Aegean Coast Road Bike Touring Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive to Izmir Airport and transfer to Selcuk / Sirince

Sirince is a beautiful and very old-fashioned wine-producing village where you will stay in beautifully restored Greek “Konak” houses. You have time to relax here, enjoy a nice dinner, unpack and build up your bikes and then have a pre-tour briefing. If possible, with an earlier flight into Izmir, you can visit Ephesus this afternoon, leaving more time to enjoy the national park tomorrow! Dinner with fresh and tasty local specialties at the Arsipel Restaurant is a perfect start to the tour.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Sirince
Distance: Flexible
Meals (Group departure): Dinner
Meals (Guided private tour): Dinner
Meals (Self-guided private tour): None

Day 2 Sirince to Dilek National Park Total and Transfer to Lake Bafa

With a 2-3 hour visit to Ephesus as the focal point, this is a relatively long first day time-wise, but the pleasant roads, long downhill section and flat seaside cycleway make the ride hugely enjoyable as well as rewarding. From Sirince you follow a newly surfaced backroad through vineyards, rolling hillsides and forested countryside, enjoying great views over Selcuk and Pamucak Beach beyond. Afterwards, head on to the ruins at Ephesus, a vast and very well restored ancient city that was the capital of Hellenic Greece. From there, you’ll take a short transfer along the highway to Camlik, and stop to drink Turkish tea in an authentic tea shop. Your route takes us on through fruit orchards and vineyards as it winds up and over rolling hills to Kirazli, where you’ll eat a wonderful lunch of traditional food in one of the garden restaurants there. Afterwards, continue by climbing on a very quiet and panoramic country road to arrive at the small village of Yaylakoy. From here, after a brief downhill section on a bigger road, you’ll drop down to the coast via Sogucak village and enjoy a wonderful traffic-free cycle lane right on the seafront. From Guzelcamli,enter the Dilek Peninsula National Park and ride to the very end of the peninsula road (Karasu Beach). Here should be a little time for a quick refreshing swim, before the 1.5-hour drive onwards to Lake Bafa and the next section of the journey.
Overnight Location: Hotel near Lake Bafa
Distance: 58km, 650m of ascent, 1,150m of descent
Meals (Group departure): Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Meals (Guided private tour): Breakfast, dinner
Meals (Self-guided private tour): Breakfast only

Day 3 Kapikiri to Latmos Mountains and Transfer to Bogazici

Today you’ll head inland, through mountains and hills strewn with massive granite boulders. After meandering around the lake for 8km descend on the main road to Selimiye before starting your big climb into the Latmos (Besparmak) mountains. Note- this is a big climb and uplift is suggested – your driver will be waiting for you in Kandak village at the bottom of the climb to Kayabuku. From there you’ll ride the remaining uphill section and continue through pristine mountain scenery amongst a landscape of huge granite boulders, mature pine trees and small villages where time has stood still. There are no shops, restaurants or hotels here… You’ll eat a picnic lunch outside a local tearoom in Goldere village and continue up the day’s second big climb to the hilltop village of Narhisar, from where the views are breathtaking! Continue to Ikiztas on a hard-packed gravel surface. This rough section is fine even for road bikes with 23mm tyres as long as you take it easy! Carry on eastwards until a massive 10km downhill off the mountains, past Comakdag towards the town of Milas. Before arriving at the town, take a transfer for 45 minutes to the inland salt-flats lagoon of Tuzla where it’s often possible to spot flamingoes. Tonight you’ll stay in a fantastic true boutique hotel right on the edge of this lagoon with wonderful views and a waterside restaurant. The perfect taste of luxury.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Bogazici
Distance: 61km, 1,200m of ascent, 1,150m of descent
Meals (Group departure): Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Meals (Guided private tour): Breakfast, dinner
Meals (Self-guided private tour): Breakfast only

