The Dalyan Radar Hill Walk:
The walking route in Dalyan starting from Dalyan – Iztuzu Beach Road and ending nine kilometres away at Radar Hill is a walk which supplies breath-taking views. You will reach one of the four lakes of Dalyan delta, the Sulungur Lake after a short hike on the rocks around a small canyon when you turn to the west at the water tank after passing Gökbel, which is on the 7th kilometre of the Dalyan-Iztuzu road.
The path on the left bank will bring you to a rather steep pass which will take only 10 minutes to climb, but requires vigilance. Your reward will be the cool shade and the aroma of pine as you descend, along with a panoramic view of boats gliding through the reefed islets and complicated waterways of the Delta. You can take a break here to take an admiring look at the beautiful panorama of the boats gliding through the reed islets and complicated canals of the Dalyan delta and you can take wonderful photographs.
The path leads to a ridge veering left to Iztuzu beach where the white-foamed waves of the Mediterranean are separated out from the still water of the delta’s water canals like a long barrier. After this you continue on to Iztuzu beach, which is considered one of the best preserved natural beaches of the world, towards the strait where the Dalyan River meets the sea. You can go barefoot on the last lap of your walk and let the sand and sea restore your tired feet as you watch the sun set in a riot of kaleidoscopic colours dancing atop the waves before you. To return to Dalyan by taxi boat, you will embark at the quay close to the strait This slow moving vessel will allow a closer look at the Delta that you have just winged over and enjoyed from a birds-eye view.
TIP: For more trekking routes with maps you can read about Alan Fenn’s Okcular Book Project and download “Backways & Trackways” here or by visiting his blog “Archers of Okcular“.
The Dalyan, Çandir Village and Ekincik Cove Walk:
This walk which brings nature and history together starts when you cross the Dalyan River with a small boat. A piece of information will make this short trip a bit more interesting. The family living in the house on the other shore, in front of which two boats are tied, has been carrying passengers between the two shores for at least two generations With a wave of your hand and a small amount of money, a row boat will come paddling over to the Dalyan quay and will drop you off on the pier in front of the path that begins your walk.
The path branching to the left of the road goes to the majestic rock tombs built in the 4th century BC for the nobles and rich families of Caunos. After taking a closer look and photographing these monumental tombs admired from a distance, go back into the ancient city of Caunos to the top of the Acropolis, and after a 10-15 minute climb, a delicious view stretching across from the Köycegiz Lake to the delta and then to the sea will be waiting for you. After departing from Caunos, you may continue onto Çandır Village, which is a 20 minute walk that allows for a stunning view of Sülüklü Lake (the inner side of the ancient harbour), which lies to your left. In this pleasant little “Yoruk” village you can visit the exhibition of ethnographic objects installed by Mehmet Varol in the courtyard of his house. You may even enjoy a snack of ayran, like pancakes or a delicious katmer (traditional anatolian bread) with honey on top. Then you can get your directions for the marked path going to Ekincik Cove.
After exiting the village, turn back on the path that gradually climbs up to the pine forest and you will see the ancient city of Caunos, the Delta and the Iztuzu Beach in full detail. When you start to descend from the ridge, follow the marks on the trees and rocks you will come across the view of Ekincik Cove. First you will see the Maden quay and the buildings of the marina, constructed according to beautiful interpretations of Mediterranean’s historic stone architecture, all of which harmonize with nature. The last point of the walk that lasts 2,5 to 3 hours from Çandır Village is the beach of Ekincik Cove where the pine forest embraces the sea. The semicircular cove decked with a 1300-metre coarsely gravelled beach is one of the famous anchorages of yachts and Blue Cruise tours with its well preserved natural beauty.
After taking a rest listening to the music of nature, a mixture of the sound of crickets, birdsong and the roar of the waves at the municipal tea garden on the beach, you can then choose one of two options for your return. One of these is to get on a minibus heading towards Köycegiz and get off at the Sultaniye Thermal Spring to shake off the pleasant weariness of the day in a thermal pool. The second option is to go to Dalyan by boat that leaves from the Ekincik pier.
TIP: On our Semizce Snorkeling Boat Trip, you have the opportunity to see the magnificent Rock Tombs, visit Ekincik and Semizce Bays and a stop over at the Ala Lake to admire the beautiful views of The Caunos Ancient City ruins and Çandır Village.
The Köyceğiz – Ekincik Road:
The highway that leaves Köycegiz behind and goes to Ekincik Village follows the western bank of the lake and will offer you a wonderful trip by car or bicycle, full of stunning views of the lake and the woods. If you wish, you can turn off from the crossroads to go to the Sultaniye Thermal Springs, or you can carry on for a bit longer to reach the Horozlar quay at the side of the Dalyan River, leave your vehicle there and take a boat to Dalyan, which is across the river and will take just five minutes. If you wish to continue on the road, the Ekincik Cove will stretch out before you as soon as you pass the ramp. The cove you will reach going through the Ekincik Village provides a quiet place of rest along the bustling crowd of tourism. In the summer, the fishing and tour boats owned by Ekincik Cooperative are tied up at the pier and the yachts in the distance anchor out at sea bringing a change to nature’s scenic palette, where blue and green make turquoise magic.
Köyceğiz’s Plateaus:
When you have had enough of the searing summer heat and long for high mountains and cool plateaus, you will want to return to Koycegiz for its shaded mountain tops. The Sandras (Çiçek Baba], Altın Sivrisi and Beş Parmak reach a height of 2294 metres, offering pleasant options for mountaineers and lovers of winter sports as the summits remain covered in snow until the end of June. The Kartal Lake at the edge of the Çiçek Baba mountain has a unique kind of beauty worth seeing.
Agla is Köyceğiz’s prettiest plateau with its village situated at the side of a river, fed by ice-cold water pouring from
abundant springs and is just 15 kilo metres from Köycegiz. While climbing towards the “Yayla” village, follow the spiralling road and take in the view that covers almost all of the Köyceğiz Lake. The history of Agla, which preserves the characteristics of the summer settle-ments in the Taurus Mountains, and reaches 800 metres above sea level, most probably goes back to the First Era. At the village square, there is a coffee house festooned with flowers and shaded by plane trees. In between, there is a cylindrical altar surrounded by bulls’ heads and at the imam’s house there is a marble banister plate with a relief on the wall. This is clear evidence that there was an important Roman building in the vicinity.
TIP: Take a look at our ultimate tour Reflections of Taurus for an unforgettable experience over Taurus Mountains, visiting most beautiful lakes on high plateaus and to visit the incredible Lisinia Project
"Time comes, time flies, People come, people go, Those who remain tell the story...
- Gokbel Village nestles on the hills facing Iztuzu Beach and the labyrinth created of reed islets Dalyan Delta. On the way to Radar Hill from Gokbel Village, if you follow the asphalt road instead of climbing up to radar, you will reach another section of Gokbel Village called Bogazagzi. Here is the Sunset Restaurant famous with its views and Georgian food.
- You can also take a look at this beautiful small rental villa Palm House with same beautiful views of Datca Peninsula
- You can visit both Radar Hill and Sunset Restaurant on our Discover Dalyan or Twilight Taste of Georgia trips.
Source: Koycegiz – Dalyan A Journey Through History Within The Labyrinth of Nature, (pages: 164-169), Altan Türe, 2011, Faya Kültürel Yayınları
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