Winter activity ideas

Snow ski at new Turkish ski resorts - the top ski resorts really are as good as the best Alpine resorts!

Support your local bars and restaurants - many of them have arranged a host of winter activities for residents including social nights, team games and Christmas and New year parties and celebrations.

Winter Sports - new sports centers, sports clubs and sporting facilities in all major Mugla towns are open all winter with a huge choice of activities from Squash to Swimming and Tenpin bowling to Tennis.

Cultural and historical tours and trips - All the well known sights can be visited this winter including Ephesus and Pammukale, art galleries, palaces and museums.

Hiking, Trekking, Walking, Canyoning, Mountaineering - already well established winter activities for tourists you can join in any number of organised activities through your local travel agents.

Opera, Ballet, Theatre, Concerts - For culture vultures events are held all through winter in the main cities of Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya and Izmir.

Hobbies, interests and pastimes - You might not know it but most towns have amateur clubs, associations and groups organising regular meetings and activities, from Photographic Clubs to Art classes and from Motor cycle racing clubs to Radio controlled model aircraft enthusiasts and handicraft groups. If you like gardening why not meet up with the Fethiye Times Gardening Club held every month.

Educational Courses - want to learn something this winter? Even if it's just brushing up your Turkish language skills there are an amazing variety of adult courses on offer including Dance, Computer skills, Drawing, Sailing, Scuba diving and learning a Musical instrument.

Although Turkey is best known for it's hot sunny Mediterranean and Aegean resorts, there is much more to the climate than hot summers. Much of Turkey is mountainous, and many regions of Turkey have cooler climates than the major resort areas.

With an average altitude of 1000 metres, the Anatolian Peninsula has the North Anatolian Mountain range (2587-3932m) in the North and the Taurus Mountains (3086-4136m) in the South. The Central and East Anatolian high plateaus have extinct volcanic mountains such as Mount Erciyes (3917m) and Mount Agri (5137m).

With many of these peaks experiencing snow cover for as much as six months or more, the potential for great snow ski-ing in Turkey is very good. Although winter ski-ing and ski-package holidays are still a relatively new concept for Turkey interest is growing year after year and as the resorts improve their facilities Turkey now offers great opportunities for both serious skiers and beginners alike, at much better value than most of the better known European winter sports resorts.

For those who like a more adventurous approach, Turkish winter resorts could be the place for you; though with a couple of exceptions, notably Uludag, don't expect great apr籠ski entertainment yet. During normal winter conditions the average snowfall is approximately 3 metres and with most of the mountains covered in forests the natural beauty of the mountainous areas is absolutely stunning.

Two of the nearest resorts to Mugla are described here and overall they offer exciting ski-ing, good accommodation, great Turkish food and excellent value for money, in a much quieter environment than traditional European ski resorts.

ULUDAG SKI CENTRE 

Uludag is located in the South Marmara Region in Uludag National Park and is the oldest and most established ski resort in Turkey. It is 36 km from Bursa, and 150 km from Istanbul.

The ski centre is a 40-minute drive from Bursa or a 60-minute drive from the airport. The centre has suitable conditions for Alpine skiing, ski touring, cross-country and heli-skiing. The ski-ing area of Uludag is 1750 - 2543m high and covered with forests. The duration of ski-ing is 120 days a year. The most suitable ski conditions are between 20 December and 20 March.

The average snowfall is 3m in winter. At the beginning of the season the type of snow is "powder snow" and at the end of the season the snow characteristic is slightly "slushy." Uludag Ski Centre is equipped with 1 cable car, 5 chairlifts and 7 T-bars. Qualified skiing instructors and equipment for hire are available. The centre has first aid facilities and a rural clinic. Accommodation can be booked direct with a number of hotels in the resort.

SAKLIKENT SKI CENTRE

Saklikent is a surprise to many who hear about it. It is located on the slopes of Beydaglar mountain range at 2000 meters and only 50 km north west of Antalya.

The resort is quieter than most, without queuing problems. The ski runs are not as long as some of the other resorts. Accommodation is in chalets, and restaurants and shops are available.

The best season is from January to April. Facilities and terrain are not equal to the great ski centres of Europe, but skiing can be an enjoyable part of a winter vacation in Turkey. An interesting attraction of this centre is that in March and April one can ski in the mornings then drive down to the city and enjoy all that Antalya has to offer as a sophisticated summer and winter holiday resort. The skiing area is at an altitude of 1850 meters and the ski season is short. The thickness of the snow is about 50 to 100cm.

There is a pension (boarding-house) with 14 beds, a restaurant with an 80-person capacity, a cafeteria and countryside coffee house. There are two T-bars with capacities of 240 and 340 people per hour, and the two slopes are rated with  difficulty levels of easy and medium.

For more information on these resorts or the other main ski resorts - Kartalkaya, Erciyes and Palandonken Ski Centres - try an internet search under ‘Ski Turkey’ or enter the ski resorts name. You can also contact your local travel agent or the specialist ski holiday travel firm Alsertours.

Web: www.alserotours.com     E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it    Msn: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 Tel: +90 256 614 99 31         Fax: +90 256 612 91 85

Get physical

If you live in and around Marmaris the Council Sports Centre in the heart of Marmaris, alongside Netsel Marine, is running a full programme of activities for the winter. Even if you are not signed up for an organized, regular activity you can still enjoy Ten Pin bowling, the Sauna, the Fitness Centre or the low prices in the Cafeteria on a day to day, pay as you go basis. Don't forget the heated indoor Council Swimming Pool opposite the Amphitheatre is also open all winter.

ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE ALL WINTER AT THE SPORTS CENTRE

For Adults            For Children

Fitness Center        Volleyball
Aerobics                Basketball
Dance Courses       Tennis
Tennis 
Ballet & Karate 
Dance
Sauna 
Bowling salon 
Aikido
Squash                  Football