Nothing beats the golden light fading over the ancient ruins with just the two of us and the spectacular surrounding views over the river delta
She landed on the pristine sands of Iztuzu Beach after another summer of sailing the waters of Greece and Turkey. Life up until now had been a glorious mix of summers spent on her prized Greek fishing boat, painstakingly restored to the glorious vessel it now was, and winters sailing down the slopes from her ski chalet home.
Up until her mid forties, June Haimoff had lived what most would consider to be a blessed and carefree life. Money usually flew in the right direction and life was gloriously free for a woman living in the seventies.
That was all until the she discovered Iztuzu.
A pristine beach of white sand, inhabited by few and known by less, Iztuzu beach soon became a very special place in the heart of June. She knew how rare such a place was, and when plans were made public for the development of the beach into large scale hotels and apartments, June did all in her power to stop it, and has been instrumental in turning it into what it
is today.
It wasn’t just the fact this was an incredibly beautiful place, somewhere treasured by June and her friends. The beach was home to nesting logger head turtles which June had discovered one moonlit night along the shore line. If these developments were to go ahead, the turtles would loose yet another of their precious nesting locations.
June went on to successfully campaign against the proposed developments, changed the future of Iztuzu beach and the resident turtles forever, and earn her title Kaptain June from the locals along with much respect. In 1988 the beach and its hinterland were declared a protected area to much international applause, and today the beach is still relatively untouched, and is a protect site for the turtles to come and nest.
Bizarrely, the beach is open during daylight hours for families to throw their frisbees around, but little cages are dotted along the sand to protect nesting sites.
Up until her mid forties, June Haimoff had lived what most would consider to be a blessed and carefree life. Money usually flew in the right direction and life was gloriously free for a woman living in the seventies.
That was all until the she discovered Iztuzu.
A pristine beach of white sand, inhabited by few and known by less, Iztuzu beach soon became a very special place in the heart of June. She knew how rare such a place was, and when plans were made public for the development of the beach into large scale hotels and apartments, June did all in her power to stop it, and has been instrumental in turning it into what it
is today.
It wasn’t just the fact this was an incredibly beautiful place, somewhere treasured by June and her friends. The beach was home to nesting logger head turtles which June had discovered one moonlit night along the shore line. If these developments were to go ahead, the turtles would loose yet another of their precious nesting locations.
June went on to successfully campaign against the proposed developments, changed the future of Iztuzu beach and the resident turtles forever, and earn her title Kaptain June from the locals along with much respect. In 1988 the beach and its hinterland were declared a protected area to much international applause, and today the beach is still relatively untouched, and is a protect site for the turtles to come and nest.
Bizarrely, the beach is open during daylight hours for families to throw their frisbees around, but little cages are dotted along the sand to protect nesting sites.
When we were sifting our way through the enormous number of amazing sights to see along the western coast of Turkey, it was the promise of seeing logger head turtles that drew us to Dalyan, but we had no idea that we would get the chance to meet this extraordinary ninety-one year old woman, full of amazing stories, inspiration, and still fighting as hard as ever for the welfare of the local turtles.
Dalyan was our first stop along the Turquoise Coast, and after a very long overnight bus ride from Cappadocia, we were greeted with one of the most relaxed and beautiful locations we could have hoped to discover. After a few days there, it wasn’t hard to see why Kaptain June had fallen head over heals for the place, and invested so much of her life on setting its future on the right direction.
The best way to see the surrounding areas of Dalyan and Iztuzu beach is to take a lead from Kaptain June, and jump on one of the many boats headed up the Çayı River from Dalyan, through the estuaries flowing into Iztuzu beach, catching glimpses of the impressive Lycian Tombs carved from the sheer cliffs along the way. We did just that, and for a glorious day we frolicked in the water, caught mud crabs, spotted turtles and did backflips from the edge of the boat.
Dalyan was our first stop along the Turquoise Coast, and after a very long overnight bus ride from Cappadocia, we were greeted with one of the most relaxed and beautiful locations we could have hoped to discover. After a few days there, it wasn’t hard to see why Kaptain June had fallen head over heals for the place, and invested so much of her life on setting its future on the right direction.
