TODAY’S ZAMAN 09

DESIGN: KAD%R ÖZMEN

TRAVEL WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 , 2012

If there was a how-to guide for tourism in Turkey, someone forgot to send the people of

E9irdir the memo. Life is so laid back here that you’ll have to hunt down hotel propri-

etors at the local teahouse before you can book a room. The ever-persistent waiters found wielding

smart quips outside Mediterranean resort restaurants are a distant memory; instead, I’m often inundated

with glowing recommendations for competitors or ush-ered to a neighboring pension when rooms are full. I’m

offered discounts or freebies without so much as opening my mouth to begin haggling. But for all its nonchalant atti-

tude, tourism, albeit a very different type to the Mediterranean beach resorts, is quietly booming in this lakeside haven.

E9irdir is the kind of place travelers intend to pass through on a night’s stopover and wind up spending half the summer whiling away the hours sipping beer on a roof terrace overlook-ing the lake. From the winding descent into the valley, reveal-ing a stunning stretch of azure blue lake, to the glittering strip of YeGilada (the town’s adjourning island) snaking out onto the moonlit waters, memories of E9irdir quickly imprint themselves onto your brain -- one idyllic snapshot after another.

It’s easy to see why this is so often touted as one of Turkey’s “best kept secrets.” “We prefer it that way,” a local pension owner, Nbrahim, tells me, and it’s a consensus shared by many of the locals -- travelers are welcomed with open arms, but tourism, with all it’s modern con-veniences and frustrating business ventures, can stay away. Nbrahim is one of a few entrepreneurial locals taking advantage of the town’s striking natural scenery and helping to transform the town into a hassle-free sanctuary for road-weary travelers. It’s a venture that seems to be working, and his two pensions on E9irdir’s main-land -- Lale and Charly’s -- both see a steady stream of pa-

trons, many of whom chose to stay far longer than intended.

Summer by the lakeThe town is P nally beginning to capitalize on its natu-

ral assets, and Nbrahim has recently branched out with another family venture, the E9irdir Outdoor

Center -- a meeting place where travelers can sip Turkish coffee while planning their stay

and rent out a range of equipment, in-cluding mountain bikes, kayaks, skis

and camping equipment. The shop doubles up as a tourist informa-

tion center furnished with a deep knowledge and

passion for the r e g i o n ,

and they dish out hiking and cycling route maps, sight details

and transport information in addition to organizing tours.Aside from its genial hospitality, E9irdir’s biggest draw is its stun-ning freshwater lake, Turkey’s second largest at a vast 488 square kilometers, hugged by the surrounding Toros Mountains. Cool wa-ters and pebble beaches make the lake an ideal swimming spot, but as summer rolls in, the waterfront plays host to a number of water sports, taking advantage of the warm and breezy climate: Kayaking, windsurP ng and even jet-skiing are on offer from the lakeside and, in typical E9irdir fashion, proP ts are channeled into sports training and equipment for local kids. Alternatively, P shing boats ply the harbor, with local P shermen more than happy to escort fellow P sh-ers out to the lake’s prime spots, stopping on the way back to barbe-cue your catch in a lakeside cove. There’s even a growing trend for paragliding when the winds pick up, with tandem W ights soaring up over the lake affording some incredible views of the valley below.

Heading for the hillsDominated by its backdrop of the Toros Mountains, the town is also a prime base for some world-class hiking routes, the most famous of which is the St. Paul Trail. The 500-kilometer trail traces the A.D. 46 route of the preacher himself from Perge, or Aspendos, to the Roman colonial town of Antioch ad Pisidiam, winding through the canyons and valleys of the Toros Mountains and taking in sections of ancient Roman road, mountain summits of almost 3,000 meters and even in-cluding a boat trip across E9irdir lake itself. Many sections of the trail can be walked from E9irdir, including the 2,635-meter Davraz Moun-tain (a popular winter ski resort) to the south or by following the lake north to the once-Greek village of Barla, bound by a steep limestone valley and encircled with cherry and apricot orchards.

