Lake Karacaören Boat Cruise and Visit to Karatas Cave

Take some of Turkey's top beauty spots, then mix in a farmers' market, a cooking demo and hanging out with a famous tea lady, and you're in for a 100% Turkish experience. You'll also cool off at scenic Lake Karacaören and explore Karatas Cave after a lakeside lunch. Muzaffer, one of our guides, says, ‘As a local, it's one of my favourite places to guide tours in. It's got spectacular nature, great food, real Turkish shopping and a relaxing boat ride in tranquillity.'

We'll get into the groove by visiting a farmers' market. It's a great opportunity to mingle with the locals as they eye the stalls laden with fresh produce from the surrounding countryside. Then it's on to Lake Karacaören, hemmed in by a vegetation-clad canyon, known locally as the Amber Canyon. You'll glide across the water in an eco-friendly, solar-powered boat. You'll also get the chance to dive in for a swim.

Dry off and there's a demonstration of traditional cooking for lunch followed by the opportunity to meet a famous tea lady. She's a true character and something of a local legend. We'll round off the tour with a visit to Karatas Cave. Explore its maze of underground passages, see the subterranean pool and learn the legend of Elif and Kerim – Turkey's own Romeo and Juliet – who hid from their families in the cave. Locals also believe the cave's mud has healing properties. For every sale of this experience, there's a donation to CYDD, a charity that helps in the education of underprivileged children in Turkey.