turkey

Cevat Şakir, a famous Turkish author, wrote that if you take a blind man to Lycia, he¿ll know from the smell exactly where he is because ¿the acrid perfume of lavender, the pungent fragrance of wild mint and thyme, will tell him." This inspiring region of Turkey even made it to Homer¿s Illiad because the ancient civilisation of the Lycians was based here. Tourists who travel inland will not only find a lush green countryside, but also twenty fascinating archaeological sites. However attractive the countryside may be, Turkey is especially popular because of its splendid coastlines.

The Lycian Coast is located on the south-west corner of Turkey, where the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas meet, and consists of the provinces Antalya and Muğla. The coastline of Muğla is the longest of Turkish provinces and even beats many countries, mainly because of the Datça Peninsula. This is an interesting piece of mountainous coastline. Thanks to the natural beauty of its many bays and harbors, the peninsula is included in many boat tours departing from Bodrum.

Bodrum Peninsula is a popular part of the Aegean coast, situated on the western side of Anatolia. The region has a fertile soil and a typically Mediterranean climate, ideal for tangerine orchards and olive groves. Especially the south of the peninsula is very popular with surfers and sun bathers because of its picture perfect beaches.

On the other side, the Lycian region is bordered by the Mediterranean Coast, with famous cities such as Antalya and Marmaris. This is mostly a narrow strip of land between the Taurus Mountains with pine woods and the Mediterranean Sea. This is one of the best tourist destinations of Turkey because of its pure simplicity, lovely climate and impressive artistic history. There are many ancient city ruins, most of them dating back to indigenous civilizations and expanded or rebuilt by the Romans.

• Drive along the Lycian coast and stop to discover deserted dusty ruins or a reviving dip in the sea and a simple lunch at a lokanta.
• Go fishing from one of the villages in the north of the Bodrum Peninsula.
• Go on a trip around the Marmaris bay on the Aegean Coast with the Finding Nemo Boat and relax on the deck, admire the view and try your hand at fishing or diving.
• The centre of most resorts on the Lycian coast is the harbour, from where boats to local beaches depart like busses. You can buy tickets for a day-trip excursion or negotiate directly with the owners of small fishing boats.
• Take a bus to Pamukkale (Turkish for "cotton castle") a natural area with hot springs in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley. It¿s an impressive experience to stroll barefoot along the rock formations, admire the thermal spring pools amongst the ruins of collanades and be overwhelmed by the ancient amphitheatre of Hieropolis.
• The ancient city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2,700 metres (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide and 160 m (525 ft) high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away.
• Indulge in a traditional Turkish mud bath: bathe in a mud pool, get covered from head to toe, bask in the hot sun to dry and finally jump into a warm sulphur pool to wash yourself clean.