Adrasan Boutique Hotels

THE CLIMATE The climate is typical of the Mediterranean. Winters are mild. March and April count as spring and May is easily warm enough to swim. Also an ideal time to walk within the beautiful orange flower aroma in the air. In summer, the temperature can reach 40° celsius. July and August are warm, September and October are relatively less warm and the weather remains pleasant until the end of the year. HOW TO GET THERE We meet most of our customers at the Antalya Airport. It is about a 100 km drive back to Sazlik, which has a spectacular view for about an hour and a half. Our customers who prefer to drive on their own will have to take the Antalya-Kas road. After passing "Ulupinar", make a left by the "Adrasan" sign into the village road. Then after a 20 km drive along a forest you will reach Sazlik.

The ones who will arrive by bus, will have to take "Adrasan" minibus which takes off near the "Kas-Kalkan" minibus at Antalya. This minibus will bring you all the way down to Adrasan. Another possibility is to hop on the "Finike-Kas-Kalkan" minibuses and get off at the intersection of Adrasan-Olympos road. And we will come an pick you up from there.

OLYMPOS Olympos combines an Indiana Jones site with a good beach and great scenery. Located in the middle of a national park area the site is set on both sides of a stream which is fed from the surrounding hills. Never really excavated, much of the area is covered in fairly dense woodland

which gives it the air of an unexplored, secret place. It's nice to be able to combine exploring with swimming and sunbathing. The city was dedicated to Hephaestus, god of the forge, to whose presence was attributed the ever burning flames of the Chimera, located the other side of Cirali.

CHIMERA (YANARTAS) Riding the winged horse Pegasus, Bellerophon shot a hail of arrows and killed the monster Chimera after it destroyed Lycia with its fiery breath. The young warrior then built an altar for his patron goddess Athena. Today, a natural phenomenon marks the spot where gases escaping from the earth create an inextinguishable flame that still blazes at the site.

The cracks were caused by an earthquake. The fire which was more powerful has turned into large quantities of little flames with less power. It is much more interesting to watch the flames in the evening.

PHASELIS Phaselis was established in 693 B.C as a harbour city and has three ports. The antique harbour that you will face with at the entrance is named as the North Harbour. Just to the right of it is the Middle Harbour. And at the end of the Harbour street you will find the South Harbour. The whole city is covered with pine trees.

Therefore, even under the hot sun in the summer it is very comfortable to walk. Thing to see are, the walls that protected the city from pirate attacks, the water arcs, the Harbour street that connects the Middle and the South Harbour, the Hadrian door at the entrance of the South Harbour, a theatre that sits on a hill towards the sea, the acropol on the top and the agora besides the South Harbour.

ASPENDOS ve AQUEDUCT It dates back to the 5th century B.C. The theater which was built in the 2nd century A.D. was periodically repaired by the Seljuks who used it as a caravansaray. It is one of the best preserved theaters to be found today. Allowing 0.50 m. per seat, the theater holds 7000 spectators, with an additional 500 in the orchestra. Today it is used for concerts, festivals and grease wrestling events.

In addition to the theater, the agora, basilica, nymphaeum and 15 km. of aqueducts are to be seen.

TERMESSOS Termessos is perhaps the most interesting ancient city in Antalya region. It is a Psidian city built at a height of 1050 meters in the Taurus Mountains. Termessos constitutes an unusual synthesis of a large number of rare plants and animal species, which are under protection in the Termessos National Park.

The inhabitants of Termessos were known as the Solyms but unlike those of other cities of the time they did not come from the sea and were entirely of Anatolian origin. What is known of their history commences principally at the time that Alexander the Great surrounded the city in 333 B.C., which he likened to an eagle's nest and failed to conquer. Termessos, after a gradual decline, was finally abandoned in the 5th century A.D.

LIMYRA It is known to have existed in the 5th century B.C. While suffering extensive damage from an earthquake in 141 A.D. Limyra rose again, but unable to withstand the Arab invasions. In the 7th and 9th centruies A.D. the inhabitants abandoned the city. It consists of three main parts, the acropolis, the settlement and the necropolis. The interesting rock tombs seen on the right of the road from Turuncova to Elmali do not belong to Limyra.

ARYKANDA It is not known exactly when Arykanda, which dominated the Akarcay valley and its surroundings, was established. Based on finds from explorations, it is thought to have existed in the 5th century B.C. Although largely destroyed by an earthquake in 240 A.D., it continued to survive until the 11th century A.D. Known as Akalanda in Byzantine times, it was built on terraces; many of the buildings are in a good state of preservation.

MYRA It was one of the most important cities among the other six Lycian cities. It was settled in the 5th century B.C. Although it was originally a coastal town, it has retreated from the sea because of the alluvium from the Demre stream. It was abandoned in the 9th century A.D. after the Arab invasion. The rock tombs, the theatre and St. Nicholas Church have survived to make it a place worth visiting.

THE CHURCH OF ST.NICHOLAS St. Nicholas, born in 245 A.D. in Patara near Fethiye died in 363 A.D., having spent his life in Anatolia. Son of a wealthy family and of good education, he devoted himself to mankind. He was known as the protector of children and sailors, and to this day the legend of Father Christmas has continued to live as vividly as ever.

After he died he was buried in Demre and a church was built there for his memory. In 108 Italian pirates stole some of his bones and took them to Bari. In their haste they left a few behind and these are today on display in the Antalya Museum. In a number of countries the death of St. Nicholas is commemorated by special ceremonies and by giving presents to children, and in fact it takes on the significance of a new year.

MYRA ROCK TOMBS MYRA features some of the most impressive and well preserved Lycian monuments in the country. These include an excellent collection of rock tombs and an imposing 2nd century theater. Many of the tombs have log cabin features carved into the rock, presumably reflecting the domestic architecture of the period. A few easily accessible ones have inscriptions in the Lycian language. Carvings above are mostly in poor repair but the overall effect of this jumble of the architecture of death is dramatic.

KEKOVA SUNKEN CITY As trade between the Lycians and the other Hellenistic Greeks increased so did piracy and many harbours and ports were fortified in the same way that Kekova is. Again you'll see the remains of buildings and walls beneath your boat. You'll stop a couple of times for swimming and snorkelling, a couple of caveats for you here.

You should watch out for the spiny sea urchins that hang out in the ruins and you should be aware that skin diving near the submerged buidlings is prohibited, as is the removal of any old looking stuff that you might find. You will regret it if you don't tyake a snorkel and mask with you but exercise a little restraint, your captain should know where its OK for you to dive.