Guzelcamli is a pretty
seaside resort situated
within the boundaries of
the province of Aydin,
25 km South of Kusadasi
along the Aegean
coastline, and borders
onto Dilek Peninsula
Menderes Delta National
Park. Guzelcamli has a
population of
approximately 6.000,
which increases
considerably during the
tourist season.
Guzelcamli provides
opportunity for
swimming, surfing,
sailing, water skiing,
paragliding, diving,
fishing and boat trips
with a coastline of
approximately 30 km of
the beaches and the
bays.
Dilek National Park and
the Samsun mountains are
surrounding the resort
which is breathtakingly
beautiful. Their rich
vegetation, wildlife,
caves, valleys and
canyons offer visitors a
wide range of activities
such as rock climbing,
hiking, bird watching,
caving, botany trips,
cycling and horse riding
and fishing. Guzelcamli
is one of the few places
in the world with such a
high oxygen level.
Guzelcamli has a
capacity of 2.500 beds
for the visitors, who
they can experience the
Turkish culture and the
picturesque of the
surroundings.
By the population
exchange in 1924, 80
families of Turkish
immigrants came from the
village of Eleftheres (Leftere)
near by the Greek Town
of Kavala and settled in
Guzelcamli area. In
1992, the village of
Guzelcamli attained the
status of a town.
In ancient times,
following the occupation
of Anatolia by the
Persian Empire when, the
purpose of resistance, a
political union was
formed between the 12
Ionian cities, the area
of Guzelcamli came to
the fore as the location
of Altar of Poseidon Helikonios, where
meetings and religious
ceremonies were
organized. The Altar
situated on the Samsun
Mountains (Mykale) in
the form of a small
theatre, was brought to
light through the
excavations carried out
by Gerhard Kleiner, an
expert in the field of
Greek history. The area,
therefore, is known to
have served as a
symbolic capital for the
confederation of Ionian
cities.
Alongside the places of
natural beauty and
historical merit within
the area of the National
Park, the 11th century
Kursunlu Monastery with
its breathtaking view,
situated 600 meters
above sea level and 11
km from Guzelcamli, is
well worth a visit.
Within the Dilek
National Park of
Guzelcamli the beaches
known as the bays of
Icmeler, Aydinlik,
Kalamaki and Karasu are
open to visitors
alongside the many
beautiful bays that are
only accessible by boat.
The flora of Dilek
National Park of
Guzelcamli has a rich
variety of plants
belonging to 95 families
and 804 kinds of plants
belonging to various
species, sub-species and
varieties. 6 species of
these plants are
endemic, peculiar to the
area. In the addition to
that, the peninsula
includes 18 species
which are endemic for
Turkey. And as a fauna Dilek Peninsula hosts
great number of animals
such as 250 species of
birds.
Cave of Zeus , created
by natural rock
formations, lies within
the Guzelcamli and
National Park area.
Aphrodite, the goddess
of beauty, is said to
have added to her beauty
by swimming in the cave
water which
are lukewarm
in winter and cool in
summer.
The national park of
Peninsula Buyuk Menderes
Delta covers an area of
27.675 hectares. Dilek
Peninsula is the last
point where Samsun
Mountains, having a
length of 20 km and a
width of approximately 6
km reach the Aegean Sea.
The morphologic
structure of his area
embraces a number of
hills valleys, a canyon
and bays.
The average altitude of
the peninsula is 650 m.
and the highest point is
the Dilek Hill (Mykale),
from which the national
park derives its name,
with an altitude of
1.237 m.
The visitors, in the
designated areas can
carry out sport
activities on the blue
flagged beaches, r take
a trekking tour together
with various activities
such as mountain biking,
photo safari, view
watching, amateur
fishing, cultural
trekking, bird watching,
horse safari and botanic
tours.
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