Ilıcaköy Village: Planned Route and Cave History

Ilıcaköy Village has a special connection to the region through the planned Lyrboton ~ Kocain Ecotourism Route, which is intended to pass through the village. The plan considers natural and cultural values together, bringing the landscape, archaeological traces and historic buildings into a shared thematic context. A 2021 strategy plan includes the route as a proposed project. Use it as inspiration for planning your trip, and check specific routes in advance.

A route as a thematic framework

The plan includes sites in Kepez and Döşemealtı: Lyrboton Kome, Karataş Mağarası, Ekşili Köyü and its pond, Camili Köyü, Kocain Mağarası, Kıllık Köyü, Karaveliler Köyü, İskender Yolu (the Ancient Döşeme Road), Kovanlık Köyü, Kırkgözhan, Evdirhan and Güver Uçurumu Canyon. The selection brings together different natural and cultural themes without prescribing a fixed daily itinerary. For families who want to combine both on a trip, this plan offers a common thread for organising potential excursion interests. Planning the individual routes remains separate from it.

Kocain Mağarası and its history

In Döşemealtı, Kocain Mağarası has Turkey’s largest cave entrance and largest gallery. Its enormous stalactites and stalagmites reach lengths of up to 35 metres. The cave, near Ilıcaköy, has traces of settlement from prehistoric, Byzantine and early Christian times. These include inscriptions and cave paintings, as well as the foundations of several houses in front of the cave and cisterns in the entrance area. It also served a religious function in early Christian times and was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century.

Kocain Mağarası is described as suitable for independent visits without a guided tour. The cave near Ahırtaş thus combines a striking natural feature with several historical layers. If you are particularly interested in these connections, the rock formations and archaeological traces can offer different points of focus for the same excursion. Check current visiting options before setting off.

Cultural history in Döşemealtı

The Ancient Döşeme Road is also part of the area’s historical landscape. In antiquity, it connected cities in Pamphylia and Pisidia; it is four metres wide and paved with stone. Evdirhan was built in 1219 by the Seljuk Sultan I. İzzeddin Keykavus. The building is currently unused, while work to bring it back into use is ongoing. Both sites illustrate different chapters of regional history, from the ancient transport route to Seljuk architecture.

The Döşemealtı carpets are also part of the area’s cultural heritage. They are woven on so-called Istar looms, using sheep’s wool for both the warp and weft, dyed with natural methods. The oldest examples are on display at the Antalya Museum. The carpets represent a regional craft tradition, while the cave, road and caravanserai offer further historical points of interest.

Getting there and choosing where to stay

When choosing a holiday rental in Ilıcaköy, you can first decide whether you would rather base your stay around the planned nature-and-culture route or a specific visit to Kocain Mağarası. One route to the cave goes from Selimiye via Karataş, Ilıcaköy, Camili and Kıllık. Ahırtaş can be reached by private car. This lets you shape your stay around the topics that interest you most, without assuming that the planned route is a ready-made tour.

Discover more destinations: Mavikent Municipality, Okurcalar, Çukurbağ, Çandır, Konakli, Beykonak Municipality, Asmaca, Özlü.

For the broader travel overview: Antalya.