EXODUS: Walking the Turquoise Coast

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Your chance to

  • Enjoy glorious coastline and varied trails
  • Explore ancient ruins
  • Relax in beautiful surroundings

At a glance

  • 7 nights hotel with pool and en suite facilities
  • 4 days walking; 1 optional kayaking day; 1 free day
  • Good paths and easy terrain
  • Centre-based holiday

What´s included

  • All breakfasts
  • All accommodation (see below)
  • All transport and listed activities
  • Tour leader throughout
  • Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)

What´s not included

  • Travel insurance
  • Single accommodation (available on request)
  • Visas or vaccinations

Daywalks on the Turquoise Coast

Turkey’s Turquoise Coast offers an alluring combination of beautiful scenery and ancient sites with some fine coastal and inland walking and trekking on the many trails in the area, including sections of the famed Lycian Way. Highlights of this guided tour include the ruined city of Arycanda, Patara National Park, and some fantastic coastal views along the way. There is also the chance to go kayaking, SCUBA diving, paragliding or take a relaxing cruise aboard a Gulet boat.

Walk profile profile / Daily distance in km.

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More information:
  • Number of days walking: 4
  • Pace: 5-6km/3-4miles an hour
  • Terrain:Low altitude; good paths with some steep ascents

Day 1

Fly to Dalaman
Fly to Dalaman; transfer to Kas.

Day 2

We start our holiday with a gentle warm-up day.
The morning is spent on an orientation walk discovering Kas, then enjoy coastal views through the olive groves on the way out to Limanagzi beach, where a historic shipwreck was once excavated. At Limanagzi there will be time to relax or have a swim before we head back to Kas by another route, where you may see some rock tombs. If you prefer there is also the option to take a water taxi back to Kas.

Day 3

Daywalk in the hills above the town or optional full day sea kayaking in the clear waters of the Turquoise Coast.
Self-propelled by paddle, sea kayaking is the alternative way to explore the Turkey’s beautiful Turquoise Coast. Depending on local conditions, your optional kayaking trip may include areas in and around Kekova Island, Simena, Big Pebble Beach, Çoban Bay, Limanagzi beach, Çukurbag Peninsula, Akçagerme Beach or Incebogaz, before a late lunch and then transfer back to Kas in the mid afternoon. For those not wishing to go sea kayaking, a guided daywalk will also be on offer in the local area.

Day 4

Cavdir to Usumlu village walk, following the Roman aqueduct.
The walk starts in the village, taking us past an Ottoman cemetery, then trek over open terrain with spectacular views of the Kinik Valley and Patara Beach in the distance. The walk continues by following an ancient aqueduct, still in use to this day. Along the way we can fill our water bottles with water fresh from the mountains. We then climb up through pine forests, finishing the walk at the bottom of a small stony track where our minibus waits for us. A short drive to lunch at a local village, where you can sample Turkish Pide (Pizza) or fresh trout.

Day 5

Explore ruined city of Arycanda; afternoon walk to mountain village of Yazir.
Today we travel inland to visit Arycanda, a city renowned in Lycian times for its love of pleasure and merrymaking as well as its tendency to be in constant debt. Arycanda is the most impressive of the Lycian cities and its setting is one of the most outstanding in all of southern Turkey. After visiting the site we take a short walk, to work up our appetite, before enjoying a delicious home-cooked lunch with one of the local families.

Day 6

Daywalk in Patara National Park, including the recently excavated Roman port town and superb beach.
We start the day with a short transfer to Yesil Koy where we start our varied day’s walk along the route of an old aqueduct, which, in ancient times, supplied the city of Patara. We finish at the impressive ruins of an ancient amphitheatre in the Patara National Park, and, time allowing, there is the option of going to the beach for a swim.

Day 7

Free day for optional diving or local exploration.
Today is free for relaxing and exploring Kas, a small charming coastal town with a pretty harbour. Although tourism has discovered Kas it has managed to retain much of its old charm. There are opportunities to walk to the ancient theatre on the peninsula as well as the nearby rock-cut tombs. For the more active, you can try your hand at diving or paragliding.

Day 8

Fly to London.
Drive to Dalaman; fly to London.

Adult Group

This is a small group adult holiday. The group is usually between 4 and 16 in size, with an average of 12 like-minded clients booking individually, in a couple or as friends together.

Activity level

You are reasonably fit, enjoy the outdoors and are looking for some exercise. Some previous experience is preferable for activity based trips.

Accommodation details

Hotel

You will spend 7 nights in a hotel with en suite rooms and a pool. We usually use the Oreo Hotel, a short walk from the town centre. Rooms are simple but clean and comfortable.
Premium departures are based in a new luxury 4-star boutique hotel close to the centre of Kas town. The hotel offers stunning views, a bar and private beach platform. All rooms are air conditioned with en suite facilities.
Single accommodation is available on request from GBP200 on standard departures.

Visit Oreo Hotel

Essential info

Vaccinations and Visa

Holders of UK, Austrian, Irish, Portuguese, Spanish and US passports require visas. From 10 April 2014 it will no longer be possible to purchase a Turkish visa on arrival. This can now be obtained online at https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/ for approximately US$20. The visa is valid for a stay of up to three months (dependent on passport holder’s nationality). For a longer stay a visa from a Turkish Embassy is required. Visa regulations can change without notice; please check the current regulations in good time to obtain the appropriate visa if required.
There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Bilharzia is known to occur in some of the lakes or rivers visited on this itinerary, we therefore advise all to take advice from your guide or leader locally before venturing for a swim. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.You may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice.

Eating & drinking

This holiday is on a bed and breakfast basis. Breakfasts normally include boiled eggs, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, honey or jam and yoghurt, olives and bread. Lunches may be taken as picnics or in lokantas (small local restaurants). For dinners, Kas has plenty of excellent restaurants and cafes for you to choose from. Some specialise in locally caught fish dishes, others in various lamb dishes. There are also plenty of snack bars where ‘Pide’ (Turkish Pizza) is served. Most restaurants also offer selections of Meze (mixed starters). The Turks have a sweet tooth, so expect plenty of pastries covered in honey, as well as cakes and ice creams.

Holiday style

Kas is a lively town in the summer; out of season it can be quiet but is never deserted, as the town is not entirely dependent on tourism. Temperatures in the high summer (July and August) are normally well over 30degC and sometimes into the 40s. The itinerary on this trip remains flexible, to allow you to do as much or as little as you like. For the daywalks, expect to walk for up to 4 hours, plus rest stops. Some of the trails are a little rocky, so you will need to be steady on your feet.
All in all this is a relaxing but active break where there is something to suit all tastes – stunning walks, impressive historical sites, excellent food, long sandy beaches and numerous optional activities including diving and paragliding.

Book with EXODUS