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WALKING TRAILS ON THE BODRUM PENINSULA

Trail 1. PEDASA (Gökçeler Kalesi-Castle)

The walking path that begins in the north of Bodrum heading to Gökçeler Castle has different alternatives for the return.

Level of difficulty: GB 1 Walk duration: One hour 40 minutes.

Features: The path, which starts with a pleasant slope and has a view of Bodrum, goes through a valley and continues to Gökçeler. At the intersection of the valleys facing the north and south west there is a historic castle and buildings around it that were built by the Leleg.

Trail 2. LELEG HOUSES and PEDASA

From the Gölkırı region of the peninsula you get to Çukurboğazı. Walking through Koca Ören and Evcili Ören you get to Gökçeler Castle. From here you walk back to Bodrum.

Level of difficulty: GB 3 Walk duration: Four hours

Features: The trail gives the opportunity to see settlements from different eras on the peninsula and view the impressive scenery.

Trail 3. PEDESA and GEBE CHURCH

You walk from Gökçeler Castle to the north and climb up to the east. After the Church of Gebe, walk down to Torba or Demire.

Level of difficulty: GB 3 Walk duration: Four hours

Features: The scenery is well worth seeing.

The building known as the Church of Gebe is in fact not a church, having been built as a tomb. It is surrounded with maquis and the path to it is often hidden by the undergrowth.

Trail 4. SANDİMA and PARTİPANAZ ROCK

The walk that starts from Yalıkavak goes through the old village of Sandima and leads to Partipanaz Rock. From the hillside of Karasulu you get to the hills of the village of Geriş and, walking south, you come to the village from the Karakaya hills.

Level of difficulty: GB 1 Walk duration: 1.5 hours

Features: The path leads through natural beauties to the village of Sandima, which allows you to see what life on the peninsula was like in the past as it is abandoned and untouched by progress. There are panoramic views from Sandima. It is worth seeing the Partipanaz Rock, which has traces of ancient ruins around it and a view that is picturesque.

Trail 5. GERİŞ KANAMAŞA HILLS Sandıma, Partipanaz Kayası

Like Trail 4, this walk starts from Yalıkavak and goes through the old village of Sandima, leading to Partipanaz Rock. From the hillside of Karakuzu you get to the hills of village of Geriş, walking to the south you get to the village from the Karakaya hills.

Level of difficulty: GB 3-4 Walk duration: Four hours

Features: The scenery and nature on the walking trial is worth seeing.

Trail 6. TERMERA

You get from the Bağla hills to the village of Mandıra by vehicle. The walk starts from Mandıra and goes to Termera on the Asarlık hills. You return by the same path.

Level of difficulty: GB 2 Walk duration: Two hours

Features: While you walk you come across the foundations of old Leleg buildings. The giant stones of a wall on the north side of the valley are attractive. The ancient Termera consist of the remains of a temple and stone-cut tombs on the top of the Asarlık Hills hidden in a bowl of lower ground. This is a scared place. It is the place where the term "Termera Pain," was coined in mythology due to what happened to the hero of the story of Heracles. The region is marvellous and wild, in keeping with the story.

Trail 7. GİREL and ÖREN KALELERİ (ancient Side)

The walk starts at the crossroad between Yukarı Göl and Dağbelen. After you pass the Girel Courtyard you climb to Karadağ. After you visit the two castles on the west and south on the summit you get down the hill from the west to Dağbelen.

Level of difficulty: GB 3 Walk duration: Three hours

Features: At the start of the trail you go through a historic site near to a Byzantine church that was possibly a ruined temple of Telmissos. There is a legend that the location of the temple in mythology was Oraklı. The Girel Courtyard that comes next is one of the abandoned mountain villages on the mountain. Girel and Ören Castles on the top of the summit of Karadağ were Leleg settlements as part of Side and were later used as castles for protection.

Trail 8. GİDEL COURTYARD

The walk begins at Yukarıgölkı and, from the cistern in Çukur Boğazi (strait), you keep walking towards the west, passing the hills of Oyukludağ and Karadağ bringing you to Gidel Courtyard. From here you head to the village of Dağbelen.

Level of difficulty: GB3 Walk duration: Three hours

Features: The trail is an old one that runs from the north to the south of the peninsula and was used by people on foot or on donkey travelling to mountain villages and cemeteries.

WALKING TRAILS WITH AN OVERNIGHT STAY

Trail 1. The Ancient Kings’ Road Walk

The walk starts from the western end of Bafa Lake, which used to a be the ancient port of the city of Herakleia (Today known as Kapıkırı village) but partly follows the Ancient Kings’ Road to the Beşparmak Mountains (Latmos Mountain). Here you find pre-historic cave pictures, caves that have frescoes from the early Christian era and the ruins of monasteries (Arap Avlusu). The route can be covered in three days and two nights, with camping the preferred way of over nighting.

Level of difficulty: GB 3-4 Walk duration: At least 14 hours.

Features: Throughout the trip there are extraordinary natural beauties and historic sites.

(the text was taken from the website www.bodrum-bodrum.com)

There are other walking trails recommended

Trail 1: A trip through the mandarin fields within the triangle of the villages Dereköy, Yalıkavak and Yayaköy. On this walk you get to see ancient stone-cut tombs, a church from the Byzantine era and three miniature pyramid-shaped tombs. Also on this trek you can go to Sivri Kaya (Pointed Rock). At the most will take four hours. 

Trail 2:You can see ruins of another castle by starting walking from the village of Kızılağaç to the east of Bodrum and getting to the İçmeler district from there. As this walk ends by the shores of the Aegean Sea there is no reason for you not to go for a swim in the cool waters. In the region you can see ruins of Theangela dating from the Roman era that also bears traces of Hellenistic times. This ancient settlement is to the north east of Yalıçiftlik. If you begin walking one kilometre off the Yalıçiftlik road it would be easy to get there in two hours by following the forest path. The return trip will take approximately 1.5 hours and if you want you can swim in one of the most unspoilt coves of on the peninsula.