13 | March | 2013 | MY Doramac

Merhaba,

From Karacahisar we drove to Akyaka for lunch. Here’s the story.

“Something about Akyaka”

Deena and TK promised there would be fish restaurants in Akyaka; we stopped at one of their favorites.

A fish restaurant exactly where it should be!

Azmakkapı Orfoz Restaurant Azmakbas Akyaka, Muḡla

Lunch by the Kadın Azmak (‘Woman River`) TK Deena, Randal and Me

According to my dictionary nehir or irmak translates to river. Azmak translates to get wild or be in flood.

“The word "azmak", sometimes used to describe a river, means "running wild" in Turkish, in a reference to the stream’s strong, rather than violent, current, especially in winter. Akyaka’s azmak is also referred to under the fuller name of "Kadın Azmak", qualifying it with female attributes and distinguishing it from azmak of Akçapınar at the opposite side of the same plain, or from namesakes in Gallipoli Peninsula or Bulgaria”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akyaka,_Mu%C4%9Fla

“Akyaka is situated in the province of Muğla, in the southwest of Turkey, at the eastern end of the Gökova gulf, between Marmaris, Muğla and Bodrum. The number of inhabitants amounts in the winter to approximately 1500, in the summer it almost doubles. Its delightful position at the end of the Gökova Gulf, bordered in the north by the almost 1000m high Sakartepe, in the south by the wetlands of the Gökova plain ("heaven’s plain") with its multitude of species, particularly water birds, takes the visitor into its spell.

Being a settlement even in antique times – there are plenty, though not very important remains- the village of Akyaka lead an existence as a fishing village, off the roads, with a little of agriculture.

In the 1970’s Akyaka was "discovered ".

A meager tourism developed, consisting mainly of locals and some "refugees" of the big Cities, seeking unspoiled nature and the refreshing summer climate with a constantly blowing sea breeze. Slowly Akyaka developed into a summer residence for wealthy holiday guests from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

The tourist boom, beginning in Turkey in the 80’s and persisting until today, did not ignore Akyaka. Still most of Akyaka’s visitors being Turkish, the number of European tourists is increasing.

The main attraction for most of the visitors is the natural beauty of Akyaka, with a multitude of species in the wetlands, among those the nearly extinct European Fishotter(lutra lutra), during the winter months different types of herons, flamingos, even migrating pelicans can be observed with some luck. Since some years paragliding from the height of the Sakartepe, the "local mountain" of Akyaka, down to the plain became quite fashionable. The launch site is sufficient, but not easy for beginners.

The fish restaurants on the bank of the crystal clear " Kadın Azmak"(‘Woman river`) where freshly caught fish is perfectly prepared and served, are very well known by gourmets throughout turkey.

http://www.akyaka.org/akyaka/akyaka_e.htm

What a setting!

That piece was half the fish! It was shared by TK and Randal and Deena and I shared a piece the same size. We had meze, salad, bread and that wonderful grilled sea bass.

Deena pointing to the motor on the half-sunken dinghy which is the only dinghy in Turkey in worse shape than ours.

The restaurant, just a bit out of town center, seemed a popular place where you could watch the small boats giving river tours. Ducks and geese swim by hoping for handouts. Deena and I fed the ducks and geese. They would take the bread from your hand…if you were brave enough to hold on to it as they grabbed for it. Sometimes I was and sometimes I wasn’t.

After lunch we drove into the village and went for the boat ride up the river.

Deena

Several small restaurants dotted the river bank

Looking down into the crystal clear river was like looking into a huge aquarium of fish, turtles and river grasses.

This young boy and his sister seemed to enjoy the ride.

Our lunch restaurant was the turn-around point of the river ride.

See the ruins of something on the hills behind.

“Being a settlement even in antique times – there are plenty, though not very important remains.”

But they were impressive to us. The tower in the distance distracts a bit from the ‘antique.”

After our the ride we walked around the resort area a bit. It was in the process of being renovated which seems to happen to many hotels in the area during the winter.