The smell of the soil, the enchanting atmosphere of nature, the lush trees, the chirping of birds… All these are just a few of the beauties that come to mind when it comes to trekking. Going for nature walks is a great activity option for those who want to relax for a while away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Turkey's natural beauties and favorable climatic conditions offer fascinating route alternatives for trekking enthusiasts.
Likya way
One of the first routes that come to mind when it comes to nature sports in Turkey is undoubtedly the Lycian Way. Because this magnificent track, with a total length of 535 km, is surrounded by eye-catching natural beauties and ancient cities that smell of history. The track, which stretches between Fethiye and Antalya, includes more than 30 sub-tracks due to its division into main branches. In this way, those who want to walk can start from any point and determine the duration, route and conditions of the activity.
The Lycian Way, which is one of the longest options among trekking routes, is marked by the Grande Randonnée system. Signs also allow hikers to choose trails of varying difficulty. There are different accommodation options in all of the districts where the track passes. Located between Kaş and Çıralı districts, the 111 km long track is one of the most preferred routes by nature walkers. Those who want to walk the Lycian Way from beginning to end must take a journey that will take approximately 30-40 days.
Ballıkayalar Natural Park
If you want your planned trekking to be on a track near Istanbul, Ballıkayalar Nature Park can be an ideal option for you. The national park, which frequently hosts daily trekking tours, has a 10 km long track in total. There is also a pond where you can swim in the summer, rocks for rock climbing, and a waterfall in the track. In this way, people who love nature sports can do different activities besides walking here.
Ballıkayalar Nature Park is located in Gebze district of Kocaeli and is approximately 60 km from Istanbul. You can easily complete the track in about 4-5 hours, but if you wish, it is also possible to stay in the national park by setting up a tent. Let's remind you that Ballıkayalar is considered a national park, so there is an entrance fee.
Hittite Way
When it comes to nature tours in Turkey, it is impossible to pass without mentioning the Hittite Road. The Hittite Road, which passes through ancient cities such as Hattusa, Alacahöyük and Şapinuva in Çorum, has a total of 11 hiking trails, 6 of which are short and 17 of which are long. The total length of the tracks is 380 km when alternative routes are counted, and there are also bicycle tracks with a total length of 405 km.
Hittite Road routes, all of which are determined by international signs and signposts, reveal the ethnic and natural beauties of the tracks used as migration and trade routes in the past. For daily walks, you can choose trails with a length of 7-15 km, or you can choose long routes and evaluate accommodation options.
Kackar Mountains
If you want to hike in the plateaus of the Black Sea, which are famous for their green nature, you can turn your route towards the Kaçkar Mountains. 8 different hiking trails starting from Çamlıhemşin in Rize and continuing to Ardeşen are evaluated as medium-difficult.
There are businesses that can provide food and beverage in most of the plateaus, but people who are inexperienced in trekking are recommended to go to the region under the leadership of a guide. For those who want to stay in the highlands, there are camping area and mountain hotel options. Tours of 4-3 days are organized to complete the climbing track, which reaches a height of approximately 6 meters.
Ephesus – Mimas Road
If you want to choose trekking routes close to İzmir, you can choose the 709 km long Ephesus-Mimas Road.
There are 6 different ancient cities from the Ionian Civilization on the track, which starts from the Ancient City of Ephesus and ends in the Karaburun district of İzmir. The track, which takes you on a pleasant journey through the dusty pages of history, is marked with road signs. In addition to accommodation areas, there are also health facilities and resting places on the routes consisting of 49 different sub-routes.
Phrygian Valley
There is a total of 506 kilometers of walking path in the Phrygian Valley, which is between Kütahya, Afyonkarahisar, Eskişehir and Ankara. All of the tracks, which have three different starting points, Gordion, Seyçiler and Yenice Çiftliği, converge at Yazılıkaya in the Phrygian Valley.
The hiking and biking trails, all of which are marked in accordance with international standards, also contain Phrygian artifacts and tombs that were brought to the present day from about 3 years ago. The tracks are classified according to different difficulty levels, and there are hotel accommodation options on all tracks.
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