Here are some of our favorite photos from the trip (each photo is a thumbnail linked to a higher quality picture.):
25) Tlos, Seydikemer, Turkey, March 1, 2022 - Well, we planned for this day to be a busy one and definitely stuck to that plan. Cousin Heather had to work mid-day so Jonna and I took off in the morning to see some sights. As it turned out, our morning was ruined. Not by the rain, though it was raining on-and-off. Instead, we visited three different ancient sites - so many ruins that we actually got ruins fatique! Our first stop, after an hour drive up into the mountains, was at the mountain top Lycian city of Tlos. This city was built high up on a peak with a commanding view of the wide, agricultural valley below. It was such a strong position for dominating the area that the Ottomans later built a fortress above some of the, then 2000 year old, ruins.
26) Tlos, Seydikemer, Turkey, March 1, 2022 - The ancient ruins of Tlos are confined to a wide stadium (used for both field events and chariot races) and a hillside theater.
27) Tlos, Seydikemer, Turkey, March 1, 2022 - However, like Myra, this site had exquisitely carves rock tombs on a cliff just outside the city walls which formed an impressive necropolis area. Above these rock tombs were the once imposing, and now crumbling, walls of the Ottoman fort. We climbed up to see the tombs and then I made the extra climb up to the bare staircase of what was the fort’s highest watch tower. To quote a song - I could see for miles and miles and miles.
28) Pinara, Minare, Turkey, March 1, 2022 - From Tlos we started heading back but took a different route so we could see more sites. The second stop was the Lycian city of Pinara. This was the most challenging to drive to as it was up on a sharp ridge between two deep valleys. The road was a single lane made of paving stones with tight switchbacks going up the ridge. It was raining steadily when we arrived and the Fiats’ front wheel drive and street tires resulted in slipping and over rev’ing on the steepest, muddiest sections. At the end the road was a two-track goat trail and I was thinking we might have to abandon the car and hike out. Thankfully we arrived at the ruins before reaching that point. The Pinara ruins are the least preserved we have visited thusfar but this is what made it our favorite of the day. The moisture from these two valleys means it is almost a rainforest - lush and green. All the stones are covered in a coating of moss. Colorful yellow flowers blanketed the ridge. You know the aesthetic the Victorians wanted in their fancy gardens with faux Roman ruins? Well, this is the original! Bits and pieces of temples and agoras and odeons and archways dissolved into mossy, fragments of what once was. It was beautiful to climb up the slick hillside, dripping with drizzle, and discover another linteled doorway or a fallen column piece or a cornerstone of a once grand building hidden among the overgrowth. I loved it! Add in a herd of goats with their bells ringing and the fact that we had the place to ourselves and it was my highlight of the day.
29) Patara, Gelemiş, Turkey, March 1, 2022 - Our final stop, just a few miles away was the UNESCO site of Letoon. I am afraid it was a disappointment. Its reason for being a world heritage site is because of the three massive temples and the large theater that were there during ancient times. But there is little left in place from the three temples so just huge column pieces littering the ground hint at how large the temples once were. It is also surrounded by a rather uninspiring town, encircled by a tall security fence and partially flooded from all the recent rain. We kept our visit brief and were glad the entry fee equated to $.75 each.
30) Kaş, Turkey, March 2, 2022 - With the rain pouring we returned to the condo for lunch and to dry out a bit. Once Heather was done with work we headed out again, this time with a 30 minute drive to the coastal city of Kaş. Built climbing a steep hillside straight above a small port it is a mix of tourist shops and restaurants in the central port-side square and then a large prosperous city higher up the hill. We parked on the port’s jetty and made a meandering exploration of the quaint but very touristy old town alleys, streets and square. We stopped for a snack where I tried a traditional Turkish coffee (not my thing but at least I experienced it) and enjoyed looking at the old buildings.
