Lemon Tree House Walks

LEMON TREE HOUSE – WALKING THROUGH PARADISE

We are very fortunate to be able to offer this very special little programme which unfortunately has limited spaces available. It offers an interesting variety of walks for you to experience what North Cyprus has to offer in natural unspoilt beauty as well giving an insight in its rich cultural historic background.

Annie and John Mockridge retired to Cyprus and bought a large traditional Cypriot house in the old village of Lapta. This typical old Cypriot house is stunning. Large with thick walls, big wooden doors and so many features of the beautifully restored house that it merits an article in Homes and Gardens. Add to that kind and courteous hosting by Annie and John and we have the perfect place for small groups to stay. The maximum and minimum number in a party is eight, beautifully accommodated in four comfortable rooms on a B&B basis.

The house, nestled into the hillside has the spectacular Kyrenia Mountain behind and a panoramic view over the Mediterranean in front, add to that a garden that is just wonderful, with mature fruit trees, a lemon grove and banana and palms all providing masses of shaded areas opening up to a large pool with a generous patio area and you have the perfect place to stay.

Irene and I have had fun putting this little package together and very much enjoyed making a walking and sightseeing holiday which we would like and we know you will to.

A mix of short walks with themes, castles, monasteries, abbeys, wild flower and orchid walks, beaches, Roman ruins it is all here to be enjoyed. We have made a list of day options and you can mix and match to create the holiday that suits you and your group precisely.  If you have a particular interest for example in mid to late Byzantine period grain stores I sure we can arrange something!

Below is a list of some options from which you can make up the sort of holiday you would like. Castles, Abbeys and churches first:

1/. St Hilarion Castle - A wonderful Crusader Castle perched high on the crest of the range, well worth a visit but there is little chance of a reasonable walk in the local environs as it is all so vertical, so we couple this trip with a visit to the Karaman Village and Bronze Age tombs.  For the castle allow an hour and a half and Karaman and the tombs two hours.

2/. Buffavento Castle - Not so much a castle built on a summit but a summit made into a castle! Built at the very top of the range at 950m there are a good few steps up but gentle progress is rewarded. Probably the finest views in North Cyprus. We then walk down the KMT trail to the cross roads where we pass through to Bellapais with its famous Abbey. Total walk about 6.8 miles easy.

3/. Kantara Castle - Certainly our favourite castle perched on the end of the range it stands as a magnificent guardian of the Karpaz Peninsula, stretching far away to the east with views of the med to the north and south of the panhandle. We start in Kantara Village and walk out and back to the Castle on different tracks. The walk is 7.8 km and we allow around 2½  hours for the walk. Kantara Restaurant offers a superb local lunch.

4/. Kyrenia Castle - Being by the harbour it is best included in a Kyrenia day visit. The castle is massive and the shipwreck museum is fascinating. Pleasant stroll through town and lunch by the harbour is a nice day out.

5/. Antiphonitis Church - Set high in the woods above Esentepe it is only a short distance to the KMT trail on the top on the range. The church has some frescos of note. Several were plundered and as the result of international legal action some were recovered. The walk here is 11km and 3 hours plus is sufficient to undertake the walk.

6/. Sourp Magar Monastery.