Olympos-Beydaglari National Park
Olympos Baydaglary is a national park in Turkey, located in a picturesque location 45 km from Antalya. A significant part of the park lies in a mountain range. There are quite deep gorges, as well as forests, in which you can find as many as 3 natural complexes. Coastal forests begin near the seashore, then, as you go deeper into the park, alpine meadows pass, and then into coniferous forests.
Olympos Baydaglary is certainly admired by travelers. It is located between mountains, and its inaccessibility has preserved its primeval beauty. It was only in 1960 that a road was paved here from Antalya. Due to the fact that the mountains isolated this area, a unique flora has formed here. The flora consists of 3 natural complexes: coastal pine forests, cedar forests in the mountains and alpine valleys. In total, there are 370 plant species, 110 birds and almost 100 species of mammals in the park.
The area of the old Lycian town of Phaselis, located on the park lands, is quite interesting. Its landscape consists of only pebbles, densely overgrown with bushes. If you step slightly away from the main street, you can encounter an abundance of turtles. Pine - pines grow all around, giving shade to tired travelers.
Of the animals, the most noticeable are wild boars, wolves, wild cats, deer, bears, foxes, martens, jackals, lynxes, and wild goats. In the current city of Demre, the ancient Lycian city of the World, a large bluish lizard lurks, quite alert and fast. Of the birds in Olympos Beidaglara Park, there are such species as sparrowhawks, crows, quails, wood turtle doves and cranes. In addition to the huge number of different varieties of local birds, tens of thousands of migratory birds fly through Turkey. The river is home to a huge number of trout. There is also a trout hatchery near the town of Tekirova.
In 2004, an ecological park was opened in Tekirova. It was founded to study the reproduction of endangered reptiles. In Olympos Beidaglary Park, you can see all kinds of reptiles: pythons, boa constrictors, anacondas, rattlesnakes, vipers, cobras, iguanas, asps, lizards, monitor lizards, crocodiles, chameleons, turtles. To protect the guests, the enclosures are insulated with a net, especially the scary snakes are separated with a thick film. Various types of cacti are grown in the greenhouse. Strange plants grow all over the area.