31) Kaş, Turkey, March 2, 2022 - We found a very atmospheric little restaurant where we chose to have dinner. Old musical instruments, photos and family belongings decorated the interior and an older woman left her fireside table, where she was sitting across from her sleeping cat, to cook our dinner. It was yummy and it just felt like we were in a living room. After dinner we made our way back along the twisty coast road in the dark, trying to keep up with the local speed demons who raced around blind curves and tailgated whenever that caught another car. We made it back safely and are spending tonight packing so we can venture away from Kalkan for a few nights to explore further up the coast.
32) Datça beach, Datça, Turkey, March 2, 2022 - What a soggy, wet day! From the time we woke up until crawling into bed it rained and for most of the day it was a constant downpour. We had a few brief windows when the clouds broke up some and the rain slackened to a drizzle but those were rare. Fortunately, we were in the car most of the day so it didn’t matter other than dealing with puddles and wheel splash on the roads. We left Kalkan late morning and headed northwest up the coast. The D-400 is the main road along the coast but varies from a two lane to a divided four lane depending on which cities it is connecting. For the most part traffic wasn’t a problem and the pace was brisk. Trying to predict what other cars are going to do, including which lane (or even lanes) they will be in, is a skill I am only mediocre at so I try to give all vehicles a wide berth. Adding in the myriad feral dogs that often wander into, and sometimes lay down on, the road means quick reactions and high concentration is essential. We drove for about two hours before stopping in Fethiye for lunch. We tried to find parking in the harbor area but it was crazy so we escaped that chaos and parked along the port’s north shore instead. We walked a little way on a waterfront walking path to a fancy looking restaurant and decided the increasing rain meant we were chosing it. The food was decent but nothing memorable. The view, the warmth and the dry roof overhead still made it a good choice. Then we got drenched walking back when a cloud burst doused us. The car’s heater earned its keep for the next half hour until we dried out a little. We continued north and actually started to encounter wild, undeveloped land. So much of the area along the coast is either sprawling towns that merge into one another or farm villages that have endless greenhouses. To see wild forest in the hills north of Dalaman was a relief. Our goal for the day was to drive out onto the rugged and relatively unpopulated Datça peninsula. When we made the turn out off the main coast and onto the peninsula there was the large city of Marmaris and then immediately a seeming wilderness. Rocky hills with a road that snaked around the contours and over passes. A big section of road was under construction so bouncing over a loose rock base made it feel even more remote. These hills separate the flat, agricultural center part of the peninsula from the mainland and give the towns to the west an isolated feel. We made it to the town of Datça in time to check into our hotel, do a quick drive through the very charming old hilltop part of town and then go down to the waterfront for a brief walk during one of the weather windows of light drizzle. The small beach right downtown must be the hot hangout in the spring and summer but was mainly boarded up now. There was a long row of fancy glass fronted restaurants lined up along the beach with stacked tables ready to deploy right at the water’s edge but they are all closed for another month. We did find one restaurant open, though empty, and the siren song of a ice case with fresh fish on display pulled Jonna in. It turned out to be a good choice as the food was excellent, the staff friendly and the heat lamp above the table was divine. Jonna and Heather both had grilled squid which they hand picked from the case and which they declared delicious. I had some Turkish salads which were also quite good. The rain resumed pouring so we made a beeline back to the car and then drove straight back to the hotel after dinner. We sat under the room’s heater trying to warm up and dry out until we fell asleep.
33) Datça penisula, Datça, Turkey, March 3, 2022 - Our day started better that the previous day because the sun was shining down from a mostly clear blue sky. It was very windy and a bit chilly but it was dry. Yippee! An even better start for the day was the breakfast rolled out by the little hotel we were staying in. It was nearly as big as the Turkish Feast we had in Kalkan. Filling, varied and delicious. After breakfast with hit the road and retraced the curvy road down the Datça peninsula but this time with clear views of the beautiful coastline. This would be a fantastic motorcycle road!
