Travels Along the Edge:
40 Ultimate Adventures for the Modern Nomad
From Crossing the Sahara to Bicycling Through Vietnam
by David Noland

Lying on the south coast of the Bodrum peninsula, the Gulf of Gökova is a fascinating corner of Turkey, offering lovely views with charming combinations of colors. Beautiful shorelines covered with woodland offer every tone of green, while the sea is a wide range of blues. The mountains shelter the setting sun under hues of red and yellow. To witness all these beauties you can take a yacht tour along these coastlines.

Akyaka is one of the most beautiful villages you can sea on the Turkish Turquoise Coast situated right at the tip of Gokova Bay, on the road between Mugla and Marmaris. Akyaka looks like a heaven on earth with its mountains covered with forests and brooks, its clear sea, campgrounds, abundant water, and a rich history. One of the most dramatic and breathtaking views in western Turkey awaits the traveller who descends the 2,000 ft high Mugla plateau, along a road which weaves and drops down through thick forests of fragrant pine trees.

Although Akyaka has grown into a small resort in recent years, its visual appeal remains that of a picturesque village. There are no square box-like houses or high-rise hotels as all construction has adhered strictly to the traditional architectural style of the region, known as Ula-Mugla.

Numerous wooden balconies, intricately arranged pantiled roofs and delicately carved fretwork shutters give the houses that tumble down the hillside towards the beach, their distinctive appeal. The atmosphere also remains very Turkish, as most of the tourists here come from Istanbul or Izmir, not Ipswich or Ilford. There are several small grocery shops, a little fruit and vegetable market, a good choice of restaurants and a handful of coffee houses, from which you can still watch elderly ladies driving their flocks of goats and sheep along the streets.

The narrow sandy beach shelves very gently into the sea and the village of Akyaka is surrounded by forestry commission land on one side and by a conservation area on the other, thus offering superb opportunities for exploring. You can climb up to the Ottoman fort above the town and to the Lycian-style rock tombs, or stroll along the pretty coastal road that winds through pine woods, along a rocky shore with coves of dazzling turquoise water. Akyaka's meandering little river and its delta are a wonderful habitat for flora and fauna - especially birds and freshwater turtles - and humans can enjoy this natural environment too, dining in one of the riverside restaurants.

From Akyaka, it is easy to go by dolmus to Mugla, a half hour journey. Mugla has one of the biggest and best weekly markets for miles around, where livestock are traded alongside fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, fruit teas, leatherwork and fabrics. Akyaka is also a convenient base from which to visit Cleopatra's Island by boat and Dalyan, Kaunos, Pamukkale and Aphrodisias by road.

Excerpt from Burak Sansal's All About Turkey

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