Our morning excursion took us to the remote peninsular plateau that is known as the ancient site of Lydae. Little is known about this quiet place that seems far away from our modern world - and what there is known was written up here by one of our expert tour leaders Professor Olivier Henry in his post about Lydae, so check his article for a description of the antiquities and the two great mausolea that dominate the place. We find Lydae beautiful, but also unusual - it is strange to envisage an ancient settlement in this hard-to-reach corner of Turkey, and with such limited resources available...
On our walk (the plateau is reached in about 45 minutes ascent from the shore), we met a veritable menagerie of creatures. It began with a turtle, spotted in the sea during our zodiac ride ashore. Next, just as we were about to reach the beach, there was a squirrel on the gravel, dancing about briefly, then disappearing up a tree. As we started walking, Cem found a series of porcupine quills. And continuing up the path, we were met by three unattended donkeys on their way down to the coast - gentle and friendly creatures that stopped to inspect us and let us rub their heads. Of course, we knew whose donkeys they are!
To visit Lydae and encounter what may be the last generation of locals to pursue an age-old lifestyle, join one of our Carian tours in Turkey.
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