Hike and Glide Taurus Mountains

Updated on 2014-01-28

Daily Program

Day 01

Antalya-Cirali (Total of 3 hours hike)

Early in the morning you will be transferred to Istanbul Ataturk Airport for your short flight to Antalya. Upon arrival you will be met by your specialist guide that will give you an enchanting experience of hiking over West Taurus Mountains and surrounding archaelogical sites. Boarding your private van, you will have a short drive on to Termessos located on the peaks of lower hills of Taurus Mountains. Resting at a height of 3500 feet, Termessos offers riche wealth of Hellenistic ruins and splendid views of mountains and the Pamphyilian coastline. This morning you will enjoy a refreshing hike of an hour walking through pine trees hearing the explanations of your guide sharing with you information on the fauna as well as the archaeological ruins of Termessos. Descending down the hills you will have a unique experience of visiting a nomadic community, which is one of the very few remaining in the mountains of Anatolia. Living in their goat-hair tents nomads are still practicing a “mobile” life herding their sheep, transporting and hunting on their sheep. Meeting the tribal leader you will enjoy a fabulous lunch with him and his family under the cool experiencing a unique parade of nomadic culture. Later in the pm, strolling down the slopes you will reach lower land to meet with your driver that will give you a lift your property for overnight. Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 02

Cirali-Olympos National Park (Total of 2.5 hours hike)

After breakfast you will meet your guide to start a joyous day of wonderful explorations. Your day will start over a cup of coffee with the presentation that will be given by your guide on the Lycian Road and the civilizations that left their traces. Arriving at Olympos National Park, you will start your morning walk following a breathtaking trail adorned with Aleppo pines. Leading your way on to Phaselis, one of the important Roman harbours in the Mediterranean. Enjoy an indepth tour of ancient Phaselis visiting its ancient Roman theatre, ancient baths and the tomb chambers of the notables. By noon you will have a lunch break at a local tavern run by a local family that are farmers of mandarin orchards on the nearby valleys. Concluding your lunch, start your pm hike crossing over a small stream. At this point you may have to take your boots off depending on the level of running water. Strolling up the slopes for an hour through the robust pine trees you will reach a view point from where you will breathe in stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and the odor of the pine trees. After enjoying a rest break, you will continue your hike on to the sacred site of Chimaera, the mythological monster with the head of a lion and the body of a goat. It is at this site that Bellerophon is said to have slayed Chimaera in the book 6 of famed poet, Homer. Today locals name the hills as “burning rocks” because of the eternal fires that are fed by the methan gas. Later in the afternoon, your guide will guide you down the path to following lower slopes on to the surrounding valleys. Meeting your driver, you will be given a short ride on to your hotel for overnight accommodation. Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 03

Cirali-Kas (Total of 4 hours hike)

Today you will have an early wake up call for an adventurous day. After an early breakfast, you will have a drive of three hours before reaching an shores of ancient Aperlea. Following a discreet trailhead, your guide will lead you on to the goat trails partly shaded with carob trees that decorate the descending hills on to the waterfront. After a pleasant hike you will reach the ruins of Aperlea that once was a buzzling town that propered from trade of Tyrian dye, obtained from marine snails. This morning you will be glorified by the beauty of the ambience with the blossoming wild daisies from among ancient marble slabs and pillars. Concluding your explorations of Aperlea, you will walk on to the nearby pier to board your private boat and start your cruise over some of the sunken ruins of the ancient city. Today you will enjoy your private lunch specially prepared for you aboard your boat. As you cruise along the coves and bays, you will have the opportunity to relax and sunbaths before docking at the pier of Andriace where your driver will be greeting you to give you a short lift on to Myra, hometown of Santa Claus. Enjoy your pm exploring the ruins of ancient Myra and the Byzantine Basilica that once hosted the tomb chamber of Father Christmas. Later in the day, you will have an hour drive on to Kas, one of the most charming resort towns on the Mediterranean shores of Turkey known to be hometown for sponge divers for centuries. Overnight in Kas.

