Day 42 to 53: Kuşadası, Dilek Peninsula, Didyma

Leaving Selçuk was like leaving a newly known friend for me. I saluted it with the promise in my heart to come back and went on.

My next stop was Kuşadası(BirdIsland). It is a well known touristic summer spot within us. During all my life I listened about Kuşadası from people who went or from people who have friends going or living there. I've seen its photographes many times. But still didn't know so much about it. Of course my two day visit won't be enough to know it but even only to se it with my own eyes was something for me.

Kuşadası

Kuşadası is a touristic Aegean town with a city life. It rises through the hills which are looking to Aegean Sea. Its most populated and touristic part is, of course, the sea line. It has a long sea line with pedestrian way and road ending at its symbol, The Pigeon Island.

The Pigeon Island

The every minute of the day crowded Old Bazaar location, the shopping centers and the bar's street are also on the sea line. For me the mostly unknown thing about Kuşadası was that it has a very busy cruise harbour. There is at least one cruise ship is coming everyday. But this time, it was more than a cruise ship..!

US Navy

If you follow the sea line, passing this city part, you come to The Pigeon Island. This Island has a castle on it. Actually, the island is the castle. It is now connected to sea line with a walking way. Unfortunatelly, the castle was under restoration for two years. But at least I was able to shoot a Kuşadası photo from the sea.

If you continue walking from the sea line, you will have good views of the bays and beaches next to Kuşadası. The famous one is Women's Sea.

The Women's Sea

Two days at Kuşadası was enough for me. I've learned lots of new things about it. Although it is not a place I would like to live but was nice to meet. So I left.

Dilek Peninsula National Park

Dilek Peninsula was my short stop before Didim. Dilek Peninsula and The Delta of Big Menderes are under protection and together form a national park. Only Dilek Peninsula is 27.675 hectares. It has three beaches at the nothern side which are famous with their cleanest Aegean water , a canyon to pass from nothern side to south, ruins of two antique cities. The peninsula is also home to 33 species of endemic, 13 species of rare endemic plants within total. More 250 species of birds are living at the area and 70 of them breed at the delta. It is formaly said that the peninsula is also home to anatolian leopard whose last member is known to be killed at Diyarbakır at 2013. Since then, there is no evidence to prove that they are still living.

from web

The national park is only available for daily visit. You are not allowed to camp in it. The gates are closing at 4pm at the afternoon and the ones that are inside are expected to leave soon. Because of this, it wasn't a satisfied visit for me as I didn't have a car and the peninsula is big. I only could visit the beach side as the minibus road was passing only from this part. But I really would like to come here again. Maybe with a bike! I stayed the night in Güzelçamlı which is the nearest accommodation posibility and continued to Didim the next day.

Didim was also a stopby as Kuşadası but things changed a little. My plan was visiting Didyma, The Apollon Temple, also visit old family firends and continue to Pamukkale. But the stay which I've planned for two nights became six nights. My hesitations about passing to Milas before Pamukkale, a light flue and posibility to swim maybe for the last time this year with the hospitality of old knowns created the lenght. It was good to strenghten old relationships.

Didyma

Didyma is where the Apollon Temple is. To see this temple was important for me. Because it was built as the twin of the Artemis Temple in Selçuk. You may remember its photos. It was imposible to imagine how it was as there weren't many left. But most of the Apollon Temple was still standing. It would definetely give me an idea about how was it feeling like to be at a temple of paganism.
The effect started while climbing the steps and passing between the huge colon legs. Only three of them are still stanging but the feet of the others are also there. So you tremble. The greatness of the building takes you at the beginning. I was ready to be a pagan at the first second:)

You climb the stairs, pass the colons and reach in the temple from two narrow sloped tunnels each side. The temple has no roof. It never had. They built it this was to strenghten the effect of its glory and to keep the connection with the sky. This temple was a prophecy temple and oracle priests were living here. This is why the temple has no roof. There is a well athe heart where there was a fountain at its age. Well, I was in front of a well at the heart of a paganist prophecy temple. I rolled a coin in it with a wish.

The Apollon Temple

Selcuk in a week... Ephesus, Artemis, Basilica of St. John, Pamucak Beach, Şirince Village...

