Route 13 - Waterfall Canyon

The walk starts at the village Mosque in the middle of Turunç. From here, proceed south along the main street (with the sea on your left), cross over the canal bridge toward Palette Bar. At Palette Bar turn right, passing the village car park on your left (used as a boat yard in the winter), until you reach Atatürk Caddesi. Go straight across Atatürk Caddesi to enter 48 Sokak. Follow this road past the weekly Turunç Market site and children's play area on your left, keeping straight ahead until you reach a T-junction where you turn right into Vatan Cadessi.

Cross over the culvert on Vatan Cadessi and then turn left into 50 Sokak. Pass the apartment block (Sunco Palm Apartments) on your right and continue straight ahead. Just before the start of the wall on your right is a new tea garden area on the left by the side of the river – it’s worth just taking a look before you continue. Keep to the left of the walled field and at the end of the wall follow the dirt track directly ahead. The riverbed is close by on your left but stay on the track for now. Shortly after the end of the wall (just 53m; you might want to count the steps) look for a small stone cairn on the left marking an indistinct track down to the river bed. Take this track down to the riverbed. For most of the year the riverbed is completely dry with a few clear water pools in spring time, and is perfectly safe. In the winter months, or after heavy rain in the mountains, the river is prone to flash flooding so please take great care and avoid approaching the river. It is well worth scrambling a little way up the riverbed to enjoy the lime encrusted rocks, wild flowers, and amazing scenery. You are quickly confronted by large, rounded boulders that appear insurmountable. However, there is short track on the right bank that allows you to bypass the boulders and continue a little further up the valley.

After progressing about 100 meters along the river bed, turn around and carefully retrace your steps to the main track, rejoining it at the stone cairn. Turn left on the main track to continue your route up hill. The clearly marked track ascends gently at first, becoming steeper near the top. The track divides occasionally to bypass obstructions but always rejoins a little further ahead. Take care on loose or wet rocks underfoot. Take some time to stop and appreciate the tranquillity and views of the canyon, looking down into the river valley below, and also forwards to the rugged mountain tops. It is hard to believe you are only a few minutes away from the bustling Turunç village centre! As the track becomes steeper, and you approach the top, a rusty water tank appears, capturing spring water from the mountains, and still in use today. Just beyond this tank the track disappears and you CANNOT proceed safely beyond this point. Please do NOT try! Enjoy the views and then turn around and retrace the track down the mountain for a short distance.

After approximately 200m there is an option to branch left and take a higher track rather than the lower track used to ascend the canyon. There is a small tree with a stone cairn in front of it marking where the track divides. Branch left and follow the higher track for a more interesting return. You can, of course, take the right branch and retrace the lower track used when ascending if you prefer. After a further 0.4 km the track becomes wider and descends to a road, 72 Sokak, where you keep left and follow the road passing the large villas on your right. At the end of the villas there is a rough track on the right descending alongside a boulder strewn riverbed. At the bottom of this track turn right on 75 Sokak and follow the stone wall on your left to the bottom of the street where it joins Vatan Caddesi. Here turn right and, passing the Physkos Town Houses on the left, pass 50 Sokak on the right, and then retrace the outward route.

From here the route simply retraces your outward journey passed the site of the village market and down to the village mosque.