Evliya Celebi Way Accommodation
There are hotels and pensions in towns along or close to the EÇW. These centres are marked in RED on the map accompanying the guidebook. We are aiming to organise homestays along the route, but this is slow. Some villages have rooms (oda) for visitors, and it is always worth asking about these when you arrive in a village. Otherwise, we recommend taking up offers of accommodation from local people (whom you should offer to pay, albeit that they may not accept).
Write to us for advice on what is currently available in specific locations.
Camping is largely unrestricted in Turkey and we list below places where we have camped that should still be usuable. This list will be particular useful for horseriders—walkers and bikers can more easily camp where they choose. The better sites are mentioned in the guidebook and marked on the map. You should ask for permission if close to a village or town; someone at the nearest kahve will be able to help you.
Below: çeşme = drinking water fountain for humans; yalak = water trough for animals; meydan = village/town square; kahve= teahouse.
Section 7.10
SOĞUKSU; 40.669824° 29.505663°
Camp beside a concrete bridge over the Yalak River. Road access and off-road parking. No çeşme/yalak. River water for horses. Good grazing. Shade trees.
BAĞDAT RESTAURANT; 40.640931° 29.500350°
There are wooden cabins available at this pleasant restaurant. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme; river water for horses. No grazing. Shade trees.
Contact: 0262 467 4523; 0533 479 0509 (Levent Ekin)
Section 7.11
KIZDERBENT; 40.546052° 29.524424°
From the mosque, follow the asphalt running SE/uphill thro the village from the meydan; turn R onto wide area of rough ground. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak on R of road, 200m before campsite. Good grazing. No shade trees.
Section 7.12
MAHMUDİYE; 40.519939° 29.589117°
Camp on open ground on either side of the road on the approach to the village. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak. Good grazing. Shade trees nearby.
Section 7.13
İZNİK; 40.448286° 29.712939° ~WP1326
The municipal campsite on the lakeside was the only place to lodge horses, but has now been cleaned up and may no longer be usable. It is on the lakeside, shortly after the crossroads where you join the coastal road into the town. Road access and off-road parking. Lake water for horses. Poor grazing. Shade trees. Ask on-site officials, or at the next-door minibus stand, for permission.
Section 7.14
MECIDIYE; 40.350301° 29.704373°
If you choose to take this shortcut (see Route Updates), camp on the promontory S of the village, where the land begins to fall away to the plain. Çeşme/yalak. Grazing. No shade trees. Can be windy.
ESKİ ÇELEBİ; 40.301938° 29.724895°
Camp in the valley in the vicinity of the çeşme/yalak. Road access and off-road parking. Good grazing. Shade trees.
Section 7.22
DEYDİNLER; 40.033914° 29.538107° (approximately!)
Follow the asphalt running SE out of the village from the meydan to camp on the edge of an orchard. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak. Adequate grazing. Shade trees.
Section 7.23
ORTAKÖY: İnegöl Doğa Atlı Binicilik 40.025085° 29.572477°
This family-run establishment has a cafe, stabling and an open-air, sand paddock
Phone in advance for permission to lodge horses here: Ismail Inci 0532 255 4674.
Section 7.24
KURULUK YAYLASI; 39.897485° 29.615748°
Camp in this grassy clearing in the forest. Road access and off-road parking. As the name indicates, the water sources here are dry; nearest water at the landslip before the yayla (WP2432). Adequate grazing. Shade trees.
Section 7.31
ELMALI; 39.685443° 29.646557° (approximately!)
After climbing up from the gully SW of the hamlet, bear R to camp under trees near a shepherds’ hut. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak in gullly. Adequate grazing. Shade trees.
Section 7.32
ŞENLİK; 39.604149° 29.690851°
Camp in the extensive, grassy, village picnic area. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak; toilets. Good grazing. Shade trees.
Section 7.33
KÜTAHYA: Atlı Spor Kulübü
39.443928° 29.963571°
This facility includes a = hippodrome for rahvan racing, stabling, and an open-air, sand paddock.
Phone in advance for permission to lodge horses here: Birol Babacan 0543 760 0581.
Section 7.40
before ALOĞLU; 39.354463° 29.946423°
This campsite is on open, part-grassy, part-gravelly, ground, beside the quiet asphalt road that descends to Aloğlu village, just after a stretch of pine forest . Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak. Adequate grazing. Shade trees.
GELİNKAYA; 29.975449° 39.309089°
After passing through Gelinkaya hamlet, fork L/S from the main road, to reach a rough ground campsite SE of Gelinkaya, between the river to the E/L and the main road to the W/R. Road access and off-road parking. River water for horses; drinking water at petrol station on main road. Poor grazing. No trees.
>this site may have been destroyed by nearby road-building.
KUYUCAK; 39.127193° 30.112946°
Camp NW of the village on an open grassy area, near slightly boggy ground. Road access and off-road parking.Çeşme/yalak. Good grazing. No shade trees.
>this site may have been destroyed by the new airport nearby.
AYDINLAR; 38.987534° 30.233212°
Camp to the W of the village, on rough, grassy ground to the N of the asphalt road leading NW. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak. Good grazing. No shade trees.
Section 7.50
BOYALI; 38.765835° 30.392875°
Camp W of the village on an extensive grassy area. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak. Good grazing. Shade trees.
before KINIK; 38.757735° 30.147198
Camp on rough ground in a sheltered spot between the villages of Tokuşlar and Kınık. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak. Adequate grazing. No shade trees.
before BÜYÜKOTURAK; 38.837000° 29.937360°
Camp on a grassy sward with magnificent views N towards the Dumlupınar War Graves Monument.; turn R/N from WP 5066 to reach the site after c. 500m. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak. Good grazing. No trees.
before DEREKOY; 38.811834° 29.678099°
Continue on the asphalt road from WP 5106 for c.500m to a clearing on the R/N. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak. Adequate grazing. Shade trees.
OVACIK; 38.796723° 29.620914°
Camp on an extensive grassy area beside orchards, S of the village. Road access and off-road parking.Çeşme/yalak. Good grazing. No shade trees.
Section 7.60
MESUDIYE; 38.713322° 29.520528°
Continue R/N on the asphalt road from Mesudiye to reach a spacious area of rough ground beside a riverbed. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak. Adequate grazing. Shade trees.
YEDİÇEŞME; 38.790101° 29.465098°
This campsite is in an extensive clearing in the forest, beside the road. Road access and off-road parking. As the name we have given this site implies, there are seven çeşme/yalak. Adequate grazing. No shade trees.
Section 7.61
ESKİGÜNEY; 38.864885° 29.393918° (approximately)
Our 2009 and 2010 campsite, on the upland NE of the village, has since been flooded to provide water for irrigation purposes. However, you should be able to find another suitable site nearby, where there are other çeşme/yalak. Road access and off-road parking. Adequate grazing. Shade trees.
Section 7.63
ESKİGEDİZ; 39.051472° 29.405473°
Camp at the Kayacık picnic area NNW of the town. Road access and off-road parking. Çeşme/yalak. Adequate grazing. No shade trees.
Section 7.67
KALKAN; 39.077058° 29.051829°
The campsite is SW of the town. Continue through the meydan and after c.500m take a track parallel to asphalt, to pass under the main road by a tunnel after another 500m. Pass a çeşme/yalak on the L, then ford a stream to a spacious, grassy area. Road access and off-road parking. Good grazing. Shade trees.