It was a beautiful morning on that the Mt Babadag spirits called me back after a long absence of mine. I couldn’t help myself but pack my rucksack with warm cloth, jump in the car and drive to Babadag-mountain for a relaxed hike through pine and cedar forest.
Leaving Eden Villas
The drive from Eden-Villas to Hisaronü was, indeed particularly enjoyable that morning. The light effects of the autumn sun made the sceneries unusually beautiful.
So, after my 20 min drive I reached the Babadag Entry –point, chatted a little with the 2 watch-persons before continuing my drive for a 2 km, until the bifurcation of the road leading to the summit (1960m) and the one heading to the 1200m (altitude) paragliding take-off place. After nicely parking my car, I finally started my walk to the 1200m Take-Off. I hadn’t enough time to make it to the summit that day.
This trail is a pretty easy one as it isn’t very steep. The sceneries are stunning and I would recommend anyone with a reasonable level of fitness to walk it. You will truly enjoy the pleasant hike with spectacular views on Ovacik and Oludeniz. This trail took me about 2 hours to walk.
Goal: 1200m Take-off
When I finally reached my target, I first crossed the a few meters of a plateau-type of place usually used as parking area from the small buses transporting the paragliders. There was very little activity on that day.
However, there are some stairs to take to reach the take of place. Though I personally took-off very often from this place (I am a solo paragliding pilot) it is always a pleasure for me to be there and enjoy the magnificent views of Fethiye and the Mediterranean (despite formatting clouds). Truly stunning!
The area was not very busy with just one pilot taking off … not unusual at this period of the year. After taking a few pictures, I sat down on one of the wood chairs left there by some paragliding enthusiasts. I took some time just to relax and gazing at formatting clouds.
I met Nuri, one of the owners of Moonlight Car Rental, and I a little chat. As I got ready to walk back to my car, Nuri proposed me to give me a lift. I accepted and of we went. A return trip by car was not planned but was not less enjoyable than a hike.
About Mt Babadag
Mt Babadag is part of the Taurus range running across southern Turkey. The mountain sets off the famous scenic beauty of Oludeniz. It is not common to find a mountain directly rising from sea level to a summit of 1969m. The mountain hosts a large variety of flora ranging from rare orchids to very old cedar trees. The mountain is also home of eagles that sometimes can be seen soring over the ridges.
There is also an ancient road leading to the summit, dated to the Lycian period, which near Oludeniz on the road to Faralya. I never walked it. But will do it for sure … and off course post pictures of the hike in a future blog article.
I hope you enjoy the pictures and to take you there (or to other outdoor hidden escapes) in the near future.
Wish you a wonderful day
Oliver
www.edenvillas-kayakoy.com