Selçuk is a small and cutty town just 3km to Ephesus. It is also the accommodation and transfer point for the ones who would like to visit Ephesus, Artemision, St. John Church, house of Virgin Mary or Isa Bey Mosque.  It is a green and friendly town with lovely local small restaurants who serve delicious traditional dishes to cheap prices. People are friendly and wellcoming with big smiles on their faces. It is not only the town itself but probably because of containing that much important religious places, some spiritual things are going on over there or I'm dreaming.

First day, I reached to Selçuk early in the morning. The hostel I was planning to stay had no vacancy but offered another one with cheaper price. That was a good deal for me. 30TL a day with breakfast. Staying in a three bed room by myself. Locals told me that after september number of tourists start decreasing and see the bottom at january and february. So, this was my luck:) 

I couldn't wait more to see Ephesus as it was my first reason to visit here. I took a minibus directly to Ephesus from the town terminal. There are minibuses to Ephesus and from Ephesus to Selçuk in every 20 minutes and costs only 2,5TL(one way). 

Ephesus... At last, I was able to visit this important ancient Greek city of Ionia. My happiness and excitement was undescribable. The city wellcome me with its big ancient open air theater. Its capasity was 25.000 people and had been used not only for plays or concerts but also for the gladiatorial combats during later Roman times.

After sitting on the steps of this fascinating theather for a while I continued walking at the wide streets of the city. The Marble Street which led me to Celsus Library had a gift for me. A chamaleon was passing across the stree with slow steps spining its eyes 360degress and looking to people. I didn't even know we have them in Turkiye. After this lovely surprise, I followed the streeet through the Celsus Library.  This library is one of the most beautiful structures in Ephesus. I don't know how many times I've seen its pictures for all my life. Now, it was standing in front of me. So beautiful!

I was unable to leave the sight of the library. I made myself move just after deciding to come back later again at the end. So I followed the Curetes Street to see the temples of Domitian and Hadrian, fountains of Trajan and Pollio, gymnasiums, the odeon... Passing from Hadrian's gate, saluting to Memmius Monument, walking withing the rooms of ancient Scholastica baths, coming back to the Harbour Street after the last "long" look to the library. I know words are not enough to describe this ancient city. So I'll share some photos to give you an idea about it.

antique open-air teather

the chamaleon I was talking about

The Celsus Library

Curates Street

temple of Hadrian

Memmius Monument

the odeon

the basilica

Second day, after having my breakfast at the hostel, I went out firstly to visit the Temple of Artemis. Ephesus is a very important religious area. Its religious days start from paganism times. Temple of Artemis is one of the biggest temples of paganism that was built in Anatolia and is one of the World's Seven Wonders. Of course there is not much left from it but to be at a place, built long before cristianity or islam was an original experience. To think that once upon a time people were worshiping to nature, respecting and loving it made me think of nowadays and how easy to destroy it for human kind. Still I felt hope. If we had done this before probably we can do it again. Maybe I'm dreaming again... Anyway, starting the day with this temple was not a spontaneous choice. It was my first stop as it was the first to be.

ruins of Artemis Temple

Second stop was Isa Bey Mosque. This time it was not because Islam came to this land as the next religion after paganism but just because it was on my way to basilica of Saint John. Isa Bey Mosque is one of the most delicate examples of Seljukian architecture, situated below the basilica of St. John. The construction of the mosque dates back to 1375 AC.

from outside

inside

Third stop; basilica of Saint John... For the ones who don't know the story, it is generally accepted that St. John came to Ephesus together with the Virgin Mary somewhere between 37 and 48 AC. where they spent the rest of their lives. After his death approximately at the age of 100, he was buried to Ayasuluk Hill according to his last request. Three hundred years after the death of St. John, a small chapel was constructed over the grave in the 4th century. This basilica is the remains of the one which was built by the Roman Emperar Justinian and his wife Theodora. It was constructed in the 5th century AC, After 14th century, due to several earthquakes the basilica became unusable. The monumental tomb of St. John is still here and every year hosts the visits of thousands of cristians.

monumental tomb of St. John

the basilica

Last stop was the inner castle. the citadel... The citadel which is on the highest point of Ayasuluk Hill is like a crown over Selçuk. Behind its proud look its long past is hidden. The walls seen today belong to Seljukid-Ottoman periods. According to the tradition, St. John wrote his Gospel on this hill and prayed there.

the citadel

Third day was a chill out day. After two days of full history, religion and spirituality my soul needed a break and felt like sea air. The address was simple; Pamucak. It's the Aegean coast of Selçuk. A long beach with cool Aegean water. The decrease at tourist number was again a luck for me. It was so pieceful and silent. A little bit windy but worth to watch the sunset. 

