High Above the Trees and Mountains

It is day one hundred of our little trip and we decide to celebrate by taking to the skies and getting a birds eye view of this spectacular landscape. We’re in Ölüdeniz which is the start (or maybe the end) of the Lycian Way hiking trail, but is also blessed with some of the best paragliding conditions in the world. We’d spent the morning at the beach, wandering the promenade watching the various companies bring their customers in to land outside their shopfronts. There are so many companies operating here that it’s hard to know which one to choose.

We picked Hanuman as they looked to have a professional but laid back approach. Conditions are perfect and we are the only two people flying during the afternoon. Even better, of the various launch sites from the mountain towering behind the town, the highest launch site has just been opened and we’re the first to take off from there this season.

So here we are, floating gently through the air. I point out a few places we’ve camped and explored to my pilot and owner of the company, while he takes a myriad of photos and videos and points out other interesting places. Then he asks if I’d like to do some aerobatics. Rosana is asked the same question by her pilot, a man who plans to open a paragliding operation in her native Uruguay. Being much more sensible than me, Rosana declines the offer while I spend the rest of the day feeling slightly green and dizzy. But, what a rush! All too soon we back at sea level, feet planted abruptly back on solid ground.

Still buzzing from our flights, we resume our journey and follow the route of the Lycian Way, an area steeped in more ancient history, more beautiful landscapes, more rivers and views. We walk some of the hiking route, impressed by those who are hiking the whole way. It’s not every day that you find a fire breathing hill, but in Chimera we find just that. Scattered across the hill side small pockets of flame spout from the ground, like woodless campfires. Probably should have packed marshmallows.

We arrive in Antalya in torrential rain. The roads turn to rivers and the actual river that runs behind the municipal campsite starts to rise quickly so I move the van to a safer spot. As the river rises, our washing has its own watery adventure in the campsite’s self service washing machines, a rare find and one we are making the most of. We are not alone in this and for the first time we see a number of British vans and motorhomes, all seeming as desperate for a self service launderette.

The Silk Road is such an important part of history and one sadly not taught during my school days, although I doubt I would have paid it much attention back then anyway. As trade flowed through the East, people seeking overnight sanctuary made use of caravanserai, essentially castle like road side inns. We visited the Alara Han caravanserai and being out of season had the place to ourselves. The caretaker opened up the gates and satisfied we weren’t here to steal the waxworks of historic leaders, left us to it.

Continuing east to Alanya with it’s castle and Roman shipyards. It is still touristy, still has some pirate ships, but is on the whole a quieter and nicer place to be although I baulk at the chai prices being ten times the going rate. We park overnight in a beach side car park with a well equipped French expedition vehicle for company and take the cablecar to the castle. It’s a scenic ride up and an interesting walk down the other side to the shipyards and the Red Castle, which are fascinating.

Further east we turn south a little, with a mission to reach mainland Türkiye’s most southerly point. We camp on the beach near the Anemurium Necropolis, which is slightly creepy but interesting and photogenic, before trying to reach the lighthouse on the peninsula. Thwarted by a fence of barbed wire we content ourselves with only being a few hundred metres away.

At Gilindire cave I get into trouble for camping in the car park, but it’s worth it because the caves are spectacular on an epic scale. Cavernous and deep, magnificent formations and with a lake at the very bottom, we spend so much time in there that the staff forget about us, go to lunch and turn the lights out. Rosana is not happy, but it’s the modern world and we turn on the torches on our phones and make the long walk back up to the entrance. There’s no one about to complain too, but then again, being British I’m unlikely to complain, so what difference does it make?

In a lunar landscape surrounded by the ruins of an ancient civilisation we go looking for the Adamkayalar rock reliefs. Carved into the cliff faces, the path down is torturously steep. Closer to a climb than a scramble. We take our time and are rewarded with golden reliefs. Sadly many are damaged as idiots people believed gold was hidden below them, giving them the golden glow they posses. But still, they are impressive carvings and really do glow when they catch the sunlight.