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Karacasu Pottery

The fame of handmade pottery, maintained for many years in the district of Karacasu, has spread across the borders and found its place under the name Karacasu Pottery. You can watch pottery making during the production phase, and buy handmade products such as jugs, casseroles, glasses and even carboys. You can experience the different texture of pottery with many products you can find from Karacasu Bazaar for use or decorative purposes.

Needle Lace 

Needle lace, which is exquisite hand embroidery, through which Anatolian women express their stories, is one of Aydın's local handicrafts. It is a type of lace made using needle and thread. The lace is embroidered on kerchief, covers and pouches for ornamental purposes and found its place in the clothes of Aydın Efes.

Hair Goat Tents

The weaving material obtained by processing the hairs of the hair goats raised in the highlands of Aydın is used in the production of saddlebags, harar bags, oil bags, flour bags and feed bags. It is possible to see the traditional hair goat tents in the highlands and feel their texture.

Sports Activities

The most convenient area for trekking is the region starting from Dilek Peninsula (Dilek Yarımadası), continuing in Karina, extending to the Büyük Menderes River (Büyük Menderes Nehri) and Delta and Bafa Lake (Delta ve Bafa Gölü). Considering the golf facilities of the city of Söke, which is in the centre of the whole region, it can be called the most important recreational and sports tourism centre of Aydın. In addition, the Paşa Highland (Paşa Yaylası), Karacasu Highland (Karacasu Yaylası) and Madran Highland (Madran Yaylası) are potential recreational and sports tourism centres. You can go hiking from Aphrodisias to Baba Mountain (Baba Dağı), as well as in Karacasu-Dandalas Highland (Karacasu-Dandalas Yaylası), Aydın Merkez Pasha Highland (Aydın Merkez Paşa Yaylası), Çine-Bozdoğan Madran Highlandand Güzelçamlı Karina.

The route between Güzelçamlı-Dilek Peninsula (Güzelçamlı-Dilek Yarımadası) and Didim-Akbük is suitable for bicycle tours. You can do sports fishing in Bafa Lake and hunting tourism in Alamut village of Bozdoğan. There is a nature park in Didim district of Aydın and a youth camp in the Kuşadası district. Kuşadası and Didim beaches have convenient opportunities for underwater and surface sports. There is a runway in Akbuk where you can paraglide.

Bicycle Routes

Mountain biking is one of the nature sports that can be done between the Dilek Peninsula Büyük Menderes Delta National Park (Dilek Yarımadası Büyük Menderes Deltası Milli Parkı) and Didim-Akbük. Mountain bikers can use alternative routes with naturally stabilized and low inclined paths. There are 24 cycling tracks, the shortest of which is 5.16 km (Aydın-Tralles Ancient City) and the longest 207.94 km (Aydın-Karacasu-Aphrodisias Antique City-Tavas).

Trekking in Dilek Peninsula National Park

The region, starting from Dilek Peninsula and continuing to Karina, extending to Büyük Menderes River and Bafa Lake, is one of the most suitable places for trekking. In addition, the Büyük Menderes Delta National Park is suitable for trekking with its rich plant diversity and wildlife. Nature walks can also be done in the unique beauty of nature along the Çine Valley, in the Karacasu-Dandalas Highland, in the Aydın Merkez Pasha Highland, in the Madran Highland from Aphrodisias towards Baba Mountain.

Continuing in the direction of Güllübahçe through Söke and after a 60-70 minute bus journey to Old Doğanbey Village . The village is in a position dominating the region, at an altitude of 60-70 meters above sea level at a distance of 2-3 km to the Menderes Delta. In the village, there is a facility of the National Park Directorate. The landscape to be seen after reaching the ridge of the mountain is wonderful. In the north, you can see Menderes Delta, Bafa Lake, Milet Ancient City, Beşparmak Mountains, Myus and Azap Lake. The descend starts after a 2-3 hour trail climbing from the forest-covered southern slope of the mountain. The rich flora of pine, wild strawberry, laurel, redbud, bear nut, mastic, ryegrass, olive, and carob can be discovered. And along the shore of flowing fountains, under the shadow of Anatolian plane trees, you can reach the asphalt road that stretches through the national park.

Beşparmak Mountains (Ancient Latmos) Hike

From the town of Bafa, after a 10 minute bus journey, we arrive at the village of Gölyaka (Bucak) at the foot of the Beşparmak Mountains (Beşparmak Dağları). The mountain climbing point starts from this village.

