Turkey has an amazing collection of hiking trails all over, some are located directly near the Mediterranean Sea. The landscape of nature in Turkey is breathtaking and you’ll definitely want to make sure you bring a camera.
We’ll go over 5 of the best hiking trails in Turkey and we’ll additionally tell you how you can quickly get in shape for them.
The Top 5 Hiking Trails in Turkey
#1 – Independence Trail
The name independence comes from the Turkish War of Independence in 1919. It was this trail that liberation armies used this trail to ensure their victory. This isn’t a very lengthy trail, but the Istiklal Trail does preserve its history and has some breathtaking views as well.
This is a very remote route that isn’t travelled by a lot of tourists. The trail is also very close to the Black Sea, situated in Northern Turkey. This trail goes all the way from Inebolu to Kastamonu. The whole trail is waymarked and the most ideal times to visit are in between March and October.
#2 – Tokatli Kanyonu
This trail has a few steps so if you’re looking for a flat ground trail, you’re going to have to do a little bit of climbing to successfully tread this trail. It’s a beautiful canyon and it feels like something straight out of a wild west movie.
There’s plenty of natural sights for sightseers such as the free-flowing waterfalls, the flowers and the trees. There’s also a restaurant in the canyon which allows you to take a break and stop for a snack. Today though, you can only see about 750 meters of the canyon as the canyon now ends in Safranbolu.
#3 – Beydağları Coastal National Park
This park is located in the Antalya Province in Southern Turkey. The park was established in March 16th, 1972. It’s not a small park as it stretches over 132 square miles. The park begins in Sarisu, which is situated in the southwestern region of Antalya and the park ends down in Cape Gelidonya. Cape Gelidonya is directly across the Mediterranean Sea.
You’ll want to visit the three different ancient settlements during your visit to the park. This park isn’t just a long list of hiking trails, they also offer picnic, sporting events, mountain climbing and much more.
#4 – Kilimli Parkuru
This trail is located right next to the town of Agva. On the trail, you’ll be on a ridge that’s directly next to the Kilimli Bay. This is a relatively calm trail with the exception that the Black Sea can have some pretty harsh winds, so watch your step on some areas of the trail.
When you reach the bottom of the trail, you’ll find a nice beach but it’s not an ideal beach for swimming. The beach itself has a lot of stones and the sea is best described as rough.
#5 – Lycian Way
One of the most famous trails in Turkey is the Lycian Way trail. Tourists who visit Turkey love this trail and it’s a very lengthy trail. It stretches across 540 miles and wraps around the southern region of Turkey. It ranges all the way from Fethiye to Antalya.
There’s a lot of old Roman roads and mule trails that used to be used. Some of these areas are a bit stony and it’s not an optimal trail if you plan on taking a mountain bike up there. There’s also some steep gradients as it does sit between some mountains and the coast.
How to Get in Shape Quick for The Hiking Trails in Turkey
Make Sure You’re Eating Healthy
We cannot stress enough how important eating healthy is. Poor eating habits lowers your energy levels, makes you vitamin deficient and will overall result in poor health. You need to adopt some healthy eating patterns before you take on lengthy trails.
Make sure you’re avoiding any food with high amounts of fat content in them. The fats you want to avoid are polyunsaturated fats and trans fats. The foods you should be eating are fruits, vegetables, monounsaturated fats and lean proteins.
Join the Gym/Lift Some Weights
You don’t necessarily HAVE to join a gym to lift weights, but this will increase your confidence and you’ll have a chain of support around you to help you if you need it.
A lot of people are afraid of going to the gym because they’re afraid of everyone around them being fit and laughing at them. That’s not the case. Everyone has started somewhere. The areas you primarily want to focus on for lifting is your upper body and your lower body. You need strong legs for climbing and hiking. Your goal shouldn’t be to build muscle mass, it should be to strength train.
Try to do six to eight reps focusing on your arms, gluteal, legs, shoulders, back and chest. The ideal weight should be one that makes you fatigued by the 12th repetition. Once you find your perfect weight, do two to three sets.
Up Your Cardiovascular Workout
A pounding heart is a good thing when it comes to exercise. It gets your blood flowing, provides some adrenaline and gets you moving. Your ideal workouts should be 30 to 60 minutes.
Don’t stress yourself to the point where you can’t even breathe but go for a moderate pace where you can still focus and hold a conversation even while moving. Running and bicycling are going to be your two best options here because we want to make sure that your stamina and your legs are in top notch before a lengthy hike.
Give Your Life Some More Physical Activity
If you sit on the couch a lot or have a job that requires you to be seated 8 or more hours a day, you need to make sure you’re getting more physical activity in general. Things you can do to negate this is walking to the park or taking some walks at night when you’re off work.
Any kind of physical activity is better than none. Any kind of activity that amps your heart up and gets your body working is good.
