Walking in Northern Cyprus

The itinerary needs to be more varied. It included walks to 3 mountaintop castles ruins and mostly in similar landscapes, but omitted Nicosia, Salamis and Famagusta. While the latter was an optional day trip on the free day, if Salamis and Famagusta were included in one of the walking days, then the free day could have included transport to and from Nicosia. There would then have been the opportunity to see the green zone; possibly use the pedestrian border crossing to go to the Cyprus side and learn more about what makes the Island of Cyprus so unique.

Great trip with a very full itinerary I travelled solo and felt very welcome and part of a team Very thoughtful guide who helped with everything, nothing too much trouble Highly recommend

Nice trip just wish that we had gone in April rather than May as we missed the Spring flowers. Simple trip made much more interesting with the balanced social political insights from our tour guide.

Slightly late on the season for wild flowers and the heat was building as we headed into summer. Leader did a brilliant job of changing itinerary to reflect this.

Great trip because our guide was simply awesome: he vastly improved the itinerary, was incredibly knowledgeable, as well as being fun to be with

With a small group of 8 and an excellent leader in Mehmet, we were guaranteed a good holiday. Mehmet was so enthusiastic about his country, its people and wildlife. We learnt so much about the local flora and fauna. Walks were great, especially the castle visits. For me the reservoir walk was the only disappointment. Though the views were interesting, the tracks were tedious and uninspiring. Loved the 2 beach visits, and also the opportunity to sample the home produced goods. The visit to Varosha should not be missed.

Interesting country, full itinerary. Some of the walks fairly strenuous in the heat particularly the uphill parts. Very good guide with lots of environmental and ecological knowledge which he shared with the group. Fairly full pace of holiday I enjoyed the home visits to try local produce and the beach visits which could have been a little longer giving time for a more relaxing swim . The location of the hotel wasn’t near any areas of interest or amenities.

Those hotel was very comfortable with lovely breakfast. Very friendly and helpful staff. The walks were varied and interesting. The guide was very knowledgeable about geography, botany and local history. For instance we stopped for lunch at a place where there was still some remains of a plane that crashed in the mountains. We did cultural events which were very interesting and part of the tour. We met some lovely north Cypriot people. The optional trim to Famagusta was very interesting. And well worth the money. The guide and drive advised us on lovely places to eat.

Fantastic holiday, group and leader (T)

The Cyprus holiday was excellent. The leader was very well informed, a pleasure to be with and bonded with the group, who were also a great bunch. The weather was unseasonably cold the first few days and the hotel was a bit cold, although at least the weather was dry with some sun improving to lovely sun by the end of the week. The leader packed in lots to see, and slightly more relaxation time would have been welcomed by me.

Great holiday! Tour lead Mehmet was a great ambassador for Cyprus and full of knowledge and enthusiasm for the flora and fauna. The walks were wonderful with castles, villages, flowers everywhere including masses of different types of orchids. The views were stunning with mountain ranges, beaches and turquoise reservoir. We visited some welcoming homes to eat and drink local specialities. The staff in the hotel were great (especially the other Mehmet in the bar) but it was really cold at the start of the week, disappointing the pools were closed and was a bit overwhelming when a large tour bus came in for a few days. The organisation and itinerary all went smoothly from airport transfers, interesting and varied activities and getting us around during the week. Great crowd of people to spend a week with and it left me wanting to know so much more about this island.

In spite of the unexpectedly cold weather in late February, I had a great week walking in Northern Cyprus. The walks were varied & interesting. Mehmet was a fantastic guide & couldn’t do enough for us all. His enthusiasm for people, nature & life in general was infectious & our group bonded well under his care. I hope to return a week or so later one year to find the elusive Cyprus tulip 😊

Our guide was excellent, very informative, polite and always helpful. He told us all about the history, everything of the plants on our way. He made us feel being at home and very welcomed. Every walk revealed something new. It was very interesting. Our lunches were delicious. I got a very good impression of Cyprus

The walks on this trip were fabulous, particularly up to the three castles on top of the mountains. Our tour leader Mehmet was an enthusiastic and helpful person, with a passionate interest in the local flora which many of us appreciated. For me the one downside was the hotel: we were there during a particularly cold spell, and the heating didn't stay on in the room when you left, meaning you were coming home from a freezing cold day in the hills to an equally cold room which took quite a while to heat up. Many of us requested an extra duvet, but for some people it took 3 days to receive it, so they had some very cold nights. That aspect was a bit miserable, but otherwise this is a wonderful trip which I'd recommend.