Pamucak beach

sunset at Pamucak

Pamucak is only 8km to Selçuk town center. It is the last stop of the minibuses going to Ephesus. There are bungalows and camping facilities for the ones who would like to enjoy a sky full of stars at night but also there are lots of hotel accommodation posibilities.

Fourth day was the time to visit Şirince Village. This old rum village has a long history starting from 5th century. Before the Republic of Turkiye, it is said that Şirince was formed over 3000 houses which means over 10.000 people. Today only around 150 houses are still living. The main living of the village is tourism and raising olives, peaces and fig. The village is also famous with its homemade fruit wines.

Şirince Village

Dimitros Church and village street

Şirince Village

the cranberry wine was delicious

I fell in love with this small and cozy village. And by coincedence, a couchsurfing host found me and offered me a place to stay for a few days. This was an offer I couldn't resist and excepted immediately. At the fourth night of my journey to Selçuk, I stayed at Şirince, woke up the next day, went to Selçuk in the morning, pick up my backpack and came back to Şirince. But they didn't let me go to Selçuk without having a breakfast first. What a lovely one it was...!

traditional turkish breakfast

Fifth day started with this packing stuff and moving to Şirince, went on with a short siesta and lasted with a nice tracking to Kaiser Rock. It is a 3,3km route and is the shortest route around the village. There are some other and longer routes around the village containing stream crossing or church and monastery ruins.

Kaiser Rock near Şirince village

I spent three nights and four days at Şirince village which I enjoyed every second. But as every good thing, we came to the end. I said goodbye to Şirince and left till our next meeting.

Selçuk, Ephesus and Şirince are generally the places where people spend mostly one or two days. But definetely there are many things to do, places to visit in and around Selçuk. You should give it a chance and I guess, it won't let you down.

Answers to 6 questions about Turkiye...

5w1h of Turkiye...


WHAT IS TURKIYE?

Turkiye is the original name of Turkey. As a Turkish person, I prefer this version rather than the English one. Nearly 80 million people live here and as you may guess, most of them live in the big cities. 60% of the population is young; thus, we can actually call Turkiye a young country. Despite its young population, the history of the land is very old. From the beginning of human history, the land of Turkiye, also called Anatolia, has hosted many civilizations. Hittites, who signed the first pact after the war with The Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II, the Lydians, who have one of the world's most ancient walking trails, called "The Lydian Road" with a distance of 509km, and the people of the ancient Greek city states, where the great philosophers of Greece like Socrates and Platon gave lectures, the Byzantines and Ottomans are the examples. It is also the intersection of the three major religions. The first seven churches of Revelation represent an important visiting route for the Christians.

This land of Turkiye is a mountainous peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea at the north, Aegean Sea at the west and Mediterranean Sea at the south. Its coordinates are 26-45degrees N and 36-42degrees E. It is contagious with Bulgaria at the northwest, Greece at the west, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan at northeast, Iran at east, Syria and Iraq at southeast. It is located both in the Asian and European region. There is no difference in bureaucracy between these two lands and their citizens.

from web

Regardless of the nowadays politics, Turkiye is a secular country; the citizens being mostly Muslim, there are also people from the other religions. Family and family members are important and cared. Number of Turkish titles belonging to family members may show you how important this concept is. Anne, baba, kardeş, teyze, amca, hala, dayı, yenge, enişte, baldız, bacanak, kayınvalide, kayınpeder, anneanne, babaanne, dünür, görümce, kuzen, yeğen, dede, nine. :) ... some of these words may be translated to mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew, grandmother and grandfather. 21 to 9! There is no English name for the rest.

wHOM TO VISIT?
Ok. There are various types of holidays and travelling options in Turkiye. Actually...for everybody. You can have a family with kids, partners, friends, couples or you may visit alone. Bikers, motorcyclists, backpackers, divers, climbers, honeymoon lovers... Just decide what kind of a visit it will be, and who you are coming with.

wHEN TO GO?
Due to its geographical and logistical conditions, Turkey enjoys a variety of climates, earning the country the nickname 'the land of four seasons'. Throughout the year, every month or season you can find a spot that is worth seeing and has a suitable climate. Summer time (June, July, and August) is generally hot with the temperature exceeding 30°C. Temperatures differ due to geographical locations and the east is the winner with over -20°C. Inner parts of the country also have cold winters with many days of minus degrees and snow. Climate of Mediterranean coast is more tropical than any other parts. The rest of the country enjoys a climate between these two.

wHERE TO GO?

from web

For the ones who are interested in history, limit is the sky:) I mean, everywhere on this land is full of history. You have to either draw lots or just follow the famous touristic destinations for history lovers.

