North Cyprus is blessed with three castles built high upon the ridge of the Kyrenia mountains, each has something different to offer, and two of them involve steep climbs. St. Hilarion, high above Kyrenia, and Buffavento, some six miles east as the crow flies, are the ones that present the...

Kantara Castle | Famagusta There are many different routes to his castle, all of them involve easy, if slow, drives up the mountain roads to the village of Kantara and from there follow the signs. The documented history of Kantara coincides with that of Hilarion and Buffavento, and it saw its...

St Hilarion Castle | Kyrenia Clearly signposted from Kyrenia, this is a castle built on three distinct levels, each one designed to be self-sufficient and self-contained. Although it was not exempt from the ravages of war, and was besieged during the 13th C when an attempt was made to overthrow...

Buffavento Castle | Kyrenia  As the name implies, this castle is buffeted by the winds, and standing at 3,100 feet it is the highest and most inaccessible of the three castles. To get there, take the turning that is signposted at the top of the Five Finger mountain pass and follow the route for a...