34) Temple of Artemis, Selçuk, Turkey, March 3, 2022 - Once back to the mainland the road climbed about 4,000 ft in a short distance and turned inland on this high mountain plateau. All around were high, snow-capped peaks. From Muğla the road stayed in the mountains as it went north. My favorite part of this drive was just south of the city of Çine which had very interesting rock formations on numerous hills with little trails winding through them. It would be a fine place to hike! From there the road gradually lost altitude as we went west almost all the way to the coast. This is where the city of Selçuk is located and the ancient city of Ephesus. We got to the hotel early in the afternoon so we could check-in and still get out to see some sights. Our first stop, before heading to a tourist destination, was to find some caffiene. A cute, very local, cafe just around the corner from our hotel had sodas and tea, along with two old men who perfectly fit the image of Turkish cafe owners. Right next to our hotel were the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, once the pride of the ancient city and considered to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Well, times have definitely changed. Talk about underwhelmjng. Now the temple is a mostly bare field with a few column drums and a few big blocks of marble scattered around. A single column has been partially reassembled but even it is as much concrete and mis-matched column drums as anything plausibly authentic. Oh well, at least we can say we have stood on the site.
35) House Of The Virgin Mary, Selçuk, Turkey, March 3, 2022 - Next we drove up the nearby mountain to see the House of the Virgin Mary. A small chapel was built here in the late 1800s to mark the spot Mother Mary is believed to have been brought to live out her days. YBMV (Your beliefs may vary). It was a simple shrine and was somewhat dwarfed by the gift shops. There was also a fairly heavy amount of security so the feel was not as sacred as the name and story might imply. From there we headed back down to Selçuk where we drove a loop through the downtown area. This was more interesting than either tourist site since it actually showed modern day Turks living their normal lives. Old men drinking tea in the square, middle aged women in headscarves leading children home from school, young men zooming around on scooters and young women in jeans and t-shirts walking in clusters down the sidewalk. We drove by the ruins of the mammoth Basilica of St John but it was just closing up for the day. Above that stands the Byzantine fortress which absolutely dominates the skyline. Hopefully, tomorrow afternoon we can visit both. Once back at the hotel we took a walk around the block to get dinner at a place recommended by the hotel owner. It turned out to be a tourist friendly "Pizza, pasta" place. Very big, very pretty and with a very friendly staff but nothing remotely Turkish about it. I have definitely noticed that the Turkish hospitality people direct westerners towards whatever might seem western. In the ruins they point out Christian crosses carved into rocks or when suggesting sites mention Christian churches or when recommending food point us to places with western menus. They have probably developed that because it is what most tourists respond to but generally speaking I want to experience the things that are most different from my own culture, not the things I am familiar with so I am disappointed when I find I didn’t successfully communicate that. Maybe tomorrow we’ll find a better dinner place. On the plus side it was very spacious so COVID safe, and it was cheap. We paid $12 for all three meals combined. After dinner we did a little power walk back through the downtown area. The old aquaduct arches that go through the main cafe area were all lit up and the usual bands of feral cats and dogs were wandering the mostly quiet streets. As we walked back to the hotel past the huge İsa Bey Mosque the old men were starting to make their way to it and just as we got to our hotel a half block away the evening call to prayer started. In contrast, as I we went to bed an hour later a nearby hotel’s rooftop patio was rocking Turkish dance music!
