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Kas Ultimate Guided Tour Turkey Six Should See Destinations

Myra rock tombs spread out on rock wall

We arrived in Kas in the evening after visiting Patara Ruins and the beach. It had been an excellent day stopping at different sites while making our way to Kas. This post, “Kas Ultimate Guided Tour Turkey Six Should See Destinations,” is our third in a series of posts. We are documenting our adventures and visits as we travel across Turkey with ITT Group Turkey. We purchased this Turkey tour package while visiting Pamukkale.

Ultimate Guided Tour Of Patara Ruins And Beach (map)

Patara Ruins and beach can be found 45 minutes west of Kas. We actually stopped here the day before on our trip from Fethiye. But Patara is situated closer to Kas. We thought that we add it to this post rather than the post about Fethiye. Patara was the major naval and trading port of Lycia. Patara was a very wealthy city due to trade and was one of the six principal cities of Lycia.  Patara’s oracle is the renowned temple of Apollo (not yet found) that was said to rival that at Delphi. The temple equaled the reputation of the famous temple on the island of Delos. It was believed that Apollo lived at Delos during the summer but spent his winters at Patara.

There is a very beautiful beach (Patara) located near the ruins, said to be one of the most beautiful in Turkey. Its length is about 12km and is known to be a nesting spot of the loggerhead turtle. The beach is closed from dusk till dawn to give the turtles peace in which to lay their eggs.

Patara beach looking out onto the sea

We spent about an hour here walking through parts of the ruins and enjoying the views of the beach. Too bad, we visited in March as the beach is so beautiful and the water looked so inviting. If in the area you should drop by as this place is worth the visit and that beach would be nice in the summer months. There was no cost to visit the ruins or beach when we were there. We were told that one can easily catch a bus from Kas to Patara beach. This might be something one could do when the waters are a little more comfortable.

Ultimate Guided Tour Of Kas And Area (map)

Kas is a seaside town on the Mediterranean coast in southwestern Turkey. The city occupies the site of ancient Antiphellos, with still-visible ruins including the theater. The 4th-century-B.C. Lion Tomb, with 2 carved lion heads, is one of many Lycian rock tombs you will see within the city. The Lycian Way, a marked trail, passes by the town.

We stayed at Cobanoglu Hotel that night, basic accommodation. Had a good sleep, and enjoyed our breakfast that was provided in the morning. After breakfast, we and our guide (Dogan) walked around the town center taking in the sites. While walking we ran across several Lycian rock tombs, one was literally across from our hotel. It’s nice to see that these ancient tombs were not moved or discarded over the years. It adds a sense of wonder to think about the long-ago past.

Lycian rock tombs near hotel in kas
Lycian rock tombs near the hotel

Kas was originally called Habesos or Habesa in the ancient language of Lycia, later given the name Antiphellos. Antiphellos was a member of the Lycian League. It is known to have gained a reputation and its importance as a port town during the Hellenistic period around the 4th century BC.

In town, there is an ancient theater about a half kilometer from the town center. Besides the ruins, Kas offers a variety of adventure activities. They include; paragliding, river rafting, and trekking through countless mountains. Kas is also known as one of the leading spots for diving in Turkey. With many diving schools that offer lessons. Too bad as we would have liked to have dove given the chance, but the water is just too cold. There are many underwater caves, ancient shipwrecks, and a beautiful array of fish and other sea creatures.

Guided Tour Of Kaleüçağız And Boat Tour The Sunken City Of Simena (map)

After leaving Kas we headed with our driver and guide to the village of Kaleüçağı. To discover the Sunken City of Kekova. This city was called Simena a Lycian settlement that sank into the sea by earthquakes in the 2nd century BC. Not all of the city is underwater but most of it is. When the water is calm you can see parts of the sunken city through the water. It is best to be high above for a better look down into the water.

Map of the sunken city
Map of Sunken City Simena

When we arrived in Kaleüçağız the wind was blowing, kicking waves out on the water. We were a little concerned as we might not be able to take our boat tour. Our driver stopped at a restaurant that he knew of and talked to the owner about arranging a boat. After finding a willing captain it was off to see the sunken city. On our way out to the sunken city, the captain took us past Theimussa an ancient place. There were so many rock tombs spread out along the shore, an amazing sight.

Leaving the protection of the bay we round the corner to see Ucagiz Kekova Castle it looks like an impressive structure, here we also see a Lycian rock tomb sitting in the shallows of the bay. In this area, you can see parts of the sunken city on a calm day but, the water was so rough that for us it was impossible. Instead, we marvel at what we can see above the waterline.

Kekova Island

After touring this area here we headed over to Kekova Island just across from where we were, this also has parts of the sunken city but the rough water still makes this impossible to see. But up on shore, there are still remanents of what is left of the city, a staircase leading into the water and pieces of the ancient buildings that have survived the centuries. After taking many pictures and fantasizing about what was here so many years ago we head back to town. This has been an enjoyable excursion it’s just too bad the weather did not cooperate. Turkey holds so many hidden secrets we were fortunate to discover this one. We leave Kaleüçağız after spending 3 hours looking around and the boat tour. Now we are off to Demre a 30-minute drive to visit the Myra ruins one of the Lycian Civilization’s most impressive settlements.

Ultimate Guided Tour Of Demre to Visit Myra Ruins And St. Nicholas Church

We arrive in Demre and head to a local eatery for lunch, as always the food is good, plentiful, and inexpensive, just the way we like it. After lunch, we set off to visit St. Nicholas church after which we will visit the Myra ruins. Never seem to get tired of history and seeing incredible ruins.

St. Nicholas Church (map)

The church to honor Saint Nicholas and that contains his tomb was constructed in AD 520 on the foundations of the older Christian church. You may be surprised to hear that this St. Nicholas is the real face behind the legend of Santa Claus. Many people are unaware that this influential patron saint resided in this region, and served as the Greek bishop of Myra. The church is regarded as one of the most important Byzantine structures in Anatolia. It is famous for its remarkable wall frescos, its architecture, and its religious significance.

The cost of visiting St. Nicholson church is 70 TL each. We spent an hour looking around and admiring all of the wall and ceiling frescoes. We found the fresco’s to be extremely beautiful and moving. St. Nicholas church is definitely worth visiting if only to see all the impressive frescos.

Myra Ruins (Lycian Rock Tombs) (map)

The Ancient City of Myra, located in Demre, is one of the Lycian civilization’s most interesting and fascinating settlements. Located at the crossroads of maritime and land-based trade routes. Myra is located in the central Lycian region and served as the most important representative of Lycian art and culture. Myra is one of the most touristic ancient cities on the Mediterranean coast. Having an impressive theater and an incredible mountain wall full of rock-cut tombs (graves). The Lycians held a belief that the souls of their dead would be transported from the tombs to the afterworld by a sort of winged siren-like creature, and so often placed their tombs along the coast or at the top of cliffs.

We spent several hours at these ruins, the entrance fee of 55 TL, inexpensive for the privilege of seeing such amazing wonders. These Myra ruins are simply incredible. When you first enter there are many stone blocks with beautiful stone carvings on them, many with faces. As you approach the mountain wall and see the rock tombs it is overwhelming how incredibly glorious it all appears to be. The tombs are many and extremely beautiful to look at. One can stand there and admire these tombs for a very long time, they are just that awe-inspiring. Just think how incredible this feat was to accomplish.

Myra Theater

Located next to the rock tombs is the just as impressive Theater. The theater of Myra is one of the few surviving archaeological remains of the ancient city. Situated at the feet of several much older rock tombs. Built-in the first quarter of the third century CE. This theater is in very good condition and very beautiful in its own right. The theater could accommodate somewhere around 12,000 spectators during its day. Sights like these are magical wonders because of their size and the sheer feat in their construction. To have witnessed such a civilization would have been phenomenal. All of this never ceases to amaze us.

Guided Tour Of Mount Chimaera (map)

We drove to Mount Chimaera after leaving Myra. We arrived early in the evening just in time to see the flames when the daylight was fading. Mt. Chimaera is a mountain temple sanctuary dedicated to Hephaistos. Here natural fires have been burning for at least 2500 years through fissures fuelled by gas emissions. This site was identified as the ancient Mount Chimaera a myth, for which the Chimaera was a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature composed of different animal parts. According to Homer’s Iliad, the Greek hero Bellerophon was ordered by the king of Lycia to slay the Chimaera (hoping that the monster would instead kill Bellerophon). But the hero “trusting in the signs of the gods,” was victorious when he thrust a lump of lead attached to his spear into the beast’s mouth.

The forested park is open 24 hours a day. This allows visitors to hike the three kilometers (45 minutes) uphill along a rough stone path to the Chimera anytime. This is quite the walk as it is mostly uphill. Remember to have a flashlight on your way back down as it can be a bit of a tripping hazard. Not the place to twist an ankle or worse. We spent about 30-minutes up at the flames, this was a unique experience, and we do recommend visiting. There’s a small admission fee of 15 TL to the site. A spring near the parking lot provides drinking water, and there are bathrooms near the entrance as well.

Our Hotel Stay PLAJ Hotel (map)

After leaving Mount Chimaera we headed to our hotel for the night in Çıralı, PLAJ. We arrived near 8:30 pm, the owners went out of their way to provide us with a delicious fish dinner. The rooms were nice and simple, we had a great sleep. The next morning we went down to the restaurant for a traditional Turkish breakfast. We recommend staying here as the owners were extremely pleasant and went out of their way to make our stay comfortable. The food was very tasty, what else could one ask for.

Chronological Timeline Of Turkey

Paleolithic Age (Early Stone Age) 60,000 – 10,000 BCEMesolithic Age (Mid Stone Age) 10,000 – 8,500 BCE
Neolithic Age (Late Stone Age) 8,500 – 5,000 BCEChalcolithic Age (Copper Age) 5,000 – 3,000 BCE
Bronze Age 3,000 – 2,000 BCEHatti and Hurrian Civilization 2,500 – 2,000 BCE
Troy – II Settlement 2,500 – 2,000 BCEHatti and Hittite Principalities Period 2,000 – 1,750 BCE
Great Hittite Kingdom Hurri Civilization 1,750 – 1,200 BCETroy – VI Civilization 1,800 – 1,275 BCE
Aegean Migration and Invasion From Balkans 1,200 BCEThe Anatolian Principalities during the Iron Age 1,200 – 700 BCE
Urartu Civilization 900 – 600 BCEThe Civilization of Phrygia 750 – 300 BCE
Lydia, Caria and Lycia Civilizations 700 – 300 BCEIonian Civilization 1,050 – 300 BCE
Persian Conquest 545 – 333 BCEHellenistic And Roman Age 333 BCE – 395
The Byzantine Civilization (Eastern Roman Empire) 330 – 1453The Seljuk Empire 1071 – 1300
The Ottoman Empire 1299 – 1923The Republic of Turkey Since 1923
This timeline was taken from Turkey Tours and Babyboomerbudgettraveler.com would give them all the credit for their work

ITT Group Turkey

Meral our guide with ITT Group Turkey
Meral Our Tour Guide With ITT Group Turkey

ITT Group Turkey is a Company that offers exceptional tour packages that can be customized to your specific needs, wants, and expectations. In this series of posts that you will be reading, we have teamed up with the ITT Group Turkey to highlight our travels throughout Turkey. What started out as a search for a transfer from Pamukkale to Fethiye has turned out to be so much more. The ITT Group Turkey pays great detail to customer satisfaction, meaning that they go out of their way to provide a high standard of service for a very competitive rate. ITT Group Turkey can customize a tour package for you, just let them know what you would like to see and do, it’s that easy.

Meral our tour guide for most of our travels would call ahead of our destinations to find restaurants that served a specific dish or find tickets to the Whirling Dervish when we stayed in Konya. My point is that your guide or driver will go out of their way to make your trip one of those life moments that will stay with you forever. All the small details are taken care of just sit back relax and enjoy your private guided tour.

We babyboomerbudgettraveler did not receive any form of compensation, we enjoyed our trip with ITT Group Turkey and would like others to have the same experience. If you follow one of our links to ITT Group Turkey and book using the phrase “3btraveler” you will receive a discount rate of a minimum of 5%.

How To Apply For Turkey eVisa

The Electronic Visa (e-Visa) Application System allows visitors traveling to Türkiye to quickly obtain their e-Visas online (www.evisa.gov.tr) in approximately three minutes. It is possible to obtain e-Visa 7/24 everywhere with an internet connection. After filling in the necessary information concerning their identity, passport, and travel dates, the applicants can obtain their visa and pay the visa fees online. It truly is that easy; We recommend having a printed copy as well, just because.

Our Thoughts “Kas Ultimate Guided Tour Turkey Six Should See Destinations”

  • We continue to enjoy our guided trip through Turkey with ITT Group Turkey. Dogan our guide has done a very good job in showing us interesting locations along our way. The best part of this trip has been seeing the Myra ruins and the rock tombs of the Lycian people. St. Nicholas church way in at second with all of its beautiful frescoes. We are continually in awe of the history that is found all throughout Turkey. If you enjoy history and ancient ruins half as much as us you need to visit Turkey as you will not regret it.

