TURKEY IS PARADISE

FOR EXTREME SPORTS

ENTHUSIASTS A N E X C E P T I O N A L A D V E N T U R E A W A I T S

Kas, Antalya

Turkey has long captured the imagination of travelers and adventure lovers in search of the extraordinary. From the country’s myriad historical and architectural marvels including the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace in Istanbul to the ancient ruins of Ephesus and fabled rock formations found along Cappadocia’s legendary Rose Valley, it’s a country teeming with natural wonders just waiting to be explored.

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ue in part to the country’s unique geog-raphy—straddling two continents, four

seas and thousands of miles of coastline ideal for divers and sailors to the series of mountain ranges with snow-capped peaks and limestone covered valleys beloved by mountaineers ready to test their limits, and their fears at the door. Of course, for a glimpse of Turkey’s more glamourous side, The Turkish Riviera is home to a bevy of beautiful port towns that double as a playground for well-heeled travelers, divers and sailing enthusiasts in search of the region’s illustrious aqua-marine water and abundance of biodiversity and ancient relics and wrecks found here.

Wherever your adventures may take you in Turkey be it the aquamarine coast-line or catching the sunrise over the dra-matic Taurus mountainside, once you get

Another bustling resort town along the Turkish Riviera, Marmaris is known for its abundance of beau-tiful diving spots, as well as its hidden bays and coves. Found along the Datca Peninsula, divers relish the abundance of rich biodiversity found along the reefs. Along the way, another standout diving trip includes a ride to the tiny uninhabited island of Kekova and the underwater ruins of Dolchiste. An ancient Lycian settlement dating back to the 2nd century, catching a glimpse the remains of this underwater city is truly enthralling experience that’s been attracting intrepid travelers from all over the world in the hopes of catching a glimpse of this sunken city beneath the sea.

A little more than half way between Bodrum and Antalya to the south lies the ancient seaside city of Kas. Widely considered to be one of the best diving spots not only in Turkey, with more than 25-under-water sites including a tank wreck and a submerged WW2 plane along with canyons, caving and under-water art exhibitions, Kas is a great place to scuba and snorkel. Its proximity to Patara Beach, a popu-lar nesting site for sea turtles is just an added bonus much to divers delight. Another huge part of the draw here is the fact that its suitable for divers of all experience levels. With a range of diving schools and world class instructors to choose from, there’s no better place to explore Turkey’s magnificent under-water world than Kas.

Enjoy The Views In OludenizIf you’re looking for a beautiful bird’s eye view and

you don’t mind taking a bit of risk to do it, paragliding has seen an uptick in popularity amongst adrenaline junkies and intrepid travelers over the years. One of the best and most beautiful places to fly is set on the Aegean coast in southern Turkey where the beauti-ful resort town of Oludeniz has become a hotspot for

gliders due to the regions moderate, mountainous terrain and stunning coastlines. The area is perhaps best known for being the home of the Blue Lagoon, a heavenly stretch of piercingly white sand that’s juxtaposed by turquoise and aquamarine water found at Belcekız Beach. A UNE-SCO World Heritage site in the shadow if the Babadag mountain range, paragliders are able to take flight here practically year-round pending weather conditions.

Grab Some Air On The Cesme PeninsulaA rising star along the peninsula, the village of Alacati

is one of Turkey’s most charming villages to visit due to its narrow cobblestone streets, friendly cafés, and story-book-like setting. It’s also consistently hailed as one of the best kitesurfing and windsurfing destinations in the world. That is thanks in part to the mild climate, consis-tent wind and glass-like water that’s in abundance here. The perfect counterpoint to neighboring Cesme where both coastal locations boast an average of 300-days windy conditions per year, this an ideal place to visit if you’re looking to take your windsurfing skills to new heights.

Trekking, Rock Climbing And Spelunking Across Ancient Antalya

For the mountaineers and trekkers out there, Turkey’s snow packed peaks offer a variety of challenging trails and climbing opportunities that are sure to satisfy even the most demanding hikers and climbers out there.

a taste of what this enchanting destination has to offer you’ll never look back.

