On-the-road discovering the wonders of this country. 3,200 km in 16 days for a little over 1000 Euro all included!!! Fairy-tale Cappadocia, Pamukkale a must-see and a simply wonderful sea.
After the layovers in Bucharest and Istanbul we finally land in Izmir with the Turkish low-cost flight FlyPegasus. If only all low-cost airlines were like this... We pick up the car already booked from Italy and reach Selcuk late at night.
Early in the morning we begin the visit of the archaeological site of Ephesus, whose entrance is a few kilometers from Selcuk. The site is well preserved and the Library of Celsus is truly beautiful. We chose to do the visit on our own, assisted only by the LonelyPlanet, and this allows us to speed things up! When the heat begins to become unbearable we begin our journey with Pamukkale as our destination. The route is about 200 km, part of it on the highway and the rest on well-maintained state roads. We reach Pamukkale at 1:30 pm. The Hotel Venus is truly lovely and comfortable with an unbeatable quality-price ratio. After a well-deserved afternoon "siesta" we reach the entrance of the Pamukkale-Hierapolis site.
The 24h entrance is a single one and from the North access there's a handy shuttle service (included in the price but it ends at 8:00 pm!) that allows you to reach the center of the site. The pools are a unique spectacle which at sunset, when the groups of tourists have made way for silence, becomes even more exceptional. The village of Pamukkale is nothing more than a group of houses that have grown at the foot of the hill, so we decide to eat at the Hotel and make the most of such a lovely setting.
Woke up early again today. After a hearty Turkish breakfast at the hotel, we get back in the car, ready for the long 700 km drive that will take us to Goreme, in the heart of Cappadocia. From here on there are no more highways, only state roads, mostly single-lane, which don't allow for high average speeds... about 11 hours with a stop for lunch and photo breaks, but it's truly worth it. As you immerse yourself in Anatolia, civilization and tourists seem to disappear, and you only encounter small villages in vast, beautiful open spaces, with the exception of the cities of Konia and Aksaray. It really felt like reliving the atmosphere of the USA. Along the way, we stop for lunch at a family-run inn: no more English... we communicated with gestures, and yet not only did we understand each other, we ate wonderfully, and for only 7 Euros for the two of us.
These people turned out to be truly wonderful. All of them. In their way of being and of interacting with us. After Neveshir, just a few kilometers later, suddenly Uchisar and the Goreme valley open up before us at sunset. Truly thrilling. First evening in Goreme. The calm, the tranquility and the magic of this little town completely envelop you. It feels like being in a fairy-tale land.
We start the day with a visit to the Goreme Open-Air Museum, the only place truly crowded with tourists. Truly beautiful for its rock churches with frescoes. We take the road to Urgup, and we can say that the whole valley is an open-air museum. The famous fairy chimneys are practically everywhere, though in different shapes and colors from one another. Along the road, every spot deserves a stop. We then go to Avanos and continue with a visit to a beautiful caravanserai and the underground city of Ozkonak. It's not as renowned as the one in Derinkuyu, but it gives you a good idea. In the afternoon, a stop in Cavusin. Evening in Uchisar. Despite the season and very hot but dry and pleasant days, the evenings are quite chilly in these parts!
We devote the morning to a walk in the white valley, where we are alone. Here the fairy chimneys are beautiful. A stunning place. We continue on and reach Urgup, where we visit the village and stop for lunch. We devote the whole afternoon to getting lost in the thousand little streets that branch out through the area and to relaxing in every enchanted corner this region has to offer. Evening in Goreme, with a typical dinner at the famous DIBEK, highly recommended by Lonely; good but not amazing! Last evening in Goreme. I believe this is another one of those places that can be described, but the emotions it conveys can only be experienced.
With a bit of sadness we leave the wonderful Cappadocia and set off again for the usual 700 km that separate us from Antalya, where we'll stay for the night of Ferragosto. It wasn't possible to reach the first seaside destination we'd chosen in a single day... so we booked a night in the paradise of Turkish tourist entertainment. It's nice to discover this country through its roads, and we're struck by the truly high level reached by services such as gas stations, rest areas and public restrooms, even in the most remote areas. We reach Antalya in the early afternoon. We're welcomed by unbearable heat and a chaos we had forgotten about. After a refreshing stop in the pool, we go out to explore the old part of the city, full of little shops and restaurants. It's well-kept, it's full of tourism, but nothing here pleased me. Excluding the alleys of the old town, the rest is truly a disaster.
It looks like an Eastern European metropolis or a sad suburban neighborhood. Crowded beaches and nothing special at all. I'm truly happy to escape tomorrow morning.
