Dalyan, Türkiye

While many venture to Dalyan, Türkiye, to view the Lycian tombs (above), I came for the kayaking (below), part of the Backroads tour I took with a friend. Dalyan is a tiny, unusually clean tourist town with dozens of tour boats tied up in the small bay.

If you are interested in the tombs, I can refer you here for the historical details.

The Dalyan estuary is a wetland delta south of town. It is located in an environmentally protected area and is a critical habitat for birdlife. It was perfect for a morning of kayaking. We paddled to Iztuzu Beach, the five-kilometer sand bar that choked the estuary and blocked access to the port of the historical ruins site of Kaunos.

On the way to our kayaks, there were dozens of empty tourist boats, causing me concern. I could imagine the narrow river bumper-to-bumper with these boats coming and going through the mouth of the estuary.

At the beach, we watched one of the larger tourist boats get stuck in the sandbar on its way out of the estuary. One very narrow channel leads out of the river, with each boat having enough room to follow the one in front. When I asked our local guide what would happen if the sandbar closed the river again, he answered, “Nothing.”

Since the area is highly protected, the river is not dredged, and if it closed, the tourist boats would be out of business. Given the environmental damage caused by so many boats in such a small place, this might be a positive development.

When we finished our trip out, we had lunch at Çandır Teras. This restaurant is advertised as a typical gözleme and breakfast restaurant, but it serves food all day. It is an establishment for locals and provides a decent experience for tourists.

Gözleme is the Turkish version of a pancake or crepe. Like crepes, it can be anything you wish inside and is served hot. On the table, you can see ones with herbs inside. My favorite is filled with a layer of kaşar cheese, similar to mozzarella. The desserts are filled with honey, Nutella, or sugar and cinnamon.

While everyone was enjoying lunch, I watched these two guys saunter into town.

There is nothing better than a donkey or two. Other than, of course, a morning of kayaking.