A Treasure trove of orchids & wild flowers in Northern Cyprus

Led by Brian and Eileen Anderson

(10th -19th March 2009)

(9 nights, 10 days)

 

North Cyprus is a sparkling corner of the Mediterranean almost forgotten by time. It has all those magical attractions; a rugged mountain range, a sparkling sea, fairy-tale Crusader castles, ruins of a glorious abbey at Bellapais, evocative classical ruins at Salamis, Byzantine painted churches and Ottoman mosques. Mix in the main ingredients, orchids and flowers in abundance and the perfect recipe is on hand for a rewarding spring holiday.

One of the most attractive features of this region is the craggy limestone mountain backdrop of the Besparmak range (the five Finger Mountains) which peak around 1300m (4,250ft). Three Crusader castles hide amongst these lofty peaks, St Hilarian, Bufavento and Kantara.

Colour abounds in March when the crown anemones brighten the olive groves and the red, yellow, white or even pink turban buttercups decorate the hillsides. Overhead the birds are arriving for the summer or migrants are heading through to more northerly destinations.

Flowers  (Barlia robertiana below and Ophrys flavomarginata right) The flowers in North Cyprus are every bit as prolific as the birds and this limestone region of the island has an especially good orchid flora. Amongst the orchids, Kotschy’s bee orchid, Ophrys kotschyii, is a speciality to look out for as is the endemic elegant orchid, Ophrys elegans, but there are some other charmers, like the Anatolian orchid, Orchis anatolica, which is hard to beat for pure grace and elegance. Two other orchids which have a distinctly eastern distribution but can be seen here are Bornmueller’s orchid, Ophrys bornmuelleri, and Ophrys levantina.

Away from the orchids, the flora in general is very rich with 16 species, endemic to North Cyprus alone. The famous black tulip, Tulip cypria, really dark crimson, is one we expect to find and here too you can see the turban buttercup displaying the full range its colour forms. Apart from the shining stars, the usual chorus backdrop of the flowers of the field will be in full attendance.


 

 

 

Programme

This tour will be centred on Hotel Mercure with daily excursions to places of botanical and cultural interest. Many of the excursions will involve walking, often uphill, so a walking fitness of 6/7 miles daily is recommended.

 

Day 1, Tuesday          Fly İstanbul / Ottoman Imperial or similar special category hotel

 

Guests are met by our tour manager at Atatürk Airport and are then taken to the hotel and assisted through check-in. Group participants meet each other and staff with a welcome drink before sitting down to dinner. (D)

 

Day 2, Wednesday               Fly to Lefkoşa (Nicosia) / Hotel Mercure

 

After breakfast we take YK002* flight to Nicosia (Departure time: 09:30 Arrival time: 11:00). Brian and Eileen Anderson meet you at Ercan airport and transfer to our hotel. Transfer time is 45 minutes.  We check-in and have a light lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon we shall take our first foray into the countryside looking for orchids and flowers. (B, L, D)

 

Day 3, Thursday   A 6 mile (8km) shady forest walk looking for orchids while heading for the 12th century Antiphonitis monastery. In the afternoon we visit Kantara, one of three Crusader castles along the Besparmak range. (B, L, D)

 

Day 4, Friday  A drive eastwards towards Famagusta to visit the ancient site of Salamis where there are flowers and orchids to find. Afterwards there will be a walk around the walled city of Famagusta with stops for flower hunting on the return. (B, L, D)

 

Day 5, Saturday a short westerly drive for a picnic lunch at Geçitköy reservoir. Then here we can enjoy a 5mile (8km) walk searching out orchids and the deep red Tulipa cypria, the Cyprus black tulip. A further short drive east will take us to Horseshoe bay for more flowers and birds.

 

Day 6, Sunday   A day hosted by Tony & Maureen Hutchinson on their organic farm. Tony is a keen bird watcher and Maureen a botanist. These charming hosts will lead us through a 2 hour walk in the morning highlighting the flowers and the birds. After a light home-made lunch at the farm, a similar walk in the afternoon should lead us through the site of Orchis punctulata, a very local and rare orchid. (B, L, D)

 

Day 7, Monday     St Hilarion castle (below), built on three distinct levels ascending the hillside is challenging to explore and exciting for flowers. It is everything a castle should be and will take all morning to explore. Lunch this day will be in a Turkish lokanta in the mountains. In the afternoon a short walk near Karsiyaka will give us the opportunity to explore the ruined Greek monastery below the cliffs. (B, L, D)

 

Day 8, Tuesday   It is impossible to leave Northern Cyprus without a visit to the beautiful and spectacularly sited Gothic Abbey of Bellapais. This will be incorporated into a walk using the old Crusader path. (B, L, D)

 

Day 9, Wednesday        Fly back North Cyprus to Istanbul / Ottoman Imperial Hotel or similar special category hotel

 

After breakfast we spend the day exploring Kyrenia and lunch at a lokanta before transferring to Nicosia Airport for the YK005* flight to Istanbul (Departure time: 18:00 Arrival time: 19:30). Our tour manager meets us at the airport and transfers us to the hotel.Group dinner at the hotel (B, L, D)

 

Day 10, Thursday         Fly back home or join the Istanbul Tour.

 

After breakfast we transfer you back to the airport. (B)

 

*Cyprus Turkish Airlines                                Cyclamen persicum top & Ranunuculus asiaticus belo

 

Trip limited to a maximum of 15 participants

 $2520 USD / £1260 GBP per person based on double occupancy (twin / double bedded room)

$395 USD / £198 GBP      single room supplement

 

What’s included in this price?

 

What’s not included?

 

Because of the unpredictable nature of the weather and the flower season, the itinerary for this holiday will be flexible to allow us to react to local conditions. We will however make time to visit all the major habitats in the locality. Lunch will be a mixture of tavernas and packed lunches, again, depending on weather conditions.

For further enquiries and bookings email Peten Tours

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