centuries.
There are houses, churches, many mosaic floors and a
vaulted passage over 1500 feet long. It is a lovely spot
to go ashore explore the ruins and watch the sunset. At
this anchorage we often include gözleme purchased fresh
made off a vendor’s boat as part of your teatime snacks.
From a beach near the island we can arrange for a
driver to take you to Kaya village. In a mountain valley
above is a Greek village abandoned in 1923 during the
population exchanges between Greece and Turkey. Today
the ruins of the houses and churches stand quiet and
overgrown with fig trees and the streets are wandered by
goats. It is a quiet and reflective place.
After you explore Kaya we will take you to a nearby
restaurant where you can recline on cushioned banquettes
set under the deep green shade of fig trees and grape
arbors while our chef prepares a lunch of grilled lamb
chops and other meats and vegetables.
This rural valley is a lovely place for a glimpse of
village life as you stroll along small lanes which wind
between the houses whose farmsteads and gardens are
enclosed by stone walls. To the west, after a hike
through the pine forest you reach Afkule, an 11th
century Byzantine monastery perched dramatically on the
cliffs overlooking the sea.
To the west and north is Ölüdeniz, the most
celebrated and photographed beach in Turkey where a
curving white sand peninsula encloses a lagoon of
amazing blue water.