After a 45-minute walk on a path that villagers used to reach the olive groves, to go to the other villages in the surrounding, and to climb to the monasteries from the Byzantine period. This path has also been used for centuries in ritual walks to the sanctuary of the Weather god at the summit of Beşparmak (Tekerlek tep 1375 m) in previous ages. Also, the cave with prehistoric rock paintings dating back to 7,000-8,000 BCE is here. After another 45-minute journey, you reach the Yediler Monastery, one of the many Byzantine monasteries, and the monk caves and shelters in the region.

Sacred Road Walk

2500 years ago, a 13 km walk was organized on the Sacred Road connecting the ancient city of Miletus to the Didyma Apollon Temple, The Sacred Road used to start from the ancient city of Miletus and ended at the Temple of Apollo, leads through the stone-paved road surrounded by the sphinx, lion and sitting priest sculptures. The road ends after Panormos, at the port of Didyma. People of Miletus in the past would reach the temple at night with torches in their hands, accompanied by sacred songs, and attend the 4-day rituals held under the management of the priests.
Today, on the 3^rd Sunday of April every year, the walks are still organized on the Sacred Road accompanied by history and with the participation of nature enthusiasts who come from Didim and the surrounding cities.

Cruise Tourism and Blue Cruise

Kuşadası Port (Kuşadası Limanı) is the second important sea gate of Türkiye with two piers and a yacht marina, where cruise ships dock. Kuşadası Marina is an ideal anchorage and shopping area for yachts and cruise ships, thanks to its marina and beautiful harbour. The marina, which is located on the route of yachts arriving from and departing to the Aegean Sea in all directions, is a very popular place for yachts sailing on the route of Çeşme, Kuşadası, Bodrum, Datça, Marmaris, Fethiye.

Healing Thermal Waters of Menderes

The Menderes Basin was formed by rich water flows flowing from the right and left slopes from heights starting from 900 meters to the Aegean Sea. In the shape of a boat formed by the water currents over thousands of years, the Menderes Valley has rich groundwater resources. The hot springs in Germencik district, Bozköy and Gümüşköy regions are important thermal springs of the region. Buharkent Thermal Tourism Development Zone and the surroundings of İmamköy, which includes Ilıcabaşı in Aydın centre, have been declared “Tralleis Thermal Tourism Development Zone”. The region has an important potential in terms of geothermal resources. The most important thermal tourism centres in this potential are Kuşadası Davutlar (Natur-Med) and Germencik Alangüllü Thermal Springs.

Alangüllü Thermal Spring

The thermal spring area, 10 km north of Germencik district, is located within the Büyük Menderes Basin. The Alangüllü Thermal Spring, located in a forested area at the foot of Gümüş Mountain, which is the extension of Aydın Mountains, has been certified by the Ministry of Health.  Thermal bath cures are popular in the long-term treatment of chronic rheumatic and neurological diseases, as an auxiliary and complementary treatment element in orthopaedic diseases, and also as an aid in skin diseases. The facility has 38 rooms and 60 barracks. 

Kuşadası Davutlar Thermal Spring

Kuşadası Davutlar Thermal Springs is located in the city centre of Davutlar town. The thermal spring area, which is 70 km from Aydın centre, 17 km from Kuşadası and 120 km from İzmir, is very close to historical sites such as Ephesus, Virgin Mary, Priene, Milet, and natural beauties such as Dilek Peninsula National Park (Di, Bafa Lake, Sirince Village. The thermal spring area is 200 meters above sea level. Thermomineral water with sodium fluoride and fluoride is applied as a supportive treatment for rheumatism, arthrosis, osteoporosis, etc.  The health centre of the thermal facility has been certified by the Ministry of Health. In thermal springs with acratothermal mineral water, bath applications are performed in the chronic periods of rheumatic diseases, in the rehabilitation of orthopaedic and neurological diseases, as an adjunct and complementary treatment.

Radon Thermal Springs Health Centre

The thermal spring facilities are mostly the facilities that offer daily cure treatments. It has a capacity of 20 beds and 8 rooms to be used in accommodation service. Three thermal pools are used as a daily cure centre as treatment units. The thermal spring water in the facility, certified by the Ministry of Health, is a mixture of sodium chloride and fluoride.

Bathing and heliotherapy (sun bath) applications can be used as a complementary treatment element in mobilization studies in cases of long-term immobility such as post-orthopaedic-operations, brain and neurosurgery operations, certain neurological disorders in the chronic period, and stress disorder.