Our Positives

  • The Patara ruins were nice to see, maybe not as many as other places that we have seen, but still beautiful
  • Patara beach was a nice surprise, just too bad the time of year was not right to enjoy such a paradise.
  • Myra ruins with the rock tombs were incredible, so many in one place, and the theater was in excellent shape, you could almost see the people sitting enjoying some kind of performance.
  • The Sunken City was interesting from what we could see, just too bad the wind had to spoil the show.
  • Mount Chimaera was very fascinating, it’s amazing to think that these flames have been performing to us onlookers for thousands of years

Our Negatives

  • Not sure that we have any negatives, Doagn has done a good job of making sure that we have seen the most interesting stops along our way. The time of year, but like I have said before we are limited to when we can travel. Maybe we will be back, you never know.

Next Stop

Cindy and I, and my sister, are off to Antalya for seven days, after leaving Çıralı. We had booked this before purchasing our tour from ITT Group Turkey and could not get out of the booking. The time here will give us an opportunity to catch up on our blogging rest a little and enjoy the city. During our last two days in Antalya, we will have Meral back as our guide. We are all looking forward to her return as she has become much more than our guide. She knows what we like and goes out of her way to make sure that we are having fun, learning, and getting our daily workout. Please come visit us while we are in Antalya I promise to keep you entertained and informed as well.

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Cindy and I call ourselves nomadic, so we use certain essentials to make this way of life easier and more comfortable with our lifestyle. With this in mind, we have composed a list of what we feel are essentials and some tips you might use to plan or take your next travel adventure.

Accommodation Options While Traveling The World

  • Booking.com is one of our go to’s when we are looking for a place to stay for a couple of days or longer
  • Agoda.com we find is best to use when in Southeast Asia, but hey you never know what you might find
  • Airbnb.com used to be our go-to but some of their cancelation policies are reasonable, give them a try as well

Travel Insurance

We always travel with travel Insurance, just medical or complete trip coverage. We use Heymondo as we find their costs reasonable. Remember, don’t travel, and without coverage, the savings are not worth the possible costs.

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Paragliding In Fethiye, Guided Tour Of Amazing Sites In Area

Cindy Paragliding Fethiye

We arrived in Fethiye after spending a couple of days in Pamukkale. Cindy, Debbie (my little sis), and I had initially hired ITT Group Turkey to drive us to Fethiye. It has turned into so much more: we purchased a 21-day tour package that included a guide (Meral) and a driver. This post, “Paragliding In Fethiye, Guided Tour Of Amazing Sites In Area,” is our second in a series. We are documenting our adventures and visits as we travel across Turkey with ITT Group Turkey. We purchased this Turkey tour package while visiting Pamukkale.

The post will detail our adventures in and around Fethiye. Beginning with Paragliding In Fethiye, what to expect in Fethiye, and some of the sites we visited in and around Fethiye. Places around Fethiye included Kayakoy, an abandoned Greek City, Saklikent gorge, and Tlos, the astonishing ancient ruined Lycian citadel. All exciting stuff in their own right.

Fethiye was a spot we intended to stay at before purchasing our tour. This meant we had six days to ourselves before continuing our tour onward. Our first day here in Fethiye would be our best day as we were booked to go Paragliding in Oludeniz. ITT Group Turkey had booked this for us. It was part of the package, so was a balloon ride in Cappadocia (something else to look forward to). Well, without further ado, let’s get started.

Paragliding In Fethiye (Oludeniz)

Paragliding is not something Cindy and I have had on our bucket list. But paragliding in Fethiye was something we read about when looking up things to do in Fethiye. It sounded exciting and looked exhilarating, so we thought, why not give it a try. One thing that concerned me was the maximum weight as I’m not a small man. I would cross my fingers and hope that I could go; if not, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Cindy and Debbie.

Launch point for paragliding at Fethiye
The launch point for paragliding in Fethiye

We were picked up at our Airbnb at 9:00 and driven to the office of Mad Max in Oludeniz. Here we met our pilots; my wife and sister had no issues. I was told that my pilot would review my flight once we were at the take-off point on the mountain. So far, so good I still had a chance. There were many paragliding tour agencies located here in Oludeniz; I can’t remember how many. There are around 350 pilots based in Oludeniz. During peak season, there are as many as 1500 paragliders that fly off Babadag mountain daily. So why not you paraglide in Fethiye it’s something that you will remember for the rest of your life.

MadMax paragliding in Oludeniz
MadMax paragliding in Oludeniz

Today would be different as this was still off-season. We would be taken off from the 1300 meter mark as there was snow further up and no access. Usually, the take elevation is 1960 meters, this meant our ride might be a little shorter than others, but we didn’t care. This was all about the experience.

Leaving Oludeniz beach, we head up to the mountain. The road up to the 1300 meter take-off spot is more terrifying than the prospect of our flight. Very narrow, no guard rails, and a long way down, definitely not for the faint of heart. It takes about 1 hour to get to the take-off spot. Which, by the way, is the same spot as the Fethiye cable car drop-off point. Once here, we get ready; the conditions are suitable for a safe take-off, which means an exhilarating ride. I’m told at this point that I will be flying. I’m thrilled to be able to experience paragliding; we will be the last off the mountain.

There is just a little bit of instruction from our pilots before taking off. The main point is that once they tell you to run, you continue to do so until they say otherwise. This 100-yard dash doesn’t last that long in reality. The second point is how to get into the chair once the pilot asks you to get in. Another point to bring up is that you need to wear a helmet while taking off and landing. But you can take off your helmet and let your hair down in-between. After that, it’s all fun, and the view is breathtaking!

Cindy’s Paragliding Over Oludeniz

My wife Cindy is the first to take off. Everything happens so fast that you are in the air before you have time to think. This also means that you have no time to back out, as that would be a shame. Cindy was handed the go-pro on take-off (don’t worry, the camera is tethered to the pilot), and there was lots of video and pictures taken. This paragliding in Fethiye experience will be yours to share and remember forever. Cindy’s ride was amazing, exhilarating, incredible, fantastic, and wonderful all at once. Cindy’s ride lasted about 20 minutes, with a safe and soft landing at the end.

The ride is meant to be fun, so the pilot will perform some maneuvers that may make you scream with excitement. Look down and around as the views are incredible, from the multi-colored blue sea to the beaches. The ride is short so make sure to relax and enjoy it. It really is a lot of fun and, for most, one time or first experience.

Little Sister Up next Paragliding Over Oludeniz

Little sister was up next; by now, Cindy had been up in the air for a couple of minutes. The same routine, but instead of heading toward the sea to start things off, her pilot decided to buzz the trees. A bit more of a thrill-seeker, I’m guessing. After the trees, it was out toward the sea and a little acrobatics.

I’m last To Paraglide Over Oludeniz

I was last to hit the skies; the trip was excellent. Views from every angle were that of a bird and the color of the sea was incredible with the different shades of blue. In truth, I can not describe the feeling of flying through the air like a bird. Paragliding in Oludeniz is something that needs to be experienced. If I never do this again, I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to do it once. Unfortunately, the pictures and videos for my flight did not turn out. I am disappointed, but the images will forever be implanted into my memories. This is something everyone should try; there is nothing like it!

After The Paragliding Adventure

After all three of us were on the ground, we walked over to the office and got the pictures and videos of our experience. They downloaded these to our phones. We then had tea and talked about our experience of paragliding in Oludeniz while waiting for the van to return from the mountain. This was the best way to start our stay in Fethiye.

What Are Paragliding Weight Limitations

The tandem paragliding weight limit usually ranges between 242 – 264 pounds (110-120 kilograms) if you’re a passenger. This allows for a maximum limit of 485 – 529 pounds (220-240 kilograms) for the pilot, passenger, and any equipment being carried.

What To Do In And Around Fethiye

Fethiye Friday Market (also Tuesday with clothing and other)

As I mentioned earlier, we have six days in Fethiye as this part of our stay was already booked at an Airbnb, and it could not be changed. Paragliding on day one was in the books and fresh on our minds. What a great way to start our stay in Fethiye. After a short rest, we headed out. As Fethiye has a large market on Fridays that is food-based, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and nuts.

Fresh local markets are something both Cindy and I enjoy. Everything is fresh, tasty, and inexpensive; we can’t pass them by. This market was no different. Since we had an Airbnb, we would be doing some cooking, mainly breakfast and a couple of dinners. We purchased what we thought we might need and then had brunch at this little restaurant within the market itself. The food was uniquely delicious and very inexpensive. We even had a local woman help us out with our choices. Local people are always so helpful, good, and extremely friendly. Why not partake in their kindness and enjoy the opportunities that travel presents.

Off To Visit Fish Market (map)

Once we were finished with the Friday market, we headed off to find the fish market to see what tasty items we could find. Both Cindy and I enjoy fish. All kinds of fish, so we take pleasure in shopping for fresh fish when given the opportunity. Progreso, Mexico was an excellent place for buying fish, and Khanom in Thailand. After finding the fish market, we decided on Shrimp and Sea Bass. This would make two delightful meals at our Airbnb.

Fish market in Fethiye
Fish Market Fethiye

Visit Fethiye Museum (map)

The museum in Fethiye may be small but well worth the visit as it has a lot of ancient history from around the area. It mainly has lots of artifacts about Lycian history. There are plenty of information panels explaining the history, culture, and importance of Ancient Lycia and the exhibits. The museum’s most important artifact on display is the Trilingual Stele, which was unearthed during excavation work at Letoön. This stele holds inscriptions in Lycian, ancient Greek, and Aramaic, and so (just as with Egypt’s Rosetta Stone) helped archaeologists finally solve the Lycian language.

Ancient tomb at Fethiye museum
Ancient tomb at Fethiye museum

You will find two rooms full of artifacts as well as the outside area has many other pieces. We would recommend visiting if you have the time, you will find it interesting.

Recommended duration2 hours

Open Everyday 8:00 – 17:00

Visit Hamam (Turkish Bath) (map)

When visiting Fethiye, make time and book an appointment at the Hamam (Turkish Bath) at Harman Hamam & Spa. Women go in the morning until 2:00 pm, and men go in the afternoon & evening until 11:00 pm. This spa was only a ten-minute walk from our Airbnb. Debbie and Cindy had an appointment at noon and got caught in a downpour on their way there. Cindy enjoyed a scrub, soap, and oil massage for 350 TL. I had the same, but my appointment was at 3:00 pm, so there would be no overlap with me walking into the women’s time, as what happened in Ismir. We have enjoyed our visits to the Hamam while in Turkey; given the opportunity, you should try it; it’s one of life’s little pleasures; it takes 60 – 90 minutes depending on if you get something extra.

Yeni Hamidiye Cami Mosque (map)

While in Fethiye, we visited Yeni Hamidiye Cami Mosque as we make a point of seeing what we can and learning about life as we discover new parts of this world. We try to be open to new and enlightening experiences whenever we can. As you can see, this one had some beautiful colors to it.

Rock Tomb Of Amyntas (Fethiye Tomb) (map)

The Lycians ruled over this area of Turkey’s coast from 200 BC, and Fethiye stands on the site of the important Lycian city of Telmessos. There are monuments scattered throughout the city, but the most famous is the rock-cut Tomb of Amyntas on the cliff face overlooking the city. On Kaya Caddesi, as you walk up the hill towards the tomb, you can see Lycian sarcophagi. More Lycian sarcophagi are also by the town hall in the city center.

You should make a point to see these rock tombs as they are stunning and not that far from the downtown area. There is a cost of 5TL to visit, which is well worth the price.

Castle of Fethiye (map)

The Castle is located up on the hill, it was initially built in the 11th century, and during the 15th century, the Knights of Rhodes again rebuilt and renovated the ruins. During this period, the castle was used as a naval base. Once you climb up to the walls on the hill, you will see that not much is left of the castle. It was closed when we visited, but holes in the fence where people walkthrough. Nice view overlooking the city, and besides, it’s a nice walk.

What Else To Do In Fethiye

There are so many things to do in Fethiye; we have only scratched the surface. Fethiye is located on the Mediterranean coast, which translates into many water activities. You can scuba dive, snorkel, boat tours, and go fishing; the list is endless. You can dream it; you can do it or find it in Fethiye, come and enjoy.

Leaving Fethiye To Continue Our Tour

After spending six days in Fethiye, it was time to move on; our tour guide and driver from ITT Group Turkey were coming today; unfortunately, Meral, who started the tour with us, couldn’t make this leg of the journey as she had surgery. So instead, we had Dogan join us and a new driver. We were heading to Kas today, but along the way and near Fethiye, we would make several stops. These locations can easily be reached from Fethiye as they are only a short drive away, so we would recommend that you make an effort to visit as they are worth seeing.

Explore the Ruins of Kayaköy (map)

Up until the 1920s, Kayaköy (ancient Karmylassos), eight kilometers south of Fethiye, had a thriving mixed population of Greeks and Turks who had lived together for centuries. The 1923 Population Exchange changed everything, uprooting ethnic Greeks across Turkey and sending them to live in Greece while making ethnic Turks who lived in Greece abandon their lives there.

Kayakoy is a bit of an unusual place to visit as it is known for being a ghost town; the homes in their present state make for some very unique pictures. There is a cost to enter, and I can not remember what it was exactly, not much, I’m sure. It was nice to walk through; when we visited, there were sheep grazing in and around the abandoned houses. You can easily spend an hour or two just walking around, an excellent way to spend part of your day. We spent close to two hours, and then it was off to see Saklikent Gorge.

