We have now been in Turkey for 3 weeks and we are having a great time! From the ancient city of Troy I drove along the coast to the 18 km beach of Patara. Turkey is a beautiful country! We now drive further eastwards where I’ll take the boat to Cyprus.
Less wonderful is the number of stray dogs in Turkey, there are a lot of them… Where Leo regularly had fights in the beginning, he is now more and more relaxed (and so am I) with the local dogs. Sometimes they come together to ask for a cookie.
Kaleüçağız
This is the most beautiful camper place in Turkey so far, super quiet, beautiful view and all alone. Leo and I walk to the harbour, the tombs and a part of the Lycian Way, the route goes over the tombs, isn’t it bizarre?
And what a fantastic view of the bay, amazing! Please have a look at this video!
The next day I have a nice lunch with Simon & Lorraine whom I met earlier. Completely satisfied with the past few days I continue to the east and enjoy the long winding coastal road between Demre and Kumluca.
Mavikent Beach
On the way I do some shopping at the supermarket and a Turkish man knocks on my window to have a chat in Dutch. He proudly tells that he lived in the Netherlands. Also ‘German’ Turks spontaneously chat with me, so nice!
At the beach of Mavikent I see some campers and decide to stop here, a nice place for the night.
Eternal Flames Chimaera
The eternal fires of Chimaera have been burning continuously for over 2,000 years! The fire continues to burn through gas vents in Mount Chimaera or as evidenced by ancient sources that the fire has everything to do with the myth of the monster Chimera…
Leo doesn’t like the fire, he looks frightened and I feel guilty about this picture!
Then we go chilling in Cirali. There is a beautiful beach where sea turtles lay eggs every year. But not at this time of year, so Leo and I walk along the beach to the Olympus excavation site. A beautiful excavation with the mountains in the background!
Antalya city
Antalya is a well-known seaside resort and a nice relaxed city. I drive across the city on Saturday morning, it’s so busy it looks like the center of Amsterdam! Without hitting anyone, I arrive at the parking lot and immediately walk back into town.
I look at the waterfall, the old harbor, great shopping streets, the mosques rises above the city and the Atatürk monument. After buying a new handbag and a coffee with a delicious cake, I am completely happy.
Köprülü Canyon
I drive a bit inland to the Köprülü Canyon. A beautiful route that ends at a narrow bridge, 2.20 meters wide. We walk over this bridge and via a staircase to the river that flows through the gorge.
I decide not to cross the bridge by car and continue to the Tazi canyon.
Tazi Canyon
A long road with many hairpin bends takes me to the parking lot of Tazi Canyon, from there we walk another 2 km through the forest.
And then suddenly this view, wow! I look into a very deep ravine and hold Leo by the leash. We sit together on a large stone and enjoy this breathtakingly beautiful place.
Side Ruins
Side is a tourist resort on the Turkish Riviera. I view the excavations in ancient Side, the entrance gate, the Apollon Temple and drink a coffee at the harbour. There are even winter tourists in the city, they have come by plane and are amazed at my (thousands of kilometers) long journey.
Gazipaşa
Leo enjoys the sunset in Gazipaşa and together we walk along the long beach.
The next day we walk to the hill where the banana plantations are built against the slope. We have fantastic views and it is a wonderful walk. While I enjoy the tall banana trees with flowers and green bananas I suddenly wonder, are there also large ‘banana’ spiders here…?
Cyprus!
In the meantime I have arrived in the town of Tasucu. When I go to reserve a boat ticket, it turns out that I can go on the boat the same evening. Perfect, on to Cyprus!
If you like to read my blog about Cyprus, please click on this link!
https://www.marianaroundtheworld.com/en/europe/campervan-trip-northern-cyprus/
Tarsus
After two weeks in Cyprus and two wobbly boat trips I am safely back in Turkey! I go inland and in Tarsus I arrange all the preparatory matters.
The most important thing is to arrange an extra gas bottle for the heating, because it is freezing inland. For a moment it seems like an impossible task with a 5 kg bottle, but after 1.5 hours, thank God I found a bottle with a suitable connection.
Leo meanwhile plays a game of chess.
Innland
- Bolacali & Varda Bridge
In Bolacali I find a nice spot for the camper, secluded and surrounded by nature. I have an amazing view of the valley and see a beautiful sunset. We are all alone here… well, except for a few goats. Do you like goats? Watch this goat video!
The Varda Bridge from the James Bond Movie Skyfall is nearby and we take a walk there. It is a gigantic bridge intended for the train, unfortunately we are not allowed to walk over it.
- Kapikaya Canyon
The Kapikaya Canyon is a gorge where we can hike and it is only a 10 km drive from here. Top here we go! I feel small between the high rocks and enjoy the beautiful surroundings!
I drink a Turkish coffee and watch this woman make gözleme, a local pancake with spinach and cheese.
Taurus Mountains
Even further inland lies this remote area in the Taurus Mountains, near the town of Ozyurt we will spend the night.
At an altitude of 1,800 meters, bare mountains with some bushes and sometimes a thin layer of snow. I love it!
On to Cappadocia! A beautiful nature reserve with underground cities and many tuff cones. Would you like to read my blog? Just click on this link! https://www.marianaroundtheworld.com/en/europe/cappadocia-turkey/
Turkish lakes
I am still enjoying all the beauty in Cappadocia and drive north via Tuz Lake. The salt lake is very large and shallow at the moment. The salt turns a little pink beautiful!
At Gölcük Nature Park I make one of my last stops. We walk in the forest and around the beautiful lake, it reminds me of Scandinavia.
Bye Bye Turkey
Unfortunately I am going to leave Turkey because it is too cold in the winter in the other parts of Turkey at the moment (with my camper). I look back on a great trip and enjoyed the versatility of this beautiful country. But I’m not sad, I’m definitely going back. Turkey thanks a lot and see you soon!
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