Isparta: Nature, Water and Culture
Accommodation in Isparta
Isparta offers a diverse range of travel experiences: nature parks with lakes, forests and mountains sit alongside ancient sites, regional crafts and culinary traditions. At Lake Eğirdir, you can focus on observing nature and swimming; elsewhere, archaeological sites or a cave are the main attractions. When choosing your holiday rental, it is therefore worth first considering which side of Isparta you would most like to explore.
Nature parks, a canyon and plant life
Yazılı Canyon Nature Park is a 600-hectare protected area in the Sütçüler district of Isparta Province. A hiking trail runs through the park. The canyon walls also contain Byzantine prayer areas, altar sites and inscriptions. Nature and culture thus meet here in the same place. There is a cafeteria at the entrance where basic needs can be met.
Gölcük Nature Park offers a different landscape: at elevations between 1,350 and 2,270 metres, it encompasses a lake, forest and mountains. If you prefer to observe distinctive plants and animals, Eğirdir offers opportunities for birdwatching and observing endemic plants. Yaka Canyon near Yaka is also defined by its natural features: there are waterfalls, diverse vegetation, birds, various animals and colourful butterflies.
Isparta also offers rose gardens, lavender fields and apple orchards as places to visit. In the province, you can admire and photograph purple lavender fields. These experiences are quite different from a day spent mainly hiking or observing wildlife and plants.
Water and outdoor activities
At Lake Eğirdir, Altınkum Beach and Bedre Bay are among the best places for swimming. If you would like to combine water activities and nature observation on your trip, the options in Eğirdir are especially relevant.
There are also a variety of activities in the area around Isparta. Ayazmana Recreation Area is 2 kilometres southeast of the central district. It is known for its cold springs, is shaded by chestnut trees and has picnic and children’s play areas. Davraz Ski Centre is nearby, at an altitude of 2,635 metres. Activities offered there include alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, ski touring and snowboarding; mountain biking, trekking and paragliding are also available in the summer season.
Yalvaç: archaeology and living traditions
In Yalvaç, archaeological evidence sits alongside regional cuisine and crafts. Pisidia Antioch is located 1 kilometre north of Yalvaç and covers a 47-hectare walled area. The Church of St Paul is considered the first and largest church in Antioch. Pisidia Antioch and the church are among the centres of religious tourism in Turkey.
The Yalvaç Museum displays archaeological finds from local excavations and research, as well as ethnographic evidence of the region’s cultural heritage. Its areas include sections for prehistoric finds, a large and a small hall, a St Paul Hall and an open-air area. Yalvaç bread, börek and keşkek offer further insight into the town’s culinary traditions. Saddlery, felt-making, leatherworking, the making of dishes and harnesses, miniature carriage-making and blacksmithing are still practised there.
Another historic building is the Firdevs Bey Bedesten. Isparta’s governor, Firdevs Bey, had it built in 1561, during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent, to generate revenue for the Mimar Sinan Mosque.
Cave and ancient remains near Aksu
The Zindan Cave in Aksu district is 765 metres long, fully lit and easy to explore on foot. In front of the cave, the ancient city of Timbriada has an open-air temple dedicated to Eurymedon. The Cybele and Eurymedon Sanctuary near Aksu is thought to have been used as an open-air temple in its early phase. Finds date its origins to the early Hellenistic period, while inscriptions date it to the 1st to 2nd centuries AD. The sanctuary also includes a Roman bridge over the Eurymedon: it has a single arch and is built of hewn stone.
The different destinations offer a range of options when deciding where to stay: for example, nature and the lake in Eğirdir, the sites and traditions of Yalvaç, or the natural and cultural attractions of Sütçüler district. For further orientation within the region: Eğirdir, Çobanisa, Isparta, Kasımlar, Sütçüler, Keçiborlu.
For the broader travel overview: Turkish Riviera.
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