Where to find the oldest olive trees in Northern Cyprus?
Some trees are as old as 700-800 years, making them true veterans of Cyprus. Despite the tragic fire in 2020, some of the trees have survived.
Olive Grove in Kalkanlı
A large olive forest with ancient olive trees is located near the village of Kalkanlı, close to Güzelyurt. The area is called Asırlık Zeytin Ağaçları and is a botanical garden and state nature reserve, also supported by the European Union.
The oldest olive trees in Northern Cyprus are up to 800 years old and are believed to have been planted in the 11th century during the Lusignan period. Near the oldest trees, there are signs with information about their age, as well as rest areas with benches. There is also a picturesque cave, Choban Cave, nearby.
The 2020 Wildfire
The wildfires that spread in this area on May 17, 2020, destroyed about 90 percent of the 2,000 monumental olive trees in the region. The trees that survived now stand next to olive ash, but the area is slowly being cleared.
Work has already begun on planting new trees, but for many locals, the fire will be remembered as Black Sunday. Satellite photos show that there is little greenery left, where once it was all green, but some trees still remain.
Interesting places near the olive forest
Choban Cave
Right in the forest area, in the same valley, at this location is the Choban Cave. It’s not very large, but it’s interesting due to its wooden supports inside. It is marked in purple in the photo above.
Church of St. Mamas
About 10 kilometers to the south, in the center of Güzelyurt, there is a very interesting Church of St. Mamas, combined with the city's archaeological museum. You can only access it through the museum, here's how to do it.
Blue House
In 15 kilometers to the north on the territory of a military base is the mysterious Northern Cyprus landmark — the Blue House. You can enter the territory by presenting a passport and only by car.
Göçetköy Reservoir
The largest reservoir in Northern Cyprus, which is also supplied with water from Turkey via an underwater pipeline. The road over the pass offers beautiful views of the reservoir, for example, from this viewpoint.
Akdeniz Turtle Beach
This is where volunteers frequently release baby turtles into the sea, and it’s definitely worth seeing. The beach itself is located here, but there are also other places where you can find turtles in Northern Cyprus.
How to get to the old olive forest
By car
Head along the road from Güzelyurt to Kyrenia, and as soon as you pass the village of Kalkanlı, look for turns onto dirt roads to the left. On the map below, we have marked the location of the central part of the forest, but after the fire, the remaining trees are spread around the perimeter of the valley.
- Coordinates of the central point for navigation: 35.25678291843241, 33.032269147043515
By bus
The forest, or what remains of it, can be accessed on foot from the road connecting Güzelyurt and Kyrenia. You can simply get off the Güzelyurt-Kyrenia bus in Kalkanlı village; you can tell the driver it’s near the university — the Middle East Technical University campus is nearby and can be seen in the background of the main photo.
Follow us on Instagram and Telegram to learn more about the natural wonders of Northern Cyprus!
Author
Born and raised in Yekaterinburg, visited more than 40 countries, lived in the USA for some time, and in 2022, moved to Northern Cyprus. Education: Ural State University (now Ural Federal University), Faculty of Political Science and Sociology. Professional Experience: Since 2008, worked in the…