Only a short drive separates us this morning from our first seaside destination. Along the way we stop at the famous Patara beach and its ruins. The 20 km of white sand are undoubtedly beautiful to look at, but the sea leaves a bit to be desired. It's described as the best of what it is.... Finally we arrive in Fethiye. The hotel we chose is Club Turkuaz Garden, a small village where we had a wonderful stay. Well-kept, spotlessly clean, rich buffet dinner served by the stunning pool. Few tourists, and almost all of them Turkish. An afternoon of relaxation and a first discovery of the town, with a visit to the Lycian tombs and the castle. An evening of shopping in the maze of little streets of the old town. Antalya's heat is forgotten and here life seems to flow more slowly. Fethiye is very charming, very green, with a seafront full of characteristic little spots.
Finally, the sea! Around Fethiye, within just a few kilometers, there are wonderful little coves, reachable almost entirely by car. They aren't crowded and are frequented mostly by Turkish people. Here the sea is truly beautiful. There are countless gulets crossing the gulf and reaching the most inaccessible beaches. Total relaxation.
Directly at the hotel we booked today's excursion to the 12 islands. For only 12 Euros they pick us up at 9:00 and bring us back here at 19:00, with the excursion and lunch on the boat included. There are many boats departing every day, with the same itinerary but different stops; some with speakers in different languages. Ours is occupied only by Turkish people, but we only need to leave the port to not regret our choice. For the entire day we were entertained by dancing, music and improvised belly dancing. We made 8 stops of about 50 minutes on different islands, including the famous Cleopatra's bath. Not to be missed.
Today, our last day in Fethiye, we couldn't miss Oludeniz bay. A true paradise. The strip of sand that separates the sea from the lagoon is equipped with all the necessary services: restaurant, bar, free showers and the possibility of practicing all water sports. Truly beautiful but unfortunately, and naturally I'd say, crowded. Hard to find a little spot for your own beach umbrella. So we decided to rent a pedal boat for the whole day! The last evening in Fethiye, which will stay in our hearts.
Today we set off again for the second seaside destination of this vacation. I had heard about Cnidos, and so we decided to spend the last week on the Datca peninsula. Along the way (only 200 km this time!) we stop in Gocek, the other village overlooking the gulf of the same name. A little jewel frequented mostly by the owners of the luxurious yachts anchored in the small marina. Another stop in Marmaris, the gateway to the Datca peninsula. For lunch we're at the Olive Garden Hotel, booked from Italy. We're not even in the town of Datca, but 15 km from the village, overlooking a small bay in the hamlet of Mesudiye. The hotel, small and family-run, is surrounded by the lush olive groves of the area. The family that runs it was truly wonderful, even though only one of them spoke English... We go straight to the sea, which here is truly marvelous. And life flows slowly.
There are few tourists here, most of them having arrived by sailboat. They stop and leave again. The first impression is of having gone back in time and ended up in one of the few places left entirely as nature intended. We stay here until the 24th, spending our days at the sea and visiting the numerous coves easily reachable along the only coastal road. Once Ramadan began, even the few local tourists were gone, and we enjoy the sea and the stunning beaches totally alone or with the occasional camper. The tiny seaside hamlets like Palamutbuku seem to have no idea what crime is, and they live at a pace we have completely forgotten. There are numerous seaside taverns (many tables are on the beach, lit only by candles!) where you can feast on fish at unbeatable prices. The only tourist outpost is Datca, where we go in the evening to stroll and do the usual shopping.
It's here that we have the only disappointment of the vacation: driven by Lonely Planet, we eat at Fevzi'nin Yeri, labeled as the museum of the sea and recommended for fish at unbeatable prices. Full of posted reviews from Lonely Planet and similar. In reality it's an uglier tavern than many others, with service that is, to say the least, incredible compared to any other place we saw in Turkey... about two hours to get our food, they didn't bring what we ordered, and the fish wasn't a fish but a portion of a CLEARLY FROZEN fillet. The bill was even more absurd, about 60% more than any other place in Datca and the surrounding area (impossible to check beforehand, often the menu is the owner himself!). When we complained about the food and the treatment, we were treated rather badly and the owner did nothing but curse at us in Turkish (we don't know Turkish, but some things are universal).
We also talked about it with some locals, who as I said are friendly and wonderful, and they laughed at our story, pointing out that this place is notoriously one TO AVOID for them. We laugh about it too..and we enjoy the rest. Absolutely not to be missed is the site of Cnidos. Located at the tip of the peninsula, it's reached exclusively by boat (we were the only ones by car) and the ruins extend over a wide area overlooking the two old Roman harbors. Entering the site (6 Euros per person), you can spend the day in the various pristine, deserted bays..like a dream. It may seem strange, but after 6 days in these places without TV, newspapers, internet... I feel regenerated.
Unfortunately, it's time to go home. On the way back to Izmir, we pass through Selcuk again, where we visit the house of Mary, a pilgrimage site also for Muslims. And finally Izmir.. a lightning visit to the city, which isn't comparable to Istanbul but.. has a different charm that is equally appreciable. One last walk through the bazaar before heading back to the airport. We return the car. Total km 3100! We won't forget a single one of them.
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