St Hilarion Castle to Malatya Waterfall - Guided Walk with Lunch

Overview

A scenic guided walk, starting at the lofty ruins of St Hilarion Castle, a descending walk down to Karmi village and onwards to the scenic Malatya waterfall. Enjoy exploring the unspoiled mountain countryside on this easy to moderate walk with lunch included.

Highlights

• Guided tour of St Hilarion Castle
• Historic Karmi village
• Tasty picnic lunch included
• Scenic Malatya village and its waterfall
• Easy to moderate walk, 15kms total

What to Expect

Your walking tour will take you through unspoiled mountain countryside so please wear appropriate clothing, including suitable footwear and socks. If you have walking poles, please bring them, and also a small backpack or similar to hold a hat, sun cream, a snack if required, and your own bottled water.

Our friendly driver and expert tour guide will collect you from your hotel in Kyrenia ready for a full day of exploring the mountain scenery in North Cyprus.
If your satying outside of Kyrenia you will have to make your way to kyrenia meeting point.

We drive up mountain roads to the impressive ruins of St Hilarion Castle, perched high in the mountains with amazing views down to Kyrenia on the coastline below. Your expert guide will share the history of this well-preserved Crusader castle, named after a hermit who lived in a cave in the mountains. 

Originally built as a watchtower to warn of approaching pirates, on a clear day you can see the Turkish mainland from the top of the tallest tower. The castle’s three sections wind up the hillside, and the view from the Queen’s window in the royal apartments at the top is well worth the climb up!

Now we start our walk down to the valley below along the course of a dried up riverbed. In spring, the air will be scented with wild flowers, and in summer birds of prey may be seen circling in the clear blue skies above. 

At the bottom of the valley, the path flattens as we approach historic Karmi (Karaman) village. After the division of Cyprus, the crumbling buildings were sold to foreigners including UK ex-pats willing to restore them using traditional methods and materials. Today, the village retains an English connection with an English pub “The Crow’s Nest” and English house names. 

We stop for a picnic lunch in Karmi, to rest our feet and to soak up the atmosphere in this most atmospheric village. Your picnic lunch is included in your tour price. It consists of sandwich, fresh fruit, small cake and a small fruit juice; just bring your own water or buy from the Karmi village store.

After a rest in the shade, we begin our two-hour walk towards Malatya village and its small but pretty waterfall. This is a part of North Cyprus few tourists ever experience, so it’s usually quiet and peaceful.

Our walking tour ends at the waterfall at approximately 3.30pm. Our driver will be ready and waiting to take you back to your hotel in Kyrenia for a well-earned rest!

What's Included

• English speaking, entertaining professional tour guide
• Comfortable tour bus and our friendly careful driver
• Entry tickets to St Hilarion Castle
• Picnic lunch in Karmi
• Hotel pickup and drop off from hotels in Kyrenia
• Hotel pickup from outside Kyrenia
• Drinks with your picnic
• Extra refreshments

Meeting Point

• You will be picked up from your hotel lobby.
• Your confirmation email will indicate the time.
• Make sure to be at your hotel's lobby 10 minutes before your pick up time.
• For a few hotels in Kyrenia, we will pick you up from the nearby main road.
• If you are not staying in a hotel, then you must come to the lobby of one of the hotels.