Turkey: Saklikent Gorgeous!

When we originally arrived in Fethiye after a lovely visit to Pamukkale, we had but one thing on our minds: the Mediterranean. This was our first sea or ocean on this trip, and we were there to take the Blue Cruise. Everything else was just gravy.

After purchasing our cruise tickets, we had four days to see what was going on in and around Fethiye itself. Luckily for us, there’s quite a bit. Probably our favorite destination in the area was a place called Saklikent.

Saklikent Gorge

Saklikent, which means "hidden city," is home to a quite sizable gorge. Even the widest of lenses won't capture the dwarfing height of the cliffs or the roaring of the currents coursing below. The scale of things really puts you in your place.

The gorge is 18 kilometers long, four of which are traversable by foot. This is no walk in the park though.

It’s starts off easily enough—upon paying the 5 TL entry, you go through turnstiles and enter the gorge along a raised walkway for the first 100 meters or so with the cool stream bubbling below. That’s the extent of the man-made paths though; from here, you just have to wade into the water. The majority of the time it only covers your feet, but it does get waist-high in sections.

At the end of the path is a small opening where you will no doubt be approached by a guide. They’ll tell you that it’s dangerous to go ahead alone and offer to chaperon, but we did just fine alone. To be fair, the water does get deep in some areas, especially after rain, and currents can be dangerous. They close the gorge to visitors during the rainy winter months for this reason. 

When we were there though, they had one person posted just the other side of the first deeper section. I heard that there were more such guides strategically placed throughout the gorge, but we didn't see any. This might only be true in the months with more foot traffic. In any case, the able-bodied should be able to wing it, but guides are available for those not too sure of themselves. If you’re not comfortable climbing up wet rocks in what amounts to a shallow river, better safe than sorry.

Knee deep in giddy awesomeness

Walking through the gorge is sheer joy. Remember when you were a kid and went to go play in the creek in those woods at the edge of the neighborhood? It’s just like that, except this time the creek is deeper and flanked by 300-meter high sheer cliffs. And the water is a milky shade of blue thanks to sand deposits reminiscent of the travertine in Pamukkale. On second thought, maybe it isn’t so much like that creek back home.

Not your run-of-the-mill creek

The water is also quite chilly—thanks to the towering natural walls of the gorge, sunlight rarely reaches the waters, if ever. I’m sure it’s quite a delightful break from the heat of summer months, but it can take a little getting used to when we went, at the end of the season in October. It was by no means unbearable though, even at this time of year.

Here's some info to assist on your visit.

Saklikent Details

Entrance fee: 5 TL/person
Season: Roughly April to September, depending on weather and water levels. We went in early October and were fine. Going late in the season will be much less crowded, we hear.
How to get there: Saklikent is about an hour by dolmuş from Fethiye for 8 TL/person. Be sure to confirm the schedule for the bus back if going by dolmuş—it was 6 pm when we visited. Renting a car will be more comfortable if you have the budget, but at 50 km, it's a bit far for scooters. Other than Fethiye, it can also be accessed from nearby Antalya, Kaş, or Kalkan.





Precautions: You will get wet here, and the rocks are slippery. Wear a swimsuit, or at least pants that can get wet. Water shoes or some form of shoe with good grip that you don’t mind getting wet are recommended—absolutely DO NOT wear flip-flops! Rental shoes available if needed.

Also, be mindful of any electronics you bring. Even if you don’t slip, anything in your pants pockets will get wet. There was also a waterfall that we saw, maybe 1.5 kilometers or so into the hike, that you would have to pass under in order to go any further. We turned back here as we didn’t want to risk ruining the camera, but you might be able to get further with a waterproof backpack.

River Restaurants

Saklikent has the perfect remedy for the hungry stomachs of adventurers fresh back from their river treks. The riverside restaurants here aren’t just beside the river, they have tables sitting on top of the river flowing out of the gorge.

You know you want to sip some fresh-squeezed pom juice here

For those more interested in the food than the views, they have you covered, too. Those able to stave off hunger for another 200 meters or so can head past these restaurants to the right upon exiting the gorge to another set of restaurants. These serve up generous portions with all-you-can-eat salad bars for a low 10 TL.

Eat here for 10 TL!!

And there you have it. If you make it down to the Turkish Riviera, don't forget to make time for Saklikent!