Use the trail map together with the detailed descriptions to follow the trail.

Alevkaya Kuzgun Trail

Trail Info:

Start/End: The trailhead for this trail is the front of North Cyprus Herbarium in Alevkaya.

Distance: 8 km

Duration: 3 - 4 hours

Ascent: + 450 m

Difficulty level: Moderate

Notes:

· This trail is not marked, but partly overlaps with other trails marked in different colors.

Herbarium (1) – Viran Church (16)

The trailhead is the front of North Cyprus Herbarium. Standing in front (1) of the North Cyprus Herbarium, turn R, follow the asphalt road going up passing by a cafe and other small utility buildings of the Forestry Department. At the road junction (2), cross the road and walk down the stone stairs to the picnic area. Keep going straight past the water fountain (3) along the stones lined up in the ground. This area is full of orchids in the spring. Find the trailgate at the edge of the picnic area and continue into the bush on a narrow path. Walk down another set of stone stairs (4) and arrive at a fork (5) in the path and take the one on the L towards a dirt track. At the dirt track (6), turn R, walk uphill on a moderate slope. At the junction (7), continue on the track on the L and then, make a L turn in about 40 meters (8) to find the white-green marks on the trees indicating the start of the narrow path. Walk through the rockrose bushes, cross the dirt track (9) and follow the path leading up onto a wooded mountain. The trail leads through a pine forest with many lentisk, turpentine and strawberry trees with a dense undergrowth of rockroses. It is a well-defined path with a gentle to moderate uphill slope. Soon after a downhill section, abandon the marked narrow path at the junction (10) and continue R on the dirt track. There are occasional red, green and yellow markings on this track. Follow the flat section and arrive at the junction (11) to turn R onto a moderately uphill track. Soon make a hairpin turn to L climbing on a steeper slope with the view of the Mesaria plains to the left and some small caves to the right. Further up, the track is very stony and more than moderately steep. At the top, the track has a gentle slope up until the open space (12). After the open space, it is a gentle slope downhill through a forest where the cypress trees are dominant. Arrive at a junction (13) with a smaller dirt track branching off to the left. Keep going straight on the main track for comfortably rolling down the gentle slope, until the end where a narrow path (14) starts. It is a well-defined path without any paintmarks but with some fallen and rotting trees, soon joining another path. At the junction (15), turn L passing by a big wall of boulders to the left. This is a marked trail with fallen logs, winding down the forested mountain all the way to the quarters (16) of Viran Church. Follow the path going around the quarters.

Viran Church (16) – Kyrenia Rock

After the ruins of the church the trail passes by several very old carob trees (17) and the path snakes into the forest again. At the junction (18), turn R onto a moderately sloping uphill path supported by an old retaining wall made of stones. Curving R, walk ona perfect path softened with pine needles and lined on one side with stones. Keep going straight at the T-junction (19) and then turn L at the next junction (20). Walk downhill on the trail through the bushes and then along the asphalt road down below. Pass by an uprooted pine tree (21), and walk uphill following the path around the big ditch by the road. Follow the path with steps down to the asphalt road. The big rock outcrop on the other side of the asphalt road is the Kyrenia Rock. Cross the road and find the beginning of the narrow path 10 meters from the asphalt.

Kyrenia Rock – Armenian Monastery

Walk down the narrow and well-defined path marked with white-green flags and red dots. The trail passes through a tall pine forest. Further down, the path is wider and arrives at a junction (22) with a dirt track. Turn R, going uphill for a mere 10 meters turn L onto a narrow path (shown on pyramid as T20) at the concrete pyramid P78 (23). Pass by floor pavements of a ruin and turn L (24) to go onto the trail following roughly the contour line around the north facing slope of the mountain. Walk down the wooden steps (25) to the monastery.

Armenian Monastery – Herbarium (1)

On the asphalt, face the enterance of the Armenian Monastery, turn R and then L to get onto the dirt track immediate to the outside walls of the monastery. Arrive at the junction (26) with a concrete pyramid P83 and take the narrow path (shown on pyramid as T17) on the R up on a moderately steep slope. The path is marked with white-green flags, yellow-green flags, red dots and yellow dots. Follow the path undulating on the mountain side ignoring the minor goat tracks branching off. Climb up a very steep and very narrow part of the trail and arrive at an open space (27), and turn L on the path leading to a narrower and steeper path. On this long and steep path endure until the picnic area (28). Get onto the asphalt road, walk uphill to the main road (29) and turn L. Follow the asphalt road straight back to the herbarium (1).

Difficulty Levels

Easy: Flat to slight slopes

Moderate: Moderate Slopes

Difficult: Trail with Steep slopes

Very Difficult: Trail with very steep slopes requiring scrambling