Saklikent Gorge (map)

Saklikent Gorge, which is 30 kilometers southeast of Fethiye, is a tall gorge cut into the mountains of the Akdağlar mountain range. Visitors come here to admire the scenery of soaring cliffs. The cliffs are beautiful to look at. The gorge is an 18km hike if the water is not high. The trail into the canyon follows a wooden boardwalk along the cliffside, set high above the river. We were there when the water was very high, so you could not hike very far. The cost of entry is 10TL.

Tlos Lycian Ruins (map)

Our next stop of the day was Tlos Lycian Ruin; Tlos (35 kilometers east of Fethiye) is one of the most interesting Lycian city ruins. Mostly known for its Lycian rock tombs chiseled into the rock face of the acropolis hill, Tlos also has an agora, necropolis, baths, restored theater, a Byzantine basilica, and the scattered ruins of houses and public buildings to explore. The remnants of an Ottoman-era fortress also sit atop the acropolis hill showing that the Lycians weren’t the only ones to appreciate a good mountain stronghold position.

We found these ruins to be very enjoyable as there were lots to see and not very many other tourists around to spoil the experience. The theater across the road was in excellent condition, with lots to see. We walked around the grounds and then made our way to the Lycian tombs cut in the cliff; there were also rock-cut sarcophagi sitting around; all this made for fascinating pictures. It always amazes me what humankind can do when he has a need. We would recommend visiting these ruins; there is a cost going up to the tombs of 12.5 TL; we spent several hours enjoying ourselves and looking around. There was a local lady who was selling stuff, so we bought several items to help make her day.

Chronological Timeline Of Turkey

Paleolithic Age (Early Stone Age) 60,000 – 10,000 BCEMesolithic Age (Mid Stone Age) 10,000 – 8,500 BCE
Neolithic Age (Late Stone Age) 8,500 – 5,000 BCEChalcolithic Age (Copper Age) 5,000 – 3,000 BCE
Bronze Age 3,000 – 2,000 BCEHatti and Hurrian Civilization 2,500 – 2,000 BCE
Troy – II Settlement 2,500 – 2,000 BCEHatti and Hittite Principalities Period 2,000 – 1,750 BCE
Great Hittite Kingdom Hurri Civilization 1,750 – 1,200 BCETroy – VI Civilization 1,800 – 1,275 BCE
Aegean Migration and Invasion From Balkans 1,200 BCEThe Anatolian Principalities during the Iron Age 1,200 – 700 BCE
Urartu Civilization 900 – 600 BCEThe Civilization of Phrygia 750 – 300 BCE
Lydia, Caria and Lycia Civilizations 700 – 300 BCEIonian Civilization 1,050 – 300 BCE
Persian Conquest 545 – 333 BCEHellenistic And Roman Age 333 BCE – 395
The Byzantine Civilization (Eastern Roman Empire) 330 – 1453The Seljuk Empire 1071 – 1300
The Ottoman Empire 1299 – 1923The Republic of Turkey Since 1923
This timeline was taken from Turkey Tours and Babyboomerbudgettraveler.com would give them all the credit for their work

ITT Group Turkey

Meral our guide with ITT Group Turkey
Meral Our Tour Guide With ITT Group Turkey

ITT Group Turkey is a Company that offers exceptional tour packages that can be customized to your specific needs, wants, and expectations. In this series of posts that you will be reading, we have teamed up with the ITT Group Turkey to highlight our travels throughout Turkey. What started out as a search for a transfer from Pamukkale to Fethiye has turned out to be so much more. The ITT Group Turkey pays great detail to customer satisfaction, meaning that they go out of their way to provide a high standard of service for a very competitive rate. ITT Group Turkey can customize a tour package for you, just let them know what you would like to see and do, it’s that easy.

Meral our tour guide for most of our travels would call ahead of our destinations to find restaurants that served a specific dish or find tickets to the Whirling Dervish when we stayed in Konya. My point is that your guide or driver will go out of their way to make your trip one of those life moments that will stay with you forever. All the small details are taken care of just sit back relax and enjoy your private guided tour.

We babyboomerbudgettraveler did not receive any form of compensation, we enjoyed our trip with ITT Group Turkey and would like others to have the same experience. If you follow one of our links to ITT Group Turkey and book using the phrase “3btraveler” you will receive a discount rate of a minimum of 5%.

How To Apply For Turkey eVisa

The Electronic Visa (e-Visa) Application System allows visitors traveling to Türkiye to quickly obtain their e-Visas online (www.evisa.gov.tr) in approximately three minutes. It is possible to obtain e-Visa 7/24 everywhere with an internet connection. After filling in the necessary information concerning their identity, passport, and travel dates, the applicants can obtain their visa and pay the visa fees online. It truly is that easy; We would recommend having a printed copy as well, just because.

Our Thoughts “Paragliding In Fethiye, Guided Tour Of Amazing Sites In Areas”

  • We really enjoyed our time in Fethiye, especially the paragliding in Fethiye, and the downtime to catch up on some blogging. Fethiye is a nice friendly town with lots to do and see, we have only scratched the surface of things to do. We are happy to be continuing our tour with ITT GroupTurkey, unfortunately, our first guide (Meral) and the driver could not continue with us for this part of the journey. Our new guide is Dogan, he will be taking us to Antalya.

Our Positives

  • Paragliding in Fethiye as it is known as one of the best places in the world to ride the sky, what better place to try paragliding for the first time
  • Fethiye’s markets are worth visiting, we actually bought clothes that we need for a very good price I might add.
  • Nice to have a bit of downtime to relax and get caught up.
  • Fethiye Museum, Castle of Fethiye, Rock Tomb Of Amyntas, and Yeni Hamidiye Cami Mosque
  • Turkish bath (Hamam & Spa) is always an enjoyable experience.
  • The ruins of Kayaköy are worth visiting so is Saklikent Gorge
  • I, we really enjoyed visiting the Tlos Lycian Ruins

Our Negatives

  • Again for us, this would be the time of year as we were there beginning of March. The weather is just not that good yet to be able to experience all that Fethiye has to offer. I would suggest late April or better yet May. As we are snowbirds our window when it comes to time is November through the end of April so we do miss the best times.

Would have, Could have, Should have

  • Length of stay maybe, maybe shorter 5 days. All in all, we were happy with our time spent here in Fethiye. As I’m sure you will be as well.

Next Stop

Cindy my sister, and I, with ITT Group Turkey (guide and driver), are off to Kas on the next leg of our journey. I will talk about our visit to Patara Ruins as it is closer to Kas. Even though we visited on the way to Kas. While in the Kas area and traveling to Olympos beach we stopped and visited the following Kekova, Myra ruins and St. Nicholas church, and Mount Chimaera. So Please join us as we visit these uniquely Turkish destinations.

Support Our Blog And It’s Unique Travel Content

You can support our site by using the links through our travel Essential. If you purchase items using our links, we will receive a small commission. There are no extra or hidden costs to you. These commissions assist us in our travel, so we can provide unique content to you through each blog post. If you enjoy our blog and find it interesting and informative please share it with friends. Subscriber, so you never miss a new post. Thank you.

Cindy and I call ourselves nomadic, so we use certain essentials to make this way of life easier and more comfortable with our lifestyle. With this in mind, we have composed a list of what we feel are essentials and some tips you might use to plan or take your next travel adventure.

Accommodation Options While Traveling The World

  • Booking.com is one of our go to’s when we are looking for a place to stay for a couple of days or longer
  • Agoda.com we find is best to use when in Southeast Asia, but hey you never know what you might find
  • Airbnb.com used to be our go-to but some of their cancelation policies are reasonable, give them a try as well

Travel Insurance

We always travel with travel Insurance, just medical or complete trip coverage. We use Heymondo as we find their costs reasonable. Remember, don’t travel, and without coverage, the savings are not worth the possible costs.

Some links on this page are affiliate links, meaning if you buy a product using our link, we may earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Disclaimer.

Laodicea and Aphrodisias a Guided Tour See Amazing Ruins

Laodicea Ancient City street

This is the first post in a series relating our travel experiences while being guided around Turkey by the ITT Group Turkey. A travel tour agency and so much more that knows Turkey intimately and all of her secrets. Our post “Laodicea and Aphrodisias A Guided Tour See Amazing Turkey” will highlight destinations we visited down to Fethiye. Our visits along the way included stops at Laodicea Ancient City to visit these newly (2003) discovered ruins. After which, it was off to see the spectacular ruin site of Aphrodisias (Meral, our guide’s favorite), located 80 km southwest of Denizli. On our way to Fethiye, the final destination would be Caunos Tombs, located in Dalyan. Caunos Tombs was an added tour after a snowstorm interrupted our drive down to Fethiye.

Travel everywhere for less

Our Amazing Guided Tour Of Turkey Starts Today Pamukkale To Fethiye

Cindy and I are leaving Pamukkale and heading to Fethiye with a sense of the unknown, possibly an uneasiness, and excitement as this is something entirely new for both Cindy and me. We both feel confident about our decision to take this tour through ITT Group Turkey and look forward to the next three weeks. There are a couple of stops planned with our drive from Pamukkale to Fethiye. Laodicea Ancient City and Aphrodisias (Meral, our guide’s favorite). The weather does not look good as we start our travels, a very good chance of rain. Rain will make visiting these sites somewhat unpleasant and make it difficult to take pictures with the raindrops landing on the lense. We are told Laodicea is not too far out of Pamukkale, a short drive. So it’s off we go on this great tour adventure.

Laodicea Ancient City (map)

We arrived at Laodicea Ancient City around noon; to our disappointment, a light rain is coming down. Since it is only drizzling, we decided to walk around the ruins before visiting the church as the church is under a cover. I believe that our guide Meral said that this city was discovered in 2003. One of the nice things about Laodicea is that it is not very well known, so tourist traffic is not very high. We may have seen maybe ten others walking around while we were here. In saying that, the time of year and weather may have played a role in that.

Our guide Meral was excellent as she explained everything that we came across and answered any questions we had. Meral took her time going through the Laodicea Ancient City ruins and let us feel free to explore. The Laodicea Ancient City ruins themselves are incredible; archeologists are still working at the site as many questions are still to be answered. One of the theaters is in good condition, and the other gives you a sense of how most ruins must look when first discovered.

While exploring, we saw some floor mosaics covered in plastic; even though the plastic coverings, these mosaics are impressive. This whole ruin site is imposing as it is all new with limited restrictions; you can wander most locations, but remember to be respectful, as these ruins are for the world to see and enjoy.

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Board Games A Plenty

While walking through the Agora area, we found many large stones that had what appeared to be games chiseled into them. We can only assume that these games were for children waiting on mothers to finish shopping or conversing. Other games seem to be located outside shops, maybe to pass the time as merchants wait for customers.

Laodicea Ancient City A Bit Of History

Laodicea on the Lycus, located at the crossroads of important trade routes, was once a prosperous city famous for its black wool, banking services, and medical achievements. The first signs of occupation in the area date back to 3500 BC; Laodicea was founded in the mid-third century BCE as a Hellenistic city by the ruler from the Seleucid dynasty. The golden era of Laodicea’s prosperity was between the 1st and the 5th centuries CE. Trade was the primary source of income for Laodicea because of the city’s location on a crucial merchant route. The most important export commodities were textiles and the famous black wool of Laodicea.

Laodikeia Church, One Of The Seven Churches Of Asia In The Book of Revelation

The Seven Churches of Revelation, also known as the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse and the Seven Churches of Asia, are seven major churches of Early Christianity, as mentioned in the New Testament Book of Revelation. All of them are located in Asia Minor, present-day Turkey.

The seven churches are named for their locations, and the Book of Revelation provides descriptions of each Church.

  • Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7): known for having labored hard and not fainted, and separating themselves from the wicked; admonished for having forsaken its first love (2:4)
  • Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11): admired for its tribulation and poverty; forecast to suffer persecution (2:10)
  • Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17): located where ‘Satan’s seat’ is; needs to repent of allowing false teachers (2:16)
  • Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29): known for its charity, whose “latter works are greater than the former”; tolerates the teachings of a false prophetess (2:20)
  • Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6): admonished for – in contrast to its good reputation – being dead; cautioned to fortify itself and return to God through repentance (3:2-3)
  • Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13): known as steadfast in faith, keeping God’s word and enduring patiently (3:10)
  • Laodicea, near Denizli (see Laodicean Church) (Revelation 3:14-22): called lukewarm and insipid (3:16)
  • The above list of churches has been copied from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_churches_of_Asia I wish to give them credit for their work.

Our timing in visiting The Church was excellent as the rain was starting to come down harder. The church has a cover over it, so this protected us while we walked around. The mosaics on the floor are beautiful and leave you with a sense of awe.

Our Thoughts On Laodicea Ancient City

The archeological site is extensive and impressive; we enjoyed our visit even with the rain coming down. It takes about 2 – 3 hours to visit; I’m not sure if there are guides at the site for hire, I would assume during better weather and time of year that there would be. I think that a guide here would enhance the experience incredibly so.

