Taurus Mountains

We recommend landing in Antalya this lunchtime / early afternoon in time to be transferred into the mountains to the western shore of Lake Egirdir. Here we will stay in a comfortable hotel in the centre of this bustling agricultural town, the launch point for our journey beginning the following morning. Dinner will be close to your hotel.

After a short transfer out of Egirdir, we start riding south along quiet roads through rural villages. We’ll cycle towards Adada, a remote and little visited 2nd century city, and will have lunch in Yenikoy on the way. In the afternoon we’ll continue along an ancient road following in the footsteps of St Paul, whose journey from Antalya to Antioch in Pisidia, north of Lake Egirdir, was pivotal in the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire and the Western world. Tonight we will stay at a small hotel. Although comfortable, it is not the most charming property. However, it serves a purpose, allowing us to continue our journey without interrupting it too much with long transfers.

After breakfast we will transfer you from Bogazkoy to Adada to begin your cycle. First we cross a high plateau where wild horses roam, before a long descent to lunch near Ibisler. In the afternoon the landscape changes again, with occasional villages punctuating the idyllic surroundings. We call this region the ‘Magic Valley,’ and we think you’ll understand why. The next two nights will be spent at a private luxury tented camp we built just outside the village of Cukurca, high above the Köprüçay river canyon.

The landscapes around our campsite in Cukurca are quite extraordinary and merit further exploration. This morning you will be given the option to walk a beautiful 2.5 hour loop from Kesme, or simply relax back at camp. Lunch will be in or near the village and in the afternoon we will walk down to the Köprüçay river for a swim in its crystal clear waters. This evening will be our second and final night at camp.

This morning begins with a beautiful ride to Caltepe, the location of our last guest house. We will have lunch with its owner, Erdinc, after which you may enjoy a short bike ride and walk to another beautiful swim spot. Erdinc’s wife, Emine, will prepare a feast for us tonight on this, our last spent together.

On our final day we will cycle to the spellbinding rock formations at Deli Sarnic, before leaving our bikes and spending the rest of the morning walking through this magical landscape. Our destination is a peaceful valley just north of Selge, where Shevki and his family will provide us with lunch in their garden. It is the end of our journey. From there we will drive you to Antalya, where we will say goodbye as you continue your onward journey. We will be happy to arrange overnight accommodation and an airport transfer if you intend to return to the UK the next morning.