Beat the heat with a day out in Turkey's Taurus Mountains. Cake yourself in cool mud inside Karatas Cave then wash it all off with a wet and wild water fight during an off-road bus ride. And after a lakeside lunch, there's a boat trip on Lake Karacaören rounded off with a swim. Emre, one of our expert local guides, says, ‘Karatas Cave is where morganatic lovers Elif and Kerim fled angry villagers. As locals believed the devil resided there, none dared set foot inside. Elif and Kerim drank water from its love fountain. If you drink from it during your visit, your love life will be strengthened.'First up, you'll venture into Karatas Cave. Explore its maze of underground passages, see a subterranean lake, and then slather yourself in a revitalising mud mask from a natural pool – it's said to work wonders for your skin, and according to locals it has healing properties. You'll learn the legend of Elif and Kerim – Turkey's own Romeo and Juliet – who hid from their families in this very cave.When it's time to rinse off the healing mud, we'll do so in style with a water fight from the back of an open-top bus as we rumble through the Taurus Mountains. Next, it's on to one of Turkey's inland beauty spots – Lake Karacaören, hemmed in by verdant peaks. Sit down to a lakeside lunch of freshly prepared, typical local dishes, then glide across the water in an eco-friendly solar-powered boat. Drop anchor and you can cool off with time to swim and soak up the tranquillity before heading back to base.
See another side to Turkey on this Taurus Mountains off-road adventure. Visit Karatas Cave and learn the legend of runaway lovers Elif and Kerim. Get wet and wild with a fun water flight on board your Transit Safari bus. Cool off at Lake Karacaören on an eco-friendly boat ride with swim stops. Expert local guide with an unrivalled knowledge of Turkey and its people