Denizli For Lunch

We stopped in Denizli for lunch at this small restaurant called Tavas, known for the Turkish pizza (pide). Once again, our driver and guide come through when picking out places to eat, they know the area and what foods they are known for. Our lunch was delightful and filling.

Tavas which is known for the Turkish pizza (pide).
Tavas is known for the Turkish pizza (pide).

What does it cost to visit Laodicea Ancient City

Laodicea Ancient City Ticket Prices

  • Children ages 0-18 – Citizens of Turkey Free
  • Children ages 0-8 Non-Turkish Citizens Free
  • 65 and over Turkish citizens Free
  • Students (Studying art history, archaeology and museum departments in university) Free
  • All Adults (International and Turkish) 25.00T

Aphrodisias (devoted to Aphrodite) (map)

We arrived at Aphrodisias around 4:00 pm after having a late lunch in Denizli. The rain earlier in Laodicea is still with us but coming down harder now. Since it was raining so hard, Meral decided we should start with the museum at Aphrodisias. Hoping that the rain would subside by the time we finished with the museum, besides the museum closed at 5:30 pm, so time was also a factor.

The museum was incredible; the displays and so many sculptures are stunning. We have been to many other museums on our trip but have not seen so many statues in one place and mostly in good condition. With Meral, our guide telling us about what we were seeing the time here was informative and amazing at the same time. Experiencing such history is an exhilarating life inspiring adventure.

After the museum, it was outside to walk the ruins; thankfully, the rain had let up somewhat. Meral‘s knowledge is never-ending since Aphrodisias was one of our guide’s favorite ruins. We started in the direction of the stadium and worked our way past the large Agora to the exit. This was the first time seeing a stadium similar to what you might see today, a large oval shape. We passed by the Temple Of Aphrodite; this was an impressive structure, standing by itself commanding all the attention of passers-by.

Temple Of Aphrodite located at Aphrodisias ruins
Temple Of Aphrodite

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Aphrodisias, an excellent site that should be on everyone’s must-see list. We spent about two hours going through the Aphrodisias museum and the ancient ruins. If the weather had been better, I’m sure that we could easily have spent another hour looking around. As it was, we left Aphrodisias looking like drowned rats, happy rats, mind you, but definitely wet.

Bath located at Aphrodisias

Some History On Aphrodisias

Aphrodisias was an ancient city known for the cult of Aphrodite, especially in the Roman era. There was an important sculpture school located here as well. Founded in the 6th century BC, near a marble quarry, the sculptures carved in Aphrodisias adorned Greek and Roman cities for centuries. After the fourth century A.D., Aphrodisian sculptors were in great demand for marble portrait busts and statues of emperors, governors, and philosophers in the major centers of the Roman Empire. The city, whose monuments are very well preserved, is one of Turkey’s most important archaeological sites today. The first temple of Aphrodite was also built in this period. In the 2nd century BC, around 15000 people lived in the city. The city, which started to lose its former importance in the 6th century AD, was completely abandoned in the 12th century.

Our Thoughts On Aphrodisias

The Aphrodisias Museum located here at these ancient ruins is excellent with all the statues it is very impressive. We enjoyed our visit even with the rain coming down. It takes about 2 – 3 hours to visit the Aphrodisia museum and these ancient ruins, time well spent. We are very grateful for our guide Meral and ITT Group Turkey, as this is a sight that we would not have seen on our own. If the weather had been better, we could have spent more time walking around these unbelievable ancient ruins.

What Does It Cost To Visit Aphrodisias

Aphrodisias Ticket Prices

  • Children ages 0-18 – Citizens of Turkey Free
  • Children ages 0-8 Non-Turkish Citizens Free
  • 65 and over Turkish citizens Free
  • Students (Studying art history, archaeology and museum departments in university) Free
  • All Adults (International and Turkish) 40.00T

The Snow Storm That Changed Our Plans

After leaving Aphrodisias around 6:00 pm, we headed toward our final destination Fethiye, still another three-hour drive away. Heading into the mountains, the rain slowly turned to very heavy snow. We had near whiteout conditions at some points along the drive; the roads were getting covered in a thick blanket of snow. Traffic slowed, and some vehicles were having difficulty with ever-increasing terrible road conditions. At one point in the road we needed to make a decision to either proceed or turn around because of the weather, we all chose to turn back. Spending the night in Denizli in a hotel rather than the van sounded better.

Snowstorm heading to Fethiye from Pamukkale
Snowstorm on our way to Fethiye from Pamukkale

Arriving in Denizli three hours later (usually a one-hour drive), after enduring ugly winter driving conditions, who would have ever thought? We pulled into a restaurant for a nice warm dinner of kebobs done on skewers. After which, we were taken to the hotel that had been booked for us by the ITT Group Turkey, had a hot tea, and off to bed for a good night’s sleep. We would try again in the morning after looking at the weather conditions.

The morning weather conditions up in the mountains had not improved; in fact, tour buses were stuck all night on the road because of the wintery road conditions. We were grateful not to be one of them. Our driver and ITT Group Turkey decided that we would backtrack somewhat and take the coast road. This meant a long day of driving, but there would be no chance of snow. On the upside, we would get a boat ride and the opportunity to see the Caunos Tombs of the Kings in Dalyan.

Caunos Tombs of the Kings (map)

We arrived in Dalyan around 12:30 pm and headed to a nice fish restaurant, where I ordered fried sardines and fries. The ladies ordered soup and doners; the food was delicious, especially the fish. After lunch, we were off to take a boat ride that would take us out onto the river to see the Caunos Tombs of the Kings and then possibly more if the river was open.

Our boat ride was windy but enjoyable, just the same; the sun was out, which was an improvement from the day before. The Caunos Tombs of the Kings was incredible; we had never seen anything like it. Well, maybe in Vardzia, Georgia, but that was a city. We find it amazing what early civilizations did, what they believed, and how they achieved their results. Then having these incredible achievements last through the years until the present day.

Arriving in Fethiye

We arrived in Fethiye a day later than expected, but we are here save and sound. Our first stop in Fethiye was to look at The Tomb Of Amyntas. Cut into the side of the mountain that overlooks Fethiye, here is where the Lycian buried their revered dead. The Lycians built these impressive tombs in 350 BC. The one pictured below is called Amyntas because of the writings found to the left of the door.

The Tomb Of Amyntas

There is an entrance fee to the site (sorry, I forget the cost), then climb up the 200 steps to get a closer look. We thought it was worth the price and the climb to get an up-close look at the tomb. Besides, the view looking back over Fethiye is beautiful.

The Lycians believed that their dead were carried off to the afterlife by magical winged creatures and thus placed their honored dead in a location near the heavens, such as a cliff face. We would later see many more examples of this, when at Tlos and Myra Ruins.

View overlooking Fethiye from the Tomb Of Amyntas
View overlooking Fethiye from the Tomb Of Amyntas

Chronological Timeline Of Turkey

Paleolithic Age (Early Stone Age) 60,000 – 10,000 BCEMesolithic Age (Mid Stone Age) 10,000 – 8,500 BCE
Neolithic Age (Late Stone Age) 8,500 – 5,000 BCEChalcolithic Age (Copper Age) 5,000 – 3,000 BCE
Bronze Age 3,000 – 2,000 BCEHatti and Hurrian Civilization 2,500 – 2,000 BCE
Troy – II Settlement 2,500 – 2,000 BCEHatti and Hittite Principalities Period 2,000 – 1,750 BCE
Great Hittite Kingdom Hurri Civilization 1,750 – 1,200 BCETroy – VI Civilization 1,800 – 1,275 BCE
Aegean Migration and Invasion From Balkans 1,200 BCEThe Anatolian Principalities during the Iron Age 1,200 – 700 BCE
Urartu Civilization 900 – 600 BCEThe Civilization of Phrygia 750 – 300 BCE
Lydia, Caria and Lycia Civilizations 700 – 300 BCEIonian Civilization 1,050 – 300 BCE
Persian Conquest 545 – 333 BCEHellenistic And Roman Age 333 BCE – 395
The Byzantine Civilization (Eastern Roman Empire) 330 – 1453The Seljuk Empire 1071 – 1300
The Ottoman Empire 1299 – 1923The Republic of Turkey Since 1923
This timeline was taken from Turkey Tours and Babyboomerbudgettraveler.com would give them all the credit for their work

ITT Group Turkey

Meral our guide with ITT Group Turkey
Meral Our Tour Guide With ITT Group Turkey

ITT Group Turkey is a Company that offers exceptional tour packages that can be customized to your specific needs, wants, and expectations. We have teamed up with the ITT Group Turkey to highlight our travels throughout Turkey in this series of posts that you will be reading. What started out as a search for a transfer from Pamukkale to Fethiye has become so much more. The ITT Group Turkey pays excellent detail to customer satisfaction, meaning that they go out of their way to provide a high standard of service for a very competitive rate. ITT Group Turkey can customize a tour package for you; just let them know what you would like to see and do; it’s that easy. Or check out their website for premade package tours.

For most of our travels, Meral, our tour guide, would call ahead of our destinations to find restaurants that served a specific dish or find tickets to the Whirling Dervish when we stayed in Konya. My point is that your guide or driver will go out of their way to make your trip one of those life moments that will stay with you forever. All the small details are taken care of; just sit back, relax and enjoy your private guided tour.

We, babyboomerbudgettraveler, did not receive any form of compensation; we enjoyed our trip with ITT Group Turkey and would like others to have the same experience. If you follow one of our links to ITT Group Turkey and book using the phrase “3btraveler,” you will receive a minimum discount rate of 5%.

If you have any questions about our tour of Turkey, please feel free to email us, and we would be happy to discuss our great trip with ITT Group Turkey. Or anything else we can help you out with about Turkey.

How To Apply For Turkey eVisa

The Electronic Visa (e-Visa) Application System allows visitors traveling to Türkiye to quickly obtain their e-Visas online (www.evisa.gov.tr) in approximately three minutes. It is possible to obtain e-Visa 7/24 everywhere with an internet connection. After filling in the necessary information concerning their identity, passport, and travel dates, the applicants can obtain their visa and pay the visa fees online. It truly is that easy; We would recommend having a printed copy as well, just because.

Our Thoughts “Laodicea and Aphrodisias a Guided Tour See Amazing Ruins”

  • The start to our “Amazing Guided Tour Of Turkey In 21 Awesome Days” has been eventful one to date. Visiting Laodicea Ancient City along with Aphrodisias have been nothing short of amazing. The only thing that would have these visits better would have been weather. Stuck in a snowstorm and having to spend another night on the road we got to visit Caunos Tombs of the Kings in Dalyan. Having a knowledgeable guide and driver has been a very nice touch. Ancient history has never been this much fun.
  • As a side note, ITT Group Turkey has arranged for us to go paragliding tomorrow, we are so looking forward to this experience. You will have to read our next post “Fethiye To Kas A Guided Tour See Amazing Turkey” to see how that turns out.

Our Positives

  • Having a guide and driver makes travel and visiting ancient ruins so easy and interesting. With our guide, we get so much information on everything that we see. Plus personal attention, it is truly incredible.
  • Laodicea Ancient City ruins were amazing.
  • Aphrodisias museum was stunning, I can understand why this would be our guide Meral’s favorite.

Our Negatives

  • No negatives to speak of but the rainy weather and there is nothing one can do about that.

Next Stop

Cindy and I including my sister are in Fethiye for six days, as we had this time booked before purchasing our tour package. We have a paragliding adventure booked for our first day in Fethiye (tomorrow), and ITT Group Turkey booked this for us. We are very excited about this ride as the pics and videos we have seen on the internet are spectacular.

The next blog in this series of posts about our “Amazing Guided Tour Of Turkey In 21 Awesome Day” is called “Fethiye To Kas A Guided Tour See Amazing Turkey”. This post will cover the following locations that we have seen and experienced on this part of our tour. Starting with Kayakoy a deserted Greek village, Saklikent a large gorge, Tlos Lycian ruins, and lastly Patara Ruins.

Support Our Blog And It’s Unique Travel Content

You can support our site by using the links through our travel Essential. If you purchase items using our links, we will receive a small commission. There are no extra or hidden costs to you. These commissions assist us in our travel, so we can provide unique content to you through each blog post. If you enjoy our blog and find it interesting and informative please share it with friends. Subscriber, so you never miss a new post. Thank you..

Cindy and I call ourselves nomadic, so we use certain essentials to make this way of life easier and more comfortable with our lifestyle. With this in mind, we have composed a list of what we feel are essentials and some tips you might use to plan or take your next travel adventure.

Accommodation Options While Traveling The World

  • Booking.com is one of our go to’s when we are looking for a place to stay for a couple of days or longer
  • Agoda.com we find is best to use when in Southeast Asia, but hey you never know what you might find
  • Airbnb.com used to be our go-to but some of their cancelation policies are reasonable, give them a try as well

Travel Insurance

We always travel with travel Insurance, just medical or complete trip coverage. We use Heymondo as we find their costs reasonable. Remember, don’t travel, and without coverage, the savings are not worth the possible costs.

Some links on this page are affiliate links, meaning if you buy a product using our link, we may earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Disclaimer.

