# Five Finger Mountains Drive: Viewpoints & the Ridge Route

> The Beşparmak ridge turns the Famagusta-Kyrenia drive into a viewpoint route — where to stop, what you see, how it links St Hilarion and Bellapais.

- Canonical: https://www.kiprarent.com/en/guide/five-finger-mountains-drive/
- Updated: 2026-06-13
- Language: English
- Publisher: Kipra Rent A Car — https://www.kiprarent.com/

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The Five Finger Mountains — Beşparmak in Turkish, for the five-peaked
silhouette that names them — are what turn the Famagusta-to-Kyrenia drive
into a viewpoint route rather than a transfer. This is not a separate
trip: the **main road from Famagusta to Kyrenia climbs over this ridge**,
so you are on it whenever you head to the coast, to St Hilarion or to
Bellapais. There is **no fee** — it is a driving and viewpoint guide. This
page covers where to stop, what you see from the ridge, and how the road
strings the mountain sights together on a day trip from the east coast.

## Where does the Five Finger ridge sit, and how high is it?

The Beşparmak range runs **170+ km roughly parallel to the northern
coast**, a long limestone wall between the central plain and the Kyrenia
shoreline (Visit North Cyprus). Its high point is **Selvili Tepe at 1,024
metres**; **St Hilarion Castle sits at 732 metres** on a separate crag
further west. The "five finger" name comes from a distinctive cluster of
peaks visible across the plain, and the practical point for a driver is
that the range is narrow but steep — you climb it quickly and the views
open just as fast.

| Feature | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Range length | **170+ km**, parallel to the coast |
| Highest point | **Selvili Tepe — 1,024 m** |
| St Hilarion peak | **732 m** |
| Main crossing | The **Famagusta-Kyrenia road** climbs the ridge |
| Fee | **None** — open road |

Three passes cut through the ridge; the Famagusta-Kyrenia route takes one
of them, which is why the scenic drive and the practical drive are the
same drive.

## Where do you stop for the best views?

The headline panorama is at the **Beşparmak Lookout** area along the ridge,
where the view opens over Nicosia on the plain, Kyrenia on the coast and
away toward the Karpaz peninsula on a clear day. There is no single named,
signed layby — treat it as a stretch of ridge rather than one car park —
so use the **pull-ins and laybys** along the road and never stop on a bend.
The other reliable viewpoint is the **St Hilarion car park at 732 metres**,
the highest accessible point on this side of the range, reached by the side
climb above Kyrenia.

A note for visitors who will see it and wonder: **a large flag is painted
on the mountainside near Taşkent, visible across the plain and lit at
night** — roughly **425 × 250 metres**. It is a fixed feature of the
landscape on the southern face of the ridge; this guide notes it as a
landmark and offers no commentary beyond that.

## How does the ridge road link St Hilarion and Bellapais?

The ridge road is the thread that connects the two hill sights — you take
the Kyrenia road over the range, then branch to one or the other on signed
mountain turns. **St Hilarion** is the steep climb high above Kyrenia, and
**Bellapais** is the gentler climb into the village just east of the town;
both hang off the same main route, which is why the scenic drive doubles as
the access road for a Kyrenia-hills day. The realistic chaining is one hill
sight per day alongside the coast:

- **The St Hilarion line** — Kyrenia harbour and castle in the morning,
  then the climb to [St Hilarion Castle](/en/guide/st-hilarion-castle/)
  before its **16:30 last entry**.
- **The Bellapais line** — the same Kyrenia core, finishing with
  [Bellapais Abbey](/en/guide/bellapais-abbey/) for the late afternoon
  light above the coast.

Doing both hill sights plus the harbour in one day does not work; the
ridge road makes either pairing easy but neither rushed. The
[Kyrenia day trip from Famagusta](/en/guide/kyrenia-day-trip-from-famagusta/)
sets out the harbour-and-castle core that anchors both versions.

