If you’ve never thought beyond Istanbul or Cappodocia, now is the time to visit Turkey’s Southern Coast, Lycia. ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I spent two weeks in this area on one of Explore’s many trips in this region. (Booked through Adventure Center on the sidebar of this page.) Lycia in the summer can involve cruising on a traditional Turkish “gulet.” A “gulet” is a comfortable wooden boat equipped with twin-bedded cabins and ranges from bare-bones to extreme luxury. Completely depends on trip and operator.

Other suggestions: scuba around Kas, mountain biking in the Lycian hills, spend days in gorgeous Antalya (the major resort), visit the ruins of ancient Perge and Aspendos, Mt. Olympus, and walk hill trails.

Researching a winter vacation that wasn’t too expensive, had a variety of sights and things to do, we booked “Winter Turkey” (as it was called then) through Adventure Center.The Lycia winter weather is mild with its own micro-climate and plentiful sun because the Mediterranean coast is buffered by the Taurus Mountains. Mark Anthony once gave a section of Turkey’s southern coast to Cleopatra as a wedding gift. If it was good enough for Cleo, it was good enough for us.

Adventure Center currently has over 40 different Turkish tours to choose from, all lengths and prices. See for yourself on-line, or order one of their many brochures led by Explore, Exodus, Imaginative Traveller and Gecko. Our exact itinerary no longer runs but I’m confident you’ll find at least one that fits your criteria. Keep visiting Adventure Center for super-dooper, last minute deals.

“Winter Turkey” began in Istanbul, trained down to Pamukkale where the Lycian portion began. Thelmessos, Fethiye, Pinara, Xanthos, Kalkan, Kash, Myra, Finike, Arycanca, Olympos, Phaselis, Termessos, Perge, Aspendos, Antalya and back to Istanbul where the tour ended.

This was almost too easy to plan and even though we’d visited Istanbul several times before, Istanbul is forever exciting with new restaurants, shops popping up and sights you may have missed on previous trips.