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Efeler Way

Efeler Way

Following an application by the Tourism Branch Directorate of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, the Efeler Way was named in the Top 100 Stories of the '2023 Green Destinations Top 100 Stories' competition, organised by Green Destinations, the world's most prestigious organisation in the field of sustainable tourism.

The overall aim of the Efeler Way (Efeler Yolu) is to protect and make the most of the region's natural, historical and cultural riches, thereby triggering sustainable and holistic rural development and, in turn, socio-economic development in the local area.

Born from this aim, the Efeler Way is being brought to life as a 500-kilometre, multi-stage, waymarked hiking trail. It starts in İzmir's Bornova district, crosses Mount Nif and the Bozdağ range, loops around the highland pastures of Kiraz, and then continues over the Aydın mountains to end at Meryemana (the House of the Virgin Mary) in Efes Selçuk. The trail consists of 28 stages that can be walked in about a month. Stages range from 13 to 26 kilometres in length and are generally rated "difficult".

The Efeler Way links villages, highland pastures and former efe hideouts that are important to efe/zeybek culture, using natural footpaths that have survived to this day. In this way, the trail passes through the districts of Bornova, Kemalpaşa, Bayındır, Turgutlu, Ahmetli, Salihli, Ödemiş, Kiraz, Alaşehir, Beydağ, Nazilli, Sultanhisar, Köşk, Tire, İncirliova, Germencik and Selçuk in the provinces of İzmir, Manisa and Aydın, the heartland of efe/zeybek culture.

The Efeler Way is being implemented in partnership with İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, the İzmir Governorship, Ege University, the İzmir Regional Directorate of Forestry, the İzmir Foundation, the İzmir Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism and the Efeler Way Association, with the support of the İzmir Development Agency.

  1. Stage 1: Kavaklıdere (Bornova) – Nazarköy (Kemalpaşa)
  2. Stage 2: Nazarköy (Kemalpaşa) – Yukarıkızılca (Kemalpaşa)
  3. Stage 3: Yukarıkızılca (Kemalpaşa) – Bayramlı (Kemalpaşa)
  4. Stage 4: Bayramlı (Kemalpaşa) – Yenikurudere (Kemalpaşa)
  5. Stage 5: Yenikurudere (Kemalpaşa) – Ovacık (Kemalpaşa)
  6. Stage 6: Ovacık (Kemalpaşa) – Sarıyurt (Bayındır)
  7. Stage 7: Sarıyurt (Bayındır) – Kerpiçlik (Ödemiş)
  8. Stage 8: Kerpiçlik (Ödemiş) – Lübbey (Ödemiş)
  9. Stage 9: Lübbey (Çamyayla) – Gölcük (Ödemiş)
  10. Stage 10: Gölcük (Ödemiş) – Birgi (Ödemiş)
  11. Stage 11: Birgi (Ödemiş) – Bozdağ (Ödemiş)
  12. Stage 12: Bozdağ (Ödemiş) – Karakoyun Yaylası (Çatak-Kiraz)
  13. Stage 13: Karakoyun Yaylası (Çatak-Kiraz) – Ovacık (Kiraz)
  14. Stage 14: Ovacık (Kiraz) – Küçükibrahimler (Ören-Kiraz)
  15. Stage 15: Küçükibrahimler (Kiraz) – Balyeri (Cevizli-Kiraz)
  16. Stage 16: Balyeri (Cevizli-Kiraz) – Karabolu (Kiraz)
  17. Stage 17: Karabolu (Kiraz) – Palamutçuk (Beydağ)
  18. Stage 18: Palamutçuk (Beydağ) – Beyköy (Beydağ)
  19. Stage 19: Beyköy (Beydağ) – Ovacık Yaylası (Bıçakcı-Ödemiş)
  20. Stage 20: Ovacık Yaylası (Bıçakcı-Ödemiş) – Demirdere (Ödemiş)
  21. Stage 21: Demirdere (Ödemiş) – Karaçamur Yaylası (Eğridere-Tire)
  22. Stage 22: Karaçamur Yaylası (Eğridere-Tire) – Dallık (Tire)
  23. Stage 23: Dallık (Tire) – Kaplan (Tire)
  24. Stage 24: Kaplan (Tire) – Akçaşehir (Tire)
  25. Stage 25: Akçaşehir (Tire) – Küçükkale (Tire)
  26. Stage 26: Küçükkale (Tire) – Şirince (Selçuk)

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