Turkiye is a mountainous country as I have mentioned before. It has two big mountain chains. One is at the north; the other is at the south. Both mountain chains start from the back of the coast lines and form a line parallel to the seas. This formation makes them look like a wall while looking from the sea and are generally covered with old forests. They are preferable for tracking and camping. If you are both interested in nature and history, my suggestions will be Mountain Ida at the west and the Mountain Ararat at the east. By the way Mountain Ararat is the highest point of Turkiye (5.137m). It is a dead volcano, famous with the rumor on the Noah's Ark. There are also many other mountains beside these two mountain chains waiting for the climbers.

Aegean and Mediterranean seas offer their crystal blue water and their underwater treasures to their coasts. Water temperature is 23-24 degrees for the Aegean Sea, and 28-29 degrees for the Mediterranean Sea during the hottest months. If you love swimming, sailing, diving +history, you won't regret coming :)

I haven’t even mentioned Istanbul, Capadocia, Ephesus, Trabzon, Iskenderun, Van, Olympus and etc. yet.

wHY TO GO?
Well, it is up to you. As a citizen of this country, I want to explore and learn more about it. I’ve been travelling to the places I've mentioned above, discovering and interiorizing of myself and pursuing to find a place to build up my owned "water mill". Besides, it is the land I was delivered to. The motherland of me.. Through my life I've listened and learned mostly about this land and its people. Now I'm not sure how much of them are true. Travelling through Turkiye makes me find my own truth. Everybody has a different reason for travelling. What is yours?

hOW TO GO?
Turkiye is at the trans-section of the motorways connecting Europe and Asia. Busing may be an option from European countries mainly like Greece and Bulgaria. Although they are slow and not very new, train travel is also a possibility from the west to the east.
When it comes to flights, you can reach here from all around the world as Istanbul is a connecting stop for lots of long-way flights. Besides, there are cheap charter flight companies, through which you can find a good deal.
Now all of us know that Turkiye is surrounded by three seas. So I guess I don't need to mention the cruise lines coming to Istanbul, Izmir, Bodrum or Marmaris for the ones who would like to come by the sea.

Answers to 6 questions about Turkiye... Hope it will help you. Bye for now!

Day 36: Pergamon, a modern antique city in a traditional modern day one

the old city of Pergamon

Bergama is one of the biggest towns of the city Izmir. Still it doesn't look very different from a big village with its people, habbits and accomodations. For this, the best way to visit the ruins of antique city Pergamon is to have a daily visit while staying in Ayvalik. It is a one and a half hour way with minibuses which are passing from the main road of Ayvalik at every hour between 09:00am and 19:00pm. It takes around two or three hours to visit Pergamon proparly. When you reach to Bergama village, you should say 'kale' which means casttle to ask for road description. It was weird to notice that people started looking me with a meaningless look when I was talking about the ruins. There is also a cable lift from the village to Pergamon as it is set on a hill which you can see nearly from every point of the village.

The Temple of Trajan

After the shiny days, the last king of Attalids, Attalus III bequeathed the whole of Pergamon to Rome in order to prevent a civil war as he had no heir. Pergamon became the capital of the Roman province of Asia, before the capital was transferred to Ephesus. Pergamon reached the height of its greatness under Roman Imperial rule and was home to about 200,000 inhabitants around 120 BC. Still its masive temples, amphitheatre, ruins of the gymnasium, arsenals and palaces protect their magnificence. Pergamon's library on the Acropolis (the ancient Library of Pergamum) was the second best in the ancient Greek civilization.

The theater with a seating capacity of 10,000 had the steepest
seating of any known theater in the ancient world

underground passageaway under the temple of Trajan

steps of the Zeus Altar

Pergamon was the most attractive sight I have seen by now. I know Ephesus is also on my way and is also as attractive as Pergamon or maybe even more but the only thing I can say is you should definetely visit Pergamon anyway.