Diving In The Turkish Riviera Spanning more than 600-miles of

shoreline that extends from the south-ern reaches of Antalya in the south to the windswept peninsula of Cesme in the north, the Turkish Riviera, otherwise known as the turquoise coast due to its aqua-marine water, has long been consid-ered Turkey’s premier diving, sailing and leisure destination.

At the heart of all the action, the bus-tling city of Bodrum is often defined by its abundance of five-star hotels, upmarket restaurants, and the place to see and be seen amongst the influential sun-seeking elite. With more than 20-diving spots pep-pered across Bodrum’s sprawling penin-sula and neighboring islands, the area has also been garnering the attention of div-ers and sailors from all over the world in search of the best this nautical utopia has to offer both on land and off.

Left Page: Views of the Turkish mountains. (top right); Aladaglar, Nigde (bottom left); Alanya, Antalya (bottom right). Right Page: Kackar Mountains, Rize (top left); Koprulu Kanyon, Manavgat, Antalya (bottom left); Babadag, Fethiye, Mugla (bottom right).

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Once you get a taste of what this enchanting

destination has to offer you’ll never look back.

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A popular resort town for Turks in search of a little summer-time reprieve, set on Turkey’s southwestern coast, the ancient city of Antalya is where extreme sports enthusiasts go to enjoy everything from deep water soloing and rock climbing to white water rafting and spelunking.

With tens of thousands of caves and caverns spread across the country, Damlatas Cave and Karain Cave in Antalya are two of the best places for beginners. If you’re looking for something a bit more leisurely, a heavenly boat ride down one of the world’s longest cavern lakes in Altınbesik Cave National Park should definitely be on your hit list.

One of the most awe-inspiring settings for whitewater raft-ing, Koprulu Canyon National Park in Antalya is considered one of Turkey’s most beautiful getaways. At its core, the steep limestone cliffs and bouldering canyons found along the Koprulu river is a memorable place to enjoy a day of white water rafting, canyoning, camping and horseback riding. Full day rafting tours depart from nearby Antalya as well as the cities of Kemer and Belek and are a great way to explore the surrounding canyons by foot before stopping for lunch at one of the many local restau-rants in the area.

Along the coast of Antalya to Fethiye, the Lycian Way is the stuff legends are made of. One of Turkey’s most famous hik-ing destinations, this nearly 335-mile-long trek takes a record 29-days to complete and is considered one of the best long dis-tance hikes in the world. As you weave your way past ancient ruins, charming small villages and craggily coastlines, the views and the experience are well worth the effort. As are the lifelong bragging rights that come with being able to say you completed a nearly month-long hike.

It’s estimated that nearly half of Turkey’s landscape is cov-ered by mountain ranges, and in the southwest plains of Antalya

Left Page: Babadag, Fethiye, Mugla (top left); Alacati, Cesme, Izmir (top right); Tahtali Mountain, Antalya (bottom right). Right page: Akyaka, Mugla (top right); Koprulu Kanyon, Manavgat, Antalya (bottom left). the mighty Taurus Mountains (Toros Daglari) are some of the

country’s finest. Dating back to antiquity and named after the Spanish word Toros or bull, within this vast mountain range Aladaglar National Park is widely considered Turkey’s version of the Alps and has attracted free climbers, hikers and skiers eager to rise to the challenge of the regions sheer rick walls, craggy canyons and cedar covered valleys.

In the summertime, the region gives way to unearthly rock formations, waterfalls and a plethora of underground rivers and caverns just waiting to be explored. At its highest point of 12,323 feet, this is also considered one of the country’s best places for experienced mountaineers and rock climbers to come and face the craggy peaks and limestone cliffs head on.

When it comes to living out your best adventure, there’s no shortage of exhilarating experiences at every turn in Turkey. Ranging from the truly breathtaking to heart pumping adrena-line-fueled fun, no matter what path you choose—this beguiling destination, full of wonder and staggering natural beauty, has a little something for everybody. From windsurfing and cave div-ing to white water rafting amongst ruins and limestone boulders, world class hiking and a playground of sophisticated islands just waiting to be explored, Turkey has arrived as one of the world’s best places for active travelers and extreme sports enthusiasts to get out in the elements and have some fun.

When it comes to living out your best adventure, there’s no shortage of exhilarating

experiences at every turn in Turkey.

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Visit www.goturkey.com to plan your next adventure.

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