Kusadasi For Second Timers # 2: Nature And Mythology(sm)

Your guide will meet you at the Kusadasi Pier at 8:30 a.m. and take you to places that you have not yet seen!

Start with a drive to Lake Bafa, south of Ephesus. [This lake was the tip of Lade Bay until the Roman period. Because of alluvial deposits carried by River Meander, the area was silted and the connection to the open sea was cut  sometime around 400 A. D. The lake, 15 km in length, 10 km in width, 25 m in depth, is a fresh water lake but a part of it does contain salt]. There is also a ‘bird paradise’ with 208 breeds of birds (such as pelicans, storks, etc.).   In the lake, one finds bass, eels and carps.   The area surrounding the lake is used for agriculture (cotton, olive trees) and bee farming. [In ancient times, Latmos or Herakleia was a town built on a harbor on the skirts of Mount Latmos. The economy of Herakleia depended on agriculture, fishing and sea commerce.  However, with the silting of the harbor all tha ended and the town declined.  It is best known for the legend of the moon goddess Selene and her lover Endymon.  Mount Latmos didn't lose its mysterious and holy character even in the Christian Byzantine period]. You may enjoy an Optional boat ride on the lake, if possible, and visit the Byzantine monastery.  Then you would  drive to the village of Karine  (Doganbey Village).  Karine is a fishing village with an interesting geography, located on the back side of  Dilek Peninsula National Park. [It is known as a region where gilt head breams spawn,  and  ground waters boil from seabottom and blending to the ocean.   All the tones of blues and greens can be seen in the shallow sea. It is a nest area for pelicans, has delicious fish; amazing fresh air and natural beauty are symbols of this unique little village. The honey of Karine is also very famous].  After a lunch break at a fish restaurant to enjoy some of the best fish, you can visit the Steam Locomotive Museum near Ephesus, where  50 to 80 year old steam engines are on display.  

If time permits, try some wine tasting at Yedi Bilgeler Winery (Seven Sages Winery) before your guide takes you back to Kusadasi Pier.  (Lunch)

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