Day 33: Ayvalık, land of islands

Ayvalık on map

islands of Ayvalık

Ayvalık is a town near Aegean Sea. Its roots go back to antique Greek. Its old name was Kydonia which means a wild kind of quince. "Ayva" also means quince in turkish and "Ayvalık" means where quince grows. Today there are not so much quince around Ayvalık. Most seen trees around are olive and pine trees as the rest of this area. Ayvalık is also known as the land of islands as it has 22 big and small islands belonging to itself. Some of these islands have habitats but most of them don't.

Before 1920's, Ayvalık was mostly a Greek town but after the Turkish War of Independence depending to the Population Exchange Law its population had been changed with turkish citizens coming from Greek island Lesbos and Crete and Macedonia. Now the third generation of these habitans are living in Ayvalık. Because the average of age is very high, it is very usual to hear a dead announcement from the town's mosques nearly everyday. People of Ayvalık say that Ayvalık is famous with three things; cats, deaths and insane people. I haven't noticed any insane person on the streets but at the top of the hill of Ayvalık, there is a rehab center.

cats waiting for the fishermen

Ayvalık still has its old time houses

For my opinion Ayvalık is a beautiful town with all its old houses, island views, friendly cats and beautiful sunsets. But still it is away from being a touristic town. First of all there are no beaches around the town. To swim, you have to go to islands or beaches away from the town city. The temperature of the water is low, around 18-20 degrees and the sea is shallow. But despite all these there are very famous spots for divers around Ayvalık. Especialy rich coral reefs and remains of old time sunken ships are very popular for underwater photographers.

sunset from Ayvalık

Day 28: after eleven days of sailing, some valuable information about Blue Voyage

Resim yazısı ekle

Sailing in a 20m turkish gulet for two weeks, following the Lycian route from the sea, visiting the ruins of previous settlers, observing their daily usages by present day habitants, feeling the soul, smelling the iodine of the sea, wishing on the shooting stars... This is an experience which shakes you till your bottom, brings everything out that you have inside, wash you with salty water. 

I have done blue voyage tour twice before. They were all one week tours from Fethiye around Gocek bays. These ones were mostly away from open sea, at sheltered bays. I should except that Gocek bays may be one of the most beautiful bays area of the seas around the world but sailing till Kemer from Fethiye, somedays starting before the sun born just not to be caught to strong wind and waves at open sea makes you understand a little bit about a sailor's life and how small we are when the subject is the nature. This trip will cut all your connection with the world you are living. At some point internet and phone included.

Üçağız Village

Kekova from Simena Castle

We still have three more days to reach to Fethiye but till now we stopped at five special places to go to shore to see the ruins. These places were St. Nicolas Island, Olympos, Simena Castle, Phaselis and Patara. Also visited the harbours and villages of Üçağız, Finike, Çıralı, Kaş, Kalkan and Kemer. Stopped at bays over sixteen to swim or stay for the night like Turunç Pınarı, Ölüdeniz, Ayışığı, Salyangoz, Gökkayalar, Kekova...

Maden Bay where we stayed for one night

Blue voyage at Turkiye is not new. It has a history starting from a famous turkish writer Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı who is famous with his love to Bodrum and lived between 1890-1973. The turkish gulet type ships first made around Bodrum then spread to other locations of Turkiye. There are several routes of blue voyage that you can choose. They generaly start from Fethiye, Marmaris or Bodrum. Some routes also contain Greek islands like Rhodes, Symi or Kos. Of course these routes are more expensive than the ones around turkish shores. Blue voyage tours has two options... 

Private charter, in which you rent the whole gulet only for you and your group and nobody else. At this form of blue voyage, you have the chance to buy all the ingredients for your meals or leave it to gulet's cook. But in every case drinks will be extra.

Cabin charter, in which you rent a cabin of the gulet and sail with other people who rent the rest of the cabins. In this case, meals belong to the price but again, drinks are extra.

