Dalyan

Horseback riding in Dalyan

Most people who come to Dalyan for the first time get off the ferry in the morning. They are right: the canal, the reed beds, the cliffs... But the horses are also in the same scene, and closer than you think. They don’t stand in the market. On the other side of the water, in Çandır, there is a bit of shade, a bit of hay smell, and a bit of that silence waiting for them.

The water in between is not a wide sea. The canal is narrow, about sixty meters wide. When you cross over, you walk for about three hundred meters and reach the farm. From the hotel to the canal, to cross, it usually takes fifteen to twenty minutes. People who are doing it for the first time sometimes say, “Is that all?” Yes, that’s all. If you came without a car, tell us, and we’ll try to pick you up; we communicate by text message.

We think it’s best not to rush that day. Finish breakfast, have a drink, put on your hat. When you set off in the heat of the afternoon, both you and the horses are a little more burdened. In the cool of the morning or the softness of midday, the path is different. We don’t lock the hours into minutes; let’s talk about it in the rhythm of the day.

Which path should be taken?

The most popular tour is the lake tour. It lasts about two hours and covers four and a half kilometres. You cross a small stream – it’s dry in summer and a little more watery in winter – then you walk up a sandy slope to a green path. There are no engines, only birdsong and sometimes the wind. At the end of the path is a deserted beach. You spend half an hour there, ride into the lake, and then return the same way. In summer, that water break is very welcome. This isn’t İztuzu; the beach is a separate day trip, and this is the quiet lake shore next to the reed beds.

Those who want a shorter nature walk take the hot spring tour. It’s one and a half hours, two and a half kilometers. This is not a boat ride to the facility in Sultaniye. You get off at an unused spring on horseback; there are no cabins or ticket offices. You change into your swimsuit, take a shower when you return to the hotel. If you have a dinner plan in the evening, this tour can easily fit into one day. Those who want both in one day take the combined tour, which lasts about three hours. The pace is a bit slower, depending on the horses and the group; we’re not in a hurry.

For children and those who have never ridden before, there is a short ride in the manège, on the farm. The pace is slower there, and the instructor is by your side. Don’t think of the long trail as a “bravery test.” Look at it as it is on that day. Getting to know each other, then going into the lake the next day, is a process; it’s not a matter of pride.

The clock isn’t locked to the same time every day. We’re also on Instagram: @caunoshorses — or you can write us there.

If you want to see the place, you can look at the map.