Early Spring at Lake Bafa
Flowering Olive Groves

Due to its mild, frost-free Agean climate, Lake Bafa is already in full bloom when the first snowdrops start to appear in Central Europe. Even the almond and Judas trees are already flowering. The olive groves are carpeted with a blaze of colour - flowering Anemone coronaria and A. pavonina interspersed with Ophyrs lutea, O speculum or even the very seldom O lucis. Other species such as Orchis italica, O. anatolica and O. papilionacea add to the display.

The Lake Bafa area, formerly a deep bay of Milet, has been a national park since several years and with its wonderful Latmos mountain scenery belongs to one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in Turkey. It is not only known for its beauty but also for its history. The numerous places of interest range from stone age rock paintings, antique marble quarries, cities and temple ruins, as well as Byzantine monasteries.

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Dates

1. Sat., 21. Feb. 2009 - Sat., 28. Feb. 2009

Price includes

• Flights from London, Manchester and Dublin (Destinations of Turkish Airlines)
• Airport Taxes and fuel surcharge
• All transport during trip
• Accommodation in en-suite double/single room (Holiday Resort Lake Bafa)
• Breakfast and evening buffet, packed lunch
• Tea & drinking water in the Holiday Resort Lake Bafa
• Travel guide
• Entry fees
• Breach of warranty certificate

Number of participants

8 – 18 persons

Note

Extension week/s possible either here, at Lake Van, in Cappadocia or at the Goksu Delta.

Alterations

The programme is subject to change.

Day 1

Arrival

Flight to Izmir and transfer to the Holiday Resort Lake Bafa where we will stay in typical local style holiday chalets built on the hillside of an old olive grove. 7 overnights.

Day 2

Beautiful walks

This trip takes us to the areas near the resort and gives us an overall picture of the south-east side of the lake with its bays and islands and the Latmos mountains towering in the background. We will make our way back through the flowering olive groves, past marble quarries and further along the lake shore.

Day 3

Monastery of the Seven Brothers

Making our way through a small village east of the lake we will climb up the lower slopes of the Latmos Mountains to the Byzantine monastery ruins. Bizarre, prehistoric rock formations line our trail. Up here there is a magnificent panoramic view of the former bay of the Gulf of Latmos.

Day 4

Milas, Iasos, Euromos

Visit to the colourful weekly market at Milas. Afterwards we will make our way to Iasos through wetlands and salt-water marshes. At Iasos we will take a walk round the Roman ruins idyllically situated on a peninsula. Later we will look for Kruper’s Nuthatch in the pine forest. A visit to the well restored Zeus temple at Euromos ends our excursion.

Day 5

Milet, Lake Bafa Fishery

Excursion in the widespread ruins at Milet in the Meander Delta. Visit to the local old islamic cemetary with its beautiful mosque graves. In the late afternoon walk through wetlands to the fishery on the south-west end of Lake Bafa.

Day 6

Herakleia on the Latmos

Excursion to the northern lake shore near Harakleia. Walk along the antique city fortification walls (Spartan King Pleistarchos) at the foot of the craggy Latmos Mountains. We will take a tea break at the lake shore next to some ancient olive groves. Afterwards a short climb to some old stone paths which have only recently been explored.

Day 7

Lake Azap, Sercin

Drive along the Meander to Lake Azap in the midst of impressive mountain scenery. Walk round the ‛stork village’ as well as observations on the lake shore. Late afternoon observations on the wetlands near Sercin.

Day 8

Return journey

Transfer to airport. Flight home.