In a turkish gulet generally there are 4-8 cabins and each cabin is for two people. All cabins have their private toilet and shower. Gulets are categorized as standart and luxury. Standart gulets' one day price for private charter starts from 500€ at May, increases to 700€ at July and August, again decreases to 500€ at September. Tours are usually for one or two weeks and it is necessary to make reservation with the payment of %20 in advance. Of course these prices are the avarage rates for you to have an idea. And for the luxury ones these rates can be over 1000€. For cabin charter in a standart turkish gulet, one week for one person is around 400-500€ depending on the month and these prices are also avarage. Although you depend to the cook and his or her talent, you will have a nice and satisfying turkish breakfast, a relatively light lunch, some cookies with the evening tea, fish, meat or chicken with salads and different types of turkish mezes for the dinner. At least this is our menu for this trip with Sultan Suna. 

the turkish gulet named Sultan Suna at Salyangoz(Snail) Bay

Suna and Erdogan are the owners of this lovely turkish gulet Sultan Suna named after Suna. She is also the cook of the ship and a magician in the kitchen. Her fish soup, turkish mezes, traditional style rices and surprises like ottoman deserts are delicious enough to come back. The cabins and the bathrooms are clean as a hotel room and the kitchen as a house. They call themselves as a family boat where they try to make people feel themselves at home. Even when they come with their children.  

Day 21: It's been 5 days in a turkish gulet on Mediterranean Sea

breakfast at Ölüdeniz

After finishing Biga Peninsula, I gave a break to follow the route to south and came directly to Fethiye to join to a blue voyage with a turkish gulet at crystal blue Mediterranean sea. I'm now sailing for a two weeks cabin charter starting from Fethiye till Phaselis and back. This blue voyage kind a trips are now my favorites for a beautiful break. You can swim as much as you want. Sleep at the deck at nights under thousands of stars. Wake up to a silent and full of nature morning and wash your face with clean blue Mediterranean water. If you haven't experienced it yet, you shouldn't die before it.

St. Nicolas Island

There are lots of islands and bays on the route. Some of the islands are untouched and you can only hear the songs of the birds, talks of the goats and donkeys and smells of olive, mountain oregon, sage and lots of other spices coming to your noise with the soft breeze. While sleeping on the deck anchored to one of these islands, you can only hear the sound of the sea beating the bottom of the ship softly. The other beautiful thing about being on board is also sunsets...

sunset at Gemiler Island

Other type of the islands are the ones with ruins of old time horbours, towns or cities belonging

generally to Byzantian or Genoese, The tour lets you to go ashore, do tracking around these ruins and turn back. Although it's late august, weather is incredibly hot and after a long tracking under the sun, the best thing is directly to jump to salty waters. The temperature of the water is around 25-28 degrees and ideal for a long stay in.

start from Fethiye

We started our journey from Fethiye last saturday. Generally all the ships start their routes at saturday. We are 11 people on board. 7 passengers, 3 stuff and me. I have a different category as I'm both a passenger and stuff at the same time. It is a barter I made with the owners.

evening at Turunç Pınarı

At the evening of last saturday, we reached to Turunç Pınarı Bay close to Fethiye. Stayed over the night, had a lovely dinner, swam at night and slept under the stars. These three activities became the most popular of all for the last five days. Next day we started sailing very early like 5am and were able to have our breakfast at Ölüdeniz. I won't write our swiming sections any more but here I also had a chance to climb the hill and took that lovely photo of Ölüdeniz beach...

Ölüdeniz beach and the lagoon

Around noon we passes to Gemiler Island, St. Nicolas with its old name. This island has the ruins of an old harbour center dating back to Byzantian times which was destroyed by a big earthquake. It has 6 churches, lots of houses and an unforgetable sunset from the top of its hill where everybody took their places to watch and applaud.

the ruins of the Byzantian tunnel at St. Nicolas

We stayed over night and passed to Yeşilköy Bay at Kalkan for the morning and of course another delicious turkish breakfast. Around evening we reached to Kaş, one of my favorite places at the south. I have been in Kaş many times but this was the first time going there from the sea.

Kaş from the sea

We spent nearly three hours in Kaş. During this time I was able to visit one of my close friends who lives in Kaş and have some delicious ice cream. For the night, we anchored to Limanağzı Bay very close to Kaş.

Limanağzı also has graves carved into rock

Our next stop after Limanağzı was the famous Kekova region. We stoped at the entrance of Kekova for breakfast and went to Kaleköy(Simena) which has a big castle and an area full of Lycian tombs. It was also time for me to do some small shopping. I bought two summer dresses.

Kaleköy (Simena) and the castle

Lycian tombs

For the night we passed to a bay where there were nobody but us. No boats, no lights, no houses, even no moon... Nothing! And of course at night we appreciated this and swam within yakamoz under the Milky Way. It was a night which I slept like a baby. 

where we woke up this morning

Through our route we came to Finike and will stay here for tonight. Tomorrow we'll go on for Olimpos. I also want to share a map of our route from Fethiye to Antalya.