Tazı Canyon

Tazı Kanyon - also called Bilgelik Vadisi, the Valley of Wisdom - is the set of clifftop viewpoints high above the Köprüçay gorge in the national park north of Manavgat. The drop from the rim to the river is around four hundred metres, sheer in places, and the rock platforms jutting out over it are the reason people make the drive: the view runs down the whole canyon with the river a green thread at the bottom and the Taurus ranged behind. There are no railings on most of the outcrops, which is worth stating plainly - people have fallen. The road up from Beşkonak is long, narrow, unpaved in stretches and slow, and it is the main deterrent; local jeep safaris run it for those without a suitable vehicle. Below, the same national park has the rafting stretch of the Köprüçay, a Roman bridge and the ruins of Selge, which most visitors combine into one long day.

What you actually see

• The rim viewpoints - rock platforms over a four-hundred-metre drop.
• The gorge - the Köprüçay far below between cliff walls.
• The Taurus ranges - mountains beyond the canyon.
• The mountain road - the rough climb up from Beşkonak.

When to go

April to June and September to November. Mornings for light into the canyon; the road is dangerous after rain and can be impassable.

Honest expectations

The viewpoints are unfenced with sheer drops - genuinely dangerous, and not a place for children or bravado. The access road is rough and long; a low car should not attempt it. No facilities at the rim.

Nearby

The Köprülü Kanyon rafting stretch and the Roman bridge are below; Selge's ruins are on the same plateau.