See Pamukkale Experience The Travertine Terraces And Nearby Sites

Pamukkale Travertine Terraces

We were looking forward to Pamukkale as one has read so much about the Travertine Terraces, also known as the Cotton Castle located in Pamukkale. We hope Pamukkale and the Cotton Castle live up to all the hype. Located next to the Travertine Terraces are the ruins of Roman’s spa resort city of Hierapolis. We are spending two nights in Pamukkale, so we have one full day to “See Pamukkale Experience The Travertine Terraces And Nearby Sites.”

Getting To Pamukkale From Kusadasi

Travel everywhere for less

Since our stay in Kusadasi has ended, we need to get to our next destination Pamukkale. Several transportation options are private transfer, bus (mini or otherwise), or the train from Selcuk. You will still need to get to Selcuk from Kusadasi if you decide on the train. We choose to take the train from Selcuk to Denizli as we enjoy travel by train. Besides, train travel is so inexpensive in Turkey compared to Canada. The train would take a little over 3 hours to get to Denizli at the cost of 30 TL each, a bargain and an experience. After arriving in Denizli, we caught a taxi to our accommodations, the Cotton House in Pamukkale; the taxi cost 120 TL.

Checking Out Pamukkale

After an early check-in into our room, we ventured out to see Pamukkale, get acquainted with our new surroundings, and find the Travertine Terraces along with the Roman ruins of Hierapolis. Once we discovered how to get to our destinations for the next day, it was off to look around the town. We needed to pick up a couple of things (beer) and more phone minutes as we are using a Turkish SIM card. Another item that we had to look into was travel arrangements from Pamukkale to Fethiye, our next stop in a couple of days. While the women were off buying beer, I located a tour operator ITT Group Turkey that advertised bus transportation to Fethiye.

Getting To The Travertine Terraces Or Hierapolis Ruins

There are a couple of ways of getting to the ruins or the travertine terraces, one better than the other. Firstly, just past the pond (lake) close to the main street, there is a ticket booth where you can purchase your ticket and walk up to the top of the Travertine Terraces. Taking this route is not the best choice because once you reach the travertine terraces, pools, and waterway, you must walk barefoot, not very comfortable, and a long walk.

One of the shopkeepers suggested that we hire a taxi to get to the south gate and enter from there. The cost of entry is 110 TL; this includes Travertine Terraces and the Hierapolis Ruins. Entering here, you walk through the ruins, then onto the pools, logical flow. Not included in the cost of swimming in Cleopatra’s pool, this is a separate fee of 100 TL. Cleopatra’s pool looks inviting; unfortunately, we did not partake, but I think one should as it looks very relaxing. More so than the travertine pools turned out to be.

Cleopatra's pool in Pamukkale
Cleopatra’s pool in Pamukkale

Pamukkale Guided Tour Package

Entering the store, you could see that this tour operator, ITT Group Turkey, could offer so much more to the traveling tourist. While talking to one of the agents about our transportation to Fethiye from Pamukkale, they suggested a tour package to see Pamukkale and all that it is known for. The tour package included visiting Travertine Terraces and the Ruins of Hierapolis, red springs, plus lunch, transportation, and a guide for 250 TL each. We thought this to be a good deal, so we purchased. We had no regrets as we enjoyed the tour, and it was nice having a guide along the way to explain all the history behind what we were looking at.

See Pamukkale Hierapolis Ruins (map)

The ancient city of Hierapolis was founded as a thermal spa in the 2nd century BC, and it is said that Telephos, the emperor, named Hierapolis after his wife, Hiera. Earthquakes continually destroyed Hierapolis city but were repeatedly rebuilt. However, the buildings that are standing today were built after the great earthquake in AD 60. After the Roman period, Hierapolis continued to be a significant center in the Byzantine period.

Hierapolis’s continued importance was St. Philip, one of Jesus’ disciples, who was crucified here in AD 80. After the Byzantine conquest of the 4th century, an octagonal church called Martyrium was built in memory of St. Philip. Therefore, the city gained fame, and it got the title “Metropolis.” The city was destroyed again by an earthquake in the 7th century AD, and following the earthquake in the 14 century, it was abandoned entirely.

The Theater at Hierapolis in Pamukkale

Our tour guide Meral is very knowledgeable about the ruins and allowed us the time to view areas that interested us. One of the most exciting places to visit is the theater that held 12k people, simply incredible to see. Our tour guide Meral took the time to take a group picture with everyone’s phone; our guide went out of her way to make the visit memorable. Just past the theater and up on the hill, you will find St. Philip church; we did not make it there. We were told that many believers do walk up there to pray.

See Pamukkale’s Travertine Terraces (thermal pools)

In Turkish, Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle,” is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing of thermal spring water. When the water, supersaturated with calcium carbonate, reaches the surface, carbon dioxide de-gasses from it, and calcium carbonate is deposited. The water deposits calcium carbonate as a soft gel which eventually crystallizes into travertine.

White travertine terraces Pamukkale
White travertine terraces

People have visited this area for thousands of years due to the attraction of the thermal pools. As recently as the mid-20th century, hotels were built over the ruins of Hierapolis, causing considerable damage. When the area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and replaced with artificial pools in a neighboring town. Some of the travertine terraces are off-limits, having suffered damage, erosion, and water pollution due to tourism.

Travertine pools in Pamukkale
Travertine pools

If you do research and read about visiting these pools, they’re made out to be a life-changing experience; well, they are not. We found this particular part of the whole experience somewhat disappointing. It may have been the time of year as we visited in March, not the perfect time to visit I’m sure. I would recommend visiting these terraces, but I would temper your expectations somewhat. The water is directed to the pools or terraces, whichever area needs it most. When the pools are receiving the water, they look nice, but the water itself is far from warm, and it is uncomfortable to walk on the hardened travertine. When the pools are empty, they are just not that impressive, again the day we were there it was a cool overcast-type day. The blue color might be more visible on a bright sunny day. It isn’t easy to distinguish the outlines of the pools as everything is white or off-white. Water in the pools would make the pools stand out more. Sorry, this is but our observations when we visited.

I would still recommend visiting as beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Maybe bring along a bathing suit and towel and enjoy Cleopatra’s pool; I’m sure this would be more comfortable and enjoyable.

People enjoying Cleopatra's pool
People enjoying Cleopatra’s pool

Red Springs, Pamukkale’s Cousin

The Red Springs are located approximately five kilometers away from Pamukkale, a natural hot spring pool in the village of Karahayit. Unlike Pamukkale’s white, these springs are a red color because of their high iron content. Today the area around the springs has a cafe, hotel, and places to relax. The water is hot at the source 60 C degrees; they say drinking the water has health benefits, we did give it a try. Interesting to see; we recommend stopping at it as the colors are unusual.

Ballon Rides

Balloon rides are available at Pamukkale to give you a birds-eye view of both the Travertine Terraces and the Hierapolis Ruins. We did not book a ride as we plan to experience this in Cappadocia. We were told that the rides here are 1500 TL for a 1-hour ride.

Transfer From Pamukkale To Fethiye

After completing our tour for the day, we finished up back at the office; at this point, we discussed our options on getting to Fethiye. We were told that the bus would be a minibus, not ideal but would work. Then we were told that they could offer us a private transfer with a guide that would see us stop at several ruins plus lunch included. The price was 3100 TL; after some discussion, we went ahead with this option. Comfort, more sightseeing with our guide Meral sounded good to us, besides we were in Turkey to see as much as possible.

You will have to read our next post to see how the ride to Fethiye, to say the least, was eventful.

How To Apply For Turkey eVisa

The Electronic Visa (e-Visa) Application System allows visitors traveling to Türkiye to quickly obtain their e-Visas online (www.evisa.gov.tr) in approximately three minutes. It is possible to obtain e-Visa 7/24 everywhere with an internet connection. After filling in the necessary information concerning their identity, passport, and travel dates, the applicants can obtain their visa and pay the visa fees online. It truly is that easy; We would recommend having a printed copy as well, just because.

Our Thoughts “See Pamukkale Experience The Travertine Terraces And Nearby Sites”

We did enjoy our time in Pamukkale and would recommend visiting; we stayed two nights. I think a day visit would be enough time but the travel time getting there and back would make for a very long day.

Our Positives

  • The Hierapolis Ruins were worth seeing especially the Theater, a beautiful structure.
  • Seeing Cleopatra’s pool was beautiful, a special and unusual piece from days gone by.
  • Finding the tour operator ITT Group Turkey, they are responsible for making our Turkey visit that much more interesting.

Our Negatives

  • I guess the negative that we found when we visited Pamukkale was the Travertine Terraces, there is so much hype that they just can’t live up to these expectations. The colors and beauty are just not present everywhere you look when looking at the Travertine Terraces, and the water is cold.

Would have, Could have, Should have

  • We wish we would have visited Cleopatra’s pool, but in the tour, time can be limited and you need to make choices. Some turn out better than others. Ultimately this is your choice and you may disagree, just want to give you another perspective. No matter, a visit to these sites is recommended.

Next Stop

Our next stop is in Fethiye, where we hope to go Paragliding if everything works out. Paragliding is not something that we have thought about before, but after reading about Fethiye, this is something that we are very interested in trying.

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Cindy and I call ourselves nomadic, so we use certain essentials to make this way of life easier and more comfortable with our lifestyle. With this in mind, we have composed a list of what we feel are essentials and some tips you might use to plan or take your next travel adventure.

Accommodation Options While Traveling The World

  • Booking.com is one of our go to’s when we are looking for a place to stay for a couple of days or longer
  • Agoda.com we find is best to use when in Southeast Asia, but hey you never know what you might find
  • Airbnb.com used to be our go-to but some of their cancelation policies are reasonable, give them a try as well

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An Amazing Guide For Ephesus And Other Antiquities Nearby

The library at Ephesus near Selcuk

After Izmir, where we enjoyed our first week in Turkey, we are now in Kusadasi for seven days. We are looking forward to exploring this city and the surrounding sights. One of the destinations that top our list is Ephesus, the once Roman capital of euro Asia. Our post, “An Amazing Guide For Ephesus And Ruins Nearby,” is written to provide useful travel information to you, the reader. We will highlight the areas to visit and relay our own experiences.

Guide For Selcuk: Ephesus Awaits

Our trip to Ephesus started with catching a dolmus (DOHL-moosh) to the downtown bus station, then transferring to another dolmus (minibus) that would take us to Selcuk. Ephesus is about three kilometers before Selcuk you need to request to be dropped off as the Dolmus does not go directly into Ephesus. Once dropped off, it’s a half Km walk to the entrance of Ephesus from the main road.

Cindy and I in front of the library at Ephesus
Cindy and I in front of the library at Ephesus

Lower Gate Ephesus (map)

After reaching the lower entrance gate, we purchased tickets to enter Ephesus including visiting the Terrace Houses. Just before entering Ephesus, we were approached by a guide, who offered his services. He told us the going rate was 250TL per hour, and that it generally takes two hours to walk through the Ephesus. While researching Ephesus, we read that using a guide was best as there was so much to see, learn, and understand. We hired him with no hesitation, we found out later that Tek (our guide) had 50 years of experience. We would recommend hiring a guide as their knowledge is essential to making the experience here memorable.

Harbor Street

A short walk into Ephesus from the lower gate, you come across Harbor Street, 500 meters long, and runs from what was the harbor to the stadium. Harbor street was the main street used by all who came to Ephesus, from Emperors to the commoner, including sailors. Everyone entering Ephesus had to enter through the bath to be cleansed from diseases before being allowed into the city. Harbour Street had columns on each side that had lanterns attached to them, at night they would be lit (using olive oil), lighting the way. Merchant shops lined this street, selling their wares.

Ephesus The Grand Theater

Heading up Harbor Street and at the end, you will find The Grand Theater, a magnificent structure located on the slope of Panayir Hill. The Grande Theater was first constructed in the third century BC; then enlarged to its current form during the Roman Period. The theater has a capacity of 25,000 seats, made up of sixty-six rows, divided by two staircases between seats and three tall horizontal sections.

The stage building is three stories tall and its facade facing the audience was ornamented with relieves, columns with windows, and statues. Five doors are opening to the orchestra area, the middle of which is wider than the rest. The Grande Theatre was used for concerts, plays, and religious, political, and philosophical discussions.

Marble Street

Marble Road runs from the Grande Theatre up to the Celsus Library. As we worked our way through Ephesus up towards the top entrance, Tek was very good at taking the time to explain all the buildings, ruins, roads, and everything else along the way. As a matter of fact, there was this one particular oddity that Tek referred to as the first billboard advertisement ever.

I will explain what this particular inscription in the stone pictured below tried to convey to the passer-by. Taking a look at the bottom of the picture; there is a box representing money. The second picture above the box represents a beautiful woman (queen). To the left is afoot which indicates walking as well as your age, and just above that is directions, straight ahead and then to the left. Above the directional sign and to the left a heart. Above the heart and to the right is a hole. Now put all this together:

If you have money and desire a beautiful woman, old enough, walk up the road, and to the left, you will find love, and she only accepts cash.

Ephesus first billboard advertisement

Celsus Library

The Celsus Library is an incredible sight with a facade that stands tall, with amazing detail, and impressive statues. The incredible beauty of this building is worth every picture that has been taken, and there have been many. I’m sure, the most photographed building in Ephesus. There were only a half dozen people around when we were there, which made for some stunning pictures.