36) Ephesus, Ephesus Archeological Site, Selçuk, Turkey, March 4, 2022 - This day was one we had been looking forward to for quite awhile now. A private guided tour of the ancient city of Ephesus. We had heard many stories of tours that bring you to tourist traps for rugs, pottery and leather clothes so we did our research ahead of time and booked a private tour with a company called "No Frills Ephesus Tours" which promises to just tour the Ephesus site with no visits to any of the numerous shops that line the roads around Selçuk. Our guide, Metin, met us at our hotel just as we finished breakfast and we collectively drove to Ephesus to start the tour. He turned out to be an excellent guide - a Turkish native who has been guiding tours for 15 years. His English was near perfect, his knowledge of history was encyclopedic and his pace was just right. We spent 4 hours going through the site and it was fantastic. The city itself is amazing - by far the most impressive ruins we have seen and only a 1/4 of the city has been unearthed so future generations will have even more wonders to see. The Terrace Houses #2 section was amazing: Rich houses from the Roman era with colorful wall murals, mythical images set in large floor mosaics, large wall panels made from psychedelic patterned green, red and white marble. The houses had running water, private indoor toilets, raised heated floors, indoor fountains and even heated bathtubs. Pretty modern for 2,000 years ago!
37) Library of Ancient Ephesus, Ephesus Archeological Site, Selçuk, Turkey, March 4, 2022 - The other jaw dropping sight is the edifice of the Celsus Library. A gorgeous three tiered colonnaded wall with statues, carvings, windows, arches and shelves. We took a group selfie but it just can’t capture the beauty of the library entrance. In Ancient times this was the third largest library in the world behind Alexandria and Rome, and it is the only one still partially standing. It is also great to see the importance these old civilizations placed on the written word! The last big item on the tour was the theater - a massive one which originally held 24,000 people. Wow!
38) Ephesus Archaeological Museum, Selçuk, Turkey, March 4, 2022 - After the tour we treated Metin to lunch and he brought us to a little pide (Turkish sauce-less wood fired pizza) shop. It was a little hole-in-the-wall place and based on the other customers was a locals’ regular hang-out. Quite the change from last night’s "Pizza, pasta" tourist restaurant. After lunch we bid Metin "Iyi geceler" (goodbye) and walked to the Ephesus Museum. This was a small museum but one loaded with items pulled from the Ephesus Archeological site. Among the highlights were sculptural items from two of the Roman fountains, two stunning statues of the city goddess Artemis, delicate gold jewelry and a coin collection that covers over 1,000 years of minting - including Greek, Perisan, Hittite, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman civilizations. The Artemis statues alone make a visit to the museum worthwhile. They are breathtaking.
39) Ayasuluk Citadel, Selçuk, Turkey, March 4, 2022 - Our last stop was the combined archeological sites of St. John’s Basilica and the Byzantine fortress. The fortress on the hill overlooking the city of Selçuk is just a shell - the defensive walls have been restored but the interior is mostly empty with just a latter era mosque still standing along with a single domed building that was probably an Ottoman powder storage building. The fortress itself is Byzantine so 300 years before the Ottomans but its function as a defensive structure spanned late Roman through to World War 1.
40) Basilica Of Saint John, Selçuk, Turkey, March 4, 2022 - The Basilica is just the ruins of the foundation with a few walls still standing and a marble floor marking the supposed grave of St John. The ruins are atmospheric to walk through but the highlight for me was just grok’ing the sheer size of it. It was a massive building and must have been one of the biggest in the world when it was built. We returned to the hotel with sore feet but very happy with our day at Ephesus. Jonna and Heather decided to drive to the coastal city of Kuşadası in the evening to visit a traditional Turkish hammam (bath). I had no interest in being boiled, slapped, scrubbed and tenderized so I stayed at the hotel writing postcards and listening to podcasts. I am sure we all found our preferred way of relaxing.
