Two Routes, One Decision
Both start and end in Tasucu. Both maximize offroad. They diverge in character and altitude.
Route A — Central Taurus Loop
Original
Your original backbone route — a loop through canyon country, karst plateaus, and yayla highlands. Deep gorges, turquoise reservoirs, and forest roads through the Taseli Plateau.
500-600
Total KM
35-45%
Offroad
2,100m
Max Elevation
Low
Snow Risk
Route C — Trans-Taurus Traverse
New Option
A west-to-east traverse through canyon heartland, climbing to the Geyik Daglari alpine zone at 2,800m. Documented by commercial expedition operators with GPS tracks available.
650-800
Total KM
50-60%
Offroad
2,800m
Max Elevation
Low
Snow Risk
Elevation Profiles
How altitude changes across the 5 days. Dots mark overnight camps.
Route A — Max 2,100m
Route C — Max 2,800m
Route Maps
Interactive map with satellite view. Toggle routes on/off. Click waypoints for details.
What to Expect
Terrain, landscapes, and atmosphere along the routes. Click any image to enlarge.
All photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Day-by-Day Comparison
Side-by-side breakdown of each day. Both routes share Days 1-2, then diverge.
1
Coast to Mountains
Tuesday May 19 — Arrive 16:00 in Tasucu
Route A
Tasucu → Gulnar backroads
- Jeep team preps in Tasucu while waiting for flyers from COV (~18:00)
- Full crew assembled — load up and head north immediately
- Option: via Uzuncaburc (1,200m) — forest roads northward toward Gulnar
- Alternative: Silifke-Bescatal-Gulnar backroad
- 750km of unpaved tracks in Gulnar district — pick a line on Gaia GPS
Airbnb yayla meadow at ~1,000-1,200m — sunset ~20:15, check-in by 20:30
Route C
Tasucu → Gulnar backroads
- Same as Route A — both routes share Day 1
- Meet at Tasucu ~18:00, head north into the hills
- Forest roads through dense Taurus foothills
- Satellite imagery shows dirt tracks through forest canopy
- Short evening drive to get off the coast and into mountains
Airbnb yayla meadow at 1,000-1,200m — check-in by 20:30
2
Ridge Roads & Canyon Country
Wednesday May 20 — Full driving day
Route A
Gulnar → Mut → Sertavul Pass → Ermenek
- Mountain tracks parallel to D715 between Gulnar and Mut (village roads, ~34km)
- Sertavul Pass (1,610m) — best documented offroad playground on the entire trip. Multiple dirt roads branching 14-25km to surrounding villages
- Wikiloc trail #31568904 (Sertavul gecidi Teyyare meydan) for GPS reference
- Karst landscape: limestone rocks, sinkholes, treeless plateau, cushion plants
- Descend toward Ermenek via backcountry tracks and D340
Luxury Airbnb on a ridge above Ermenek reservoir — infinity pool views over turquoise water, 1,200m
Route C
Gulnar → Mut → Ermenek backcountry
- Goksu gorge from Gulnar area toward Mut — spectacular canyon
- Detour to Yerkopru Waterfall (9km off main road) — Goksu emerges from 500m underground passage
- Turn onto Bucakkisla / Nunu Vadisi backcountry tracks (documented Wikiloc GPS trail)
- Karst plateau at 1,400-1,800m — remote, no services, genuine expedition terrain
- Skip Sertavul Pass to save time for later stages
Airbnb at Ermenek Dam / Nadire Canyon rim — hot tub with canyon views, 1,200m
3
Deep Backcountry
Thursday May 21 — The hardest driving day
Route A
Ermenek → Taskent via backcountry
- Forest roads through the Taseli Plateau — one of Turkey's most sparsely populated regions
- Via Basyayla and Sariveliler — forest management dirt tracks
- Ermenek Forest Directorate maintains unpaved roads through 16,650 hectares
- Wikiloc enduro trail #51701130 covers part of this corridor
- Remote village connections, loose rocks, steep sections
Boutique Airbnb at Bolay Yaylasi (~1,700m) — artisan goat cheese breakfast included
Route C
Ermenek → Hadim → Taskent canyon country
- Ermenek-Balgusan-Bayir forest roads (documented Wikiloc dual-sport trail)
- North through Taseli karst plateau via Sariveliler/Basyayla backcountry. Elevation 1,500-2,000m
- Push toward Hadim — Gurleyen Canyon (12km long, 400-500m walls, narrows to 1.2m)
- Poljes, dolines, exposed limestone — genuinely remote terrain
- Entire days can pass with no villages, no phone, no other vehicles
Airbnb with canyon views near Gurleyen — Superhost, last booked 4 years ago, ~1,650m
4
The Big Day
Friday May 22 — Best camp night of the trip
Route A
Taskent exploration day
- Bogazici corridor — 27km through canyon terrain with steep rocky cliffs east of Taskent
- Kusyuvasi (Bird's Nest) pass — precipitous mountain road, "endless precipices on one side and rock outcrops on the other"
- Gevne Valley yaylas — shepherd plateaus accessible by forest road, up to ~2,000m
- Exploration loop: Taskent → Bolay → Avsar → Sazak → Balcilar and back
- Cedar/pine forests, cherry and apple orchards, mountain springs
Airbnb "Shepherd's Penthouse" above Bogazici corridor, ~2,000m — 0 reviews, no wifi, no electricity, perfect
Route C
Taskent → Geyik Daglari alpine zone
- Head west from Taskent toward Akseki approach roads
- Follows the Overcross motorcycle expedition framework (Day 5: 190km, 90km gravel)