Celsus Library viewed at a angle Ephesus at Selcuk
Celsus Library

The Celsus Library, built-in 117 AD, was a monumental tomb for Gaius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, the governor of the province of Asia. Celsus’ grave is beneath the ground floor, across from the entrance and Athena’s statue was placed over it because Athena was the goddess of wisdom.

The scrolls and manuscripts were kept in cupboards against the walls, there were double walls behind the bookcases to prevent extremes of temperature and humidity. The library’s capacity was more than 12,000 scrolls and was the third richest library in ancient times after the Alexandra and Pergamum.

Terrace Houses

To enter the Terrace House, you need to have purchased a ticket along with your Ephesus ticket. We found these houses extraordinary as they give the visitor a glimpse of what life would have been like for the very wealthy. You can only imagine what life as a commoner would have been like. Simply fascinating to discover that these homes were heated and had hot and cold water running as well. The pictures painted on the walls of these homes are gorgeous, as are the tiled floors, ah if only to be rich.

Ephesus terrace houses are located on a hill, opposite the Hadrian Temple. There are six residential units on three terraces at the lower end of the slope of the Bulbul Mountain. The oldest house dates back to 1C BC and continued to be used as a residence until 7C AD. Today these houses are covered with protective roofing, which resembles the past. The houses had interior courtyards in the center, with the ceiling were open. Primarily two-storied; the upper level has collapsed over time. There were living and dining rooms opening to the hall on the ground floor, and upstairs there were bedrooms and guest rooms.

The heating system of the terrace houses was the same as that found in the baths. Clay pipes beneath the floors and behind the walls carried hot air throughout the house. The homes also had cold and hot water. The rooms had no window, only illuminated with light from the open hall, so most of the rooms were dim.

The Public Toilets

Cindy and I found The Public Toilets to be very interesting as we would have never thought that way back then, such modern plumbing systems existed. The toilets were part of the Scholastica Baths built in 1C AD. There was an entrance fee to use them. In the center of the room, there was an uncovered pool, and the toilets are aligned along the walls. The columns surrounding the pool supported a wooden ceiling.

Roman toilet found at Ephesus near Selcuk
Roman Toilet found at Ephesus.

A series of 36 holes designed to handle your business stretch across three long benches and a trough with relatively clean water would be flowing sits near your feet. Running water in the channel was used to dampen the sponge on a stick for personal cleansing and then to rinse off the sponge after use. In the absence of running water, a bucket of salt or vinegar water would be used, much to the irritation of everyone’s nether regions.

Final Thoughts On Ephesus

We enjoyed our visit to Ephesus; it is a fascinating place and very large in scope. We had a guide and went from bottom to top, as I mentioned earlier, which took us two hours, our guide left, then we worked our way back down again; in total, our visit lasted 5 hours, and we took over 600 pictures. I’ve read from many others to start at the top and work your way down, I think what we did is better, but it depends on your interest and how much time you have. Or how busy the place is.

Rock structure outside of Ephesus toward Harbour

I have talked about Ephesus this is a tiny part of what you will see here in Ephesus. If given the opportunity, you should make every effort to visit. I would recommend in the offseason or the shoulder as this place is very popular and can get very hot in the summertime.

How To Get To Ephesus

There are several ways to get to Ephesus to tour these magnificent ruins. You could be part of a tour from the surrounding area, most likely Kusadasi, as cruise ships dock here. There is the option of hiring a taxi and having them wait for you while you’re touring the ruins. Lastly, you can do what we did catch the Dolmus from Kusadasi out to the ruins.

Stone angle image on street of Ephesus near Selcuk
Angel Carved into Rock

Getting To Ephesus Using A Tour Company

Many tour companies operate in Kusadasi; I’ll be honest, I do not know the going rate. Positives would be that you are picked up at your hotel and then driven to Ephesus with a group of other like-minded individuals. You have a tour guide that will explain to you all about Ephesus. The downside would be the high cost, of working with someone else’s schedule. You bring your own crowd in a group of people, so pictures are hard to take; you may miss out on information that your guide is trying to talk to you about as others may not be that respectful.

Hiring A Taxi To Get To Ephesus

Walking around Kusadasi, you will find many taxis for hire that will drive you to Ephesus, wait up to three hours, and then bring you back to town. The positives to this form of transportation are that you are a small group and can share the cost of the taxi. You are not working with someone else’s schedule so that you can tour the ruins at your own pace. Two main downsides to the taxi are the cost of 50 euro, and ultimately you are working with the taxi’s schedule or paying a higher fee for his wait time. You have no guide, but you can hire one if you wish.

Catch The Dolmus To Ephesus

Using the dolmus was our choice as the cost was the most significant positive to this option; we paid 17 TL in total to get to the ruins from Kusadasi. You have your own schedule, tour as long as you want, and do whatever you please, not part of any crowd. The downside to this last option is not knowing the bus schedule, pickup, or drop-off points.

How To Catch The Dolmus

Catching any dolmus in Kusadasi is a 4 TL cost, it will end up taking you to the Dolmus bus station in the town center. Once you arrive here, you will need to wait for the bus that says Selcuk on the sign; it will also say Kusadasi to Selcuk. People at the bus stop will assist you as well if needed. Once you catch the bus, you need to tell the driver that you want off at Ephesus, then pay the 13 TL for the ride. Once he drops you off at the roadside to Ephesus, it is about a 500-meter walk to the gates.

To return to Kusadasi, you can wait for the Dolmus on the other side of the main road from Ephesus or catch the return Dolmus bus from the Selcuk central bus station. Taking a Dolmus may look complicated, but it is straightforward.

Guide For Antiquities Nearby Ephesus (map)

Selcuk has lots to do and see for being a much smaller town than Kusadasi. Selcuk attractions can be visited over two days, and most are within walking distance. Except for House of Mary, which I think is 8 kilometers away. To visit this, you will need to hire a taxi, the cost is 180 TL.

Admission Fees / Entry Ticket Costs for Ephesus and the nearby Attractions

  • Ephesus: 120 Turkish Lira
  • House of Mary: 80 Turkish Lira
  • Temple of Artemis: Free of Charge
  • Isa Bey Mosque: Free of Charge
  • Terrace Houses: 40 Turkish Lira
  • Basilica of St. John: 30 TL
  • Museum of Ephesus: 30 TL

Guide For Selcuk: Basilica Of Saint John (map)

The early Christian community in the ancient port city of Ephesus traced its origins to the apostle and evangelist St. John, the Beloved Disciple. According to the church, John wrote his gospel in Ephesus, and, after a period of exile on the island of Patmos, John returned there and died.

The Baptismal at Basilica Of Saint John in Selcuk
The Baptismal at Basilica Of Saint John in Selcuk

The Basilica Of Saint John’s primary attraction is St. John’s tomb and its marble encasement, still visible today. History says that when Constantine opened the saint’s tomb, no relics were found, attesting to the saint’s miraculous assumption into heaven.

On visiting the Basilica of Saint John we were completely amazed by the sheer size of the site and the condition that it was in. Definitely worth visiting. I confess that I did not know that early Christianity was so intertwined with the Roman settlements of Turkey. I assumed everything centered around Israel. It’s good to learn something. I believe that we spent an hour or a little longer walking through the site.

The site is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. April to October and 8 a.m. t.o 4 p.m. November to March.

Guide For Selcuk: Ayasuluk Citadel (map)

Ayasuluk Citadel or the acropolis was built by the Byzantines, although the exact date of construction is unknown. Findings of Mycenaean pottery and other artifacts found here, it is thought that indigenous Anatolian people used the acropolis before the arrival of the Ionian Greeks around 1000 BC. The Turks rebuilt and added to the Citadel, which has 15 watchtowers and contains numerous cisterns, the remains of a Byzantine church, and a small mosque.

The Ayasuluk Citadel is located past the Basilica of Saint John, by a ten-minute walk. The cost is covered by the entrance fee paid to enter the Basilica. The Citadel was renovated in 2008, so it is in excellent shape. There are a couple of interesting buildings inside the castle walls: an old church and a mosque. If you are visiting the Basilica of Saint John, you should also take the extra time to visit the castle. It will take an additional 45-60 minutes, including the walk.

Guide For Selcuk: İsa Bey Mosque ( map)

Just down the hill from the Basilica of Saint John, you will find İsa Bey Mosque, dating back to 1375. Its design resembles the works of Arabic masters rather than the more familiar Ottoman mosques, which did not take shape until after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. In 1653 and 1668, the İsa Bey’s two minarets suffered damage from earthquakes.

The Mosque stood in ruins for quite a while, but in 1975 it was restored and reopened for prayer. Further restorations were carried out in 2005. The Mosque is used for worship, visitors can visit. Before entering read and follow the rules posted, then enter and enjoy the architecture.

During our visit to the Mosque, the Imam came over and talked to us; his English was good. He took the time to ask us about our trip and what we thought about Turkey, its people and culture. After which, he explained a little about the Muslim faith and the Quran to us. We had a lovely conversation; he allowed us to take pictures and observe their prayer. Before we left, he handed us a copy of the Quran with his business card and email if we had any questions. A gratifying experience, I might add. I would highly recommend visiting; it takes all of a half-hour.

Guide For Selcuk: The Temple OF Artemis (map)

After visiting the İsa Bey Mosque, we walked toward the Temple of Artemis. Along the way, we found an old Turkish bath that was fenced off but dates back to 1350. It looked interesting enough; maybe someday they may restore it as well.

Old Turkish bath in Selcuk town
Old Turkish bath dating back to 1372 in Selcuk town

The Temple of Artemis is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Built-in the areas of Ephesus on a flat site. Over the centuries this location has turned into a swamp. If you visit the Temple, there is not much to see except a solitary column standing. The most beautiful remains of this temple are today exhibited in the London British Museum.

Temple of Artemis Selcuk
Temple of Artemis Selcuk

The statue of the many-breasted Artemis was the symbol of the Temple but also of abundance, hunting, and wildlife. The genuine statue of Artemis today can be visited at the Ephesus Museum, and it takes ten minutes to walk to maybe 10 minutes there.

Guide For Selcuk: Ephesus Archaeological Museum (map)

In this small but well-organized museum, there are findings from the excavations at Ephesus archeological site, and artifacts from the Cukurici Mound, the Basilica of St John, and the Temple Artemis can be found here as well. You can find a comprehensive collection of coins dating back to when money was first used in history. 

Man laying on his side at the Ephesus museum in Selcuk
Man laying on his side

Before visiting these galleries, you should not miss the 3D simulation video of ancient Ephesus. Here visitors can visualize the setting of the ancient city and what the buildings used to look like. The video is in Turkish, English, and German, lasting 10 minutes. The video room is the first room before the fountain statues gallery, and this would have been nice to know when we visited.

One of the most remarkable artifacts in the museum is the statue of Artemis, the Priapos statue, the head of Socrates, the Egyptian priest, and the oldest piece – a stamp- found in Cukurici Mound- dating back to 6200 BC. 

The Ephesus Archaeological Museum is located not that far from the town center, an easy walk from just about anywhere. The museum takes between 60-90 minutes to go through. We felt that the museum was well laid out and worth the visit. We visited before going to Ephesus, not sure if that makes a difference or not.

Interesting Note About The Antiquities From Ephesus

In Ephesus, the archeological artifacts dug between 1867-1905 were transported to the British Museum; and artifacts from 1905-to 1923 were taken to Vienna. With the founding of the New Turkish Republic, the government forbade taking antiques out of the country and required the artifacts taken outside the country back to Turkey. In 1964, the Ephesus Museum was founded, and the findings from the excavations at Ephesus archeological site and around were put into this museum. 

Guide For Selcuk: Grotto Of The Seven Sleepers (map)

After we had finished touring the ruins of Ephesus, we decided to visit the Grotto Of The Seven Sleepers, which would be about a three-kilometer walk. It was a lovely day for a walk, so following the road, we were able to find the location of the Grotto Of The Seven Sleepers. There are several signs indicating direction along the way.

Once there, you pass through a gate and follow the path, maybe 400 meters to the location. The area is fenced and gated, so it isn’t easy to see much or explore. We ended up taking some photographs of what we could see and left somewhat disappointed. We still had another 3 kilometers to walk before we reached Selcuk. It had been a long day, putting on nearly 25,000 steps. Not sure if I would recommend visiting, but we had not much else to do.

Guide For Selcuk: House Of The Virgin Mary (map)

The House Of The Virgin Mary is where Mary may have spent her last years. Unfortunately, we did not have the time to visit. I would have liked to, but it just was not meant to be. Mary may have come to the area with Saint John, who spent several years spreading Christianity. Mary preferred this remote location rather than living in a crowded town.

The house of the Virgin Mary is a typical Roman home made entirely of stones. In the 4th century AD, a church was built that encompassed the home. The original two-stored house consisted of an anteroom (where today candles are proposed), a bedroom and praying room, and a room with a fireplace (chapel for Muslims). Today, only the central part and a room on the right of the altar are open to visitors. One can understand that this building looks more like a church than a house.

