WALKING/CYCLING ROADS
Demircili (Airai)-Eski Söğüt-Zeytinler
Distance: 22 km
Duration: 8 hours
Starting point elevation: 2 m
Highest point: 242 m
Endpoint elevation: 154 m
Difficulty level: 4
Coordinates:
Starting point GPS: 38°12’42.81”N / 26°40’53.47”E
Peak point GPS: 38°14’04.25”N / 26°38’04.20”E
Endpoint GPS: 38°17’02.43”N / 26°33’44.97”E
Duration: 8 hours
Starting point elevation: 2 m
Highest point: 242 m
Endpoint elevation: 154 m
Difficulty level: 4
Coordinates:
Starting point GPS: 38°12’42.81”N / 26°40’53.47”E
Peak point GPS: 38°14’04.25”N / 26°38’04.20”E
Endpoint GPS: 38°17’02.43”N / 26°33’44.97”E
Transportation to the beginning of the course: Take a private vehicle on the İzmir - Çeşme highway, exiting at the Urla junction, arriving in Urla center. Enter the Kuşçular village road from here and arrive at Demircili village center and shore by following the signs on the asphalt road. Demircili village is 17 km from Urla center.
For public transportation, go to the Fahrettin Altay (Üçkuyular) transfer center in Üçkuyular by taking the municipal bus, the metro or the ferry. Take the municipal bus number 725 from the bus terminal to Urla. You will need to use a private vehicle or a village minibus to arrive at Demircili.
Structure of the course: Beginning at the beach on the shore, the course follows the pathway and bays through shrublands. Using the forest roads, wide pathways and stabilized roads past Ümit bay, pine forests increase on the course when ascending and walking further from the shore. If the summer heat is compensated in the bays, the course is available for hiking in every season.
Details of the course: The course, starting from the peninsula bearing the remains of the ancient city of Airai, enters the valley following the dirt road ascending in the northwest direction. The road ends toward the end of the valley and from the opposite slope in the west, it leads to the southwest with the wide pathway from where the ridge swivels, continuing through the shrubs parallel to the shore, it reaches Sarıkaya beach, and by passing the Kızıl Burun ridge, the Kapıkaya Beach. The path reaches Ümit Koyu Beach by following the shore.
You reach the ridge where the valley ends following the dirt road on Papaz Strait in the northwest direction. Coming to the plain having passed the ridge, you reach a new valley bed. While the dirt road continues to the north on the small plain, the course is separated from the road; entering the distinct path on the left heading in the west direction. Ascending through the shrubs, the course passes the wide ridge reaching out in the north – south direction. Coming to the end of the west side of the ridge, flat plains and pine forests begin.
Entering the dirt road from the plain from the middle of the wide valley, it reaches the area where the valley swivels in the south direction. There are steep cliffs with caves about 250 m to the right (38°14’46.72”N / 26°37’54.15”E).
There are remains of statues carved into the rocks and a 7 step staircase in the cave.
Locals have named this place the “Church of Virgin Mary”.
At the end of the valley where the course runs through, the remains of Eski Söğüt village begin. You can camp here but you should take into consideration that there will be a water problem. Going left before entering into the village, you walk into the path in the southwest direction, passing on to the wide forest road 750 m further in the forest. The forest road continues to the west through pine forests, connecting to the stabilized road right by the fire extinguishing pool. The wide stabilized road, going through forests and plains to the north, passes the İzmir – Çeşme highway. Passing below the Zeytinler exit of the highway, parallel to the highway to the west, the course ends at Zeytinler village center.
Alternative routes connected to the course: The course connects to the Azmak – Demircili (Airai) course on the east in the beginning, and to the Gökliman – Zeytinler and Zeytineli – Ulaştıran Tepe – Zeytinler – Birgi routes at the end.
Water resources: There are no water resources along the course.
Camping sites: There is a camping site and facilities on Demircili beach. Camping is possible in Eski Söğüt village; however, shopping and water are not available.
Shopping and accommodation: Necessities can be acquired from Urla center. Some necessities can also be acquired from the closest residential area, Demircili village. The closest accommodations are the hotels and guesthouses in Urla center or the İskele district.
Natural and historical values: Aside from pristine and clean bays and in-forest routes, the historical traces in the remains of the Eski Söğüt Village and close-by caves form the worth-seeing values of the course.
