Discovering the ruins of Olympos

After finding a cheap flight to Antalya on the Mediterranean coast of southwest Turkey, I decided to it was time to explore the country I dipped my feet into 6 months previously. Antalya is a resort town and although pretty I decided to hit the backpacker mecca that is Olympos, a village 35 miles southwest of Antalya along the Lycian Way, a long distance footpath spanning this coastal area.

I eventually dragged myself out of my hammock and set out to explore the old Olympos, a city with foundations dating back to 300 BC. My expectations remained fairly low and within minutes I had a beaming smile that continued throughout afternoon. Everywhere I looked my eyes were drawn to ancient ruins that have been left untouched for centuries. It felt like an adventure playground for adults, unmarked trials at every corner leading to the unknown but never disappointing.

With the backdrop of a beautiful beach, thick woodland and a stream which runs through a mountainous gorge, the surrounding scenery is pretty special.

Mountainous gorge in the background.

Stream leading to the beach

After following a worn footpath and a little bit of scrambling, I came across a surprise view of  the beach.

Irrigation channels leading from the mountains.

Nicely engraved stones, lying all over the place.

Old tomb, no idea who it belonged to as I don't speak Turkish.

The old city wall.

The amphitheatre of Olympos - spent a while sat on the stage imagining what could have taken place here.

The remnants of a castle on the southern side of the beach.

Looking inland.

A panoramic of the beach. In the far distance on the right side is Mount Olympos where the city name originates - stunning looking limestone mountain.

 A very satisfying first day in Turkey. Time to to investigate how I can climb that big mountain.