Guide For Kusadasi What To See And Do

We visited Kusadasi near the end of February, so, unfortunately, we were not able to discover all the things that Kusadasi is known for. In saying that, we will try to provide you with somewhat of a guide for Kusadasi. Firstly, Kusadasi is a busy city situated on the Agean coast so beaches are plentiful and I’ve read very lovelily.

Ladies Beach

Ladies beach is a fifteen-minute walk from downtown or a short minibus ride from downtown. The beach is a kilometer of soft sand on a west-facing bay. The name “Ladies Beach” is a holdover from the Ottoman days of segregation. Thanks to a smooth slope and a large shallow area where non-swimmers can play, this is a beach for families. Ladies beach is a popular place to spend a warm afternoon, and there are beach clubs all around the bay, renting out sun loungers and parasols. The promenade, full of restaurants, cafes, and shops, is set slightly above the beach and has a seriously romantic view across to Samos at sunset.

Kuşadası Harbour

Cruise ships dock here, maybe not so many lately, but I’m sure they will be back. The town comes alive when these floating cities come calling. The harbor area is busy with activity, shops that sell whatever you might or might not need, and Restaurants aplenty to enjoy food and drinks with new or old friends. Near the cruise ship dock, you will find lots of seafood restaurants along with a fish market, so if you are looking for the catch of the day, you do not have to look far. The fish is tasty, and the beer is always cold, or indulge in some Turkish Raki that can be found pretty much everywhere.

If you’re up for a day trip to the Greek island of Samos, this is the place to embark. You can find boat tours on the causeway at pigeon island that will take you out to get a different perspective of Kusadasi. There is always something going on down by the harbor, so join in. You will find a sculpture of hand-releasing doves roughly halfway along the Boulevard.

Gazibegendi Hill

Northeast of the marina, there’s a hill that oversees the city; this spot is the best lookout in Kuşadası, especially at sunset. Gazibegendi Hill commemorates Turkey’s modernizing statesman Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), who came here in 1924 and 1937. The name Gazibegendi means “Loved by the Veteran,” Atatürk’s nickname.

Gazibegendi Hill bronze statue of Atatürk

The story goes that he was especially taken with the view of the indented Aegean coastline from this vantage point. To honor him, there’s a Turkish flag and a bronze statue of Atatürk contemplating the vista down to Güvercinada.

Güvercinada (Pigeon Island) (map)

Güvercinada Castle was built to protect the harbor at the mouth of Kuşadası Bay. There is an inner castle built-in 1470’s ish with the outer built by İlyas Ağa on Güvercinada in 1826. During the Peloponnese Rebellion, these walls were built to prevent islands and sea attacks. The walls were made about 3 meters high to surround the island. The stones used in the construction of the castle were brought from Yılancıburnu. To the south of the walls is the castle’s entrance gate, protected by two towers and a round arch. The north tower is pentagonal, and the south tower is cylindrical.

The castle is a short walk from the downtown area. We did visit and enjoyed our time there, peaceful and beautiful. It does not take long to walk through, so we recommend visiting if you have some spare time and are looking for something to do. There are boat tour operators along the causeway that leads out to the castle, tours are inexpensive, 30 TL for an hour.

Historical picture of Güvercinada castle in Kusadasi

Our Time Spent Here In Kusadasi

We spent a lot of time walking the downtown area of this city. We found Kusadasi to be a friendly town with a little bit for everyone. If you get off the main street, you will find lots of souvenir shops selling their wares. After which, look for inexpensive local restaurants serving up local favorites and very tasty, at that I might add.

The central Boulevard is pleasant to walk down as there are lots to see, including the harbor with all the boats to specialized shops that await your money. There seems to be always something going along the Boulevard.

Our Accommodations While In Kusadasi

While we were in Kusadasi we stayed at an Airbnb, Pine City Residence 2BR, our host was very good and responded quickly to any requests or questions that we had. He arranged to have a taxi pick us up when we left to take us to the train in Selcuk. So if looking for a taxi driver Mr. Necati speaks English and can be reached on Whatsapp +90 507 920 47 43. The apartment itself was very comfortable and had a beautiful view. Located close enough that we could walk into town but far enough away that you never had a problem with noise. Everything that you might need it has, we stayed 7 days.

Chronological Timeline Of Turkey

Paleolithic Age (Early Stone Age) 60,000 – 10,000 BCEMesolithic Age (Mid Stone Age) 10,000 – 8,500 BCE
Neolithic Age (Late Stone Age) 8,500 – 5,000 BCEChalcolithic Age (Copper Age) 5,000 – 3,000 BCE
Bronze Age 3,000 – 2,000 BCEHatti and Hurrian Civilization 2,500 – 2,000 BCE
Troy – II Settlement 2,500 – 2,000 BCEHatti and Hittite Principalities Period 2,000 – 1,750 BCE
Great Hittite Kingdom Hurri Civilization 1,750 – 1,200 BCETroy – VI Civilization 1,800 – 1,275 BCE
Aegean Migration and Invasion From Balkans 1,200 BCEThe Anatolian Principalities during the Iron Age 1,200 – 700 BCE
Urartu Civilization 900 – 600 BCEThe Civilization of Phrygia 750 – 300 BCE
Lydia, Caria and Lycia Civilizations 700 – 300 BCEIonian Civilization 1,050 – 300 BCE
Persian Conquest 545 – 333 BCEHellenistic And Roman Age 333 BCE – 395
The Byzantine Civilization (Eastern Roman Empire) 330 – 1453The Seljuk Empire 1071 – 1300
The Ottoman Empire 1299 – 1923The Republic of Turkey Since 1923
This timeline was taken from Turkey Tours and Babyboomerbudgettraveler.com would give them all the credit for their work

How To Apply For Turkey eVisa

The Electronic Visa (e-Visa) Application System allows visitors traveling to Türkiye to quickly obtain their e-Visas online (www.evisa.gov.tr) in approximately three minutes. It is possible to obtain e-Visa 7/24 everywhere with an internet connection. After filling in the necessary information concerning their identity, passport, and travel dates, the applicants can obtain their visa and pay the visa fees online. It truly is that easy; We would recommend having a printed copy as well, just because.

Our Final Thoughts “An Amazing Guide For Ephesus And Other Antiquities Nearby”

  • We really enjoyed our time in Selcuk and Kusadasi, there are so many things to keep you busy. This place has ancient ruins in spades, all are fascinating and worth the time to visit. We stayed in Kusadasi but spent two very full days in Selcuk as this is where most ruins are to be found. We used the dolmus to get around from town to town. I have written how to get there up above, this is by far the best way to get around and the cheapest. It only takes one ride to get comfortable with using them.

Our Positives

  • Kusadasi is a beautiful city set right on the water’s edge, a cruise-ship port whenever they get running again.
  • There are many food options to be found in both Kusadasi and Selcuk, but with Kusadasi, there are more options and greater seafood choices.
  • Selcuk has so many places to visit that are in town or a short drive away, Ephesus is the biggest draw but there are many others as well.
  • Kusadasi offers many beaches nearby, for us at the time of year this really was not an option.

Our Negatives

  • If we had any negatives it might be the length of stay. For us free time is nice as we work on our blog. I think that 5 days in this area would be plenty to see the sights and enjoy the water. My thoughts anyway.

Would have, Could have, Should have

  • What we might have done differently is booked in Selcuk as there is so much to do. You could easily spend 3 days here and never be bored. Our stay in Kusadasi was 7 days so its hard to say that would be a good idea to stay in Selcuk. My recommendation would be if you are staying in the area for 3 days or less Selcuk would be the way to go. If your stay is longer best bet would be to stay in Kusadasi especially if you are here when you can enjoy the beaches.

Next Stop

Cindy and I, and my sister, are taking the train (3hr ride) to visit Pamukkale, a town in western Turkey known for the mineral-rich thermal waters flowing down white travertine terraces on a nearby hillside. We have read plenty about this spot, so we will keep our fingers crossed. A place with so much hype will be hard for it to live up to its expectations. Hierapolis, an ancient Roman spa city founded around 190 BC, is located alongside the pools. The Antique Pool is famous for its submerged Roman columns resulting from an earthquake many years ago.

We have a whole itinerary planned for Turkey as we are spending two months here. Bouncing around the country, exploring what Turkey has to offer. We are excited and looking forward to this next leg of our trip as there is lots of history to dig into. Plus the Aegean coast, the sea, and many other delights and adventures, I’m sure.

Support Our Blog And It’s Unique Travel Content

You can support our site by using the links through our travel Essential. If you purchase items using our links, we will receive a small commission. There are no extra or hidden costs to you. These commissions assist us in our travel, so we can provide unique content to you through each blog post. If you enjoy our blog and find it interesting and informative please share it with friends. Subscriber, so you never miss a new post. Thank you.

Cindy and I call ourselves nomadic, so we use certain essentials to make this way of life easier and more comfortable with our lifestyle. With this in mind, we have composed a list of what we feel are essentials and some tips you might use to plan or take your next travel adventure.

Accommodation Options While Traveling The World

  • Booking.com is one of our go to’s when we are looking for a place to stay for a couple of days or longer
  • Agoda.com we find is best best to use when in Southeast Asia, but hey you never now what you might find
  • Airbnb.com usded to be our go to but some of their cancelation policies are resonable, give them a try as well

Travel Insurance

We always travel with travel Insurance, just medical or complete trip coverage. We use Heymondo as we find their costs reasonable. Remember, don’t travel, and without coverage, the savings are not worth the possible costs.

Some links on this page are affiliate links, meaning if you buy a product using our link, we may earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Disclaimer.

Izmir Guide To Discover Some Of Its Secrets

Cindy and I are very excited to be visiting Turkey, looking forward to the history, new flavors, culture, local markets, bazaars, and people. In February, we start our adventure in Izmir with a seven-day stay. The weather is not hot, but the tourist crowd will not be a factor either. We intend to discover and explore Izmir, a port city found on the Agean sea. “Izmir A Guide To Discover Some Of Its Secrets” will be informative and suggest points of interest to go visit and explore.

We plan to spend two months in Turkey with an itinerary visiting the following other locations: Kuşadası, Pamukkale, Fethiye, Antalya, Göreme, and lastly, Istanbul. Each of these cities has its unique historical moments that tell a story and local markets and bazaars to explore. Plus offering modern-day adventures such as balloon rides, paragliding, and water activities such as diving. So without further ado, let’s discover Izmir’s secrets.

Travel everywhere for less

Izmir A Brief History

Izmir is one of the oldest cities with nearly 4,000 years of recorded history. They were founded in the 11th-century BC by the Aeolians, a Greek people. It is one of the oldest settlements on the Mediterranean. By 1500 BC, the ancient Hittite Empire ruled the region. Then the Lydian and Persian Empires then took it over. After which, it enjoyed an age of prosperity under the Roman Empire around 133 BC.

During the 4th century AD, Izmir was part of the Byzantine Empire. The 11th to the 15th century was ruled alternately by the Byzantines and the Turks. In 1402 Izmir was ravaged by the Mongols. In the early 14th century, the Ottomans captured Izmir before becoming an international port city in the 16th century. Nowadays, the ruins of these ancient empires can be found scattered among modern Izmir.

Agora of Smyrna (Izmir) (map)

Ancient Smyrna was founded in approximately the 11th century BC. First as an Aeolian settlement and later taken over and developed during the Archaic Period by the Ionians. Smyrna was the new city to which residents moved to in the 4th century BC; it was inspired by Alexander the Great. Smyrna’s Agora was ruined in an earthquake in 178 AD but rebuilt by Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. The reconstructed Corinthian columns and Faustina Gate are eye-catching. But the vaulted chambers and cisterns in the basements of the two basilicas are even more impressive. This gives visitors a good idea of how this rectangular-shaped, multilevel marketplace would have looked in its heyday. Archaeological diggings are still underway. It was located within the city of Izmir.

The ancient Agora (ancient market) of Izmir is easy to find; we walked there from our Airbnb, three kilometers away. We enjoy the sights and sounds walking through the neighborhoods as you never know if you will find a market or a bazaar. Some signs direct you to the Agora entrance when you get near the Agora. Arriving at the Agora around noon, we paid the 25-Lira entrance fee, then off to discover this ancient ruin. A large part of the site is closed to the public because excavations and restorations are still in progress.

The magical part of visiting the Agora was seeing and wandering the floor below the level of the old basilica. Here you can see the water channels built by the Romans, which are still in operation. We found this level to be unique, with the archways and the principal foundations constructed to support the upper level of the basilica. Walking in this area, we found many picture-worthy stone structures in excellent condition. Looking at this stonework makes you wonder how all this could have been built. The sheer size and complexity of it all will blow your mind. I’m always amazed when I see sights like this, the engineering and determination it took to accomplish such feats.

Konak Square (map)

A guide Izmirs’s Konak Square what to see and where it is. The first thing you will notice in Konak Square is the Izmir Clock Tower. Built-in 1901, at the height of 25 meters, it has four floors and is shaped in an octagonal. The Clock Tower is decorated in elaborate Ottoman architecture and is considered the prominent landmark of the city.

Clock tower at night in Konak square Izmir
Clock Tower lit up at night in Konak Square Izmir.

Konak Square appears to be a gathering place; families can be seen walking with children. Near the tower, hawkers sell balloons to the kids or birdseed to feed the many pigeons. The small kids seem to have fun running after the birds after they land to feed. A great sport, I’m sure, if you are a child.

