Even though Akyaka is a wonderful place to just sit and do nothing, on occasions the urge may hit you to go explore further afield. .The personnel at Villa Vali will help you discover the hidden Akyaka and the magic of the Mugla region. Consider day trips found on :
Muğla is a city in south-western Turkey. It is the center of the district the same name, as well as of Muğla Province, which stretches along Turkey´s Aegean coast. Muğla center is situated inland and lies at a distance of about 30 km from the nearest seacoast in the Gulf of Gökova to its south-west. Muğla is the administrative capital of a province that incorporates internationally well-known and popular tourist resorts such as Bodrum, Marmaris and Fethiye and also the smaller resort of Sarigerme
Check out Mugla market for local wares and produce. You can pick up a range of souvenirs at reasonable prices. In Turkey particularly good value items to take home are: Turkish delight, honey, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds, peppercorns, pepper grinders, dried herbs, apple tea, stalks of sage and camomile tea, tea glasses. Also leather wallets, handbags, belts, woven tablecloths, ceramic ware, gold and silver and traditionally woven carpets and kilims (in specialist shops). Don't forget to barter prices for the best bargains!
Zahire Pazaar overlooked by an old-town mosque, features lazy cafes spilling across a leafy cloistered courtyard dotted with traditional craft shops; the city subsidizes their rent to maintain traditions such as marbled paper and art, hand-woven items and intricate painted boxes. Even if you’re not shopping, come for an atmospheric drink.
Although it is close to major resorts, Muğla has only recently begun to attract visitors. Sights of interest in the city include:
- Great Mosque of Muğla (Ulu Cami) - large mosque built in 1344 by the Beys of Menteşe
- Konakaltı Han and Yağcılar Han - restored 18th century caravanserais, the first used as an art gallery and facing Muğla Museum, and the second used for more commercial purposes
- Kurşunlu Cami - large mosque built in 1495
- Muğla City Museum has a good collection of archaeological and ethnographical artefacts, as well as 9 million years old animal and plant fossiles recently discovered in Kaklıcatepe nearby
- the Ottoman Empire-era bazaar (Arasta) - marked by a clock tower built by a Greek craftsman named Filivari Usta in 1895
- Vakıflar Hamam - a still operating Turkish bath which dates back to 1258
The old quarter of Muğla - on the slopes and around Saburhane Square (Meydanı), consisting of about four hundred registered old houses dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, many of which are restored. These houses are mainly in the Turkish/Ottoman style, characterized by hayat ("courtyard") sections accessed through double-shuttered doors called kuzulu kapı ("lamb doors") and dotted with chimneys typical of Muğla. But there are also a number of "Greek" houses. The differences between the two types of houses may have as much to do with the extent to which wood or stone were used in their architecture, and whether they were arranged in intraverted or extraverted styles, as with who inhabited them previously.
Local students tend to hang out in open air cafés along the İzmir highway or in the caravanserai or in Sanat Evi ("Art House"), an Ottoman style residence that has been turned into a café/art gallery exhibiting principally wood carvings.
Considering a holiday in Turkey? At Villa Vali our services go much further than being a hotel holiday complex: we aim to ensure that you have every opportunity to explore Akyaka, the local area and the region.
Check out what Villa Vali has to offer:
Villa Vali Deniz Occupancy 5
Villa Vali Eda Occupancy 5
Villa Vali Azmak Occupancy 4
Ground Floor Apartment Vali Seyir Occupancy 4
First Floor Apartment Vali Begonvil Occupancy 4
Ground Floor Apartment Vali Cevahir Occupancy 4
First Floor Studio Vali Donence Occupancy 2
Ground Floor Studio Vali Serce Occupancy 2
Ground Floor Apartment Vali Begonya Occupancy 2
Villa Vali Deniz Occupancy 5
Villa Vali Eda Occupancy 5
Villa Vali Azmak Occupancy 4
Ground Floor Apartment Vali Seyir Occupancy 4
First Floor Apartment Vali Begonvil Occupancy 4
Ground Floor Apartment Vali Cevahir Occupancy 4
First Floor Studio Vali Donence Occupancy 2
Ground Floor Studio Vali Serce Occupancy 2
Ground Floor Apartment Vali Begonya Occupancy 2
http://www.akyaka.com/category/places-of-interest/
Getting There
The two obvious ways to get around are to join an organised trip, or to hire a car.
Organised Trips
There are a number of companies in Akyaka that run these, (see elsewhere on this site) or your hotel / villa owner etc will be happy to help. This is probably the cheapest method of getting around, and also takes the stress out of the journey. Against this, most of (certainly the longer) trips leave very early in the morning, some are even overnight, and they may insist on taking in other places on the journey that may not be to your liking.
Hiring a Car
Hiring a car in Turkey is not as cheap as in many other Mediterranean resorts, and you may be shocked to find that petrol is even more expensive than in England (it is one of the main ways that the Turkish Government raise tax revenues). However, hiring a car for at least some of your holiday is well worthwhile, and enables you to do far more exploring, both locally and at greater distances, than you would otherwise manage – as well as allowing you to choose your routes and timings to suit you. (See elsewhere on Akyaka.com, or other web sites, or ask around when you arrive).
Driving in Turkey is not as horrific as some guidebooks would have you believe. The roads are relatively traffic free, and there is nearly always an overtaking lane to use (depending on which lane is travelling uphill at the time!) Most road signs are fairly obvious, and even the extensive road improvement schemes rarely cause any significant delay. Do though be aware that because of the amount of up and down and around bits (other than along the coast road, most of the sites are inland and hence ‘over the mountains’) most journeys will take longer than you anticipate based solely on distance. You probably won’t average much more than about 75km per hour.
There are many roadside services, ranging from European style petrol stations, (most of which take credit cards) through to little ‘shacks’ that sell most of the usual refreshments, obviously cash only.
And of course look out for the stuffed sheep sellers – lay bys full of stuffed sheep, which no one ever seems to buy, and which no Turk has ever been able to explain!
