Introduction to Tazi Canyon
The Tazi Canyon is a stunningly isolated and untouched wilderness area located in the Antalya District in Turkey. This remote canyon is known for its impressive rock formations, clear sparkling waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. The canyon is also a popular destination for nature enthusiasts who want to experience some of the best untouched scenery in Turkey. Visitors can explore the canyon on foot or by bike, and take in the natural beauty at its fullest.
Antalya has a lot more places to offer and one of them is Tazi Canyon
Antalya is known for many things and most importantly for the tourism. The more I travel around this area the more I get mesmerized by what we see and experience. So far, we have been to Phalesis, Termessos, Gelidoniya, Olympus, Kemer and Tekirova so far. This area has a lot to offer and we are taking as much as we can whenever we can. The trips are with a fantastic company of fellow travelers that are new to this place. It is definitely interesting to discover the places with the group of like minded people. In comparison to many of the commercially based tour agencies. What we have found is that this group is not being forced into purchasing anything additional to what was already promised. The typical promise is to stick to discovering around.
The costs and length of getting to Tazi Canyon.
It takes couple of hours to travel from Antalya to Tazi Canyon. There are no public transports that are available to get there. Therefore you would need to look at getting either your own car or join a tour bus that goes there. The average pricing for renting a car as of March 2022 is 300 lira ($21 USD) per day. The petrol would also cost you around 500 lira ($35 USD). For us, as mentioned before is a lot easier to travel with an established group of like minded individuals. The cost was 150 lira person and its 4 of us. Making it 600 lira ($42 USD) to travel by bus there and back.
The Tazi Canyon: What to expect when visiting
Like many of the other places when you arrive you will have a minimalistic access to the shops. Take plenty of water & food with you when coming this far. At the top of the mountain you will see villagers preparing guzleme. Guzleme is a local pancake that comes with a variety of toppings. You can chose between the chocolate through to cheese and apples. They also do provide locally made tea that is brewed on a stove. The costs of each guzleme is 15 lira while the tea is 5 lira per cup. With regards to the actual hiking, this time around we have not done it. The top of the hill where we were dropped off was only 3.5 km away from the actual Tazi Canyon. It was nice and easy walk.
Flora and Fauna: What kind of plants and animals you can find there
Every single place in Antalya has its own unique flora and fauna. Since we have not travelled through to hike, we have definitely missed a lot of local nature that could have been captivated. However, what we have found is that the top of the Tazi Canyon is covered with the dead corals. Upon discussing with the local Turkish people, we have found out that the hill used to be submerged under the water. Therefore, what we see on top is the corals and some of the trees that look like sea water trees. We love diving as well and this was a reminiscence of the time when we used to dive.
Hiking Trails: The best way to explore the canyon
There are a number of hiking trails at the Tax Canyon. The most easiest way would be to start the hiking at the bottom of the hill or known as Ataturk bridge. From there, you can walk up via gorge or alternatively stick on the side of the road. Be prepared for it as the walk is not for the faint hearted people. You need to be physically fit as well as having appropriate hiking boots. You could also look at starting the hiking at the top of the hill and the walks are below moderate meaning that you can easily walk around the place and check it out. If you are too lazy to walk then on top of the hill you will have an opportunity to hire bikes and motorbikes. The rental is fairly cheap at 150 lira ($10 USD) per hour.
Ataturk Bridge at the bottom of Tazi Canyon which is part of Kuprulu canyon
The local myth states that if the local men wants to marry to the local women, and in order to prove that they are men, they need to jump off the bridge into the water. Although, it may sound silly but the myths are traditionally based on something that may have happened before. The bridge is fairly tall and the freezing water at the bottom with the strong currents is not the best place to prove your worthiness. However, this place has the white water rafting that are available to hire and would be the best place to spend time in summer. On the sides of the river there are various local cafes so would be great to get wet and then have a nice warm tea.