- Geyik Daglari range — peaks to 2,875m, described as "landscape like from another planet"
- Ancient caravan routes through cedar forests at altitude
- Yedikaza / Egrigol Plateaus at ~2,350m — high alpine meadows
- Equinox Travel runs a commercial 4x4 Geyik Daglari tour in this area
Airbnb "Alpine Retreat" in the Geyik Mountains, 2,400m — currently no internet to confirm booking
5
Return to Coast
Saturday May 23 — Back to Tasucu for Sunday ferry
Route A
Taskent → Sariveliler → Gulnar → Tasucu
- Mountain roads south via Sariveliler — mix of gravel and smaller mountain routes
- Option: detour through yayla tracks between Sariveliler and Gulnar for more offroad
- Gulnar to Tasucu — descend back to coast via backroads (reverse of Day 1)
- Fuel up in Sariveliler (Aytemiz) or Gulnar (OPET)
- Arrive Tasucu by late afternoon — relaxed evening before Sunday ferry
Back to civilization — restaurant dinner in Tasucu, maybe an actual Airbnb this time
Route C
Geyik Daglari → Akseki → coast → Tasucu
- Morning: technical descent from Geyik Mountains via forest roads
- Pass through Akseki area — option to see Ormana village (traditional "button houses")
- Descend to Mediterranean coast via mountain backroads
- D400 coastal highway east back to Tasucu (~200-250km highway section)
- This is the trade-off: more highway on the return for more alpine on Day 4
No Airbnb needed — aim to arrive Tasucu by evening. Actual restaurant with actual chairs.
Fuel Strategy
110L capacity (70L tank + 40L reserve) = ~440km range at 1:4 consumption. Both routes have fuel at all key towns.
Silifke / Tasucu
Multiple brands (OPET, Shell, Petrol Ofisi)
24hr available
Gulnar
OPET-branded — "one of the best in its class"
Daytime only
Mut
Mutlu Petrol on Halil Sezai Erkut Cad.
24hr confirmed
Ermenek
5 stations — Sunpet is 24hr
24hr available
Sariveliler
Aytemiz station in Goktepe village
Daytime only
Taskent
Station(s) exist — brand unconfirmed
Daytime likely
Hadim
District town — station available
Daytime likely
Akseki
Route C only — district town
Daytime likely
Logistics & Practical Info
Applies to both routes.
Phone & Navigation
- Turkcell — the only carrier with reliable mountain coverage
- Sil has a Turkcell eSIM — others get one before departure
- Download offline maps: Gaia GPS, Organic Maps, or OsmAnd
- Expect coverage gaps in deep valleys and on backcountry tracks
- Coverage confirmed in all towns along the route
Water
- Village fountains (cesme) are everywhere — stone fountains with spring water
- Sertavul Yaylasi has natural spring water system
- Mosque tap water available at every village
- Karst terrain = frequent mountain springs
- Carry 20+ liters but expect to refill from village fountains
Camping & Permits
- Wild camping technically illegal but universally tolerated and unenforced
- Yayla meadows are ideal: flat, grassy, often near water
- No military zone restrictions on either route
- Forest fire season active in late May — be aware of temporary closures
- Avoid camping near ancient ruins (may be mistaken for treasure hunters)
Temperature Expectations
- Coast (0m): Night 16-22°C
- Mid mountains (1,000-1,500m): Night 8-15°C
- High plateaus (1,500-2,000m): Night 3-10°C
- Alpine zone 2,500m+ (Route C only): Night 0-5°C, wind chill possible
- Meydan Plateau noted as "10+ degrees colder than nearby towns"
GPS Tracks to Download
- Sertavul Pass area trails — Route A Day 2
- Enduro Silifke-Mut-Ermenek — Both routes
- Ermenek-Nunu Vadisi-Bucakkisla — Route C Day 2-3
- Ermenek-Sapadere Canyon-Akseki (190km) — Route C Day 3-4
- Bolay Yaylasi-Ayi Bogazi Canyon — Route A Day 3-4
Emergency & Safety
- 112 — General emergency (unified dispatch)
- 156 — Jandarma (gendarmerie) — primary contact in rural/mountain areas
- 177 — Forest fire hotline
- 182 — AFAD (disaster/emergency management)
- Nearest hospitals: every district town (Silifke, Mut, Ermenek, Hadim) has a Devlet Hastanesi — basic, can stabilize. Serious trauma goes to Konya, Mersin, or Antalya (2-3h).
- Taskent has no hospital — nearest is Hadim (~30km)
- Mountain rescue = Jandarma JAK teams (call 156 with GPS coordinates)
- Garmin InReach recommended — SOS routes via GEOS to Turkish authorities
- Standard travel insurance may not cover offroad — verify explicitly
- EHIC does not work in Turkey — need separate coverage
The Verdict
Both routes deliver a serious expedition. Here's the trade-off.
Choose Route A if...
- You want the safest, most conservative option
- You prefer a tighter loop with less total driving
- Canyon and plateau terrain is enough — you don't need alpine
- You want maximum flexibility for exploration stops
- Less documented = more genuine exploration
Choose Route C if...
- You want the highest offroad percentage (50-60%)
- You want genuine alpine terrain at 2,800m
- Maximum landscape variety matters (coast, canyon, karst, alpine)
- You value documented GPS tracks for navigation confidence
- You're okay with ~200km of coastal highway on Day 5