CONTINENTAL TOURING TURKEY

Home of a sizeable ex-pat population, Just down the road, Beymelek lagoon is Demre – the home Fethiye also has hundreds of shops selling a renowned for its freshwater crabs. After of Santa Claus? colourful variety of spices, alabaster and stopping off for a crabmeat snack in one of brass-ware, ‘evil-eye’ beads and leather the rickety restaurants alongside this wide goods. You’ll also find a wide range of strip of water, we headed for Demre, to restaurants to suit all tastes, ranging from visit the rather touristy church of Nicholas TIME cheap and homely Lokanta eateries to chic of Myra, a 4th century BC saint who is said Balik Evi fish restaurants. to be the model for Santa Claus. Kayakoy, the atmospheric ghost village At the tiny resort of Olympos, our last that inspired Louis de Bernières’ novel, stop, we found a perfect pitch alongside Birds Without Wings, was our next stop. the beach, and set out at dusk to visit the Located along a winding road surrounded by Chimaera. Named after the mythical fire- TRAVEL forests, this Greek village that once boasted a breathing monster that was killed by Heidi Fuller-Love heads for the Lycian coast in population of 2,000 was abandoned after Belerophon, this site high in the Taurus Greece and Turkey’s population exchange mountain range was first mentioned by southern Turkey and enters a fascinating ancient world Rock tombs, carved like miniature villas, agreement in 1923 (the entire place is now a sailors 2,400 years ago. high above the Çayı river at Dalyan museum). We can thoroughly recommend As dusk fell we gaped in wonder at the the Köfte house here, where we washed hillside dancing with the lights of a dozen down delicious spicy sausage-shaped eternal flames – said to be caused by TRETCHING FROM Mugla in the With a month to explore, we’d decided on balık güveç seafood stew and hot water thermal baths into the ice-cold meatballs with tumblers of the local raki. pockets of methane that have been burning west to Antalya in the east, this to wander down the coast visiting some of toasting the advent of Christmas with lake and back again. It took several days to explore the sites of here for millennia – and said silent thanks Sregion on Turkey’s southern coast is the sites while also lapping up some winter Melen Shiraz wine and punch-packing, A leisurely ride past cotton fields and Patara and Letoon further along the coast. to the Lycians for providing us with such a ❖ littered with structures left by the Lycians sun. Once the port authority had done its aniseed-flavoured Yeni Raki. fruit trees took us to the pretty resort of Famed for its oracle, Patara was Lycia’s magical winter trip. n DID YOU who – according to ancient Greek historian brief but thorough search of our motor Upon leaving our site, we chugged along Dalyan and the breathtaking rock tombs, main seaport and a glimpse of its former KNOW? Herodotus – came from Crete and were caravan, we trundled out over the cobbles admiring the views over to the islands that carved like miniature villas with fluted magnificence can be seen in the wide, Herodotus lived in the probably a branch of the Minoans. to explore Marmaris. dot the Marmara sea, ignoring the constant columns into rocks high above the Çayı paved streets, beautifully-preserved 5th century BC and has INFORMATION been calledof History’ the ‘Father Granted independence from Rhodes by A laid back town fringed with thick pine hooting of car horns! river. Built in around 400BC, the tombs amphitheatre and thermal bath ruins. the Roman Republic, the founding principles forests and bordering a harbour bristling The sun shone bright and warm as we have stone ledges like shelves inside where Next door, Letoon, with its stunning SITES n Aktur Camping, Datça, Marmaris. Call 0090 252 724 6167. of the Lycian League, a democratic federation with yachts, Marmaris has plenty of cafés arrived in Köycegiz, a bustling lakeside the dead were laid to rest with coins in limestone temple dedicated to Leto, the This bite-sized site, surrounded by family-run tavernas and of 23 cities created in 168BC, were used as a and tavernas along its waterfront. We’d town whose restaurants serve the bass, their mouths to pay the ferry that would Goddess of Motherhood, and sacred spring overlooking a pine-shaded cove, has a dozen plots with model for the US constitution. arrived on Christmas Eve and, even though mullet and sea bream that swim from up take them over the Styx. full of terrapins, is a UNESCO World basic facilities, plus direct access to a clean, sandy beach. this is not a Muslim festival, there was a river to spawn here, before making their From here it was a short hop to Iztuzu, Heritage Site. n Dalyan Camping, Maras Cad. 72 Dalyan. Call 0090 252 284 definite bustle in the streets. “Here in way out again past the ruins of ancient beach home of the endangered loggerhead So far we’d holidayed in hot sunshine, 4157.Open all year round, this pleasant campsite with Turkey we like any excuse to party,” Caunos into the Med. sea turtle. Voted best beach in the world but after the pretty little resort of Kas the lovely views over the river to Dalyan’s rock tombs has 20 pitches with hook-ups and solar showers, plus a landing restaurant owner Mehmet, who served us To celebrate the festive season in style 15 years ago, this sandy swathe backed by rain came pouring down. Seeking a place to stage for boat trips to the surrounding area. pide (the delicious Turkish version of pizza, we followed the lake to Sultaniye pine forests and marshes is still stunningly stay for the night, we turned off along a n Camping Olympos Mocamp, Kalkan-Yolu, Kas. Call 0090 only with a thicker crust), told us. Kaplıcaları where, for a small fee, we were unspoilt – we wandered for hours without winding track and parked outside a mosque 242 836 2252 or see kasolympos.com. A large and well-run Turning left out of the harbour as night allowed to pitch for several nights near the seeing another living soul. in a tiny village called Beymelek. Woken by site with excellent facilities, close to a sandy beach near the fell, we followed the light, sparkling thermal springs and mud baths that have Further along the coast, Fethiye is the a knock on the door the next day, we shops, bars and restaurants of the pretty village of Kas. coastline to our campsite just outside been in use since Lycian times. starting point of the 300-plus-mile long staggered out expecting to be scolded for of town, overlooking an inlet and a A Turkish family in the mud bath helped Lycian Way and the home of Telemessos, parking outside this holy edifice, only to TRAVEL/TOURISM n Ferry bookings via the Club – for ferry details and to make sandy beach. Here, we met up with a us slap on the pungent clay that’s said to be ancient Lycia’s capital city. Littered with find the Imam and his family serving us a bookings, call 01342 316101 or see caravanclub.co.uk Swiss couple from Zurich travelling in good for everything from eczema to remnants, there are rock tombs – some the full Turkish breakfast – complete with n Turkish Tourist Office – call 020 7839 7778 or see a Volkswagen camper, and spent the arthritis. Skin clean and glowing, we spent size of dog kennels, others as big as garden homemade honey and cheese – on a bench gototurkey.co.uk The ghost village of Kayakoy evening in a taverna next door supping the rest of the afternoon plunging from the sheds – in the oddest places all over town. outside the mosque.

48 The Caravan Club Magazine July 2011 The Caravan Club Magazine 49