Route 3 - Içmeler Mountain Track

Category: Strenuous
Distance: 6.7 km
Time: 4.0 hours

A wonderful if strenuous walk starting at the Turunç Mosque and finishing in Içmeler. The return journey can by the regular dolmuş (bus) service, taxi, or in the summer season by water taxi.
Caution The forest fires in 2021 severely damaged this route and fallen trees and shrub growth make the route hard to follow in places. We strongly advise the use of a GPS device for this route.

The initial climb is rewarded by some of the most stunning sea views and rich flora and fauna. Not a walk to be rushed and not recommended on hot summer days. Take plenty of water and a picnic lunch as there are some superb open areas on the top to stop and enjoy. The route from Turunç Mosque follows the water front to the cemetery where a steep ascent commences. This is the most difficult part of the walk, over rough ground with loose stones and plenty of undergrowth. The reward comes from the plateau with its amazing views and interesting wild flowers, trees, fungi and wild tortoises. Use of a GPS device is recommended but if this is not possible the route is way marked and can be followed with some concentration. The descent into Içmeler leads into a quiet residential area of the village from which there is a short walk to a pleasant street-side café for a well-earned refreshment stop or a little further to the Içmeler water front bars and hotels.
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Overview Map
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Views from Içmeler Mountain Track

View the complete route in Google Maps:

1 - Mosque to Cemetery (720m)

The walk starts at the village Mosque in the middle of Turunç and proceeds down to the water front by the side of Fidan's bar and restaurant. On the water front turn left and stay on the water front with the sea on your right hand side until at the end the path turns left, away from the sea, towards the Meril Boutique Hotel. At the top of the rise you will see the Cemetery in front of you. Proceed through the main entrance gate and follow the paved path to the top end of the cemetery where you will see a wall in front of you.

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Section 1 overview map
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Cemetery Gate

2 - Cemetery to Loryma Track (335m)

Step up over the wall and turn to your right. Immediately look for a small cairn on your left with red marker paint (by the second tree on your left). This denotes the start of the track.

From the cemetery the route now ascends following a rough, way marked track. If in doubt the target is a v-shaped gap in the mountain and as long as you get there, the exact path is not important.

This section finishes at way marker 17 where the path crosses the mountain track from the Loryma Hotel (see the Loryma Mountain Track walk).

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Section 2 map
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Waymarkers

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Small cairn by second tree

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Cairn with red marker

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Start of track

3 - Loryna Track to Waymarker 30 (370m)

From way marker 17, the junction with the Loryma mountain track, the route continues to ascend over rough, stony ground. At times the track is difficult to discern so look out for the painted way markers on the rocks and the v-shaped gap that you are heading for on the sky line.

Keep an eye out for the wild tortoises that abound across the entire mountain track and do stop to take in the amazing views from time to time.

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Section 3 map
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Wild tortoise

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View from the ascent

4 - Waymarkers 30 to 50 (860m)

The terrain and the views change constantly across the mountain so take plenty of rest stops and look out for the wild flowers and photo opportunities.

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Section 4 map
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Wild flowers

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More views!

5 - Waymarkers 50 to 75 (550m)

The path follows a straight line on this section.

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Section 5
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Picnic stop?

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Flora and Fauna

6 - Waymarkers 70 to 92 (403m)

Continue roughly in a straight line, following the way markers.

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Section 6 map
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View 1

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Views 2

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Wild flowers

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More wild flowers

7 - Waymarkers 92 to 130 (1km)

Take care on the descent as the path is rough with loose rocks.

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Section 7 map
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Views towards Marmaris

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View back towards the mountain

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Wild flowers

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Another wild tortoise

8 - Waymarkers 130 to 136 (191)

The end of the track passes between a large boulder and a stone wall to emerge on a paved, residential street at the back of Içmeler.

