Horma Canyon

Horma is the accessible counterpart to Valla: the same Küre karst, the same forest, but a gorge that can be walked by anyone reasonably mobile because a wooden walkway has been built along the rock wall a metre or two above the stream. It runs about two and a half kilometres through the canyon, with the walls closing overhead, water running clear and cold below, ferns and moss on the rock, and pools and small falls along the way. At the far end - or as a separate short walk from the other direction - is the Ilıca waterfall, dropping into a green pool that people swim in despite the temperature. The whole out-and-back takes two to three hours at a walk. It floods after heavy rain and the walkway closes then, which is not negotiable. This is the part of the Küre national park that a family or a casual visitor can actually do, and it is worth the drive from Kastamonu.

What you actually see

• The wooden walkway - the built path along the gorge wall.
• The canyon walls - karst closing above the stream.
• Ilıca waterfall - the fall and pool at the end.
• The forest - beech and fir over the rim.

When to go

May to October. Spring has the most water; the walkway closes after heavy rain when the stream rises. Weekdays are quiet.

Honest expectations

The walkway is wet and slippery in places and has steps. It closes in high water without notice. Facilities are a ticket hut and a café at the entrance. A car is needed.

Nearby

Valla canyon's viewpoint is close at Pınarbaşı; the Küre Mountains national park surrounds both.