A Familiar Place in Most Spectacular Routes of 2022: Teke Peninsula

We all know where the Teke Peninsula is, which National Geographic recommends in the "Best Places for Families" category. This is the famous Lycian region. So we are talking about a peninsula between Antalya Bay and Fethiye Bay. There are many places to visit. Various ancient cities, azure seas, endemic plants, different types of animals... It's a wonderful area where nature and history meet. In addition, the Nour Turks used to be abundant in their nomadism and left behind their culture as a trail. That's why National Geographic recommended that you explore the historical and cultural traces of this region with your family.  Let's take a look at some of the attractions on this beautiful peninsula.

Patara

Patara is an old Lycian city near Kalkan, Antalya. This was an important trade center that was once the capital of the Lycian Union.  At the time, the city was one of the 6 cities of the Lycian Union with 3 voting rights. There are wonderful places you can see in this ancient city, which has even been the subject of mythological stories.

The ancient city of Patara is one of these places. The parliament area we are talking about, the ancient theater, patara lighthouse, the only surviving ancient lighthouse in human history, is located here. It's safe to say this is the cornerstone of patara territory. That's why you should definitely see this amazing city.

Another fascinating place is Patara Beach. Do not leave until you see the sand dunes, the immaculate and azure sea, where you will feel like you are in the desert. And our dear friends in the sand won't leave you alone. Because this beach is also the habitat of the famous Caretta Carettas. We should be sensitive to this issue because they are protected, but you should definitely enjoy sharing the same space with them.

Ancient City of Xanthos

This ancient city, which is a UNESCO 'World Heritage Site', is located in Antalya. Although this place has seen various wars and disasters, it has survived to this day. For example, if you want to use It was occupied by the Persians in the middle of the 6th century before Jesus, then attacked by the Athenian commander Kimon, and nearly 400 years later by Roman Brutus. The ancient city of Xanthos manages to survive all these difficulties and continue its continuity today with various ruins.

There are about 15 erect monuments in our city, which has also been the capital of the Lycian people. That's why the graves where the rulers and important people of the time were buried shed light on history. There are also 3 agora, a large main street, a council building described in the inscriptions but not yet identified, a large residence, a gentleman's palace and a theater. It is worth turning your route to Xanthos to see all these historical ruins and be there.

Letoon Sanctuary

In fact, Xanthos and Letoon are considered "double zones" together. This was originally a sanctuary attached to Xanthos, but then it becomes the holy site of the entire region. That's why Letoon, like Xanthos, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's named after Leto, the goddess who, according to mythology, got pregnant with Zeus. It is thought that all three temples lined up side by side in the city center were erected according to the events that developed in this mythology. Accordingly, it is not the case. The temple in the far west is dedicated to the Mother Goddess Leto, the smaller temple in the middle is dedicated to Artemis, and the temple in the east is dedicated to the God Apollo. A "Trilingual Inscriptive" was also found in the Hellenistic dump site near the Temple of Apollo. This inscriptions have been very useful in deciphering the Lycian language, so it is a very important relic.But you can only see it in Fethiye archaeological museum. Apart from these, the ancient city has a fountain building belonging to the nymphe cult, a church from the early Christian period, an amphitheatre from the Hellenistic period and various sarcophaguses. That's why it's worth seeing your precious place. Since it's about 2.5 miles between them and Xanthos, don't pass without stopping by.

Olimpos

This is a sweet holiday area in Antalya Kumluca. Caretta Caretta is protected as a breeding ground for turtles. Due to its location on the Lycian Way, it is especially popular with university students, camper travelers and backpackers. There are ancient cities and various natural areas. Let's take a look at them.

Ancient City of Olimpos: This is an open-air museum where you can enter with your museum card. Inside are historical ruins and roads leading to Olimpos Beach. Olimpos, an important port city, was one of the six cities of the Lycian Union with three voting rights, just like our examples above. After discovering the treasure lying inside, you can go down to Olimpos Beach and throw yourself into the cool waters.

Ancient City of Phaselis

There are more remains here that survived compared to the Ancient City of Olimpos. That's why it'll be more enjoyable to walk around. Aqueducts, ancient theatres, bathhouses, basilica ruins will impress you when you see them. You should definitely visit this historic ancient city in Kemer. 

When you've come all the way to Olimpos, you can't just settle for ancient cities. There are amazing places in the surrounding area where you can have a little holiday getaway with your family.  For example, you can go to Yanartaş National Park and watch the sunset in the light of the flames coming out of the stones. From here you can go to Adrasan Bay and swim in the clear sea. It wasn't enough to swim here, hop to Suluada on a boat. Rest assured, you will fall in love with this island, which is known as the Maldives of Turkey.

So in short, there's a lot of places to explore around here, so it's up to you. There are many other great places such as Ölüdeniz, Butterfly Valley, Kaputaş, Finike in Teke Peninsula. With so many seas to go down, it's worth seeing every inch of it. If you are curious about this peninsula, you can visit this region completely based on the Lycian Way stages.