Day trips from Lavanta Hotel:
Including historical sites in the surrounding area

By Can Merey

I would like to introduce you to some possible activities and excursions which can be undertaken from Lavanta Hotel. I have tried and enjoyed all of them myself. It is not  intended to reproduce all the historical details of the ancient sites as your guide books will do that, alternatively visit a guide for Bodrum Region in the Internet.  The list of activities is certainly not complete, and of course I would encourage you to go on your own discovery trips. Departure times of ferries, road conditions etc. are subject to change. Although I have selected the restaurants I recommend very carefully, I cannot guarantee their constant good food and service.

Hike from Lavanta Hotel to S a n d i m a.  I would like to warmly recommend  the hike to S a n d i m a,   the abandoned village that can be seen  from behind Lavanta (looking southward, i.e.with the hill behind you to the left). For this hike you should wear suitable shoes. The hike starts behind Lavanta Hotel and initially the walk is cross-country, i.e. there is no path. Head for the houses that are on the hill below the Hotel.  Walk down the hill until you reach a little river which you have to cross. Above the houses there is a track leading from these houses to the actual village of Sandima. Follow the track (which is sometimes hard to see) through the wonderful countryside, pass the citadel and walk past a few houses. You will find an idyllic small river with a waterfall and pools (dries in summer). You can have a picnic at the shore (Lavanta's kitchen can prepare something for you). The way to Sandima will take, depending on your physical condition, approximately one hour. To get back follow the same track.

Castle of Saint Peter in Bodrum>>

Bodrum – Myndos. The construction of the Castle of St. Peter lasted more than a hundred years ending in 1522 and it was taken away from the Order of St. John in 1523 by the Ottomans, only one year after construction ended. The castle, which in itself is worth a visit,  also hosts the world's largest Museum of Underwater Archaeology. In the English Tower you can have a glass of wine (or juice) in "knightly" atmosphere. Don't miss the Queen Ada Exhibit (open from Tuesday to Friday, 10-12h and 14-16h), a contemporary of Alexander the Great,  also on show in the castle. 

The Mausoleum is not quite as impressive as its status as an ancient wonder of the world would lead one to expect. You reach it by walking along the harbour front towards the marina, heading away from the castle, then follow the yellow signs to the right and, continuing to follow the signs, turn left.

To visit the Antique Theatre, which is located next to the main road on the hill above the city, follow the yellow signs reading "Antik Tiyatro".

A visit to Bodrum is worth while not only for the ancient sites, but also the shops, restaurants and  bars. There are Dolmuş  (shared-minivans) constantly commuting between Yalikavak and Bodrum.

Myndos is another ancient site you may care to visit. Follow the small yellow signs in the direction of Myndos which is located near the village of Gümüşlük. The remains are scanty and not really worth per se but more for the feeling that Alexander the Great was at the same place. It is however a very pretty village with many good local fish restaurants.  

Small lake in Göltürkbükü with unique date trees. Göltürkbükü  around 8 km ( 5 miles) from Yalikavak is a village created by the union of two former municipalities: Gölköy and Türkbükü. This lake is on the Gölköy part of the newly created municipality. " The Gölköy (lake) comprises a shallow brackish lagoon on a narrow coastal plain on the southern edge of the Güllük Körfezi.  The site includes a small permanent lake covering approximately 5 hectares, surrounded by a larger extent of seasonally-flooded lagoon supporting an extensive glasswort-reed sward.  The most important feature of the site is a palm grove of abnormal Phoenix theophrasti situated along the western edge of the site: the grove numbers approximately 200 multi-stemmed palm individuals with stems to 8 m." (excerpt from a report of Andrew Byfield, a British botanist). A visit to this lake is something you shouldn't miss if you are interested in plants

M i l a s.  (Mylasa) – Euromos - Iasos

Tuesday is market day in   M i l a s. The market does not differ so much from the ones in Bodrum or in Yalikavak in terms of what you can buy, but there are fewer tourists and thus it's more authentic. Milas, the ancient Mylasa, is not a tourist area, but if you are interested in architecture there are many fine old houses to see. A short excursion to the Gümuskesen (silver shrine, a smaller copy of the Mausoleum in Bodrum, but much better conserved) is worth while. Follow the road signs from Yalikavak to Bodrum or to Torba (one way takes you through the centre of the peninsula, the other one follows the coast line, they are similar in terms of distance and time), then head for Milas. Once there you drive towards the city centre (Centre/Sehir Merkesi) and follow the signs to the Gümüskesen (little yellow signs, sometimes they are a bit hard to discover). On Tuesdays you have to park the car before you reach the market (if there is no market you can continue driving) and walk following the signs that lead you on the hill (it's about 15 minutes to walk one way).

Afterwards you should visit Euromos where you will find the very well preserved  ruins of a temple of  Zeus. From  Milas, follow the signs to Söke/Izmir until after a  short drive you will see the yellow Euromos-sign on the  right hand side. The  Temple is situated close to the main road. 

You can now drive to Iasos, an ancient city with Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine ruins. To get there, take the road from Euromos back in the direction of Milas and, after a few kilometres, turn to the right at the yellow Iasos-signpost. Then follow the signs to Kiyikislacik. At the entrance of the village you will find some restored sites. If you park at the harbour you can see the ruins of the ancient city on your left. On your way back you can take a shortcut that will take you to the Milas-Bodrum road. A few kilometres behind Iasos the road splits. Keep to the right, do not take  the road you came on. After a short drive you can see the airport on the right side.Keep on as straight as possible (the road is winding), using the airport for orientation until you can only go left or right. If you now go right you will reach the main road. Go right and then, near Bodrum, you can choose whether to go along the coast (follow the sign on your right side to Yalikavak leading you off the main road to enjoy the beautiful landscape) or through the peninsula (signs to Bodrum, follow the road through the city until you see the sign to Yalikavak).

