Karain Cave is a small cave with a big history as there are relics from its inhabitants from paleolithic man, right through to the Greek and Roman eras. There are also some weird and wonderful rock formations that are worth checking out. It’s a great leg-stretcher too as there are about 400 steps to walk up to reach the cave! Get an entrance ticket at the car park. Check online for the latest opening/closing times.

Spread across a steep hill in the remote White Mountains, the ancient city of Sagalossos is an incredible archaeological site. Like many other Hellenistic-Roman cities in the region, most of the buildings and structures that you can see today were built under the rule of the emperor Hadrian but, unlike some of the more ‘accessible’ places, its relative remoteness has saved it from looting and other damage.
This is one of my favorite UNESCO sites in Western Türkiye as it doesn’t get anywhere near the same number of visitors as somewhere like Ephesus, but it has some ‘must-see’ sights.
The highlight has to be the 1,800-year-old Antonine Nymphaeum, a gigantic stone fountain that’s been recently reconstructed to its former glory (in 2010) so that it gushes a waterfall of fresh spring water into the pool below. Built by Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the structure is 28 meters wide and 9 meters high and is made from 7 different colored types of stone and covered in marble.
Buy a ticket at the entrance and follow the path round to the fountain. Also, worth checking out is the nearby 9000-seat Roman theater and the Imperial Baths.

I love an all-day breakfast and the Türkiye excels at this. It’s nothing like a British breakfast; it’s more like a feast of local produce and flavours – fresh cheeses, olives, fruit and salads with jams and honeys, fried smoked sausage, scrambled eggs, and freshly baked pitta. This local café, just south of Sagalossos, does an epic all-day breakfast, so get feasting!

Türkiye’s Lake District is dominated by 3 large lakes, one of which is Egirdir, the second largest. The lakeside beach is a popular local camping and hangout spot and makes a great stop for a drink and a swim in the crystal-clear water.

Although the castle is believed to date to the 7th century, most of the ruins that you can see today are from the Roman/Byzantine era. The structure is quite short compared to other castles in the region because the lookout only needed to see across the lake to warn of impending attack.
There’s not much to see inside, but the views from the top are epic. There’s no entrance fee here.

With the town nestled below the mountains and a narrow causeway pointing out to sea, the views from here are stunning (get your camera out!).

This high-end, lakeside hotel has a restaurant with the most amazing views from its outdoor terrace. There are some tasty lamb dishes on the menu, but the fresh river trout, grilled or stewed, is the highlight.

This has been a bit of a whirlwind trip to the Lake District, but with some awesome natural and historic sights along the way.