Saklikent Gorge and Tlos
Saklikent is a crack in a mountain with a river coming out of it. You wade into the mouth through water that was underground very recently and is cold enough to make grown adults shout, and then you walk up between walls that lean in over your head.
- Duration
- Full day, and a long one
- Departure
- Early morning pick-up
- Departs from
- Dalyan, hotel pick-up
- Returns
- Evening
- Group
- Shared coach
- Season
- April to October
- Price
- Prices are on our sister site
Tlos is the other half of the day and the quieter one: a Lycian city on a crag with rock tombs cut into the cliff, a theatre below it and an Ottoman-era fort dropped on the summit, looking out over a wide plain.
The route, stop by stop
- The drive eastA good part of the morning
Out over the hills and inland. There is no short way to do this from Dalyan and it would be dishonest to imply otherwise.
- Saklikent gorgeAbout two hours
A boardwalk pinned to the rock face takes you to the crossing point. After that it is a wade through fast, shallow, extremely cold water to reach the gorge floor. How far up you go from there is between you and your footwear.
- Lunch by the waterAbout an hour
The restaurants at the gorge mouth put their platforms out over the river, which is as cool as anywhere in this country gets in August.
- TlosAbout an hour and a quarter
Rock tombs in the cliff face, a theatre, a stadium and the fort on top. It is a climb in the open and the middle of the afternoon up there is hot with nowhere to hide from it.
- The drive backLate afternoon into evening
Long, and generally silent.
Included
- Coach with driver
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Lunch
Not included
- Site entry at Saklikent and at Tlos
- Drinks
- Shoe hire at the gorge
The water is genuinely cold
It comes out of the mountain and it does not warm up on the way. The crossing at the gorge mouth runs fast, somewhere between shin and thigh deep depending on the month, and the stones underneath are loose and slippery. There is usually a rope to hold.
In spring, after the melt, the crossing is sometimes closed altogether. Nobody on the coach can do anything about that, and a day where the gorge is shut is a day of lunch and Tlos.
Who this day does not suit
If you cannot manage uneven ground and cold moving water, you get the drive, the lunch and Tlos, and not a great deal else. The gorge is the reason for the trip and it is not a spectator sport.
And if your holiday is built around the beach and the boat, be clear with yourself that this is a long day mostly spent travelling, to see two things that are worth seeing and are not close by.
What to bring
- Shoes you can soak, with some grip
- A change of socks
- Towel
- Sun cream and a hat for Tlos
- Cash for entry fees
- Water
Frequently asked questions
Can I do the gorge in flip-flops?
You can try. The stones are loose, the current is not gentle, and hire shoes are available at the mouth for a reason.
How far up the gorge do people go?
As far as they choose. Most stop at the first pools. A fit group with the right shoes goes considerably further and comes back considerably wetter.
Is Tlos worth the extra stop?
If you like ruins, yes, and it is far quieter than the coastal sites. If you do not, it is an hour of walking uphill in the heat, and you should decide that before the coach leaves rather than in the car park.
Is it suitable for children?
The gorge usually delights them, though the cold crossing needs an adult to a child. Tlos, considerably less so, and that is the half where the day can come apart.
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