It is becoming easier and easier for us to allow more peace and quiet to enter our journey. And so we drive on to the Reşadiye peninsula to the west of Mamaris. While pine trees and dark brown sandstone cliffs gently roll down to the deep blue sea near the mainland, further out, rugged limestone cliffs dominate, with low trees and bushes defying the strong Mediterranean wind. Apart from a short visit to the tranquil main town of Datça, we spend most of our time on the magnificent beaches of the very quiet, 80 kilometre-long peninsula.
Of course, we don’t want to miss the opportunity to incorporate a little cultural and historical programme into the wild Gechille. And so we go on a really great hike from a great campsite in the middle of nowhere to the remains of the ancient city of Knidos. Following the Carian Trail (the longest coastal long-distance hiking trail in Turkey), we hike (view on Komoot) at the foot of white limestone cliffs, through groves of gnarled old olive trees and past fields of white and yellow blooming wild roses. We pass abandoned hamlets and wells, encounter wild wood bees, cows and goats, see eagles circling over the sea and glimpse the ruins of times gone by high up on the mountain ridges. After a short, steep descent, the remains of Knidos, which once enclosed a double harbour (one military and one for trade) at a narrow point on the island, stretch out before us. Definitely one of the highlights of the journey so far!