HIGH ABOVE THE BEACH

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We observed the Şahin Tepesi lookout terrace, the Falcon Hill, above the bay with the Reis Yunus Ahmet beach from the Nox Inn Deluxe Hotel beach every day. A steep road led from the diving center to it, heading towards Seaside Green Hill. Many cars had trouble on this road, both uphill and downhill. On the other hand, some trucks managed this hill without any issues. It was only a matter of time before we ventured to this viewpoint ourselves. On the hill, we could see a winding footpath lined with a stone wall leading to the viewpoint, but it seemed to originate from the inaccessible area of the Konak Beach Restaurant. We had no choice but to take the equally steep sidewalk next to the road. Along the promenade, we reached the Konak Beach Restaurant, and from there, we began to ascend to the left along the road. Along the way, we observed the Mediterranean vegetation covering the hill on the right side.

We made it all the way to the parking lot at the top of the hill. We were treated to a magnificent view of a part of Konakli with its greenhouses. In the urban landscape, two mosques were recognizable - Ali Şahin and Kizilaliler. In the distance, the panorama of the Geyik Daglari, the Deer Mountains, stretched out. The mountain range is part of the Taurus Mountains, where the western Taurus merges with the central Taurus. Its highest peak is Geyik Dagi Tepesi (2877 m). Beyond the parking lot, we continued along the promenade, passing by a picnic area with a children's corner, until we reached the viewpoint terrace. The terrace itself was also designed as a picnic area. Tables and benches were set up on various levels of the terrace. These likely belonged to a local restaurant, although it was not operational during our visit. You could walk along the terrace overlooking Konakli, where you could once again enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the Taurus Mountains. However, the main attraction was the viewpoint overlooking the sea.

Before us, we had the beaches of Konakli, with our hotel beach closest, featuring breakwaters and a pier with several shelters. We also saw the pier by the diving center. From a bird's eye view, we observed the Nox Inn Deluxe hotel and the central part of Konakli. The Bacoglu Cami mosque with its four minarets was recognizable, as well as the hill dotted with white villas - Uygun Oasis Club Villas II. On the other side, there was a view of the adjacent hill (86 m) and the bay below it, where we suspected the wild Reis Yunus Ahmet beach lay. We revisited all the viewpoints, climbed up the terrace in front of the restaurant along the sloping promenade, where there were additional views of the surroundings. Then, we immersed ourselves in the shade of pine trees and set out on the return journey to the hotel, following the same route along the paved promenade.

On the way, we were intrigued by the Cat Park. It was fenced and contained several elevated houses for cats. Turkey is a cat-loving country. The relationship between Turks and cats goes back deep into history. Since ancient times, cats have been revered in the Middle East for their cleanliness. Stories about them abound. Legend has it that one cat saved the life of Muhammad from a venomous snake. Another tale tells of Muhammad not wanting to disturb a cat resting on his sleeve during prayer, so he cut off the sleeve instead. Cat parks supply food and water to the city's feline inhabitants and are regularly maintained. We reached the parking lot and descended to the hotel reception via a side alley. It was a shorter route than walking along the beach. If we had looked at the map beforehand, we would have saved ourselves the strenuous climb in the heat from the diving center along the steep road.

Photo gallery: High above the beach