6 travel tips for Turkey
When you think of Turkey some of you might think of Alanya, its all-inclusive hotels, lots of tourists and wide beaches. This is understandable because Turkey has those parts too but only in very specific parts of the country. The rest of the country has so much more to offer. Today we will show you the most beautiful places in Turkey and give you the most important travel tips. We will show you the top 3 all-time favorites for all those who don’t want an all-inclusive, but also 3 real insider tips.
The most beautiful places in Turkey: All-time favorites
Kappadokien
Cappadocia is located on the Asian side of the country right in the center. The first settlements in the region date back to 7500 B.C. and through various occupations, unique culture and landscape have developed there. Especially through numerous persecutions of individual population groups, incredible cave constructions have formed, which can be found underneath the huge rocks. The National Park Göreme shows you 150 impressive cave churches! In the whole region of Cappadocia, you will find houses carved into the rock, cave architecture and frescoes of numerous inhabitants.
This region is also very beautiful for hiking because the rugged mountain ranges are impressive formations. But you surely know Cappadocia for something else: the hot air balloons. Cappadocia is also on the list of beautiful places in Turkey because it is the world’s largest flying area for hot air balloons. These balloons take off at sunrise and you can either watch them from the ground or climb to lofty heights with your Turkey travel partner yourself!
Istanbul
Istanbul is the melting pot of thousands of cultures in one place. Here you will encounter history from the time of the Romans and you can become a part of this vibrant past. Millions of people travel to this city every year and therefore it is definitely one of the most popular destinations in Turkey. So what can you experience in Istanbul?
Of course, some famous sights like the Hagia Sophia, which was a museum for a long time but is now an active mosque again. Nevertheless, you can visit it and admire the mixture of Christian and Muslim culture. We also find the Sunken Palace very interesting. It was built about 1500 years ago and served as a cistern, a water reservoir. The entrance to the palace is relatively inconspicuous because it is underground. To mingle with young people, you should go to the Kadiköy district. There you will find hip cafés and innovative stories for your souvenirs. With your Istanbul travel partners, you will never get bored!
Ephesos
Ephesus or Ephesus was an ancient city with about 250,000 inhabitants on the western coast of Turkey, near Greece. This destination belongs on the list of beautiful places in Turkey because all history fans get their money’s worth here. Today you can find the ruins of the former big-city. The symbol of the ruined city is the Celsus Library, which was built 1,900 years ago. From the library, you can walk on the Kuretenstraße to the Heraklestor. On this road alone you will pass dozens of impressive buildings. The culture of “bread and games” from ancient Rome can also be found here, more precisely in the Roman theater. Ephesus is definitely worth a day visit. You should make this excursion from Izmir, as this is the next bigger city.
The most beautiful places in Turkey: Insider tips
Cirali
The city of Cirali is located near Antalya, in the south of the country. Cirali belongs to our travel tips for Turkey mainly because of its nature. You will search in vain for big hotel castles and tourist attractions. Near the city is the Olympus mountain, in Turkish Tahtalı Dağı. You can take a cable car to the top of the mountain and have a breathtaking view over the coast. You should also walk from Cirali to the fire of Chimaira. This is a natural phenomenon, where the fire is beating out of the rocky ground on mountain slopes!
Of course, you will find certain tourist attractions too. At the southern end of the region, there are sweet restaurants under straw umbrellas on the long sandy beaches. Here you can also observe something that is quite rare in Europe: the turtle brood! Between July and August, about 60% of the small animals hatch and hurdle themselves into the water. Cirali is a destination for those who want to stay away from the hustle and bustle and just want to relax.
Bozcaada
Bozcaada is an Aegean island and yet it is still hardly discovered by tourism. On Bozcaada it is very windy, so the hot temperatures in summer are very bearable and it gets quite cool at night. Wine, rosemary and thyme are grown here, so its nature will remind you of Greece a lot. Although the island has often been called the most beautiful island in Europe, there are still hidden places where you are completely alone. Especially for the beaches, you should come here.
On Bozcaada, you will find numerous secluded bays, with clear water and fine sand. You can reach the island by ferry, on which you should take a rental car because a road trip is the best way to explore the island. Of course, you can also explore the history of the island on Bozcaada. You can also visit the Bozcaada Kalesi, a castle. For more culture, you should drive through the vineyards and stop at a winery to taste the delicious tart wine.
Akyaka
The city of Akyaka is located in southwestern Turkey and is one of the truly undiscovered travel tips for Turkey. Although the city is not far away from the popular places Bodrum and Marmaris, you will find almost no foreign tourists here. In Akyaka, you will mainly be stuck on the beautiful beaches. But the special thing in the city is the river Kadin Azmak. It rises from the up to 1000-meter-high mountains and offers a welcome cool down in the hot summer. Here you can also watch turtles! You can explore the river with small boats. The old district Gökova reminds us of the long history of this region. Since 2.600 people have lived here and left their traces. There are also rock tombs. In Akyaka you can really relax – so much that you wish you would never have to go home.
Turkey is number 1 in our series “The most beautiful places in…”. So check out our blog for even more articles that will show you destinations around the world. We are looking forward to taking this journey with you!
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