Street performers can also be seen in this area; we ran across a mime all painted in silver and dressed as a Turkish swordsman, impressive to see. Nearby we saw a couple of musicians singing and playing instruments which had the crowd joyfully dancing along. This enjoyment felt by the people is what makes travel all worthwhile, the experience.

Konak Square is located just below one of many entrances into the bazaar. If in the area, don’t miss the opportunity to explore the bazaar. These are an experience like no other.

Karatas Hosgor Hamam (Bath) (map)

We visited Karatas Hosgor Hamami, a Turkish bath not far from our accommodations. This particular Hamam is over two hundred years old, not much to look at from the outside. But the inside was nice, having separate lockable changerooms. Here you strip down to your underwear and wrap a towel around yourself before heading into the main room. There is a steam room where you can sit before heading into the main bath area. The central bath area ceiling is domed with small, round, colored glass windows. You can imagine this same bath process enjoyed hundreds or thousands of years ago—the joys of history.

Once inside the 200 year+ marble bathroom, you hang up your towel and sit on the marble bench. Here you find taps hot and cold that fill a beautiful marble bowl. Inside the bowl, you use a plastic bowl to pour water over yourself until it’s your turn to be scrubbed down.

In the middle of the bathroom is a large marble slab. Here you lay down on your back or front depending, and the vigorous scrub begins. After scrubbing your body, they rinse and lather you with a very soft soap inside a towel, then proceed to wash you down. A final rinse and you are all set; the experience was enjoyable but not completely relaxing as they are enthusiastic about the scrub. It’s too bad one couldn’t take some pictures of the inside. I should have asked as I was the only one there at the beginning.

This particular bathhouse does not have two separate rooms for the bath, so time slots are used to accommodate the two sexes. The times noted above in blue in the photograph are for the men, and red is for the ladies. Be sure to add a little extra time at the intervals between the sex time slot changes. I walked in while there were women still inside (nothing seen) to many loud Turkish commands. It didn’t take long to realize, a quick about-face, and I was outside again.

The cost of this unique Turkish experience was 100 TL, well worth the experience; you can add an oil massage which my wife opted for when she went earlier in the day. Cindy’s feedback on this was that it was not worth the extra cost as it did not last that long, but it did leave her skin feeling soft. We recommend given the opportunity that this is something that you should definitely try, we think that it is worth visiting a least once.

Bazaar district – Keremalti Market (map)

The bazaar is a labyrinthine stretching from Konak Sq through to the ancient Agora, Kemeraltı dates back to the 17th century and is home to many shops from, eateries, artisans’ workshops, mosques, coffeehouses, tea gardens, and synagogues. Spending a day or two exploring its crowded and colorful streets can be exciting or at times overwhelming, as it is easy to get lost or turned around. Losing your way and coming across unexpected treasures is part of the bazaar’s attraction. Look for the Kızlarağası Hanı, built-in 1744, an Ottoman bedesten (warehouse), now it has many shops inside its massive walls, street performs can be found in front entertaining the passers-by. Take the time to stop and enjoy.

We visited this market bazaar several times while we were in Izmir, finding several places to eat that served authentic Turkish food. Trying local dishes like our new favorite Midye dolma (stuffed steamed mussels). It is amazing the shops that can be found here, selling everything under the sun. We do not buy much as we travel light with backpacks so there is no room. We still like to look for spices as we both like to cook and enjoy all kinds of flavors. My sister on the other hand, well she likes her stuff and purchases gifts for others as well. She had fun but did not overdo it.

We were invited to a leather shop to see the process etc. Well, the salesman latched onto my sister and tried his damndest to sell her a leather jacket. I must admit at the start I was having fun poking the bear, he even provided us with a nice apple tea, which we enjoyed. In the end, common sense prevailed and we walked out with nothing, I don’t think that he was too happy but life goes on. I’m sure he’ll find someone else to purchase one of his leathers.

It does pay to have some willpower as these guys are good at their job. A little entertainment.

İzmir Tarihi Asansör (Elevator) Binası (map)

Tarihi Asansör (elevator) is a historical building found in the district of Konak. Built in 1907 for the area’s people to provide easy access to the top for the elderly and women by a wealthy Jewish banker and trader of that time. The elevator is open to visitors between 08:00 in the morning and midnight, at no cost. The height between these two streets is 58 meters. There is a 155-step staircase connecting the streets. Taking the elevator is a nice change of pace from walking up the steps as there are lots, and after a while, they become exhausting.

The lower street leading up to the elevator has many restaurants along its length that serve Turkish food that is amazing in flavor. At the top of the elevator, you will find another restaurant that has a nice view overlooking the city.

Kadifekale (map)

Kadifekale is a hilltop castle in İzmir, Turkey. The castle is located on Mount Pagos, which has an elevation of 186 meters. Built-in the 3rd century BC. The castle provides a fantastic view of the city of İzmir.

I’ll be honest; not much to see; we visited took some pics of the still-standing walls. On a clear day, the view would be nice. We walked up to visit, so the hike itself was invigorating, plus I found a barber near the entrance, so I got my head and face shaved for 70 Lira.

Izmir A Guide To Our Experiences

Izmir, a guide to our experiences, is meant to let you, the reader, focus on some of the special moments we experienced while visiting Izmir. The first story is my sister was joining us in Izmir and that we were to meet up at the airport at the baggage claim, and my sister was arriving earlier and would wait for us as we were arriving 1 hour later at 9:45 pm. At the baggage claim, my sister was nowhere to be found. Free wifi was not available unless you had a Turkish phone number, which made the search that much more difficult.

After exhausting our resources, we headed to our Airbnb without her; she had our host’s address and phone number, so we hoped it would work out sooner than later. Well, at one in the morning, guess who shows up? It turns out that she arrived at the international side of the airport and us at the domestic. Long story short, make sure you have flight numbers and as much information as you can. Then don’t panic; it will work itself out.

On our second day in Izmir, we were off to find a Turkish sim card for our phone as this was the start of our trip, and we would be in Turkey for two months. After getting the sim card, it was off to find a bite to eat. We settled on this fish market kind of thing and enjoyed a couple of plates of some of the best calamari that we have ever had. Just in front of the entrance, a gentleman was selling a reddish paste called Çiğ köfte that is served with lettuce, greens, and some lemon. We asked the gentleman selling this if we could sample one to try; I love to try different foods.

After obliging our request, he asked in his broken English where we were from, Canada we replied. With that, we found a new friend. It appears that his son lives in Canada. He brought us all a Turkish tea, and we talked as best we could, him showing us pictures of the family. We enjoy the experience of being excepted, if only for a short period of time. We went to that same restaurant several days later. He recognized us and provided us with more of his Çiğ köfte to enjoy with our dinner; the flavors of Turkish food are incredible. I sought him out after our meal and tried to pay. He would not hear of it; we thanked him for his generosity and for taking the time to accept us as friends if for only a moment. The unexpected joys of travel.

Street Art

You never know where you find it but take the time to look for it. Street art tells a story so take the time to look and appreciate what they are trying to say. The art is free and can be a window into the soul of the neighborhood, city, or country. We found these while just wandering around the streets.

Izmir Guide to Turkish Food and Flavors

Since Izmir is our first stop in Turkey, we delight in experiencing many new flavors and Turkish foods found in the local markets or the bazaars. Cindy and I believe food and its many flavors are never to be passed by or taken for granted as they are essential to the whole travel experience. Since most of our stops in Turkey will be along the coast, I’m sure seafood will play a large part in these flavors. Can’t wait to purchase at these local markets. One of our favorite Turkish foods already is Midye dolma; this is a mussel stuffed with spiced rice, delicious indeed.

Our Airbnb Accomodations

While in Izmir we stayed in an Airbnb for the week that we were there. Entire rental unit hosted by Gülşah was the name of our Airbnb, our host was extremely helpful. Gülşah even picked us up at the airport for a small fee when we arrived in Izmir and went out of her way to help us when we couldn’t find my sister at the airport. Gülşah had many suggestions on where to eat or visit and helped in any way she could, very responsive to questions or requests. We would recommend staying here if you are Konak, the apartment is close to most everything.

Chronological Timeline Of Turkey

Paleolithic Age (Early Stone Age) 60,000 – 10,000 BCEMesolithic Age (Mid Stone Age) 10,000 – 8,500 BCE
Neolithic Age (Late Stone Age) 8,500 – 5,000 BCEChalcolithic Age (Copper Age) 5,000 – 3,000 BCE
Bronze Age 3,000 – 2,000 BCEHatti and Hurrian Civilization 2,500 – 2,000 BCE
Troy – II Settlement 2,500 – 2,000 BCEHatti and Hittite Principalities Period 2,000 – 1,750 BCE
Great Hittite Kingdom Hurri Civilization 1,750 – 1,200 BCETroy – VI Civilization 1,800 – 1,275 BCE
Aegean Migration and Invasion From Balkans 1,200 BCEThe Anatolian Principalities during the Iron Age 1,200 – 700 BCE
Urartu Civilization 900 – 600 BCEThe Civilization of Phrygia 750 – 300 BCE
Lydia, Caria and Lycia Civilizations 700 – 300 BCEIonian Civilization 1,050 – 300 BCE
Persian Conquest 545 – 333 BCEHellenistic And Roman Age 333 BCE – 395
The Byzantine Civilization (Eastern Roman Empire) 330 – 1453The Seljuk Empire 1071 – 1300
The Ottoman Empire 1299 – 1923The Republic of Turkey Since 1923
This timeline was taken from Turkey Tours and Babyboomerbudgettraveler.com would give them all the credit for their work

How To Apply For Turkey eVisa

The Electronic Visa (e-Visa) Application System allows visitors traveling to Türkiye to quickly obtain their e-Visas online (www.evisa.gov.tr) in approximately three minutes. It is possible to obtain e-Visa 7/24 everywhere with an internet connection. The applicants can obtain their visa after filling in the necessary information concerning their identity, passport, and travel dates and paying the visa fees online. It truly is that easy; We would recommend having a printed copy as well, just because.

Apply for your HES Code (Covid)

All passengers who intend to enter Turkey after March 14th, 2021, must fill  Turkey Traveler Entry Form 72 hours prior to departure. A private HES code will be created automatically by the given information for each visitor to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

Our Final Thoughts “Izmir A Guide To Discover Some Of Its Secrets”

  • We really enjoy our stay in Izmir, after almost loosing my sister at the airport. Most if not all our time in Izmir was spent in the district of Konak. Lots of local markets and bazaars to enjoy, regional food, plentyful and inexpensive. The ruins of Agora of Smyrna extremely amazing as you were able to see the sub struture that included many arches and large columns. We had good weather for our week stay. Izmir is not known as a tourist destination they say but we enjoyed it.

Our Positives

  • Izmir is a nice seaside city modern in parts of the city but has an historical district that is wonderful to visit.
  • Don’t miss the ancient ruins Agora of Smyrna
  • Visit the local markets and bazaars to get a taste of what life has to offer, many things to purchase and foods to try
  • Visit a turkish bath, we found the experience to be pleasent and inexpensive
  • People are friendly and helpful so step out of your comfort zone and meet the locals
  • Izmir built on a hillside so there a lot of stairs, good exercise but a lot of work.

Our Negatives

  • We have no negatives, we would recommend visiting to anybody. You probaly don’t need a week just depends on your time.

Would have, Could have, Should have

  • I do not think that there is anything we would change about our trip to Izmir.

Next Stop

Cindy and I, plus little sis, are now off to discover Kusadasi, another Turkish city on the west coast just one hour drive south of Izmir. Situated on the Agean Sea near the ruins of Ephesus. We ended up taking a taxi from Izmir to Kusadasi at a cost of 500TL, just quicker and it worked for us, not the most economical I’ll admit. We have a whole itinerary planned for Turkey as we are spending two months here. Bouncing around the country, exploring what Turkey has to offer. We are excited and looking forward to this next leg of our trip as there is lots of history to dig into. Plus the Aegean coast, the sea, and many other delights and adventures, I’m sure.

Support Our Blog And It’s Unique Travel Content

You can support our site by using the links through our travel Essential. If you purchase items using our links, we will receive a small commission. There are no extra or hidden costs to you. These commissions assist us in our travel, so we can provide unique content to you through each blog post. If you enjoy our blog and find it interesting and informative please share it with friends. Subscriber, so you never miss a new post. Thank you.

Cindy and I call ourselves nomadic, so we use certain essentials to make this way of life easier and more comfortable with our lifestyle. With this in mind, we have composed a list of what we feel are essentials and some tips you might use to plan or take your next travel adventure.

Accommodation Options While Traveling The World

  • Booking.com is one of our go to’s when we are looking for a place to stay for a couple of days or longer
  • Agoda.com we find is best best to use when in Southeast Asia, but hey you never now what you might find
  • Airbnb.com usded to be our go to but some of their cancelation policies are resonable, give them a try as well

Travel Insurance

We always travel with travel Insurance, just medical or complete trip coverage. We use Heymondo as we find their costs reasonable. Remember, don’t travel, and without coverage, the savings are not worth the possible costs.

Some links on this page are affiliate links, meaning if you buy a product using our link, we may earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Disclaimer.