The best way to see the surrounding areas of Dalyan and Iztuzu beach is to take a lead from Kaptain June, and jump on one of the many boats headed up the Çayı River from Dalyan, through the estuaries flowing into Iztuzu beach, catching glimpses of the impressive Lycian Tombs carved from the sheer cliffs along the way. We did just that, and for a glorious day we frolicked in the water, caught mud crabs, spotted turtles and did backflips from the edge of the boat.
After filling our bellies with mud crabs, it was time for some beauty treatment. We raised the anchors and sailed upriver to meet an overly eager, skinny old turkish man, ready and waiting to lather us (or especially the girls) with grey goopy mud. We were cover head to toe until we looked like petrified stone sculptures, while the MAGIC MUD went to work on our skin. After washing off the now dried and cracked MAGIC MUD in small, specially made thermal pools, our skin glowing, we headed back to town to try and find yet again the fabled Thai restaurant we’d been dreaming about, but failing for yet another night we settled for the usual Turkish kebab…again.
Three days in Dalyan was barely enough time with so much to see in the area. The beach alone deserves a days devotion, not to mention the stunning ruins of Kaunos, complete with an incredibly well preserved amphitheater and breathtaking views over the river delta. In the 10th Century BC, Kaunos was an important sea port. The silting of the former bay of Dalyan from around 200BC meant that the location of Kaunos gradually became more inland, and now it lays 8km from the coastline. After loosing their sea views and an epidemic of malaria, they eventually decided to abandon ship and move to Istanbul where they could get a decent coffee.
Its a long sweaty hike on a 35 degree day up to the top of the hill to The Acropolis, but the views when you get there are outstanding. Despite being 10 minutes past closing time we hung around anyway while the sun set, figuring the security guard wasn’t gonna make the trek up to boot us out. Nothing beats the golden light fading over the ancient ruins with just the two of us and the spectacular surrounding views over the river delta.
Its a long sweaty hike on a 35 degree day up to the top of the hill to The Acropolis, but the views when you get there are outstanding. Despite being 10 minutes past closing time we hung around anyway while the sun set, figuring the security guard wasn’t gonna make the trek up to boot us out. Nothing beats the golden light fading over the ancient ruins with just the two of us and the spectacular surrounding views over the river delta.
On our way back into town, we did our own bit to preserve the local wildlife, when we found a shy little turtle hanging out in an area of the road which would only have landed him in the turtle heaven. Maybe he was trying to hitch a ride into town but we thought it safer to escort him off to the side, and take lots of photos in the process.
TIP!
If you are planning on spending a day cruising the waterways of Dalyan, you’ll have no shortage of touts offering to take you out for the day. If you want to make a difference though, and help protect the wildlife you’ve come to see, look out for companies that use a propeller guard, supplied by The Kaptain Sea Turtle Conservation Foundation. They are offered free to all tour companies in the area, however many refuse on the (mistaken) belief that they make their boats less fuel efficient. They don’t, they only save the turtles.
|
With a very long list of sights we wanted see along the Western coast of Turkey, and our days running out before we needed to be back in Istanbul, we decided hiring a car was the only way we’d be able to fit everything in. After finding a rental man who would give us a one way hire and a long lecture on the benefits of marriage, we were handed the keys to our ride for the next few days; a trusty Fiat that can only be described as a mini delivery van.
Hells yeah, we be rolling!
Hells yeah, we be rolling!
~ HIGHLIGHTS OF WESTERN TURKEY ~
KAYAKÖY
Historically known as the city of Levissi, Kayaköy was a Greek town until the ‘population exchanges’ of 1923, where Greece and Turkey supposedly traded its Greek Orthodox population for Muslim inhabitants of Greece. The official line you’ll read in the guidebooks and on wikipedia is that the Muslims didn’t think their new home quite cut it and sought refuge elsewhere, while earthquakes finished off the rest of the village, leaving it the amazing abandoned stone ghost town it is today. Other sites suggest a more sinister fate, hinting at genocide and massacres. It just goes to show how history is a variable beast and not always as consistent as it seems.
Hours can slip away exploring these crumbling ruins, imagining what the city once was, but with the sun edging closer to the horizon and more sights to explore, we jumped back into our delivery van and cruising along the windy coastal roads to the embarrassing beats of the local turkish radio station, down the coast to our next stop, the jaw-droppingly beautiful Butterfly Valley.
