A Stroll To Afkule Monastery
All last week, the weather in Fethiye was fantastic - perfect for trekking. Time to return to the dramatic scenery of Afkule.
We caught the dolmuş to Kayaköy so we could do the short walk to the dramatic setting of Af Kule Monastery.
In the winter months, the dolmuş goes through Kayaköy, towards Gemiler but it terminates in the small hamlet of Kınalı.
We got off here and strolled along the pleasant and rarely used country road towards Gemiler and the Afkule Monastery turn off.
At this time of year around Kayaköy, wild flowers peep through between rocks and rubble along the roadside and in the forest, so this meant I was soon quite a way behind my walking companions.
Our botanical knowledge is practically non-existent but I love to take photos of the flowers - one day, we might be able to identify them.
About 1 km along the Gemiler road, you'll see a junction and signposts pointing towards Af Kule Monastery and Gemiler.
You may be able to make out '2 km' scratched into the Af Kule sign. It's more like 3 km.
Still a short stroll, but you will be truly amazed by your reward as the forest path gives no clues as to what is waiting for you at the end.
When you reach a clearing (maybe 1 km up the wide forest track) you need to bear right and you begin to make a short ascent along a rubble donkey track.
There are red and yellow striped paint marks guiding the way.
Most of this stretch is shaded by pine trees but keep your eyes peeled as you do get the occasional vista of Babadağ (Father Mountain) behind in the distance.
Eventually, you will reach the top of the track and, although you're aware of a massive drop below you, your view is obscured by ancient trees growing from the mountainside.
A feeling of standing on the edge of the world - at this point, the butterflies in my tummy begin to flutter in rapid fashion.
Afkule Monastery is right below you, out of sight for the moment.
Zigzag your way down the very steep footpath - there are steps in places - and after a couple of minutes, a section of Afkule and its amazing setting reveals itself.
The steep descent from the top of the hill to the grassy clearing from where you can admire Afkule is around 150 metres.
Once you get there, take out your camera, picnic, book and take in the drama of your surroundings.
It's a humbling setting.
I'll be honest here and admit that my first ever visit to Afkule Monastery revealed my previously unknown fear of sheer drops and, for a while, I didn't return, leaving Barry to take friends there alone.
A few visits later and I now find the place a beautiful and tranquil place to be.
I was brave enough to walk to the edge to take this photo but as for the hermitage, carved into the rock face behind me...
Those brave enough can climb up into the Afkule hermitage and take in the views from the top window.
It's possible to see the Greek island of Rhodes on a very clear day.
It's possible to climb these rugged steps and enter the hermitage.
I was happy to take a photo of the steps - but then handed the camera to Barry (this is a first!) so he could climb up and take a couple of photos through the top window.
And he didn't do a bad job - once he'd shouted down to me that everything just looked black and I suggested removing the lens cap.
The return walk from Af Kule is back the way you came.
We walked back into Kayaköy and managed to fit in a well-deserved, refreshing beer while we waited for the dolmuş back to Fethiye.
Af Kule Monastery, Kayaköy - Useful Info
- From getting off the dolmuş in Kınalı and walking to Af Kule and back up to Kayaköy, the whole walk took 3 hours.
- Although this is a short walk, sturdy footwear and a bottle of water is a must. During the winter months, your nearest refreshment is back in Kayaköy. In summer, there are a couple of places open in nearby Kınalı.
- During winter, the dolmuş between Kayaköy and Fethiye is every hour, on the hour.
- In summer, this changes to every half hour. Some dolmuşes will go all the way down to Gemiler Bay, meaning you can get off at the Af Kule / Gemiler junction to begin your walk to Af Kule. On return, you could even make your way down to Gemiler Beach (about 40 mins walk) and have a refreshing swim before getting the dolmuş back towards Fethiye. There's also a snack bar (open all year) at Gemiler.
- Those looking for a longer trek could skip the dolmuş and walk from Fethiye to Kayaköy before continuing to Af Kule.
- Check out more ideas for strolls, hikes and walks in and around Fethiye now.
@ Angela: Ohh, looking forward to finding out where you're thinking of. Shame it's not Turkey. 🙂
@ Mad Dog McClane: Thanks. It makes it easier when the scenery's great. 🙂
Great photos.
