Olympos Beydaglari Travel Guide
Ancient Olympos and the Fire-Breathing Chimaera
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The Olympos Beydağları National Park stretches for some 80km along the Turquoise Coast from Kumluca (east of Kaş) to Antalya and encompasses not only the ancient city of Olympos and legendary Chimaera but also some of the best of the coast’s scenery.
Lucky visitors to the region will soon discover that the beautiful mountain backdrop and great beaches that comprise the national park have yet to be exploited by developers – it remains wonderfully untouched. The Lycian Way, a way-marked walking trail, of course passes through the area which is home to two small resorts – Adrasan and Çiralı, both of which are delightful.
Çiralı lies just a short distance from Olympos, an important port city in Lycian times and well worth a visit to wander between the ruins which include extensive fortifications dating from Byzantine and Genoese eras, a church, the remains of a theatre and a villa with a mosaic floor. Nearby is the steep path that takes around 25 minutes to climb up to the Chimaera – Yanar Taş in Turkish.
Legend has it that the Chimaera was a fire breathing monster with the head of a lion, body of a goat and tail of a snake and which lived in the mountains. Bellerophon with the aid of the winged horse Pegasus is said to have killed the monster by pouring lead into its mouth. In reality of course the Chimaera is a geological phenomenon yet to be fully understood – the gas which spontaneously combusts has been tested and its exact composition found to be unique to this spot.
Attractions in Olympos Beydaglari
Along with Olympos and the Chimaera other attractions include the fantastic ancient ruins and beautiful triple bay at Phaselis.
Activities in Olympos Beydaglari
The area around Olympos can be explored on foot. Most people find the area enchanting and elect to spend a day or two here however its perfectly possible to visit Olympos and the Chimaera and to do it justice in a half day; to do so organise a tour with a local travel expert.
Relaxing
Eating and nightlife is very low key – most people relax in local restaurants all of which are informal and laid-back.
Getting Around
Getting to Olympos can be challenging as the region is served by infrequent dolmuşes. The best way of getting there is to take a taxi or arrange a private visit with a driver guide.
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