For public transportation, go to the Fahrettin Altay (Üçkuyular) transfer center in Üçkuyular by taking the municipal bus, the metro or the ferry. Take the municipal bus number 725 from the bus terminal to Urla. You will need to use a private vehicle or a village minibus to arrive at Demircili.
Structure of the course: Beginning at the beach on the shore, the course follows the pathway and bays through shrublands. Using the forest roads, wide pathways and stabilized roads past Ümit bay, pine forests increase on the course when ascending and walking further from the shore. If the summer heat is compensated in the bays, the course is available for hiking in every season.
Details of the course: The course, starting from the peninsula bearing the remains of the ancient city of Airai, enters the valley following the dirt road ascending in the northwest direction. The road ends toward the end of the valley and from the opposite slope in the west, it leads to the southwest with the wide pathway from where the ridge swivels, continuing through the shrubs parallel to the shore, it reaches Sarıkaya beach, and by passing the Kızıl Burun ridge, the Kapıkaya Beach. The path reaches Ümit Koyu Beach by following the shore.
You reach the ridge where the valley ends following the dirt road on Papaz Strait in the northwest direction. Coming to the plain having passed the ridge, you reach a new valley bed. While the dirt road continues to the north on the small plain, the course is separated from the road; entering the distinct path on the left heading in the west direction. Ascending through the shrubs, the course passes the wide ridge reaching out in the north – south direction. Coming to the end of the west side of the ridge, flat plains and pine forests begin.
Entering the dirt road from the plain from the middle of the wide valley, it reaches the area where the valley swivels in the south direction. There are steep cliffs with caves about 250 m to the right (38°14’46.72”N / 26°37’54.15”E).
There are remains of statues carved into the rocks and a 7 step staircase in the cave.
Locals have named this place the “Church of Virgin Mary”.
At the end of the valley where the course runs through, the remains of Eski Söğüt village begin. You can camp here but you should take into consideration that there will be a water problem. Going left before entering into the village, you walk into the path in the southwest direction, passing on to the wide forest road 750 m further in the forest. The forest road continues to the west through pine forests, connecting to the stabilized road right by the fire extinguishing pool. The wide stabilized road, going through forests and plains to the north, passes the İzmir – Çeşme highway. Passing below the Zeytinler exit of the highway, parallel to the highway to the west, the course ends at Zeytinler village center.
Alternative routes connected to the course: The course connects to the Azmak – Demircili (Airai) course on the east in the beginning, and to the Gökliman – Zeytinler and Zeytineli – Ulaştıran Tepe – Zeytinler – Birgi routes at the end.
Water resources: There are no water resources along the course.
Camping sites: There is a camping site and facilities on Demircili beach. Camping is possible in Eski Söğüt village; however, shopping and water are not available.
Shopping and accommodation: Necessities can be acquired from Urla center. Some necessities can also be acquired from the closest residential area, Demircili village. The closest accommodations are the hotels and guesthouses in Urla center or the İskele district.
Natural and historical values: Aside from pristine and clean bays and in-forest routes, the historical traces in the remains of the Eski Söğüt Village and close-by caves form the worth-seeing values of the course.
- Arasta: There is no information on when exactly arasta, the Ottoman bazaar formed of small shops gathered around a courtyard at the end of the street where Urla Municipality is, was established. However, it is known that there were about 1700 taxpayers in Urla in the census during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent and that the Malgaca Bazaar and arasta were the commercial and cultural centers of the district. Thus, this term from the Period of Seigniory that Malgaca Plain was also named after, means “center” in Turkish. It is also rumored that the term “mal kaça” (how much are the goods?), used by the Rums, was formed into this. Evliya Çelebi, who lived in the 1600s, mentions Urla and its surroundings in his “Seyahatname” (“Travelogue”) as such: “There is such an arasta here that this one vine runs along all of the shops. Since everybody grafted numerous different varieties of grapes, there are 40 different vines today.” The Kamanlı Mosque behind the arasta built upon the orders of Yahşi Bey from Aydınoğulları corresponds to the same period (16th century). It is known that there is a festival celebrating about 40 produces like katmer (flaky pastry), cheese and wine, in the beginning of the 1800s.