Gorgeous places, I soooo want to go trekking somewhere. Might need to wait some time now, but I'm already pondering some destinations. It won't be Turkey for the moment unfortunately, but it's only postponed 😉
@ Matt: Ha ha. 🙂 I bought mine because I wasn't sure about a DSLR (lenses are expensive and you have to carry them around etc.) The S series Fujifilm Finepix are bridging cameras - in between a point and shoot and a DSLR. Good for getting used to all the functions. The S series in general is really good if you're learning photography...or you can just go all out for the Canon DSLR posh stuff. I don't think your mum'll be chuffed with the prices though! 🙂
I was just curious as I'm really getting into photography myself and hopefully my mum's going to buy me a new camera for my birthday 🙂
@ Adam: Compared to the stuff you're writing about, this is a very little hike! 🙂 But great for a day out - because of the amazing views.
Nice, looks like a great little hike. The views at the end are just amazing!
@ Sarah: Having just read your blog post, I now know that the flower in the photo is a cyclamen and that it's leaves must be boiled before eating. 🙂 I never pick the wild flowers just because I think they look so pretty exactly where they are.
Yeah, Af Kule would be good in a game of Top Trumps for views!
@ Kaya Koyu Walker: Thanks for that. Hopefully, Steve will see it. I think that might have been the site I came across on Google the other day.
Beautiful views. Just so happened that we visited a monastary (St. John of the Desert) this weekend as well, but the views from yours- well it can't compare. That is a cyclamen in the top picture btw. It's a protected flower in Israel so I never pick it but it is edible only after it is boiled (the water discarded). Otherwise it is full of saponins.
You can get a lot of local information on
http://www.kayakoy.net/kayakoy.html
@ Steve: I bet that looks lovely on your wall. There are bits of info if you do a Google search on Af Kule. Apparently, it was built by a monk who wanted a solitary life. There are books around about the Kayakoy area (unfortunately, we own none of them) that would probably have more information.
@ Robin: Thanks. It is a beautiful country. You should come one day! 🙂
This has to be one of my most favourite places to visit when I come over to Fethiye. I had a print of Af-Kule put onto canvas where it now proudly sits on my wall.
I'd love to know more about the history of this place and who used to live here etc. If anybody knows where to find this information, please share.
Regards
Steve.
@ Kay Koyu Walker: Thanks for the flower info. Top right didn't look like a crocus - although I'm not sure of the different varieties.
As you said, the other sections of the hermitage are not for the faint-hearted - particularly not me! 🙂
Top left and bottom right are Peacock Anemones and bottom left is one of several varieties of Cyclamen that grow in the Kaya Valley. Top right is probably a crocus but it's difficult to tell from the angle of the picture.
To the right of the large window in Af Kule is a hole that you can easily get through which leads out onto a sun terrace. It's not for the faint-hearted though as there is a very low wall and no hand-holds.
If you're thinking of going out to Af Kule to catch the fantastic sunset in the summer make sure that you set-off before 4pm. The sun drops very quickly and far earlier than in the UK and you'll have a treacherous walk back in the dark.
@ Andrea: You'll have to put it in your travel itinerary. Loads of trekking to be done here. We've not even touched the surface. 🙂
This looks like such an excellent, peaceful walk. Turkey has so many gorgeous places to trek; I can't wait to get there someday.
@ Claudia: It does look as though Spring is just around the corner doesn't it? The sea is beautiful tound there. We've been here, on and off, for 7 years.
@ Cathy: Very adventurous for me! Yeah, wish we had a better knowledge of what's growing around us. 🙂
@ Jillian: Yes, directions are not the best - on purpose I think as maps are owned by the military. We only do treks that friends have told us about or along the Lycian Way.
@ John in France: Yes! He's very techy - except with cameras! 🙂
@ London Caller: Thank you. I was hoping someone would be able to tell us what sort some of the flowers are.
@ Amy: Same here! 🙂 Why is that? You wouldn't believe how quiet it is up there. Gorgeous.
I'm not a religious person but for some reason religious spots like this are my favorite to visit. Monetaries, churches, old temple sites ... they just activate my imagination and make me feel peaceful.
Beautiful photos!
Turkey is blessed with some of the world's most beautiful seaside!
The purple flowers (Top left and bottom right) look a bit like cosmos.