41) Tetrapilon, Aphrodisias Archeological Site, Geyre, Turkey, March 5, 2022 - We were on the move again after our day off in Selçuk. We woke up to pouring rain and a forecast which said it would continue all day. We bundled up planning to be cold and wet. After a quick breakfast we checked out of the charming little hotel (Amazon Antique) in Selçuk and turned inland. We retraced part of our drive in by climbing back up onto the mountainous plateau to the east and then continued up the wide valley past where we had driven in from the south two days before. We drove east for two hours and never had a break from the continual, monotonous traffic and seemingly single long town. From Aydin to Nazilli in particular the E-87 was unremarkable. Finally we turned off to the south and immediately we began driving through farmland and little villages as we climbed up on a ridge. 35 km later we found our destination: the UNESCO site of Aphrodisias. This ancient city was built up in the mountains for a single purpose - marble. There were large marble quarries in this area which made it an important resource center for all the cities in Turkey. Additionally, the marble attracted some of the best sculptors in the region. On the power of these two things Aphrodisias became a wealthy city with a population of around 150,000. The site today is amazing with a number of major buildings some of which are partially reconstructed and others just really well preserved. There were many beautiful sights including the massive Tetrapylon gate.
42) Staduim, Aphrodisias Archeological Site, Geyre, Turkey, March 5, 2022 - The highlight was the ancient stadium - the largest in Turkey and remarkably intact. It was apparently covered by a mudslide so when it was unearthed it was mostly complete. Photos don’t do it justice. There were many other interesting ruins including the Odeon, the lovely south Agora and the Theater. I was afraid Ephesus would (no pun intended) ruin other sites for me but even while getting drenched with rain I was impressed by Aphrodisias.
43) Aphrodiasias Archeological Museum, Aphrodisias Archeological Site, Geyre, Turkey, March 5, 2022 - The cherry on top, though, was the museum. With all the incredible sculptors the city was filled with incredible sculptures and the museum has a stunning collection. The building was COLD but we managed to make it through and the shivering didn’t blur our vision so badly we couldn’t enjoy the amazing art.
44) Travertine terraces, Pamukkale, Turkey, March 5, 2022 - Once back in the rental car we blasted the heater until the car was like the steam room at the hammam Jonna and Heather visited the previous night. We then drove even higher into the mountains and were soon surrounded by snow. The road was just damp but 6 inches of snow covered the fields and the mountains above us had even deeper snow. We went over two passes before dropping back down in elevation to arrive at our destination for the night: Pamukkale. We arrived at 4pm and, after a quick no-cost hotel upgrade, we rushed up the hill to see Pamukkale’s two sites: the ancient city of Hierapolis and the Travertine terraces. This was definitely a place where Ephesus and the other sites we visited had ruined me. I was completely underwhelmed by Hierapolis. The theater is huge but otherwise the site was rather boring. The travertine pools are probably incredible later in the summer but on an overcast rainy day when the water is quite literally turned off they were pretty disappointing too. They are interesting and I’d love to have learned about them from a geology perspective but instead it felt like a ultra touristy instagram photo spot. Almost all the pools in the terraces were empty with just a single pipe feeding a stream of warm-ish water down a narrow line of terraces which meant there was a corresponding line of tourists queued up to get a selfie at the top pool. We also walked over to the "Antique Pool" which seemed like a nice hot pool but also seemed gimmicky with the faux "Cleopatra swam here" backstory. We may go back in the morning just for a warm soak. Otherwise, I say skip Pammukale if you come to Turkey. Our hotel recommended one of the few restaurants in town that are open and it was a solid recommendation. Grilled veggies and grilled lamb chops (for the meat eaters). It was made all the better by watching the restaurant owner’s family sit down to a family dinner in the corner. It felt like we’d been invited into their home for dinner. We are back at the hotel now with the room heater cranking and all our rain gear spread out to dry. Want to guess what the forecast was for the next day?
45) Denizli Teleferik, Denizli, Turkey, March 6, 2022 - Buckle Up, readers, these next few descriptions are gonna be long ones (and I am sure you thought the others were already long!) This day we went from snow to sand. It was a tremendous day. We decided to skip swimming in the over-priced "Antique Pool" at Hierapolis in the morning and instead hit the road right after breakfast. It was foggy but not raining so we took that as a good sign. That immediately proved true as the clouds started to break up as we drove into the huge city of Denizli. Jonna had found info on a cable car up to the top of a mountain on the southern edge of the city but we’d assumed the fog would make that pointless. So with the clearing skies we made a quick change of plans and headed there afterall. Score! The tram cost the equivalent of $1 each and climbed way up to a snowy summit.
