The mountainous location of the castle made it the only place to be in the heat of summer. Altitude alone provided a more temperate climate, and cool, fragrant breezes from the forests surrounding the peak added their own appeal. However, the craggy outpost also had its downsides.

There were only so much time that could be spent feasting, fasting, gambling or, perhaps, engaging in secret liaisons. Gossip, crafts and music might fill time for the ladies of the court, but their men chaffed at their imposed inactivity. Some took any opportunity to visit nearby Kyrenia, where the night was generally filled with fewer knowing eyes.

Traditional options from their far distant ancestral lands were winter pursuits here. A tourney of jousting and other trials of combat or a hunt chasing game through verdant forests required spaces unavailable in the surrounding landscape. Thus, when the boredom threatened to overwhelm the good senses of the denizens of the keep, the king had turned to hawking to keep the peace.