Geynyuk Canyon National Park is an amazing natural attraction in Turkey.
Geynyuk is a must-visit if you are vacationing in the Antalya area or traveling along the Lycian Trail.
In the park you can find majestic mountains, primeval forests, wonderful boulders, turquoise rivers and of course – great views and air soaked in the freshness of pine needles and purity.
Geynük in Turkish means “valley at the convergence of heaven and earth”. It is a plain that is surrounded by the Beydaglar Mountains and the river of the same name rises in it. Over many thousands of years water has cut its way into the rocks and a gorge was formed. Now it is a natural monument, 14 km long and 6 km wide, with a mountain height of up to 350 meters.
The river itself is somewhere you can walk and its depth will be barely ankle deep, somewhere it is a rough stream or a calm lake, with picnic areas and rafting.
Where is Geinyuk Canyon – 36.6826124,30.5337135
Journey to Geyniuk
This amazing place might have been overlooked by me if it wasn’t for the desire to just take a break from vacationing.
It all started with my holiday in Antalya in the village of Beldibi. Deciding to stay one day in the hotel it was supposed to be a simple walk, which turned into a real adventure.
Not far from Beldibi, before entering Geynyuk on the Antalya-Kemer highway, there is a turn to the right. It does not seem to be a real road – it is not asphalted, but paved with decorative tiles. The road is wide and deserted, leading to the canyon of Geyniuk.
On the way to Geynyuk Canyon
I will focus separately on the road. It is tiled, and the distance from the highway to the park entrance is 3.3 km. You have to go uphill a little bit and pass the colorful places. There are forests, detached houses, orange and pomegranate groves, a few abandoned courtyards. We encountered old men selling pomegranate juice at $1 a glass and young girls selling oranges from the yard.
At the time I still thought, who buys from them on a deserted road? But as it turned out there is a lot of traffic, especially during tourist season
Not far from the highway to Kemer, there is a path that goes into the woods, where the remains of a Roman watchtower seem to be located. But we didn’t go there and check it out.
Three kilometers and here we are – at the entrance to the park.
Geinyuk Canyon National Park
At the entrance to the canyon there is a large parking lot and a checkpoint. A map of the park hangs here, and they charge for admission and entertainment. You can pay just for the entrance, for the entrance and the zip line, and a few other variations of a good time. We paid for the zip line because it was interesting and it was the best money for us. It came to 120 liras per person – $15 USD.
The wonders began just after entering. You can go further to the lake and the gorge along the dusty dirt road, or you can deviate and see a small lake just beyond the gate – clean and pleasantly green in color. Along the way we will encounter secondary roads – these are intersections with the Lycian Trail and routes for more advanced hikers.
Then there’s the campsite. There are cabins and the starting point of the zipline – we’ll take it for a ride on the way back. And the road leads up into the mountains.
The higher it is, the harder it is to climb, but the views are more beautiful. It’s not just bare rocks, but a rock picturesquely overgrown with trees and bushes. In certain areas you can sit down and rest – there are benches and even houses, water for drinking. There are places specially designed for a wonderful photo.
And then, when it seems that there is no strength to go uphill, there is a long-awaited descent. Behind the descent there is a beautiful lake, and then you have to go by water through the rocks. It is not deep, but the water is cold, so children should wear a wetsuit. For safety reasons, children under 4 years are not allowed here. And up to 18 only if accompanied by an adult.
In general, the hike through the canyon takes more than 4-5 hours. The route can be divided into three parts. The first is a long walk up and down the winding mountain roads to the lake. The second is the entrance to the canyon. You have to walk between the rocks and find yourself at the big boulder, covering the entrance to the cave.
The third part is for extreme tourists. Here you need climbing equipment and special training. But from above there is an incredible view.
Entertainment in Geyniuk Canyon
For those who don’t want to walk, hiring a jeep, ATV, or bicycle will do. There is also rafting and zip line, which I mentioned at the beginning of the article. You can also order a guide.
The cost of entertainment ranges from 12 to 100 euros per person. The park is open from 9 am to 6 pm every day. There is a cafe on site. The ticket can include lunch there.
How to get to Geyniuk
You can walk from Kemer-Antalya highway (as I wrote above), there are special tourist buses for 5 liras on the same route – but only in tourist season. You can take a cab from the village of Geynyuk or a rented car.
That’s a long and eventful trip. Walking is even more interesting, because after visiting the park we went into the village of Geynyuk itself, looked at the hotels, went to the beach and returned to Beldibi for dinner.