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Trans Caria Bikepacking Route

Turkey’s First Developed Bikepacking Route
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Distance

800 km

Elevation

16690m

DAys

12-14

Unpaved

% 36

Difficulty

Hard

Logistics

Easy – Moderate

As founders of the Carian Trail, we’ve spent more than sixteen years walking, mapping, and stitching together the paths of southwest Turkey. Over the years, countless riders asked whether the Carian Trail could be done on a bike. It couldn’t. The terrain was too broken, the climbs too sharp, and the track too inconsistent.

So we started fresh. Using everything we knew about the region, we spent two years designing a completely new line—something rideable, beautiful, and true to the character of the southwest. In 2024, after many revisions and field checks, we bikepacked the full length.

That route became the TransCaria Bikepacking Trail, an 800 km, two-wheeled journey linking ancient ruins, small harbors, remote beaches, and forgotten mountain villages.

The Experience

TransCaria moves through the full geography of southwest Turkey—delta plains, pine forests, rocky peninsulas, long beaches, and the first foothills of the Menderes Massif. The terrain is mostly dirt tracks, often weaving across ridges where the Aegean appears and disappears between the trees.

You roll through villages every day, which makes logistics simple: food, water, pensions, and the occasional family-run restaurant. The landscape, meanwhile, shifts constantly—prehistoric sites, traditional stone houses, weather-carved boulders, and coastal viewpoints that open suddenly after forested climbs.

It’s the bikepacking version of a classic Aegean journey: sun, sea, heritage, and a fair amount of grit.

about the route

Total: 800 km | Linked by a short ferry ride | Ridden in two sections

Section 1: Dalyan → Bodrum 394 km | +7,873 m | 27% unpaved

From the reed-lined delta and Lycian rock tombs of Dalyan, the trail climbs into the backroads of Bozburun before pushing onto the wild Datça Peninsula. Expect a mix of coastal viewpoints, traditional villages, and long stretches of quiet Aegean wilderness.

Section 2: Bodrum → Ephesus 398 km | +8,818 m | 45% unpaved

Beginning in Bodrum’s harbor district, this section heads north through olive groves, orchard valleys, and remote hamlets. The route passes into the Latmos Mountains—a surreal landscape of giant boulders, old frescoed chapels, and villages that feel untouched by tourism—before descending toward the classical cities of Didyma, Priene, Miletos, and finally Ephesus.

Difficulty

Physically, this is a difficult route. Expect steep ascents and descents, with most days passing 1,000+ m of elevation gain.

Logistically, it’s easy. You do not need to carry a tent or cook unless you choose to—villages, guesthouses, and small shops appear regularly.

Highlights

  • Caunos rock tombs

  • Ekincik Beach

  • Akyaka

  • Old town of Marmaris

  • Coastal views above Kumlubük

  • Bozburun & Datça harbors

  • Secluded coves of the Datça Peninsula

  • Ancient Knidos

  • Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology

  • Clifftop views between Bodrum and Mazı

  • Uyku Vadisi

  • Ruins of Beçin

  • Milas town center

  • Village house stay in Çomakda

  • Villages of the Latmos Mountains

  • Bağarcık & Çörlenasar fortress

  • Surreal boulder fields of Latmos

  • Herakleia ruins and Kapıkırı Village

  • Didyma, Miletos, Priene

  • Dilek Peninsula & Meander Delta

  • Ancient city of Ephesus

    MAP & GPS

    View & Download Full RideWithGPS Guide
    View & Download Full RideWithGPS Guide
    Useful Information

    Practical Info

    Accommodation

    • Section 1: Guesthouses, pensions, small hotels, and many legal wild-camping spots.

    • Section 2: Between Milas and Kapıkırı, accommodation is limited to village houses or camping. Beyond Kapıkırı, options increase again.

      Wild camping is generally accepted in Turkey—avoid fires, especially from June to October when the region is extremely dry.

    Food Supply

    • Small village shops most days

    • Village houses usually include dinner + breakfast

    • Roadside stands, gardens cafés, simple lokantas, and coastal restaurants appear throughout

    • In most cases, you won’t need to cook unless you prefer to

    Recommended Bike Set Up

    • Gravel bike or hardtail MTB

    • 45–50 mm tires ideal for comfort on varied terrain

    • Wide-range cassette for long, steep climbs

    Ferry Connection

    Section 1 ends at Datça Karaköy (Körmen) Ferry Port.

    To continue to Section 2, take the ferry to Bodrum.

    In summer, ferries run twice daily; in winter, typically once every other day.

    (Travellers should check current schedules.)

    Bike Shops & Repair

    You will find decent bike shops (with basic bikepacking equipment) in Bodrum, other than that there will be some smaller shops where you can get simple things fixed on your bike along the way in Milas. For major bikepacking equipment and gravel bike supplies İzmir is the better adress, Shops here will also have boxes to pack your bike if you are flying back via İzmir Airport.

    Before the start

    Along The Way

    At The End 

    Useful Information
    Equipment Rentals

    Book Your Bike Now and Enjoy the Great Outdoors

    More Information
    Gravel Bike Rentals

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