Day 4 Transfer to Yukari Mazikoy and bike to Akyaka

Today you’ll begin with a 30-minute drive to your start point high on the rugged Bodrum rural hinterland amongst rolling, pastoral hills and Mediterranean garrigue. Begin with an epic descent to arrive at the coast on a deserted asphalt road that runs right along the seafront at Cokertme, the perfect place for a morning drink. Continue east, right on the coast to Oren, where you’ll enjoy a restaurant lunch in the shade of palm trees along a pristine beach. Here you will enjoy wonderful food typical of the Aegean region- fresh salads, mezze and seafood. From Oren you’ll transfer 20 mins to an elevated position at Alatepe village, the panoramas are breathtaking and eventually, you’ll arrive again at the coast, high above Akbuk. Akbuk is a protected area and the only development here is a couple of camping and caravanning parks, a small pension and one or two small markets that supply a handful of yachts with essential supplies. The shingle beach is clean, and the jetty makes a perfect diving board into the sea for a post-ride cool down! The last section of the ride is pure magic, an easy-going and incredibly beautiful single-track coast road that may perhaps be the best cycling road in Turkey!
Overnight Location: Hotel in Akyaka
Distance: 72km, 800m of ascent, 1,600m of descent
Meals (Group departure): Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Meals (Guided private tour): Breakfast, dinner
Meals (Self-guided private tour): Breakfast only

Day 5 Transfer to Yesilbelde and bike to Selimiye

This is an easier day, with time to enjoy the excellent hotels and swim in the clear water at Selimiye. From Akyaka, have a short transfer along the main road before embarking on a wonderful climb through the pristine pine forest to Yesilbelde, bypassing the town of Marmaris and enjoying awesome views over the bays, peninsulas and islands below. You’ll rejoin the main road briefly (here with much less traffic after Marmaris), before turning onto the wonderful Bozburun Peninsula at Hisaronu (where you’ll stop for lunch). Here, the coast road is unforgettably picturesque, meandering its way between little-visited bays and paradise villages along the peninsula, often right on the waterside! Your hotel is right beside the water, in a totally idyllic location- you can swim in the crystal clear water and relax at the beachside. The food and service here are also first class- the hotel is well known amongst the yachting scene.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Selimiye
Distance: 53km, 1,000m of ascent, 1,050m of descent
Meals (Group departure): Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Meals (Guided private tour): Breakfast, dinner
Meals (Self-guided private tour): Breakfast only

Day 6 Selimiye to Kumlubuk

Today you’ll explore the undeveloped and wild Bozburun Peninsula. This is a shorter day, distance-wise, but its mountainous route is challenging- though the views and traffic-free roads more than makeup for it! From Selimiye begin with a big climb (optional car uplift!) and decent past Bozburun village. Then you’ll head into the mountainous hinterland, climbing into the hills via Sogutkoy to Bayirkoy- a wonderfully picturesque place set in lush, green hills. After enjoying a restaurant lunch here and sampling the many varieties of honey that the region is famous for, continue on one final climb that brings you out high above the coast once more. The ride is a mixture of awesome coast roads and steep mountain lanes through pristine pine forest. You’ll finish your ride with a long downhill to the coast to Turunc, with the tourist town of Marmaris a distant view across the bay. Here you’ll stay in idyllic luxury in Kumlubuk, a wonderful hidden gem of a place at which to finish a great day!
Overnight Location: Hotel in Kumlubuk
Distance: 52km, 1,300m of ascent, 1,300m of descent
Meals (Group departure): Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Meals (Guided private tour): Breakfast, dinner
Meals (Self-guided private tour): Breakfast only

Day 7 Transfer to Koycegiz and bike to Dalyan

After a 1 hour transfer, by-passing Marmaris, start with an easy ride along backroads to the lakeside town of Koycegiz where you can enjoy a nice morning drink on the lakeside. Then embark on a fantastic tour around Koycegiz Lake. You’ll ride through Sultaniye and Candir before stopping to explore the ancient city and admire the massive Lycian rock tombs at Kaunos. You’ll finally arrive at the riverside and take a taxi boat across the water to arrive in Dalyan, where you’ll enjoy a nice lunch on the riverside. In the afternoon, you’ll ride the 26km round trip to and from Iztuzu Beach- one of Turkey’s wildest and most beautiful protected sandy beaches, that is home to nesting Caretta Caretta turtles in the summer season. For the last night’s meal you’ll be taken out to one of the best restaurants in Dalyan- you will go home with many great memories of the food on this trip- for sure!
Overnight Location: Hotel in Dalyan
Distance: 64km, 600m of ascent, 600m of descent
Meals (Group departure): Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Meals (Guided private tour): Breakfast, dinner
Meals (Self-guided private tour): Breakfast only

Day 8 Departure

Last day together with your group – time to pack up the bikes and enjoy a lazy breakfast on the riverside. Following this, you’ll transfer to Dalaman Airport for connecting flights.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals (All departures): Breakfast