DESTINATIONS TURKEY
Spice
Beaches
With more than 500 miles of coastline
and 235 blue-fl ag beaches, Turkey
has plenty to off er those who want
to holiday by the sea. Visitors can
choose between well-known resorts
such as Bodrum and Olu Deniz and
tranquil harbour towns such as Kas
and Kalkan. With temperatures
rarely dropping below 10C even in
winter on the Med and Aegean
coasts, and pushing 30C throughout
most of the summer, Turkey is
perfect for British sun worshippers.
History
Ancient cities, castles and ruins are
littered throughout Turkey. More
than 20 civilisations have inhabited
the country, from the Hittites to the
Byzantines and the Romans to the
Ottomans, all leaving their mark.
There are 10,000-year-old
settlements, opulent palaces and
impressive ruins to explore. Even
the place names are heavy with
historical weight: Troy,
Ephesus, Gallipoli. There are
religious sites and relics
sacred to Islam, Judaism and
Christianity that are the
www.travelweekly.co.uk
with it up
variety
Now Britain’s most popular holiday
destination, Turkey delivers value and
diversity. Joanna Booth reports
Pamukkale’s
unique
landscape (right)
and ancient ruins
at sites such as
Ephesus are just
some of Turkey’s
highlights
focuses of both pilgrimages and
secular tourism, such as the
Christian frescoes in Cappadocia,
the early Jewish settlements in
Sardis and Istanbul’s Ayasofa and
Blue Mosque.
City breaks
Straddling two continents, Istanbul
is vibrant, varied and buzzing.
Capital of Culture in 2010, the city is
alive with creativity. There are new
galleries, cutting-edge fi lm and
music festivals and boutique shops,
while the historic centre is packed
full of unforgettable sights, from
the basilica of St Sophia to
Topkapi Palace.
Nightlife is ultra-trendy,
restaurants world-class, and when
it all gets too much you can
retreat to the traditional Turkish
baths to relax. Cox and Kings
has launched short breaks to
Antalya, which backs on to the
Taurus mountains and has a
picturesque old town.
Adventure
Active tourists and
thrillseekers are well
catered for in Turkey. Conditions for
water sports are ideal, with
windsurfi ng, diving and snorkelling,
water skiing and sailing all
available. Some stretches of
coastline are only accessible by
boat, so a Blue Cruise on a
traditional wooden boat is a great
way to fi nd hidden coves.
Adrenaline junkies can paraglide
across the Olu Deniz lagoon, take a
hot-air balloon over Cappadocia,
white water raft, kite surf, canoe down
fast-fl owing rapids or canyon in a
gorge. Operators such as The
Adventure Company, Explore and
GAP Adventures off er many options.
For something less extreme, take
a walk through the mountains to
discover friendly villagers and
stunning scenery. There are two
offi cial long-distance footpaths, the
Lycian Way and St Paul’s Trail. Snow
lovers can indulge in winter sports
at ski resorts such as Uludag,
Kartalkaya, Palandoken and Davraz.
Nature
Turkey’s landscapes are varied and
unique. Parts of the country
look otherworldly, such as
November 14 2008 | Travel Weekly | 45
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