Olu Deniz

Date

Sunday 4th June 2006

Distance and our timings

Exercise Rating

Introduction

Now fully aware of how we would feel on a walk involving climbs, we undertook this trek with rather more caution than the excursion to Coldwater bay. We knew we could expect stunning views - we weren't to be disappointed.

The Walk

From Gunay’s Garden our route took us to the main road heading towards Fethiye passing the Istanbul Restaurant on the left. After a short distance further along the road we passed a fountain on the right and in a further 100m the route turns into a narrow lane with several stalls. The start of the Olu Deniz trail branches off this lane on the right after a further 50m. When we did the walk there was a very helpful Turk pointing us in the right direction, hoping we would buy some of her hand-made jewellery (we have been using the phrase “next time” quite a lot as there are several such stalls around the town).

The footpath to Olu Deniz is well way marked with yellow and red bars painted onto the rocks  We found these generally very easy to follow, as we have found similar waymarking in other European countries.

The route winds its way up through the ruined buildings, with just a little searching required to find the way marks. As the houses were left behind the trail became a scramble in places but was not too difficult. Views back over Kaya Koy were worth pausing for and gave a good excuse to catch our breath.

The trail from the top of the ridge continues east, hugging the hillside on the left and passing through a shady forested section. Very soon we were rewarded with views of Coldwater bay, with Gemiler Island also showing itself as part of the beautiful turquoise coast scenery.

We lost the route on leaving the forest where there is a tricky section with the path turning back on itself to zig-zag down the side of the valley towards a clearing in the distance. At this point we were so enjoying the view that we missed the turn denoted by turn right sign as shown and ended up having to scramble down across the hillside to pick up the trail again. The track is actually very well marked and with a little concentration it is difficult to go wrong as it winds its way across the hillside. Beyond the cairn we passed through an old shepherds enclosure and a water tank at the edge of a clearing. We entered into the trees again and some shade, very welcome after the last exposed section.

The descent was quite steep here with tantalizing glimpses of Olu Deniz. On the descent there are some rock outcrops on the right which we climbed and were rewarded with what must be the most photographed view in Turkey. This is a stunning vantage point for photographing the lagoon and town beyond.

From here the descent is quick and the path emerges into a beach bar, but still guided by the trail markers. From here we walked just over a mile to reach the town. We were amazed watching the paragliders coming down from Babadag and landing along the beach front, each organisation having its own allocated landing slot.

We took just over three hours from Gunay’s Garden to complete the walk. We could have done it quicker - two hours would not be an unreasonable estimate - but the since reason for any good walk is to enjoy the scenery and the surroundings this one is not to be rushed. Our total distance was three and three quarter miles.

Olu Deniz is very much a tourist resort and seems totally geared to British tourists: so much so that it was difficult to find a restaurant for lunch that had Turkish food on the menu. However, with a stunning bay, a clean and sandy beach and a mountainous backdrop, Olu Deniz has a lot going for it and we will certainly re-visit one day.

After lunch and feeling refreshed we decided that we would rather walk back to Kaya Koy than take the dolmus service. The climb back to the ridge over to Kaya Koy is 850 feet from sea level and certain sections are hard work especially if temperatures are high. The return trip we did in two and a half hours; not so many photo stops on the way back but enough pauses to take on plenty of water.

Special Comments

A walk that shouldn’t be missed, at least in one direction. From Kaya Koy to Olu Deniz is the easier route and has the advantage of approaching the coastal landscape. The views along the coastline are awe inspiring. The line where the land drops into the Mediterranean into a turquoise sea is perfection.