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Section 8 map
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End of the mountain track

9 - End of track to Café Anne

From the end of the mountain track follow the road facing you, Gölenye Caddesi, and take the second turning on the right into 225 Sokak. The road merges with Gazi Mustafa Kemal Caddesi from the left, and shortly after joins Kayabal Caddesi with Café Anne a welcome coffee stop a the junction.

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Section 9 map

10 - Café Anne to route end (1.7km)

From Café Anne walk down Kayabal Caddesi, heading towards the sea, taking the third turning on the left to join the water front at Gezi Yolu Caddesi.

As you walk along the water front watch out for the Water Taxi signs. During the summer months water taxis run regularly between Içmeler and Turunç and this is a great way to make a relaxing return to Turunç. Alternatively, continue to way point 146 where the water front comes very close to the main road to Marmaris. Turn left up to the main road and walk a short distance left on the main road and you will find the dolmuş (mini-bus) stop for Turunç. If you are not sure, just ask any of the locals or bar/hotel staff and they will happily direct you to the nearest dolmuş stop for Turunç.

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Section 10 map

Feedback on Route 3 - Içmeler Mountain Track

Rating: StarStarStarStarStar (Guy: 12 Jul 2024)
We did this route 9 July 2024 (very hot indeed!). Despite using GPS throughout, it took us over 4 hours: we intended to walk/run - no chance! . Many of the trees killed by the devastating fire 2 years ago have fallen recently and the paths is frequently blocked and so very difficult to follow. You are constantly having to leave the path and then try to pick it up again, which can be tricky. Its a wonderful route with some beautiful countryside but do beware, its not (currently) a ‘walk in the park’.
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar (Dave: 22 Oct 2023)
Walked Iclemer to Turunc 22 Oct 2023, and got a water taxi back. This is quite a tricky route, steep in places with a poor surface and a number of opportunities to take a wrong turn. Our Nav died so we just had the waymarkers to guide us that slowed things down a bit and a bit of exploring was needed to pick up the path at times. None of this detracted from a fabulous forest walk with evidence of a lot of wildlife although sadly no tortoises, I hope they survived the fires.
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar (Nick Wild: 13 Jun 2023)
Started at Loryma and 1hr50 to Icmeler. Left early to avoid the heat and then continued on to Marmaris for the boat back. Track is hard to folow in places due to fallen trees and undergrowth which has grown across the path where the canopy has been cleared by the fires. Felt Garmin was essential to know whether to bear left or right when it became obvious I was off route on several occasions. Clearly rarely walked at present.
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar (Helen and Dan: 02 May 2022)
Challenging but wonderful walk. We did it from Icmeler to Turunc (taking the Loryma track to avoid the steep descent at the end) in around 3 hours on a cloudy day. Many of the trees have been destroyed by the fires last year but still many wildflowers and green in parts. It was also interesting to see the plants regenerating from the charcoaled trunks. Some great views as well across the bays. Highly recommended.
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar (Karen Chapman: 05 Oct 2019)
Please enter your comments and feedback here...great walk, hard,steep assent up beyond the cemetery. We choose a cloudy morning but it was still very warm. Decent into Icemeler was very tricky strong trainers/walking boots are recommended. Stunning views of Turunc, Marmaris and icemeler. Very glad we did it.
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar (David Rigby: 12 Oct 2015)
Thank you. Downloaded GPS and PDF to be safe, but your waymarking was excellent. Picked a day with cloudy spells yesterday, but it was still very warm ascending. Some helpful rope stretches to assist up and down. I found the descent into Icmeler the most challenging section as there is a lot of loose rock. Just over three hours, with a bad knee!
Rating: StarStarStarStarStar (Rikard Kallberg: 24 Jun 2015)
Excellent mountaintrack. The hill close to the cementary is steep. Walking uphill is ok, decending can be dangeorus as it is slippery. The hill can be avoided by taking "Loryma Mountain track" instead (see that route). Most part of the track is on the east side of the mountain, so the sun is best avoided by walking late afternoon.
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