Turquoise Trails- One of the Best in the World with 1500km Length and 10000 years History
Turquoise Trail is inclusive of Lycian Trail and Carian Trail
Lycian way Trails Mark the Beginning of beginning of Turquoise Trails
When you move on to the southern coast of the Mediterranean, you will get into the historically rich Lycia, which is traditionally called the Tekke Peninsula. When you start walking down the trail, you will witness its diversity and enjoy the lovely vistas of the mountains rising sharply from the rocky coast. The mountains also make way for forestry with cedar and juniper at higher elevations along with carob and strawberry trees. The area is crowded for both coastal tourism and its agriculture.
History
The Lycian people were independent and enjoy a high standard of living. They have gone through many wars and were democratic as well. because of a well strategic position of the area, they got some good opportunities for sea trade business and sometimes piracy also.
The Persians, Alexander the Great entered the Lycian and people got the influence of the Greek culture. After that, the Roman Empire spread its wings in Lycia and developed many ports and cities and equipped them with temples, forums, ceremonial gates, baths and theaters along with linking with paved roads. The Roman Empire ended during the 4TH C and Christianity was established. Till this date, you can find some Byzantine monasteries in the hills along with numerous ruins and graves. When you stroll the trail, you can pass through twenty-five historical and remote sites.
The Walking Route
The walking route is stretched across 540 km from Fethiye to Antalya, and it will take 29 days to walk around this Lycia’s coast in Southern Turkey. The trail is unsuitable for mountain bikes and what you will get there includes mule trails, old footpaths with stony and hard underfoot. The gradients often get steep with the proximity to mountains and coast.
Kate Clow has way marked, designed and researched the trail in 1999. He is a British-Turkish historian who designed this for protecting and identifying some old roads in Turkey.
Both the start and the end points are near the Dalaman airport and the Antalya international airport respectively. The public transport system is good and you can also engage into the activities like paragliding, canoeing and swimming.
If you are planning to trek, then visiting the trail in Spring or Autumn (between Feb and May or Sept and Nov) in the best. Sumer gets too hot and not suitable for walking. There are small hotels and accommodations available in almost every section (expect three high-level ones) to spend nights. If you are trekking independently, you can access facilities of wild camping with water.
Carian Trails- the Second Part
This second part of the coastal Turquoise trails stretches across 820 km from the Mediterranean to Aegean.
The Carian civilization discovered the area and you will find numerous historical significance and ancient ruins. You can witness the mule path that connects villages to a mountainous hinterland from the coast.
The economy of the region is well supported by the almond grove and olive terraces along with the slopes of pine forest cloak mountain. You will definitely love the color and tradition of the unspoiled area.
If you are traveling in a group or independently, you can hike and enjoy the charm and cultural treasures of the region. To get detailed information about the region and the route, you can easily avail a map or a guidebook.
There are simply a lot of things to do. Whether just watching the lovely coastline across to the South Aegean’s Greek Island or discover the ancient relics. For fun, you can climb up the forests with the adorable flavor of pine or swim in the crystal clear waters at deserted beaches. You can also witness some rare mountain goats in the Datca peninsula’s remote forests.
Overall, Turquoise Trails truly hails magical landscape.
Turquoise Trail Map can be found by a search online.
I was in Turkey for a business trip and suddenly mytrip got extended which gave me some spare time to visit some of the most attractive places in the region. I approached to a local guide who told that turquoise trails could be best option for me if I had any interest in historical ruins.
I packed my bags and headed for Carian Trails, which is a great place for the people who love natural beauty and have interest in historical remaining.
However, I founded the place more attractive and pleasurable than described by the local guide. To feel its natural beauty from close, I jumped off in the water of turquoise trails and swam for a while. I walked through the forest of pine and strawberries and had a closer look to those remains of the ancient culture. I would like to visit the region again.
I heard a lot of stories about the historical ruins of the turquoise trails in Marmaris, Turkey. Thus, I did not waste my time to visit the Lycia, which is one of the most attractive tourist spots in the region.
I visited the trail in last autumn, as I knew that spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit the region. However, I was wondered by its historical remaining and I never expected to avail them in such broader extent.
The region is standing tall with the evidence of at least 25 remote historical sites, including the remains of Byzantine monasteries and Roman architecture.
During my stay in the region, I spent my nights in village houses where affordable accommodations are available for tourists. Overall, it is perfect historical sites to visit.
That was my second visit in turquoise trails, but this time I visited the Carian trails which is also one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region. Through some guidebooks I came to know a lot about its historic civilization and it was quite sensational for me, as when I though that I am walking through a path where ancient people used to walk everyday.
Besides its historical remaining, the area is comprised with mountain slopes with pine forest and almond groves.
However, the most important part is I have thoroughly enjoyed the scenic views of this part of turquoise trails with cultural beauties. That was an unforgettable experience for me; I clicked a lot of stunning photographs of the sea and mountains that still encourage me to visit the spot again.
Before my last trip, I never visited Turkey. A close friend of my once suggested me to make a trip to Turquoise trails at least once in a life time. I went with his suggestion, paid my visit in the region in last spring, and realized why the friend had suggested me to visit the place.
I got few days in my hand, thus I did not had much time to visit every popular spots in the region. I visited Lycia, which is one of the most popular historical places in entire Europe.
However, the place had offer me both the natural beauty with its spectacular low-bed sea mountains in the horizon and scented forest filled with strawberries and attractive flowers and its historic remaining rooted back to 10,000 years. I would like to visit the place again if I would get the opportunity.
I was influenced by the stories I heard from my parents about the natural beauty of Turquoise trails located in Marmaris, Turkey. However, I visited the place last month and found it more attractive than I heard about it.
I had the opportunity to visit Lycia, the historical place, which was popularly known as Tekke Peninsula, situated at the southern cost of the country. However, the beauty of steeply rising mountains in the rocky coast overwhelmed me. The forest of pines, strawberry threes and carob had offered me one of the most unforgettable views in my lifetime.
Since I visited the place for the first time, I took a map and a guidebook that had offered me details of the place. I found the roads used in Roman era in turquoise trails and other ancient footpaths with hard and stony underfoot. Overall, it was a wonderful experience for me.