Day 04

Kas (Total of 2.5 hours hike)

Waking up to an amazing view, today you will enjoy a day of comfortable hikes and strolls through an astonishingly varied fauna of olive trees, natural gardens of oregano, rosemary and the crowned with fragrances of pine forests and open meadows. The trail you will follow in the vicinity of Patara is has its own diversity from single track trail into sandy paths among the bushes and high grass. Reaching Patara you will be pleasantly surprised to find a beautifully preserved Roman settlement that is believed to have been founded by Patarus, son of God Apollo. Experiencing an indepth tour of Patara visiting the Roman theatre, and remains of temples, you will head on to Bezirgan, a traditional Turkish village resting at a height of 2000 feet from sea level. Today you will be hosted at the house of a local family for an unforgettable lunch tasting delicious appetizers prepared by herbs of the mountains, yogurt of goats herded by villagers as well their famed Katmer, Turkish interpretation of pan cake, that is extravagantly stuffed with tahini and carob molasses. As well as the taste of your food, you will experience the Turkish style of dining sitting on the sofra, ground table, placing sofralik kilims over your knees as you reach our to the tray placed in the middle. After lunch you will enjoy a stroll through the charming village of Bezirgan and stop for a cup of tea at the kiraathane, where you can blend with hospitable residents of this picturesque village. Later in the afternoon you will be returning to Kas for a cold beer and time to relax for the evening experience.

Sunset Paragliding: By 5:30 pm you will be meeting your guide and enjoy a fascinating mountain road on to the peaks of Kas Mountains where you will be met by your paragliding pilot that willprepare you for a unique experience that you will cherish for a lifetime. After a briefing for an hour, you will be dressed with your parachute and be seated in your “flyingthrone” with the company of the master pilot assisting you from his seat just behind you. After an adrennalin pumping run of sixty meters you will be throwing yourself into the arms of the sharps cliffs for a fascinating experience as you would glide over stunning views of mountains, forests, beaches and ancient sites. Your glide will take about forty five minutes and you will be met by your guide and driver at the point landing. Returning back to your hotel, you can celebrate this unique activity tossing your wine over a delicious seafood feast.

Day 05

Butterfly Valley-Fethiye-Kayakoy (Total of 4 hours hike)

Checking out of your hotel, this morning you will have a two hour journey headed for Fethiye. At a distance of half an hour drive prior to your arrival in Fethiye, you will deviate from the main road and reach Faralya Village, the initiation point of a fabulous hike route hidden among the rocky cliffs. Following the steps of your guide you will pursue a trail of challenges with rocky surface and wild bush until you lead your way down the steep slopes where you will eventually be greeted by serene views of waterfalls of Kelebekler. Enjoy a short break taking photos of this fascinating site and continue your hike through a fauna with an amazing variety of wild flowers that feed over more than eighty types of butterflies. Strolling through a beautiful ambience you will reach the water front where you will be met by your captain that will give you a cruise on to Fethiye harbour following a beautiful route. As you cruise over the crystal clear waters, you will be served your barbecue lunch tasting delicious appetizers and salads. Docking at the pier of Fethiye, you will be met by your driver and will be given a short ride to your hotel for early check in. After a rest of two hours, you will leave your hotel for a short ride to Kayakoy, an isolated village that once was occupied by Greek population of the region that were traded off with Turks living in Greece as the consequence of exchange of both populations done between Greece and Turkey during 1924. Enjoy your pm walk through this amazingly well protected town of stone houses leading your way downhill where you will be met by a monastery that has a fabulous location overlooking the Aegean Sea. In Kayakoy you will find great opportunities of photography and chances to listen to yourself in this eternal solitude. By 6 pm you will return to your hotel for a dip into the pool before dinner.

Day 06

Today you will be bidding farewell to the region of Lycian in the Mediterranean shores of Turkey and have a short flight to Istanbul to connect with your international flight.

Notes

Rate Includes:

- Arrival and departure transfers in Antalya and Dalaman.

- Accommodation at;

- Cirali, 2 nights on BB basis.

- Kas, 2 nights on BB basis.

- Fethiye, 1 night on BB basis.

- Services of the English-speaking professional private tour guide throughout the program.

- Transportation by A/C non-smoking deluxe minivans for transfers and some touring mentioned in the itinerary.

- Private boat tour to Aperlea.

- All entrance and parking fees for the sightseeing mentioned in the program.

- Complimentary refreshments on vehicle during the ride.

 

Rate Excludes:

- Domestic flight tickets; Istanbul – Antalya and Dalaman – Istanbul. The cost of domestic flight varies within the price range of USD 95.- to USD 250.- depending on availability of seats and subject to change until time of confirmed booking.

- Meals except for the breakfasts at the hotels and except for the indicated above.

- Beverages except for the indicated above.

- Honorary gratuities for guide and driver.

- Personal expenses

 

IMPORTANT NOTES:

- It is obligatory for travelers to purchase travel insurance that would cover outdoor activities including paragliding experiences.

- Travelers that join our paragliding experiences are provided with the necessary gear including helmets, boots and flying suit incase of cool weather conditions.

- Cameras are welcome. In case you may prefer, camera and video service are offered at an additional charge.

- In case travelers may have fear of heights or any other health problems that may be preventing them from paragliding, they are expected to share it with our pilots in advance and cancel the flight.

 

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