Magnesia – Ephesus – Selçuk – Dilek Yarımadası (National Park)

The day trip to   S e l c u k / E p h e s u s   is highly recommended. You should start early in the morning as Selçuk is approximately 180 kilometres from Lavanta Hotel (the road is in good condition) and there is a lot to see on this excursion. Follow the instructions to Milas as above,  then take the direction Söke/Izmir. A wonderful place for a short break is at  the restaurant/café next to the petrol station at Lake Bafa (the petrol station has no negative effect on the place). You can sit directly at the shore, overlooking the lake and the mountain of Latmos.

Before you reach Selcuk, the road takes you to ancient Magnesia. It is, compared to Ephesus, not that interesting, but as the road goes right through Magnesia (to the sorrow of the archaeologists) and there is no need for a detour, it's worth a short stop.

When you get to modern Selcuk follow the signs for "Efes" to reach ancient Ephesus. There are two entrances, one on the foot of the hill, and the other above the ancient city. You can either park your car, walk through the city once and then take a taxi back to your car or you can walk through the city twice (there's certainly enough to see).

In Selcuk you should also visit the Museum (signs "Museum" or "Müze") and the remains of the Basilica of St. John  (St. John-sign). There is not much left of the Temple of Artemision (near the bottom entrance of Ephesus), but as it doesn't require a detour it's worth a stop. Enjoy the view of  three religions with the Temple in the front and the basilica and the Isa-Bey-Mosque in the background. The Grotto of the Seven Sleepers is closed for renovations at the moment, but at the bottom there are a few nice looking restaurant tents. Here you can have lunch in a more idyllic atmosphere than in the centre of Selcuk. The House of the Virgin Mary (Sign "Meryemana") is believed to have been occupied by the Virgin Mary during the last years of her life.

If you still have time,  instead of returning to Yalikavak you could make a detour via the Dilek-Yaramidasi-National park (take your bathing suit with you). Follow the road from Ephesus to Kusadasi and continue on it. The wonderful scenery is unfortunately spoilt by numerous construction sites. After Kusadasi, follow the signs to "Güzelcamli" and "Milli Park". Behind Güzelcamli you can drive into the park, paying a small fee. On the right side there are roads going to different beaches, on the left you can hike in the forest and the canyon. The park is very beautiful but, in the summertime and during the weekends, also very crowded. (Alternatively you could have a swim in the Lake Bafa.) If you drive back from the park do not turn left into the road you came from in Güzelcamli, but go straight on instead. The road takes you over the mountains to a main road. If you then turn right you will come to Söke. Go on following the signs to Milas, then Bodrum and from there as described above.

Day tour to   P r i e n e , M i l e t , D i d y m a,   also recommended. Go to Milas as described above, then follow the signs saying Söke/Izmir. Once again, a break at Lake Bafa is possible (see above). Before you reach Söke follow the sign to Priene (the same road  goes to Milet and Didyma). You will reach the well preserved ancient city after a few kilometers.

If you are hungry after your visit, you can either eat in a restaurant in Priene or consider a small detour. For the latter,  follow the road you came on (heading for Milet) and turn right in Tuzburgazi. Drive on towards Doganbey, pass through it and follow the road. On your left you can see how the  Maeander-Delta merges into the sea. Next to the road you will find restaurants offering fresh fish. The road leads you through beautiful countryside and ends in the village of Karine at a military post.There is also a restaurant offering fresh fish in this tiny village. For those who chose to take this excursion it is necessary to re-trace the route to return to the  road to the ancient city of Milet. The road takes you through the Maeander-Delta. You can see the remarkable city from quite far away.

A trip to Didyma is definitely worth while. Follow the road on which you came and the signs to Didyma/Didim to get to the tremendous ruins of the ancient temple. If you are in for a bathe in the sea after seeing all the ancient sites then you should follow the road for five more kilometers  to the beach of Altinkum. (The beach is crowded  weekends and in the summer.)  Drive back the way you came, as far as Akköy where  you will find signs for Milas.                                                                                                 

Follow the directions to Milas. In Milas take the road heading for Yatagan/Mugla. In Yatagan turn left following the sign to Cine/Aydin. After turning the road leads you through picturesque landscape along the river Cine. In the city of Cine you will find asign for Alabanda, at which point turn left. After a few kilometres you will see the site. The new village is built on the ancient Alabanda and is situated on the hill to the left of the road. Afterwards follow the road that you came on until you find a signpost for Alinda or Karpuzlu.Karpuzlu is also built on the remains of Alinda. You can see the huge ancient market hall above the village. You can continue to Labranda, an ancient  holy site of the Carians (follow the signs to Labranda or Milas), the landscape is beautiful. Should you choose not to go back via Labranda you will have to drive back the same way you came, i.e. from Alinda to Alabanda to Cine, from there to Yatagan, Milas. Impressive scenery.

Go to Milas, then follow the road  to Aydin/Izmir. Just before you leave the city of Milas you have to turn right to Labranda (yellow sign). 

Returning from Labranda follow the Milas-Izmir road continuing towards Lake Bafa. Before the road reaches the shore there is a sign in Camici for Herakleia/Kapikiri to the right. It leads you to Herakleia along the shore of Lake Bafa.Besides visiting the ancient sites (some of them by boat) you can also swim or hike, either along the road or near the mountain of Latmos. The fish in the Lake is famous for its quality. Take the  road back via Milas.