While many visitors are drawn to Turkey for its southern beaches and inviting coves, those in the know also come for scenic train routes, hikes through cave cities and traditional taverns surrounded by ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine relics.
1. Hike Cappadocia’s cave cities
This region in central Turkey is an upside-down world: there are 60 subterranean cities, while its terrestrial landscape resembles the interior of a cave system, covered in stalagmite-like rock pillars known as ‘fairy chimneys’. They’re caused by wind erosion but are named for the folkloric belief that they were created by the djinns (genies) who live beneath the ground. The typical image of Cappadocia, adorning coffee cups and postcards, is that of dozens of hot air balloons soaring above the landscape. But the best way to see the fairy chimneys and rock cities is not from the sky, but with both feet on the ground.
2. Trace an ancient city at Ephesus
There’s no other site in the Mediterranean where the classical world can be imagined as clearly as at Ephesus. This UNESCO-listed ancient city sprawls for around 1,000 acres, edging the village of Selçuk, south of İzmir. Settlement here dates back to 6000 BCE, although the city is chiefly famous for its era as Roman capital of Asia Minor. Today, carriage-rutted stone roads lead visitors to a 25,000 seat Roman theatre, the two-storey facade of the Library of Celsus and a terraced house complex, once home to the city’s wealthy, decorated with frescos and mosaic floors depicting Roman gods, gladiators and floral motifs.
3. Bag local crafts in Eski Datça
With its cobbled lanes framed by pink bougainvillea and artisan shops in stone cottages, Eski Datça village encapsulates laid-back Aegean life. A two-hour sail south of Bodrum’s beaches on the Datça Peninsula ferry, the pretty settlement is a popular spot to browse boutiques selling local crafts.
4. Sail the Riviera on a ‘blue voyage’
Where sapphire waters lap uninhabited coves in southwest Turkey, there’s no better way to explore than by gulet — a traditional wooden sailing ship. Small cruises, coined ‘blue voyages’ because of the intense sea colour, allow you to hop between bays, with paddleboarding and snorkelling offered as activities. Travellers can dive into underwater caves around Kaş or swim through the ruins of an ancient Roman bathhouse near Göcek, named after Cleopatra, who’s claimed to have visited.
5. Follow the Lycian Way
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Turkey’s first long-distance walking route meanders for 472 miles across the southern Teke Peninsula between Fethiye and Antalya. Offering a different perspective on this popular coastal area, it traverses pine-clad peaks and cliffs, between rural villages and the ruined cities of the Lycian people who prospered here over 1,000 years ago.
6. Paraglide over Ölüdeniz
It’s not surprising that Ölüdeniz is Turkey’s premier tandem paragliding destination. This slice of southwest coast — where waves of green hills pitch downwards to Ölüdeniz Nature Park’s famed blue lagoon, sheltered by a sandy spit — is best appreciated on an aerial descent.
7. Kitesurf in Akyaka
The coastal town of Akyaka is Turkey’s top spot for kitesurfing. A two-hour drive from Bodrum, its secret is strong, steady thermal winds from May to November. Akyaka has lively bars, restaurants and yoga retreats still untapped by the international traveller circuit.
8. See Turkey’s Yosemite
Few international travellers except keen birders know about Aladağlar National Park. Located in southeast Turkey, roughly 90 miles south of Cappadocia’s Kayseri Airport, it’s a prime area for summer hikes amid dramatic mountain scenery.
9. Seek Mount Nemrut’s stone heads
At sunrise and sunset, travellers scale eastern Turkey’s Mount Nemrut’s summit to find the decapitated stone heads of toppled figures. They’re all that remains of the reign of King Antiochus, who ruled the Commagene kingdom from around 70 to 38 BCE and built the gargantuan statues as a monument to himself. They sit atop his colossal, 165ft-high burial mound. Visit during the day to avoid the crowds.
10. Explore Turkey by train
Turkey’s rail network remains one of its best-kept travel secrets, offering everything from scenic day trips to long-distance sleepers.. The Roses Express is the premier route for classical history-lovers, running from Izmir to Isparta and stopping at gateway towns so passengers can hop off and visit the ruins of Ephesus, Hierapolis and Sagalassos. There are also many scenic routes showcasing some of the country’s most showstopping sights.
11. Hop around Istanbul’s islands
Istanbul’s best-kept secret are the Princes’ Islands. Less than an hour by ferry from the city’s main ports, the islands offer an escape from the chaotic city, rich in Greek, Armenian and Jewish heritage — perfect for day-tripping. On Büyükada, the largest island, rent bikes and cycle up to the Greek Orthodox Aya Yorgi Church, admiring historic wooden mansions and the former Prinkipo Greek Orphanage along the way, reputed to be the largest wooden building in Europe and now being restored. The island of Heybeliada, named for its prominent double-peaked hill, offers scenic hikes up Hope Hill to the grandiose Theological School of Halki. Burgazada, the most charming of the islands, is known for its secluded beaches and excellent restaurants.
12. Watch oil wrestling
Located in Turkey’s westernmost province, Edirne was the second capital city of the Ottoman Empire and still hosts one of the country’s oldest traditions: the Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival. Edirne’s Old Town district is also a highlight for its Ottoman sites, including the 16th-century Selimiye Mosque, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
13. Tour Antalya’s historic core
Antalya — gateway city to one of Turkey’s most popular stretches of coast — has long been favoured for its beach. Yet the southern city’s Kaleiçi neighbourhood is awash with history. Enter through the triumphal arch of Hadrian’s Gate, commemorating Emperor Hadrian’s 130 CE visit, and head to the Sultan Alaaddin Camii mosque to admire its painted ceiling — a preserved fragment of its previous life as Panhagia Church in the 19th century.
14. Whirl with dervishes in Konya
The Mevlevis, known to the world as whirling dervishes, are a mystical Islamic order for whom whirling is a meditative prayer practice and also, in recent decades, a cultural heritage performance. Even for non-religious observers, attending a performance is a powerful experience. The tradition started in the 13th century with the mystic and poet Jalal al-Din Rumi, who found inspiration for the act during a trip to Konya, an ancient city in central Turkey. Rumi’s followers whirl throughout the year, but the annual festival of Şeb-i Arûs, which commemorates the poet’s death every December, is a special time to travel to the city.
15. Eat in the kebab capital of Turkey
Ask anyone in Turkey and they’ll tell you the best kebab — spelled kebap in Turkish — comes from the southeast of the country, in the city of Adana. The secret is the region’s access to grass-fed lambs from the Van province in the east, lots of flavoursome fat trimmings and the expertise of their grill masters. Locals recommend Kebapçı Mesut, a 103-year-old family restaurant famous for its kebabs across the country, and İştah Kebap, a hole-in-the-wall shop among the clothing stalls of the open bazaar.