46) Denizli Teleferik, Denizli, Turkey, March 6, 2022 - The cable car station at the top provided an amazing 360 degree panorama. We enjoyed a hot cup of tea while taking in the view.
47) Uğurlu, Turkey, March 6, 2022 - Back down in the car we headed south on the D-585 which went straight through the middle of the mountains. Beautiful landscape with high snow-covered peaks all around and little snow-covered villages in the valleys. The road was four lane and perfectly paved so no problems with driving conditions and since it was a weekend the traffic was very light in the interior. We drove for almost two hours in the high country just enjoying all the beautiful sights. Mid-day we turned to the southwest on the D-350, went over a pass and started to decend. Enroute Jonna spotted a little roadside tent with two young ladies making something inside so we pulled in to check it out. It was a little food stand using a funky propane griddle and a very old wood stove. The ladies didn’t speak any English but our very bad Turkish got them both giggling and cooking. We got the Turkish equivalent of a homemade cheese quesadilla and hot tea with fresh squeezed pomegranate juice for desert. I am convinced that they only cook that one dish so our pitiful Turkish was probably unnecessary. Still it was a delightful experience! We also bought a dozen eggs from them so we can make breakfast with eggs we know came from free range chickens (though their diet may consist of anything from table scraps to roadside trash!)
48) Ölüdeniz Beach, Ölüdeniz, Turkey, March 6, 2022 - The road continued to drop down a long ridge with two gorgeous valleys on either side. Mountaineering should definitely be a thing in Uğurlu, Turkey. From there we returned to the D-400 going west. This is the same road we drove four days earlier when we came through here. After a short drive we turned onto smaller roads heading south that went down a steep valley into the touristy beach town of Ölüdeniz. Just four hours after having tea in the snowy peaks we were poking our toes into the most stunning blue surf. Parasailers were floating down from a nearby mountain and landed by us on the beach while kids swam in the smooth water of the bay. The temperature difference from morning to afternoon was drastic!
49) Butterfly Valley overlook, Karaağaç, Turkey, March 6, 2022 - Our drive from Ölüdeniz back to Kalkan was epic. Just a few miles south of Ölüdeniz as we climbed up the mountainside away from the coast we came upon a little overlook. We stopped and walked to the top of a rocky cliff just a few feet from where we'd parked. A 1,000 feet below was Butterfly Valley with a picture perfect beach, turquoise water and bright green grass, all tucked away in a hidden cove.
50) Karaağaç, Turkey, March 6, 2022 - First off, motorcycle friends: Pack your bags right now, take time off (or quit your job if you have to). Book a flight to Dalaman, Turkey. Buy, rent, borrow or steal a bike. Ride, ship or otherwise get to Ölüdeniz, Turkey. Ride first along the coast south to the Butterfly Valley overlook. Be awed by the lovely curves, incredible turquoise waters and steep canyon walls. Next go straight up towards the village of Karaağaç and continue to the village of Avlan. Stop as often as required to reassemble your blown mind (and to cool your tires). Turn around and do it again. Rinse. Repeat. You’re welcome. Now, back to the description of this area... We gained 5 or 6 thousand feet from the beach in Ölüdeniz as we climbed up into the mountains with enough switchbacks to make an owl dizzy. Then drove along the coastline way up high on a shelf with to-die-for views out over the Mediterranean. There were three little farming villages, centered around Avlan, that were postcard cute. All this dumped us back out on the D-400 about 20 minutes from our condo in Kalkan. We stopped in Kalkan for a simple dinner (and homemade lemonade!) while we watched the sunset over Kalkan harbor. Finally we are back "home" after a whirlwind 4 days seeing the sights. Time to do laundry, rest our tired feet and attempt to swim in the pool (though it never really warmed up once we got back)
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