Turkish Coast Itinerary: 1 Week
Begin in the quaint town of Selçuk and tour the famed ancient city of Ephesus before continuing on to Pamukkale to laze on the white travertines. Cap off your coastal journey on the Turquoise Coast, exploring Kaş and Antalya or floating away on a Blue Cruise.
Day 1: Selçuk and Ephesus
From Istanbul, fly early to İzmir Airport, where you can hire your own car or use the train to transfer to the sleepy rural town of Selçuk. Take an hour or two to see the Basilica of St. John, Isabey Camii, and the Byzantine aqueducts side-by-side on St. Jean Caddesi. If you have time, head to the bucolic wine bastion of Şirince for brunch in the village. Around 1pm, join the pilgrimage to Bülbül Dağı to the venerated House of the Virgin Mary, before finishing your day with a cooler three-hour tour of Ephesus and its terraced houses. In the evening, check out the low-key vibe of Selçuk town or take the dolmuş (communal taxi) to Kuşadası to party with a rowdy northern European set.
Day 2: Pamukkale
Visit Selçuk’s Ephesus Museum early, then hit the road or rails to Denizli and onto the cotton castles of Pamukkale. After a three-hour journey, you’ll be ready to walk barefoot up through the cool cascading waters of the white travertines to the ruins of the Roman city of Hierapolis, where Saint Philip the Apostle is said to be buried. Your reward for your efforts today is a long soak in Cleopatra’s healing Sacred Pool, followed by a delicious home-cooked meal prepared by your friendly Anatolian hosts.
Day 3: Fethiye, Kayaköy
It’s an early start again today as you travel for four hours south through the Taurus Mountains to the seaside resort town of Fethiye. Stroll along the town’s port and through the bazaar area to be tempted to buy Turkish trinkets such as evil eyes, mosaic glassware, and painted ceramics. Keep walking southeast to find the Tomb of King Amyntas high on the cliff east of the Crusader Fortress. Locate the dolmuş station to board the minibus bound for the ghost town of Kayaköy. Here you’ll visit the hauntingly surreal orthodox churches of a 17th-century Greek community that once resided in this picturesque valley. For dinner, linger in Kayaköy at one of the gourmet restaurants.
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Day 4: The Blue Lagoon
Today is your day off from the long intercity journeys. Take to a sun lounge by the Blue Lagoon of Ölüdeniz or board a day-long Mediterranean 12-Island Tour to do nothing but swim, read, and chat over a fresh seafood lunch.
Day trips from Fethiye to Dalyan or Saklıkent are also possible either by private vehicle or with a tour. In Dalyan, stunning cliff-face Lycian tombs, loggerhead turtles, and a plunge in the riverbank mud baths await. East of Fethiye, the rushing waters of the Saklıkent give adventure seekers a chilly welcome to a one-hour hike in a 500-meter-deep crevasse. Lycia’s oldest and most commanding city, Tlos, just 15 kilometers from the canyon, is a magnificent reminder of Anatolia’s rich history. End the day with a lively meal in Fethiye’s open-air fish markets, where you can personally pick out the freshest catch of the day.
Day 5: Blue Cruise or Kaş
If the 12-Island Tour left you hungry for more Mediterranean magic, set sail on an unforgettable three-night Blue Cruise to Olympos, which chugs along Turkey’s rugged southern coastline, mooring by Santa Claus Island, Ölüdeniz, Butterfly Valley, Kaş, and Kekova, disembarking near Demre for a bus journey to Olympos. Spend a few days in the tree houses of Olympos before flying back to Istanbul from Antalya.
Alternatively, skip the cruise and travel by land today to the whitewashed town of Kaş. Explore the town’s narrow lanes and boutiques before a mid-afternoon dip at a beach club lining the rocky bays. Trek west to the amphitheater on the edge of town to watch the sun set.
Day 6: Kekova
Today is set aside for an organized tour, departing from your hotel, to cruise or kayak over the sunken Lycian city of Kekova Island. The tour also provide opportunities to venture up to the Byzantine Fortress of the Knights of St. John above the remote village of Kaleköy. Dinner at Hayta Meyhane in the evening will have you rubbing shoulders with the locals as traditional Turkish music plays in a cozy narrow laneway in Kaş.
Day 7: Demre and Antalya
Drive for an hour on the D400 highway to reach Demre, where you can take a two-hour pit stop to see the rock-cut tombs and theater masks of Myra and pay respects to the legend of Santa Claus at the Church of St. Nicholas. From Demre, it’s a picturesque three-hour drive to Kaleiçi, Antalya’s old town, where you can spend the night in a restored Ottoman abode. If you arrive early, visit the Antalya Museum or wander the ancient harbor and Kaleiçi Museum to see how Ottoman architecture kept the locals cool in the summer swelter. Later, relax at the Castle Bar & Restaurant for a sunset drink while looking back on the Mediterranean coast as the sun dips behind the Gulf of Antalya.
Excerpted from the Second Edition of Moon Istanbul & the Turkish Coast.
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