Efeler Way Culture Route
About Us
Efeler Way (Efeler Yolu) is a 500-kilometer, multi-stage and marked hiking/trekking route, beginning from Bornova district of Izmir, passing through Nif Mountain and the Bozdağ Mountains, then turning to the plateaus of Kiraz, continuing through the Aydın Mountains, and ending at Virgin Mary House in Ephesus-Selçuk. Efeler Way is a culture route based on the theme of efe/zeybek culture. In this context, Efeler Way covers a wide geography and connects important villages that have managed to carry their cultural richness to the present day through ancient roads using virgin plateaus and mountain passes. Efeler Way has been recognized as one of the Green Destinations “Top 100 Stories” in 2023 for its efforts towards responsible tourism and distinctive features.
Efeler Way is consisted of 28 stages, having 27 main stages and 1 alternative line. Stage lengths vary between 14-24 kilometers. The difficulty levels of the stages can generally be graded as medium-difficult and difficult. In this sense, Efeler Way is a real challenge in itself. The main stages of the Efeler Way are marked in red-white, and the alternative line is marked in red-yellow. In addition to standard signaling, red markings on the way provide access to mountain peaks, cultural heritage or important viewpoints on the routes.
EGE UNIVERSITY CULTURAL ROUTES RESEARCH GROUP
A group of people from Ege University Academic Staff, who gathered to make Efeler Way Culture Route idea real, founded Ege University Culture Routes Research Group (EGE-CRRG) in 2018. Going into action EGE-CRRG gained strength in a short span of time incorporating new members from different expertise and institutions into its structure.
EFELER YOLU ASSOCIATION
To be able to work on local scope EGE-CRRG founded Efeler Yolu Association (EYA) in the late 2018. EYA was founded so as to contribute to promotion and protection of villages that form the route; historical, cultural and archaeological features of the region; natural beauties, local food and ecological richness, to create awareness for alternative tourism in the region, to bring into action new camp-sites and natural habitat, to support and enhance social, cultural and touristic events, and to contribute to all rural development investments put into action fro the villages related to Efeler Way Culture Route.
Trails
Trail 1: / Kavaklıdere (Bornova) - Nazarköy (Kemalpaşa) /
Trail 2: / Nazarköy (Kemalpaşa) - Yukarıkızılca (Kemalpaşa) /
Trail 3: / Yukarıkızılca (Kemalpaşa) - Bayramlı (Kemalpaşa) /
Trail 4 : / Bayramlı (Kemlapaşa) - Yenikurudere (Kemalpaşa) /
Trail 5: / Yenikurudere (Kemalpaşa) - Ovacık (Kemalpaşa) /
Trail 6: / Ovacık (Kemalpaşa) - Sarıyurt (Bayındır) /
Trail 7: / Sarıyurt (Bayındır) - Kerpiçlik (Ödemiş) /
Trail 8: / Kerpiçlik (Ödemiş) - Lübbey (Çamyayla-Ödemiş) /
Trail 9: / Lübbey (Çamyayla-Ödemiş) - Gölcük (Zeytinlik-Ödemiş) /
Trail 10: / Gölcük (Zeytinlik-Ödemiş) - Birgi (Ödemiş) /
Alternative Trail / Gölcük (Zeytinlik-Ödemiş) - Bozdağ (Ödemiş) /
Trail 11: / Birgi (Ödemiş) - Bozdağ (Ödemiş) /
Trail 12: / Bozdağ (Ödemiş) - Karakoyun Yaylası (Çatak-Kiraz) /
Trail 13: / Karakoyun Yaylası (Çatak-Kiraz) - Ovacık (Kiraz) /
Trail 14: / Ovacık (Kiraz) - Küçükibrahimler (Ören-Kiraz) /
Trail 15: / Küçükibrahimler (Ören-Kiraz) - Balyeri (Cevizli-Kiraz) /
Trail 16: / Balyeri (Cevizli - Kiraz) - Karabolu (Kiraz) /
Trail 17: / Karabolu (Kiraz) - Palamutçuk (Beydağ) /
Trail 18: / Palamutçuk (Beydağ) - Beyköy (Beydağ) /
Trail 19: / Beyköy (Beydağ) - Ovacık Yaylası (Bıcakçı-Ödemiş) /
Trail 20: / Ovacık Yaylası (Bıçakcı-Ödemiş) - Demirdere (Ödemiş) /
Trail 21: / Demirdere (Ödemiş) - Karaçamur Yaylası (Eğridere-Tire) /
Trail 22: / Karaçamur Yaylası (Eğridere-Tire) - Dallık (Tire) /
Trail 23: / Dallık (Tire) - Kaplan (Tire) /
Trail 24: / Kaplan (Tire) - Akçaşehir (Tire) /
Trail 25: / Akçaşehir (Tire) -Küçükkale (Tire) /
Trail 26: / Küçükkale (Tire) - Şirince (Selçuk) /
Trail 27: / Şirince (Selçuk) - Meryemana (Selçuk) /
Destination
Villages
Efeler Yolu Culture Route is designed in the way that hikers would be able to reach to a destination village, which has an ancient value, in the end of each day. Accommodation types in these villages are hotels, boarding houses and camp-sites in the wild nature.
Partners
Convenience of Efeler Way Culture Route to investment has been supported by receiving a grant (TL 194.500) from Development Agency of Izmir getting a feasibility project offer from Izmir Governorship in 2018. After the evaluation of the feasibility carried out by Izmir Governorship, a project offer which was managed by Ege University and in coordination with Izmir Municipality, was introduced to Izmir Development Agency for Efeler Way Culture Route. After the assessment of the project, receiving a grant for TL 1.341. 651, formation of Efeler Way Culture Route was started.
Efeler Way Culture Route was formed under the leadership of Izmir Municipality, in association with Izmir Governorship, Ege University, Izmir Regional Directorate of Forestry, Foundation of Izmir and in participation with Provincial Directorate of Culture And Tourism and Association of Efeler Way Culture Route.Being one of the project partners, Association of Efeler Yolu represents civil initiative in the local region. By this means village headmen, members, women, and especially youth and local businessmen were involved in the process of almost all significant decisions made about the project.
From Efeler Way Culture Route Team
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