The way-marked trail forms a big part of the region’s vast net-work of day hikes or multi-day treks, and many pensions arrange pick-up and drop-off points for hikers. Mountain biking has be-come a popular option, too, and cycle routes to Barla village, Zindan Cave and Kovada National Park have been carefully mapped out by the locals at the outdoor center. The closest hike to the city is scaling the heights of Sivri Da9d (Needle Mountain), whose rugged peak dominates the skyline to the west of the lake. Part of the way uphill, around a 7-kilometer walk from town, the nomadic village of Akpdnar makes a popular stop-off, a mere 50 houses clustered around a yurt (Yörük tent) selling gözleme and ayran and a small apple orchard, peering down over the lake below.

Heading a little further out, the little-visited Kovada National Park is set around Kovada Lake, tinted by limestone sediment to a cloudy green, with the park’s pine and juniper forests skirting the base of the imposing Davras Mountain. A stroll through the marshlands and for-est walkways is accompanied by the scent of wild olive and pistachio, with carpets of wildW owers brightening up the horizon while squirrels and rabbits dart between the trees. Teeming with butterW ies and birds, it makes a great location for nature spotting, and the vast lake is P lled with enough carp, fresh-water bass and even lobster to keep avid P sh-ermen amused. Overnight camping is also available. Just south of here lies a well-preserved section of the famous ancient Kral Yolu, or King’s Way, that once stretched from the Aegean coast to Babylon back in the 5th century B.C. Today, the road lies close by the partially hidden gorge of Çanddr Canyon, another popular stopping point, where you can swim in the freezing pools beneath tumbling waterfalls.

Hitting the marketsBack in E9irdir, there are few distractions to tear you away from the lakeside for too long, aside from a clus-ter of restaurants serving up healthy portions of fresh lake bass and the renovated 13th century Hdzdrbey Mosque, no-table for its unique walk-through minaret. Things liven up in the small town center each Thursday, when locals from the surrounding areas pour into E9irdir for the weekly market. Rosewater soaps from Isparta, clothing and electronics sprawl the stalls, but best of all is the food: cabbages the size of your head, gooey slabs of honeycomb, towers of glistening olives and the sweetest homegrown cherries. From the end of July through to October, a special series of Sunday Pinar Pazard, or Yörük mar-kets, are held for the Yörük mountain tribes to trade produce and stock up for the winter. Single ladies should take care if they’re attending the women-only market preceding the 10th and P nal market -- legend has it this is the negotiation ground for mothers to discuss potential marriage matches for their sons or daughters.Where to stay

Ali’s Pension, east side, YeGilada 0246 311 2547, www.alispen-sion.com

Charley’s Pension, Kale 0246 311 4611, www.charleyspension.com

Göl Pension, south side, YeGilada 0246 311 2370, ahmet-davras@hotmail.com

Lale Pension, Kale 0246 311 2406, www.lalehostel.com/lalepension.netHow to get there

Direct buses run to E9irdir from Antalya and Göreme. There are also buses that run every 20 min-utes to and from Isparta (40 minutes). The bus sta-tion is in the town center, south of the Hdzdrbey Mosque, from where there are regular buses to YeGilada, the last of which leaves at 9 p.m. Many pensions also offer free pick-ups if you call ahead. Alternatively, all of E9irdir’s sights are easily reachable on foot, about a 15-minute walk from the bus station across the causeway to YeGilada.

E!"RD"R:TURKEY’S MOST TRANQUILSUMMER DESTINATION

ZOE SMITH E"#RD#R

Many sections of the St. Paul Trail can be

walked from E$irdir, including the 2,635-meter Davraz Mountain

to the south or by following the lake north to the once-Greek village of Barla, bound by a steep limestone

valley and encircled with cherry and apricot

orchards

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Kovada Lake in +sparta seen from the top of the valley.

Hikers follow the ancient trail known as St. Paul Trail on their way to Musa Mountain.

Lake at Kovada National Park.

E"irdir Lake in +sparta, the fourth largest lake in Turkey, is a hidden gem for tourists.

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