WALKING/CYCLING ROADS
Germiyan-Ildırı (Erythrai)
Distance: 10 km
Duration: 3 hours
Starting point elevation: 126 m
Highest point: 140 m
Endpoint elevation: 61 m
Difficulty level: 1
Coordinates:
Starting point GPS: 38°18’54.19”N / 26°27’59.30”E
Peak point GPS: 38°19’13.99”N / 26°28’24.92”E
Endpoint GPS: 38°22’49.60”N / 26°28’51.70”E
Transportation to the beginning of the course: Take the Zeytinler exit on the İzmir – Çeşme highway to get to the village 71 km from Konak. Turn in the Çeşme direction on the İzmir – Çeşme main road. About 8 km further, branch to the Ildırı – Germiyan asphalt road and you are in Germiyan village in 2.5 km. Instead of using the highway, you can also take the Germiyan – Ildırı road following the Narlıdere – Urla İçmeler – Gülbahçe – Uzunkuyu road.
For public transportation, go to the Fahrettin Altay (Üçkuyular) transfer center in Üçkuyular by taking the metro. You can take the Çeşme minibus from the district terminal. Get off at the Ildırı – Germiyan junction. The same buses also drop passengers off at the Nohutalan junction. Another option is to get off at the same junction from the Ildırı bus that you can get on from the same bus terminal in Fahrettin Altay. This requires a 2.5 km hike to get to the village. The minibuses going to Ildırı from Çeşme stop by in Germiyan twice a day; except for on the weekends.
Structure of the course: The course, consisting of forest dirt roads, terrain roads and wide pathways, going mainly through vineyards, forests and shrubs, providing a view of the bay, is eligible for hiking and cycling in every season.
Details of the course: The stabilized road, parting to the right from the village center after taking the Germiyan road from the İzmir – Çeşme main road, is the beginning point of the course.
The wide stabilized road forks in about 900 m. You continue on the tractor road through the gardens and along the shrub forest border. In about 2.5 km from the beginning, you come to a four-way junction along the tractor road. From here, going west and northwest, you come to a four-way junction in the valley after about 800 m. The road, on which you are, intersects the wide stabilized road. Following the wide stabilized road on the north, you ascend. 300 m further, the road forks. You come to the abandoned Sami village junction in 600 m. Continuing north through the forest, you enter the vineyards. At the end, re-enter the forest road and come to Dolaylıkuyu by going through shrubs and viewing the Aegean Sea and Ildırı Bay, continuing down to the Çeşme – İzmir main road. Although the hotel that you come up to at the junction is on the left, you continue in the northeast direction on the main road. In 200 m, you come to the Ildırı – Kadıovacık – Çeşme junction. There is a facility here to meet your needs for camping and hiking. Following the asphalt road north along the coast, you pass through Ildırı village center in 1000 m and reach the entrance to the ancient city of Erythrai.
Alternative routes connected to the course:
Duration: 3 hours
Starting point elevation: 126 m
Highest point: 140 m
Endpoint elevation: 61 m
Difficulty level: 1
Coordinates:
Starting point GPS: 38°18’54.19”N / 26°27’59.30”E
Peak point GPS: 38°19’13.99”N / 26°28’24.92”E
Endpoint GPS: 38°22’49.60”N / 26°28’51.70”E
Transportation to the beginning of the course: Take the Zeytinler exit on the İzmir – Çeşme highway to get to the village 71 km from Konak. Turn in the Çeşme direction on the İzmir – Çeşme main road. About 8 km further, branch to the Ildırı – Germiyan asphalt road and you are in Germiyan village in 2.5 km. Instead of using the highway, you can also take the Germiyan – Ildırı road following the Narlıdere – Urla İçmeler – Gülbahçe – Uzunkuyu road.
For public transportation, go to the Fahrettin Altay (Üçkuyular) transfer center in Üçkuyular by taking the metro. You can take the Çeşme minibus from the district terminal. Get off at the Ildırı – Germiyan junction. The same buses also drop passengers off at the Nohutalan junction. Another option is to get off at the same junction from the Ildırı bus that you can get on from the same bus terminal in Fahrettin Altay. This requires a 2.5 km hike to get to the village. The minibuses going to Ildırı from Çeşme stop by in Germiyan twice a day; except for on the weekends.
Structure of the course: The course, consisting of forest dirt roads, terrain roads and wide pathways, going mainly through vineyards, forests and shrubs, providing a view of the bay, is eligible for hiking and cycling in every season.
Details of the course: The stabilized road, parting to the right from the village center after taking the Germiyan road from the İzmir – Çeşme main road, is the beginning point of the course.
The wide stabilized road forks in about 900 m. You continue on the tractor road through the gardens and along the shrub forest border. In about 2.5 km from the beginning, you come to a four-way junction along the tractor road. From here, going west and northwest, you come to a four-way junction in the valley after about 800 m. The road, on which you are, intersects the wide stabilized road. Following the wide stabilized road on the north, you ascend. 300 m further, the road forks. You come to the abandoned Sami village junction in 600 m. Continuing north through the forest, you enter the vineyards. At the end, re-enter the forest road and come to Dolaylıkuyu by going through shrubs and viewing the Aegean Sea and Ildırı Bay, continuing down to the Çeşme – İzmir main road. Although the hotel that you come up to at the junction is on the left, you continue in the northeast direction on the main road. In 200 m, you come to the Ildırı – Kadıovacık – Çeşme junction. There is a facility here to meet your needs for camping and hiking. Following the asphalt road north along the coast, you pass through Ildırı village center in 1000 m and reach the entrance to the ancient city of Erythrai.
Alternative routes connected to the course:
- Ildırı (Erythrai) – Gerence (İltur)
- Germiyan – Nohutalan – Birgi – Barbaros
- Alaçatı – Germiyan
Water resources: There are no water resources along the course.
Camping sites:
- The Germiyan Elementary School yard is suitable to set up tent.
- The area in Ildırı can also be used as a camp site with a tent or a guesthouse.
Shopping and accommodation: All necessities can be acquired from Germiyan village at the beginning of the hike. There are hotels and guesthouses in Germiyan shore and Ildırı.
Natural and historical values:
- The product of nature and history – Ildırı (Erythrai): Ildırı is a village perched on a hill west of the Ildırı Bay, neighboring 28 islands, having crammed all the riches into its small volume. Ildırı is a district of Çeşme but is quite far from the center. It is, however, the first area of settlement. It is the inheritor of Erythrai; built in around 3000 B.C. by Erythros, the leader of the Cretan migrants, one of the 12 Ionian cities in 1000 B.C. and the most powerful competitor of Chios in sea trade. You will see the Ildırı exit on your right when you follow the old Çeşme road and pass Tepe Kahve. You will be in the village in 20 km. A Rum village before the population exchange and a first degree protected area; most houses in Ildırı are 150-200 year old stone buildings. The majority of the stones used are antique.
It is a memorable experience to get a bird’s-eye view of the seaside Ildırı village and its bay from Erythrai Hill, to swim in any part of the bay you want, to tour the islands, to eat plenty of fresh fish, artichokes and herbs in season and to take in the view at the village coffee house. You can tour the islands or go fishing on the fishing boats. Breams, porgies and red mullets are ample. You can also buy fish from the Aquaculture Cooperative and get it cooked and served in the restaurant next door. The island, with a single tree on it, which you can walk to during the tide, is very famous here. Zeki Müren, at the time, tried very hard to acquire the island without success.
- Germiyan: The 282 Erythrai coins found in 2002 shows just how far back the history of Germiyan village goes. With its famous bread, the flour mill can be visited in Germiyan.