Circumnavigating the Çandir Stream Valley

Route Details

The Çandir Stream valley is arguably the best ride I've done during my time in Antalya. The ride up the valley is not easy, but well worth the effort. This route starts from the base of the Western Taurus Mountains and goes up to a small village capping atop the ridge that crowns the Çandir Stream valley. Between the starting point and the summit, you'll ride up an Hors Catégorie climb, pass by a handful of villages clinging to the side of the mountain and stop at numerous viewpoints looking over the valley.

# The Route

The Route Starts from Hurma Neighborhood, Northwest of Liman, which is a better starting point since it's a quieter neighborhood. From there, you’ll head northwest through the narrow gap between the foothills of the Western Taurus to the left and the giant rocky hill to the right. As soon as you cross the dry riverbed, you can see the entire first half of the route, given the Western Taurus's open nature and steepness. 
Focus on the scattered white dots on the side of the mountains ahead; that’s the halfway point!

Riding westward along the riverbed, head towards the prominent peak of the appropriately named Sivri Dagi (pointed mountain), standing tall at the frontline looming over the villages below. From there, you’ll reach a small farming village called Hacisekililer. The road meanders around the base of Sivri Dagi with a gradual but relatively flat gradient. I highly recommend you savor that flat section because the climb starts just past the water dam and goes up faster than you can shift down!

The route splits into two sections, the climb and the descent.

The climb can be divided into 3 sections. @slice[The first is from the water dam to the village of Çitdibi](d,16242.42,23515.08). @slice[The second is from Çitdibi until the first rest stop at Ali’s bodega](d,23796.8,30335.89), where you can find the best cheese, Turkish sausage, chili spread sandwich, and tea! @slice[The third section is from Ali’s shop to Söğüt Cuması, the town that crowns the ridge](d,30402.05,43124.01).

The first section is hard, and the grades are double-digit. It’s a fantastic climb and truly one of a kind. The views and vegetation rapidly change the higher you go. Our recommendation for the first section is to take it easy. You’ll burn a match just attempting the climb anyway!

The second section of the climb offers an escape from double-digit grades, with a few dips along the way; you can stretch out after that @poi[Hors Catégorie climb](77956861). Reaching the @poi[mosque](77956862) standing at the cliff's edge, you can find cold water past the entrance. From there, it's a smooth sail to @poi[Ali’s Bodega](77956863).

The third part of the climb is the best part of the route, and the whole route is amazing, so that says a lot! From the bodega till Söğüt Cuması, it’ll mostly be on graded gravel roads; some sections are well maintained, while others can have an accumulation of gravel close to the sides of the road, depending on the season, of course. The graded section starts @poi[here](77956864).

Each section of the climb feels completely different and offers a great experience.

Once you reach Söğüt Cuması, stop at the @poi[restaurant](77956868) and grab some Gözleme, a savory pastry filled with your choice of cheese, veggies, meat, and more, and always treat yourself to some Turkish tea!

The small village is a great place to explore, so be sure to do that if you have the time. When ready to get back down the hill, head south out of the village, but keep an eye on the viewpoint on your righthand side. The view of Bey Dağlari (Bey Mountains) is one the best you can see from this point and shouldn’t be missed.

The section between the village and the main road is similar to the third section of the climb, with loose gravel, so stay away from the side of the road if you can. It’s a short and fast descent to the main road.

Now that you’ve paid the climbing toll tuck in for the long descent back into Antalya through some of the best scenery anywhere around. We recommend you stop at @poi[this mosque](77956870) and say hello to the cats before the full descent. The drop is mostly straightforward, with good pavement and a few bends in the road here and there. Do pay attention to this hairpin turn @poi[here](77956871). There might be gravel on the road.

However, as you descend, traffic will pick up, so be alert, given that the whole climb has very little traffic.

This is a challenging but gratifying route as well.

## Bike set-up recommendation

* Tires: minimum of 28c. 30-32c recommended.
* Gears: Compact crankset (50x34), 11-30+ casstte.

# More resources

If you want to read our full ride report, then head over to [The Paperclip.cc](https://www.thepaperclip.cc/post/circumnavigating-the-%C3%A7andir-stream-valley)

Antalya has a few good bike shops such as: 
* [UĞUR BİSİKLET](http://goo.gl/maps/jtyiae7LXyb1L2hg7)
* [Bıke Stop ](http://goo.gl/maps/C9xbn2rnkFNFdSUKA)

# Important Reminders

Antalya can be very hot in the summer from July to late August, so if you find yourself there in the summer, leave early and head towards the mountains for better weather.

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Circumnavigating the Çandir Stream Valley

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Circumnavigating the Çandir Stream Valley

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