Historically known as the city of Levissi, Kayaköy was a Greek town until the ‘population exchanges’ of 1923, where Greece and Turkey supposedly traded its Greek Orthodox population for Muslim inhabitants of Greece. The official line you’ll read in the guidebooks and on wikipedia is that the Muslims didn’t think their new home quite cut it and sought refuge elsewhere, while earthquakes finished off the rest of the village, leaving it the amazing abandoned stone ghost town it is today. Other sites suggest a more sinister fate, hinting at genocide and massacres. It just goes to show how history is a variable beast and not always as consistent as it seems.
Hours can slip away exploring these crumbling ruins, imagining what the city once was, but with the sun edging closer to the horizon and more sights to explore, we jumped back into our delivery van and cruising along the windy coastal roads to the embarrassing beats of the local turkish radio station, down the coast to our next stop, the jaw-droppingly beautiful Butterfly Valley.
BUTTERFLY VALLEY
Next time we find ourselves along the Turquoise Coast, we’ll be making a bee-line for Butterfly Valley (and you should too).
We unfortunately arrived too late to make the 2hr hike down to the blue water cove below, but enjoyed the stunning views from above, peering down the dizzyingly high cliffs and dreaming about how nice it would have been to spend the night in such a secluded cove. After watching the sunset and the sky to to pink, we headed off to find dinner at the overcrowded and over touristed town of Ölüdeniz where we hunted the streets to find a reasonably priced kebab and pushed our way through streets reminiscent of the worst parts of Ibiza. Perhaps we just weren’t bling bling enough in our backpacker getup.
Next time we find ourselves along the Turquoise Coast, we’ll be making a bee-line for Butterfly Valley (and you should too).
We unfortunately arrived too late to make the 2hr hike down to the blue water cove below, but enjoyed the stunning views from above, peering down the dizzyingly high cliffs and dreaming about how nice it would have been to spend the night in such a secluded cove. After watching the sunset and the sky to to pink, we headed off to find dinner at the overcrowded and over touristed town of Ölüdeniz where we hunted the streets to find a reasonably priced kebab and pushed our way through streets reminiscent of the worst parts of Ibiza. Perhaps we just weren’t bling bling enough in our backpacker getup.
PAMUKKALE
When the planning for our trip began, Pamukkale was one of the first things to go up on our giant map on the wall as a must see along the way. As we got closer and did more local research though, we were warned to ‘adjust our expectations’ and maybe even skip it entirely, but we were determined we wanted to see it.
Pamukkale is not what it once was for visitors. In order to preserve the World Heritage Listed site, local authorities divert the water through alternating sections of the huge travertine terraces, and only allow visitors to access certain parts of the site. This means the classic scene of white terraces and cascading blue water is now pretty much inaccessible, and instead visitors are directed through a long naturally formed ramp area that works its way down the site. The pools here are big, and walking barefooted across the travertine is a unique experience, but with bus loads of tourists clambering to soak in the tepid water, and more hair and toenails floating around than you really want to know about, we decided to give the bathing a miss.
With the sun setting and golden light pouring over the terraces, its still pretty spectacular, but unless its super high on your list of things to see in in Turkey, you wouldn’t miss out on much by giving this one a miss.
When the planning for our trip began, Pamukkale was one of the first things to go up on our giant map on the wall as a must see along the way. As we got closer and did more local research though, we were warned to ‘adjust our expectations’ and maybe even skip it entirely, but we were determined we wanted to see it.
Pamukkale is not what it once was for visitors. In order to preserve the World Heritage Listed site, local authorities divert the water through alternating sections of the huge travertine terraces, and only allow visitors to access certain parts of the site. This means the classic scene of white terraces and cascading blue water is now pretty much inaccessible, and instead visitors are directed through a long naturally formed ramp area that works its way down the site. The pools here are big, and walking barefooted across the travertine is a unique experience, but with bus loads of tourists clambering to soak in the tepid water, and more hair and toenails floating around than you really want to know about, we decided to give the bathing a miss.
