THE TURQUOISE COAST

The southwestern coast of Turkey is one of the great coastlines of the world.  Towering mountains plunge steeply into azure seas below.  We  visited several parts of this coastline but one of the most memorable was a daytrip out along the Datca peninsula. (I think it was so memorable because it was my birthday).  This narrow spit of land juts about 80 miles west into the sea and is generally accepted as the demarcation between the Aegean Sea to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.  (To my eye they are indistinguishable but equally beautiful).

Datca Pennisula
The road winds up, around and over the pine clad mountains.  Views of secluded coves entice but frustrate, as they are only accessible by boat.  Vistas across the water are obscured by a hazy sky humid from intermittent showers.  In a strange twist of geopolitics, islands just off shore belong to Greece.  Rodos is tantalizingly near but out of reach this time of year as most of the boats have stopped running.  We were disappointed because we had thoughts of visiting Rodos which  was the site of one of the seven ancient wonders of the world.  

View of Datca Pennisula

Kalcan
Today I sit writing on the balcony of our pansion looking across the bay of Kalcan.  In high season it is a bustling place but in November it is slowed down and and a great place to relax.  We opt for an off day to bask in the warm fall sun, do some laundry and perhaps take another  swim in the sea.  Yesterday, we visited the famed Blue Lagoon, (it seems every country has one).  The lagoon, only about a mile across, traps part of the Mediterranean with a curving sand spit allowing a narrow inlet from the sea to nourish the lagoon.  Deep azure blue water, sheltered from prevailing winds, reflects the steep mountains above.  Most of the lagoon is locked up by private development so we opt for a swim at the beach on the open sea nearby.  While not really warm, the water is pleasant for a quick swim.  We play in small waves for a few minutes, stagger up the steep pebbled tide line, and trudge across the broad white sandy beach to climb the steep steps to our car.  We quickly dry off and set off for a tour of the coastline to the south.  The road climbs steeply up a sheer cliff.  This is not a drive for the faint hearted.  It is a narrow road with barely room for two cars to pass.  On one side is a vertical cliff; on the other a vertical cliff.  The difference is one side is a thousand foot drop.  White-knuckled, I drive slowly along with my stomach churning.  There is no room for error.  Kate and Deb become very silent;  Kate has her eyes closed and I know Deb is praying to every saint and god she can think of.  The road continues like this for about five miles and then the terrain eases a bit beneath giant house-size boulders on one side and a village clinging to less steep terrain below. 

Kate and I drive the Turquoise Coast  (Deb is on the hood shooting this picture)

The boulder on the left used to be high on the right

More relaxed now, I drive on only to find the end of the road a few miles further on.  Our map was unclear as to whether the line was a road or a path.  Confirming it was indeed a path and low on fuel, reluctantly we turn back.  After retracing our drive we arrive back at the Blue Lagoon.  In the late afternoon sun we race towards Kalcan and find a lovely pansion where I now sit in the morning sun tapping on my keyboard.

Kate leads us in some yoga at Kalcan Beach

Our favorite-Kaputas Beach just south of Kalcan

Wonder how they got the name "Turquoise Coast"?

Lunch spot-unamed beach

Sunset Patara Beach

Olympos

Our last stop on the coast was at Olympos.  It seems the Greeks named everything higher than a few feet "Mt Olympos".  Olympos is another ruin along the coast of Turkey.  One of the accesses is from the beach around a lagoon.  It made for a beautiful morning stroll.  It is also the site of a rare natural phenomenon...the eternal flame.

We slip out of our room at daybreak and  walk along a beach of large pebbles to the lagoon.  A narrow path around the lagoon leads to the entry of the ruins of Olympus.  We find a jungle scene worthy of Indiana Jones as we climb over large tree roots to find the tumbled down ruins of an ancient Greek city.  Soft damp paths through the rain forest reveal the remains half excavated and overgrown with vegetation.  Morning mist punctured by rays of early morning sun lend an eerie air  mystery to this ancient site.  

Lagoon at Olympos

The Chimera

In the late afternoon light of the setting sun, we climb a steep mountain path through a forest of tall spindly trees.  Views across a canyon reveal late fall colors of oranges and rusts.  Tall mountains catch the last rays of the sun as we climb upward on slick marble stones.  After a half mile of hiking we see strange flames flickering in the distance.  We emerge from the forest to view a desolate stone hillside with flames springing out of solid rock.  This is the chimera; a natural self igniting gas seep.  These flames have been burning for 2500 years at the site of an ancient legend;   Mt Chimera.

The Chimera