Very pleased I booked this for our Christmas break. Lovely (without being too challenging) walking, great castles and a very comfortable hotel. Our guide was knowledgeable, helpful and mindful of all of our requirements/demands. Glad we went in winter, I think the walking would be very hot in the summer. But then again the outdoor pool would then have come into its own. (We used the heated indoor pool in December) I would highly recommend this walking holiday.

This tour was a great balance of walking and culture. Beautiful walks, well organised by our guide, with amazing castles to explore. Cyprus has such a long, rich and complex history, and the included and optional visits allowed us to get a real sense of that. It was a nice change to be based in one place. We stayed in The Ship Inn which is outside the town centre but with a few shops and cafes nearby, including a supermarket. The indoor pool was lovely for post walking - there is also an outdoor pool but we were there in January. The staff were attentive and helpful. As vegetarians, we were wary of set meals but pleasantly surprised by the quality of the vegetarian option on the evening meal outings. As a guide, Engin really knows his stuff - very informative and looked after everybody really well. I'd recommend the optional Hamman trip as a great end to a walking week.

Beautiful and spectacular scenery, remote ruined castles, a strange ghost city, preserved monasteries, ancient fortresses, Roman and Greek ruins, the tour encompassed them all as well as moderate length, reasonably challenging hikes. Our tour leader Engin, was entertaining, interesting and a fount of knowledge on all things Cypriot. He kept the group moving to timetable and frequently pointed out flowers and plants, as well as leading us expertly through some (at times) challenging terrain. With a comfortable bus, a highly competent driver and a pleasant hotel which lacked nothing and was staffed by such friendly people, the whole trip was a most enjoyable and stimulating way to see in the New Year. Such a lovely group of hikers too.

Pleasant and interesting escape from Christmas cold. Walks, culture, food, hotel and company all good. Two suggested improvements: Minibus used crammed with 23 seats so minimal legroom, making journeys uncomfortable for all but the shortest. Use hotel more for evening meals to enable cheaper and more transparent holiday costs. Trips out to restaurants were nice, but expensive, with further long minibus journeys.

Had a great trip, interesting part of the world Hotel they use is 40 minutes out of town (bus can be used for half the distance, 35 TRL), not many restaurants near to hotel. 20EUR to use Sauna Walking was good with an interesting mix of history, fairly easy walking. Very muddy when wet on some of the days Not sure why Famagusta is an optional excursion, this was probably the most interesting day. We were told the wine farm/tasting could be arranged (Etel Winery), but couldn't be done when we asked, so line that up early in the week if you want to do it . Also missed one of the more interesting castles in the itinerary , safety related we were told . We considered hiring a car but ran out of time We were not aware that crossing back in Cyprus has very low cigarette/alcohol limits (we were searched at the border) , so bear that in mid if you plan on taking anything back to the south On a few days we had a very brief beach drink stop en route back to the hotel , arriving back at the hotel around 2-3pm. Personally I would have preferred longer stops, relaxed drinks , and have a short beach walk. There were 5 tips that could be paid, Guide, Driver (normal), hotel reception, kitchen staff and room cleaners.

The tour leader was excellent, taking care to monitor the weaker walkers and providing detailed and balanced information about the history of the island. The hotel is a bit faded, though the staff were friendly and helpful. The location meant that going into the town centre was a bit of a fag; a hotel closer would have made the stay more enjoyable. Our itinerary was affected by the weather, but so far as it went, it was fine.

A last-minute booking, our trip was blessed with a good-fun group and a dynamic leader Engin Şah. The walking was very leisurely and mostly non-technical but occasionally required some confidence on rougher terrain. Engin led a fascinating rest day trip to the Famagusta area, visiting the Green Line, the closed-off resort of Varosha, and Roman Salamis. The hotel (The Ship Inn) was a good base with friendly staff, a gym, two (unheated) swimming pools, but is a little too far from the harbour to walk after a day out so the group mostly ate there in the evenings.

Really enjoyable holiday with a lovely group of people and a knowledgeable and supportive guide. I will book again with Explore for walking in a different country. I found them very helpful on the telephone when booking. Thank you so much.