With the sun setting and golden light pouring over the terraces, its still pretty spectacular, but unless its super high on your list of things to see in in Turkey, you wouldn’t miss out on much by giving this one a miss.
ANCIENT RUINS OF WESTERN TURKEY
Aside from sailing the seas, another love of Kaptain Junes was the world of Ancient Greece, and exploring the plethora of ruins left behind in Turkey. We had no shortage to choose from either in our travels around the west, and ended up settling on three….Aphrodisias, Pergamon and Hierapolis, skipping one of the biggest draw cards, Ephesus, as Pete had already visited a few years earlier… and we thought four ruin sights might be overdoing it a little.
HIERAPOLIS
Hierapolis is situated at the top of the Pamukkale terraces, and is included in the entrance price (two for one, yay!) and was an ancient city located on hot springs in classical Phrygia. If you’re visiting Pamukkale its a nice addition, but we saw much more spectacular ruins at Aphrodisias and Bergamon.
A few key things on the site have been partially restored, including the impressive Tetrapylon gate which is so massive its incredible standing under it and marveling at what the city would have once been.
Hierapolis is situated at the top of the Pamukkale terraces, and is included in the entrance price (two for one, yay!) and was an ancient city located on hot springs in classical Phrygia. If you’re visiting Pamukkale its a nice addition, but we saw much more spectacular ruins at Aphrodisias and Bergamon.
A few key things on the site have been partially restored, including the impressive Tetrapylon gate which is so massive its incredible standing under it and marveling at what the city would have once been.
APHRODISIAS
About an hours drive from Pummakale is one of the best archaeological sights in Turkey, and amazingly its all but empty of Tourists (because you’ll probably need a car to get there….or perhaps a miniature delivery van)
A few key things on the site have been partially restored, including the impressive Tetrapylon gate which is so massive its incredible standing under it and marvelling at what the city would have once been.
We had fun climbing on top of all the ruins and soaking up the vibes from the Goddess of Love…although the only love making we saw here were two pigeon ensuring their bloodlines continue.
Maybe it did rub off on us, this time when we jumped back in the delivery van it was the soothing sounds of Barry White rolling from the speakers.
About an hours drive from Pummakale is one of the best archaeological sights in Turkey, and amazingly its all but empty of Tourists (because you’ll probably need a car to get there….or perhaps a miniature delivery van)
A few key things on the site have been partially restored, including the impressive Tetrapylon gate which is so massive its incredible standing under it and marvelling at what the city would have once been.
We had fun climbing on top of all the ruins and soaking up the vibes from the Goddess of Love…although the only love making we saw here were two pigeon ensuring their bloodlines continue.
Maybe it did rub off on us, this time when we jumped back in the delivery van it was the soothing sounds of Barry White rolling from the speakers.
PERGAMON
Lured here by the promise of seeing one of the largest and steepest ancient amphitheaters in Turkey, Pergamon ended up being so much more.
The town itself (Bergama) is a wonder to explore, and its easy to dwindle away the afternoon exploring the crumbling alleyways and backstreets. Read all about Petes adventures and encounters with the local kids here. Emma in the meantime was having her skin scrubbed off by a half naked, middle aged Turkish woman at the local 16th century year old Hamman.
Feeling a little ruined-out, we only devoted half a day to exploring Pergamon, thinking we’d make a bee-line for the amphitheater and then head off to Izmir. Oh how wrong we were. After catching the cable car up to the site, perched high on the hills over looking Bergama, the site has a spectacular view and is in amazing condition. Its no wonder at all why the Romans decided to build the city this site, full of medical healers, sanctuaries, libraries, temples, theatres and learning.
With a tip from one of the local guides, we skipped taking the cable car back, and instead walked down the hillside back towards town, past some of the most interesting parts of the site, where you can see floor mosaics with very strange facial expressions, extremely well preserved from … some time a really long time ago. Seriously, we were starting to feel a little bombarded with facts and dates!. They were pretty cool though and siting under ginormous crumbling columns, our imaginations still ran wild with what these cities were in the past (or maybe thats because we’d been watching too much Game of Thrones)
Lured here by the promise of seeing one of the largest and steepest ancient amphitheaters in Turkey, Pergamon ended up being so much more.
