Turkey

For many years Turkey has been a prime destination for beaches and summer sun.  And in this it excels.  Luxurious resorts, stunning villas and white sand beaches with aquamarine sea.  But venture inland and you will find incredible landscapes, some of the best preserved historical ruins in the Mediterranean and fabulous Turkish hospitality and cuisine.  Holidays to Turkey vary from fly and flop beach holidays to grand tours of all the sights.  Perhaps our favourite is a week seeing some of the historical sights followed by a week’s relaxation on the beautiful coast.  Highlights include:

• The cosmopolitan capital of Istanbul with its bustling markets and grand bazaar, lavish palaces, traditional baths and the Blue Mosque.
• The bizarre rock formations of Cappadocia known as fairy chimneys. View these at sunrise from a hot air balloon for a truly amazing experience.
• Bathe in the warm waters of Pamukkale and visit the ruins of the UNESCO World Heritage site at Ephesus.
• Take a gulet cruise at sunset.
• Hike through sublime landscapes.
• Visit the nesting turtles on Patara beach.
• See the rock tombs and bathe in the mud baths at Dalyan.

Walking

The most famous trail in Turkey is the Lycian Way which runs for over 500 km from Fethiye to Antalya. With spectacular scenery the whole way, the trail runs through pine and cedar forests, past ancient ruins and through traditional villages and along the turquoise coast. It is a great way to get a true taste of Turkish rural life and visit villages many tourists don’t get to see. The trail is waymarked with red flashes but it is advisable to download the excellent app before you set out. If you don’t fancy the whole trail, then by staying in the right resorts and booking taxis to drop you off or pick you up it is possible to do just small sections of the way as part of your holiday. There are many many other trails in Turkey and if you are interested in doing lots of walking we can organise this for you. In Cappadocia, land of the fairy chimneys you can stay in one of the many boutique cave hotels and take half or day walks in the valleys around Goreme and the Ihlara Valley.  You will walk in a magical lunar landscape past a string of ancient rock cut churches. Mountain biking is also possible in this area.