A very enjoyable holiday. The daily activities followed the itinerary exactly and gave us the chance to see places of interest and do some walking. The walking was not too difficult and the guide made sure everyone was able to manage. The hotel was of a high standard for Explore with a good buffet breakfast and the restaurant had a varied menu for evening meals if you wanted to eat in. The lunches provided was exactly the same every day and got a little tedious after a couple of days. Our guide was excellent, very knowledgeable about the area and a good walk leader. The only criticism is in relation to the transfers from and to Larnaca airport. Trip notes stated travel time as 1.5 hours however it took nearly two and a half hour to get to Kyriena and two hours to get to airport. However we had a great holiday.

It was s great week with a fun bunch of people. We all got on really well. Our hotel The Ship Inn got full marks although another time I would ask them to heat both the indoor and outdoor pool! They were both freezing but it was November and we had perfect weather for walking all week. The hotel food was excellent but we didn't really like the picnics which came from an outside source we believed. The walks were good led by a good guide.

Engin was a very relaxed and friendly tour leader. He clearly loves Cyprus and this came across very positively throughout the holiday

It would be appropriate to recommend bringing walking poles and being familiar with their use (especially in the case of older participants)

Fractured island. Worth a visit. Ruined crusader castles set on high rocky mountains. Abandoned town on empty beach. The idiotic, senseless minds of politicians overriding the desire of Cypriots to live on one island together. Guide excellent and very knowledgeable and passionate about his country. Packed lunches absolutely legendary. Accommodation really good. Transport to and from walks excellent. Safe driver who goes above and beyond to help. Airport transfers on time and reliable. Yes a great walking holiday

This Explore Walking Holiday was my first holiday of this kind with Explore. The area was beautiful, the accommodation excellent although the walking conditions were a little more challenging than I'd expected. Most people managed the walks very easily, but as one of the older members I was not able to walk one of the walks.

The trip was very well organized. Our guide (Engin) was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He shared a great deal of information with us on the history of Norther Cyprus, which added to the enjoyment of the tour.

Brilliant. Excellent day to day organisation by leader. Interesting and diverse programme. Very well looked after during the stay by leader. Hotel very comfortable and of a good standard. Mini bus driver always very cheerful, very helpful. Felt very safe. The leader always gave more time and attention to the guests than his job required in order to enhance out stay.

Ship Inn was an excellent base for this holiday. No long bus journeys to get to destination, and good to have swimming pool to relax around at end of day. Unusual for an Explore holiday to have just 1 location but in this case it really worked. Good choice of local restaurant recommendations by our guide, who quickly understood group requirements and was clearly passionate about local area.

All good except communications with local agents.

I had never done a walking holiday before so was a bit daunted about it (I usually do the 'culture' tours) - this doesn't have massively long walks, or particularly at altitude - so was a 'gentle' introduction. You will walk for several hours a day though, and you will get a bit breathless! A few high heights as well Engin was a knowledgable and informative local guide - full of tips about the local flora, including what was edible if it was in season - not much was in late September :) Go in November apparently for most things to be in season - or in spring for most of the flowers! The Ship Inn is a reasonable size and the staff were friendly too. There aren't many bars and restaurants in the immediate area though - we mostly drove maybe 20-30mins to restaurants (recommended by Engin) so we ate most of our evening meals together Had a very friendly group, we all got on and would happily go on another trip with any and all of them

Super trip. Can't praise our local leader enough. Engin worked so hard to en sure that everyone in the group got maximum enjoyment.

I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday. However, I like others in my group found the heat in Cyprus in early September to be unsuitable for walking in this terrain. This is especially so as much if the walks were around midday and in direct sunlight without shade or cover. It is my understanding that the high temperatures we experienced would not have been previously typical for the region or season., and howeverI are likely to continue. I also understand that this particular trip does not take place over the summer months for this reason., and that this was the first of the new season. Local information obtained considered with the current rise in global temperatures, and the corresponding rise iof temperatures in the Cyprus region, that this holiday should not be available until the end of September. As previously mentioned, it was not just me who feels this way. It was also the opinion of other members of the group who have travelled with Explore! previously without any issues. Saying this I must recommend Mehmet our tour leader who did a superb job accomodating the diverse needs of the group to ensure that everyone had an enjoyable and fulfilling holiday.

A good and well organised trip although dominated by poor weather - which was no one's fault of course. Good group - we gelled well together - and with a good Tour Leader it made for a very good week with the bonus of celebrating new year in "our style".