“Sage hill” village
A lovely village of honey-coloured stone houses on the flanks of Mt İda (Kazdağ), tiny Adatepe, three km from Küçükkuyu, is as close as Turkey gets to a Cotswold village in England. It’s one of the country’s prettiest villages.
Adatepe lacks a focal point and many of the houses have been snapped up by second-home owners so that it can feel rather dead except on weekends. However, there are a couple of fine boutique hotels here, including the Hünnap (Jujube) Han, which is reminiscent of a house in Safranbolu.
On the outskirts, a short and easily walkable path leads to a rock called the Altar of Zeus that was identified by German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann as Gargaros, the site from which the Greek god Zeus was believed to have watched the fighting at Troy taking place on the plains beneath him.
Today, the rock itself is of little interest, although it does offer a great view of the built-up coastline of the Gulf of Edremit (Edremit Körfezi). Instead the walk to the rock is what justifies the detour. Through breaks in the soaring pine trees, you’ll glimpse superb views of Adatepe.
Don’t fancy walking? Then a couple of horses wait for hire just beyond the start of the path.
There’s little to do in the village itself. You come here to get away from it all.
Sleeping
Hünnap Han
The family-run Hünnap Han hotel is housed in a beautifully restored 18th-century Ottoman house with a courtyard. Most people seem to enjoy a stay in its quiet rooms.
Tel: 0286-752 6581, www.hunnaphan.com
Transport info
There is no public transport from Küçükkuyu to Adatepe although all the taxi drivers know the way.
Day trip destinations
