This week’s walk sees us heading up from the coastline on a scenic trek through the high Guzelyali forest on the Northern slopes of the Besparmak mountain(five Finger) range. Drive westwards past the main square in Karsiyaka(Vasilla) on the coast road until you pass the huge`Boyut Olympus Villas` sing on your left, then 650m further on you will see a large muddy track appear on your left with Karsiyaka beach on your right and approximately 200 metres prior to the Guzelyali Hotel in front of you . pull over safely here and walk starts by heading south-westwards uphill away from the coast on a wide dirt track which inflicts a short, sharp, shock treatment to the calves for the first 200metres steep incline as a huge ravine boldly appears on your right. Then suddenly you arrive at a flat, old tarmac road where you turn right and head due south towards the hills for a further 200metres, still above the ravine on your right, when you then arrive at the at the entrance to a quarry. You Should ignore this as well as the brand new road rising in front of you to a lone house and follow the track going half right under some telegraoh wires as it gently drops downhill and curves right to cross the head of the ravine before heading gently westwards uphill 150 metres when you then arrive at a telegraph pole on your left. You will then notice some old concrete steps next to the pole heading uphill southwards on your left, 100 of them in fact which brings you out on another tarmac road where you then turn left/east. A glance seawards gives you a panorama of small network of tarmac road below you, the only remains of an old army camp and the steps probably led to some old lookout in days gone by.
Follow this road for 30 metre as it curves to the right and the first evidence of the severe floods can now be seen in the new ravine to your left. The road heads uphill for 100metres and splits into a Y junction; you can follow any of the two rocky tracks as they both meet up again on a small plateau 40metre later. This path then swings due south and another huge ravine appears on your right flank. You will soon pass a large, round, concrete pumping station on your left as the sandy path now meanders very steadily uphill with great views to your right and high ground to your left. On this stretch you can witness the power of nature as you see where the recent floods have forced their way down the side of the ravine making huge cavernous mudslides on your right. After 350metres the road curves to the left and heads eastwards with the high ground again on your left. Ignore any offshoot paths as you walk in a straight line through an avenue of pine trees until, after 500 metres, the path swings hard right. You can also observe the severe damage done to literally hundreds of pine trees which are currently having the life blood squeezed out of them by the cocoons of caterpillars hanging from the cones.
50 metres later you arrive at a T junction marked by a wooden board with the number 13 pointing to the left. Turn right here and the path now lies very flat through a thickly forested area for 150metres before it then curves left and 100metres later splits at a Y junction. Follow the right hand path which now turns much rockier as it heads uphill twisting first left then right for 200metres until you pass a 1metre concrete box with a green metal lid on your left. The path flattens out for 100 metres until you arrive at a large T junction with a huge pine tree in the middle.
The walks has taken about 50 minutes so far and you are now at the halfway point having covered about 2kms. From here you can detour to the right and continue on this track for 150metres to a small promontory offering superb view back toward the coast, or even a further 250metres which brings you to a large plateau which affords fabulous views southwards to the Gecitkoy dam and valley below. Now retrace your steps back to point B and this time follow the rocky track to the left eastwards with a steep incline for 30metres onto a flat grassy area with sings of open BBQ fires all around. Continue on this grassy path ignoring an offshoot to the right and a ravine appears on your
Right as the path again meanders gently downhill for 400 metres. On this stretch you can hear the stream below on your right, and just before you join a wide track you can observe a concrete well 30metres to your right. Turn left on this flat, wide track and 250metres later you arrive back at point A . in fact 10metres short of this junction there is a grassy path heading right through the pine trees which you should follow eastwards for 200metres until it comes to a dead end. Looking left there is another wider path and it is easy to cross the 10metres of undergrowth to reach it. Turn left here and head westwards for 75metres and you arrive at the junction with the number 13 sign where you simply turn right and follow the reverse route all the way downhill back to your car. You can easily stop at the revamped Park Cafe in Karsiyaka square for a hearty lunch of traditional Turkish fayre at very reasonable prices. This is a most enjoyable walk at this time of year which lasts about 1 hour 40 minutes or 2 hours with the diversion.
Related posts:
Tags: north cyprus, north cyprus besparmak mountain, north cyprus karsiyaka, north cyprus kyrenia mountain, north cyprus kyrenia walking, north cyprus walking, north cyprus walking holidays, north cyprus walks