12.7 km, Overnight in Bellapais

Day 6 – Hike from Bellapais to Buffavento Castle – 18 km

P a g e | 2 VakıflarCarşısı, Kat 2, No. 10/11, Girne (Kyrenia), KKTC (North Cyprus), 99300. Tel: 0090 392 815 1818 Fax: 0090 392 815 1819 Email: [email protected] EXPLORE⦁DISCOVER⦁LEARN⦁CONNECT⦁ ENJOY Unique holidays in North Cyprus with the local experts Hiking around Korucam and Bellapais Day 7 – Rest day in Bellapais

Day 8 – Return or Prolongation

Detailed itinerary

DAY 1 – Settle in the guesthouse in Kormacit. Explore the village of Kormacit with its coffee shops and restaurants.

DAY 2 – Walk from Cape Korucam to Korucam village – 16 km. This highly varied trail commences along the shore and then climbs to the low western ridge of the Beşparmak Mountains. You can see the mountain chain to the east, to the south lays the Troodos massif and the clear, blue waters of the shimmer to the north. You end the day by walking into the village and your guesthouse.

DAY 3 – Walk the purple trail - 18 km – this is a linear trail (9 km to the beach). This trail is an off road trail apart from the first 20 minutes or so. It starts at the center of the village by the church and ends up in a small rocky beach by the sea. There is a very small sandy beach nearby. The terrain is quite rough and it varies from muddy, to stony, to rocky in parts, and sandy at the end. Transfer back to the guesthouse in Kormacit.

DAY 4 – Walk from Korucam Village to Akdeniz beach- 15 km. You leave the village walking through its narrow streets. You then walk through the fields passing the cemetery on your left. The trail takes you down a valley where you pass by a small lake (maybe dry in the summer). At a crossing you will find a goat feeding area. There you meet the white trail. Make your way to the beach.

DAY 5 – Hiking from Boğaz by pass to Bellapais village – 12.7 km- .You will be transferred from Korucam to St Hilarion castle and after visiting the castle, you will start the walk at the Boğaz pass. This is quite a hilly day. The climb to the southern side of the mountain range begins above the picnic area and leads to an overgrown plateau with a gorgeous view of Kyrenia and the sea. After crossing the mountain ridge the trail goes down the forested northern side to Bellapais village.

DAY 6 – Hiking from Bellapais village to Buffavento castle. – 18 km – The walk will start at the village of Bellapais. This is a day with a lot of uphills, especially the first 4 km. You will go through wooded valley, meadow, shady pine forests and some fascinating rock formations. You will also follow a path from where you can see two huge flags sculpted in the mountainside above the village of Taşkent.

P a g e | 3 VakıflarCarşısı, Kat 2, No. 10/11, Girne (Kyrenia), KKTC (North Cyprus), 99300. Tel: 0090 392 815 1818 Fax: 0090 392 815 1819 Email: [email protected] EXPLORE⦁DISCOVER⦁LEARN⦁CONNECT⦁ ENJOY Unique holidays in North Cyprus with the local experts Hiking around Korucam and Bellapais DAY 7 – Free day – relaxing by the pool or optional visit to Kyrenia town and castle

DAY8 – Trip concludes.

What’s included:

 Visit by one of our team members  Maps, descriptions, GPS and general advise  2 star guesthouse accommodation B&B  Transfer to the start of walk 1  Pick up from the end of walk 3  Transfer from Kormacit village to St Hilarion castle and to the start of walk in Boğaz; luggage transport to Bellapais on day 5  Pıck up from Buffavento at the end of the walk on day 6

What's not included

· Flights · Airport transfers

Optional extras and extensions

Should you require the above services or upgrade to half board, we are happy to arrange for you. If you would like to extend your stay in Cyprus before or after the basic package we are also happy to arrange this, whether you would like to just stay in one place to relax or to tour around other places for a few extra nights.

Getting there

Driving routes can be accessed via the following website: By car and ferry www.via.michelin.com. You drive to the south of and take a ferry from Mersin to Kyrenia. The nearest International airport is Ercan (flying via Turkey). Alternatively you can fly directly to Larnaca, but the transfer cost to your hotel becomes more expensiveif you fly via the By air south airport(s). We recommend that you arrange your transfer prior to your departure. Vivid Cyprus is able to organize flights and airport transfers for you. They are in addition to this package.

P a g e | 4 VakıflarCarşısı, Kat 2, No. 10/11, Girne (Kyrenia), KKTC (North Cyprus), 99300. Tel: 0090 392 815 1818 Fax: 0090 392 815 1819 Email: [email protected] EXPLORE⦁DISCOVER⦁LEARN⦁CONNECT⦁ ENJOY Unique holidays in North Cyprus with the local experts Hiking around Korucam and Bellapais Equipment provided

Maps, descriptions, GPS and general advise

Trip grading – moderate

Other gear required

Wet weather gear, sunscreen, sun hat (when not wearing helmet), walking shoes.

Accommodation

The House of Rusos is an old traditional village house, recently renovated and turned into a guesthouse, in the heart of Korucam (Kormacit) village. The second accommodation is a holiday village with clever landscaping and design,which blends perfectly into the natural landscape of the and is very easily overlooked by those passing by on their way to the village of Bellapais.

Climate

Cyprus enjoys an intense Mediterranean climate with 320 days of sunshine a year. Summers are hot and dry and last from June to September. Winters are changeable with cold and warmer weather alternating. Autumn in October/November and spring in April/May are short and the transition between winter and summer is rapid. Rain falls mainlyin winter and outside these months precipitation israre therefore flora is much richer in flowers and lush looking in March/April than in September/October but sea temperature is warmer in autumn. Average summer temperatures in the coast are between 25 – 34 degrees C.

Average rainy days

P a g e | 5 VakıflarCarşısı, Kat 2, No. 10/11, Girne (Kyrenia), KKTC (North Cyprus), 99300. Tel: 0090 392 815 1818 Fax: 0090 392 815 1819 Email: [email protected] EXPLORE⦁DISCOVER⦁LEARN⦁CONNECT⦁ ENJOY Unique holidays in North Cyprus with the local experts Hiking around Korucam and Bellapais

How to book

To book with Vivid Cyprus, simply choose your activity and select the dates that suit you. We will receive your application in our system with the hotels you have picked and will book them for you. If those hotels are not available we will choose similar accommodation depending on your activity. Our experts will then correspond with you and let you know the details closer to the date of reaching the island.

Vivid Cyprus (an extension of KaleidoskopTurizm) VakıflarCarşısı, Kat 2, No. 10/11, Girne (Kyrenia),

KKTC (North Cyprus), 99300 Tel: 0090 392 815 1818

Fax: 0090 392 815 1819 Email: [email protected]

P a g e | 6 VakıflarCarşısı, Kat 2, No. 10/11, Girne (Kyrenia), KKTC (North Cyprus), 99300. Tel: 0090 392 815 1818 Fax: 0090 392 815 1819 Email: [email protected] EXPLORE⦁DISCOVER⦁LEARN⦁CONNECT⦁ ENJOY Unique holidays in North Cyprus with the local experts Hiking around Korucam and Bellapais

Whether you are interested in a multi-stop North Cyprus holiday, a one-stop Kyrenia holiday, Famagusta holiday, or Karpaz holiday, or if you’re looking for North Cyprus walking, cycling, eco or special interest holidays, we can help design the perfect holiday for you.

P a g e | 7 VakıflarCarşısı, Kat 2, No. 10/11, Girne (Kyrenia), KKTC (North Cyprus), 99300. Tel: 0090 392 815 1818 Fax: 0090 392 815 1819 Email: [email protected]