## Can you walk in the Five Finger Mountains?

Yes — the range carries North Cyprus's official long-distance footpath,
the **Beşparmak Mountain Trail** (the Kyrenia Mountain Trail), which runs
the length of the ridge past crusader castles, chapels and hill villages.
Sections of it start near the ridge sights, so the scenic drive and the
trailheads overlap. Difficulty, season — summer heat is a real factor on
the exposed ridge — and the honest truth about inconsistent waymarking all
live in the
[North Cyprus hiking trails guide](/en/guide/hiking-trails-north-cyprus/),
which is the page to read before lacing up. The car-as-trailhead pattern
is the natural fit here: you drive the ridge, park at a pull-in, and walk a
section rather than the whole 18-stage route.

## How do you plan the ridge drive from the east coast?

Plan it as the scenic spine of a Kyrenia-area day from your Famagusta or
Long Beach base, not as a destination in itself. Kyrenia is **80.6 km /
75-90 minutes** away on 2026 routing data, with the ridge crossing in the
middle of that run; St Hilarion is **92 km / 105-125 minutes** because its
access road climbs higher still, and Bellapais is **71 km / 80-95 minutes**
into the village. The
[North Cyprus driving distances table](/en/guide/driving-distances-north-cyprus/)
lays the figures out side by side. The main road over the range is paved
divided carriageway, and the side climbs are ordinary mountain roads —
winding but fine for any economy car, with the whole Kipra fleet automatic
to make the switchbacks easier. If left-hand driving is new to you, the
[North Cyprus driving rules](/en/blog/north-cyprus-driving-rules/) cover it.

In a longer stay the ridge is the connective tissue of the Kyrenia-hills
day in the
[one-week North Cyprus itinerary from a single east-coast base](/en/guide/one-week-north-cyprus-itinerary/),
which keeps your hotel on the coast and treats the mountains as a day out
and back.

## Is the scenic route worth taking over the plain road?

There is no faster plain alternative to weigh — the ridge crossing **is**
the Famagusta-Kyrenia road, so the scenic drive costs you nothing extra in
time or money. That is the quiet argument for the whole area: the views
come free with a trip you were making anyway. North Cyprus drew
**2,589,729 visitors in 2025, up 17.2% year on year**, according to the
TRNC Tourism Planning Department, and the mountain road funnels a large
share of them between the east coast and Kyrenia. The takeaway is simple —
leave time for the pull-ins, because the drive is part of the day, not just
the way to it.

Kipra Rent A Car is a Famagusta-based local rental company with **VAT and
third-party insurance included in every displayed price and no mileage
limit** — the ridge run and the side climbs cost nothing beyond the fuel.
If you are arriving by air, the
[Ercan Airport car rental](/en/ercan-airport-car-rental/) handover puts you
in the car at the terminal.

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Drive the ridge to Kyrenia — pick your dates and the live price:
[book a car](https://app.kiprarent.com/en/book/cars) · WhatsApp
+90 546 996 1004 — English spoken.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Is the Five Finger Mountains drive a separate trip?**

No — it is the main Famagusta-to-Kyrenia route, so you drive part of the ridge whenever you head to Kyrenia, St Hilarion or Bellapais. Treat it as the scenic spine of those day trips rather than a destination of its own. There is no fee.

**Where do you stop for the views?**

The Beşparmak Lookout area gives the headline panorama over Nicosia, Kyrenia and toward Karpaz; St Hilarion's car park is the highest accessible viewpoint at 732 m. Use the laybys and pull-ins along the ridge road rather than stopping on bends.

**Can an economy car drive the ridge road?**

Yes. The main Famagusta-Kyrenia road over the range is a paved divided road, and the side climbs to St Hilarion and Bellapais are ordinary mountain roads — winding but fine for any rental car. Take the switchbacks unhurried.

**Is there hiking in the Five Finger Mountains?**

Yes. The official Beşparmak Mountain Trail (the Kyrenia Mountain Trail) runs the length of the range; sections start near the ridge sights. See the North Cyprus hiking guide for difficulty, season and waymarking honesty.

## Sources

- Visit North Cyprus — Beşparmak (Five Finger) Mountains: https://www.visitncy.com/
- Driving distances dataset (routing data, 2026): https://www.kiprarent.com/data/guides/driving-distances-north-cyprus.csv

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Rezervasyon / Booking: https://app.kiprarent.com/book/cars · WhatsApp: +90 546 996 1004