The town itself (Bergama) is a wonder to explore, and its easy to dwindle away the afternoon exploring the crumbling alleyways and backstreets. Read all about Petes adventures and encounters with the local kids here. Emma in the meantime was having her skin scrubbed off by a half naked, middle aged Turkish woman at the local 16th century year old Hamman.
Feeling a little ruined-out, we only devoted half a day to exploring Pergamon, thinking we’d make a bee-line for the amphitheater and then head off to Izmir. Oh how wrong we were. After catching the cable car up to the site, perched high on the hills over looking Bergama, the site has a spectacular view and is in amazing condition. Its no wonder at all why the Romans decided to build the city this site, full of medical healers, sanctuaries, libraries, temples, theatres and learning.
With a tip from one of the local guides, we skipped taking the cable car back, and instead walked down the hillside back towards town, past some of the most interesting parts of the site, where you can see floor mosaics with very strange facial expressions, extremely well preserved from … some time a really long time ago. Seriously, we were starting to feel a little bombarded with facts and dates!. They were pretty cool though and siting under ginormous crumbling columns, our imaginations still ran wild with what these cities were in the past (or maybe thats because we’d been watching too much Game of Thrones)
OUR ITINERARY
It took us a while to narrow down the sights we really wanted to see in the time we had. Between miles of endless beaches, coves and hamlets, a plethora of ancient ruins, and natural sights galore, we really didn’t know where to start.
We’ve saved you the trouble so here’s our itinerary to get you started. We missed out on tons of stuff with only 7 days to pack it all in, but its only testament to how beautiful and diverse this part of the world is.
We’ve saved you the trouble so here’s our itinerary to get you started. We missed out on tons of stuff with only 7 days to pack it all in, but its only testament to how beautiful and diverse this part of the world is.
DAY |
ITINERARY |
Day 1 |
Arrive, Dalyan; overnight bus from Goreme |
Day 2 |
Dalyan |
Day 3 |
Dalyan |
Day 4 |
Dalyan (Butterfly Valley, Kayaköy and around) |
Day 5 |
Dalyan to Denzli (Pamukkale and Hierapolis) |
Day 6 |
Aphrodisias. Drive to Bergama |
Day 7 |
Pergamum morning, drive to Izmir. Overnight night bus to Istanbul. |
GETTING AROUND
We took an overnight bus from Cappadocia to Dalyan, and then decided the only way we were going to fit in everything we wanted to see would be to hire a car (or ‘mini delivery van’).
We organised a one way car rental from Dalyan, and the company conveniently arranged to pick it up a few days later from us in Izmir. Their service was so good that they even got in touch with us a few weeks later regarding a speeding ticket. Unfortunately we were ‘uncontactable’ as we had already left the country…or not.
From Izmir we took an overnight Metrobus back to Istanbul.
We organised a one way car rental from Dalyan, and the company conveniently arranged to pick it up a few days later from us in Izmir. Their service was so good that they even got in touch with us a few weeks later regarding a speeding ticket. Unfortunately we were ‘uncontactable’ as we had already left the country…or not.
From Izmir we took an overnight Metrobus back to Istanbul.
OUR FAVOURITE GUEST HOUSES
Rose Pension, Dalyan_: This is one of the original guesthouses in Dalyan, run by a super friendly couple. They speak limited English, but with the help of their well worn Engligh-Turkish dictionary, manage to communicate well enough. The breakfast here is out on the balcony, surrounded by bougainvillea and grape vines, and is lush.
Gobi Pension, Bergama: Small, family run guesthouse about 10 mins walk from the main area of town. Super friendly staff and has a great restaurant next door. The owner even gave us a pack of post cards when we left “because no one writes letters anymore”. Sorry everyone, we thought about sending them many times but I think they’re still floating around in our backpacks.
Seriously, if you’re visiting either, stay with them.
Gobi Pension, Bergama: Small, family run guesthouse about 10 mins walk from the main area of town. Super friendly staff and has a great restaurant next door. The owner even gave us a pack of post cards when we left “because no one writes letters anymore”. Sorry everyone, we thought about sending them many times but I think they’re still floating around in our backpacks.
Seriously, if you’re visiting either, stay with them.