“There is one more thing” – becomes reality
This is exactly how you will experience the city. On our tours to Çameli we always find that no matter how much time we spend there, we have never seen / experienced everything that this authentic corner of Turkey has to offer. And with each of our tours there, new must-see locations are added. An incredibly diverse destination that is somewhat hidden and unassuming in a high valley. “There is one more thing” will also accompany you long after my visit to Çameli. In the winter months, winter equipment is certainly part of the car.
Location
Çameli is the southernmost of the 19 districts of Denizli province, 70 km from Fethiye and 106 km from Denizli centre. Its area is 738 km2, and 75% of it is forest.
Geographical Structure and Climate
The highest mountain of the district to the west of the Taurus Mountains is Akdağ (ASL 2449m – taken from the official web page of Denizli Governorship). Apart from this, many high mountains and hills are within the district’s borders. In the neighbourhood, which has a Mediterranean mountain climate, winters are cold and rainy, and summers are hot and dry. There are many lakes in the district, and many ponds are also built. From here, drinking water is met in animal farming, and agricultural lands are irrigated.
History
Historical ruins and finds in the district show that there was life in this region before the millennium. The name of the district until 1953 was ‘Karaman’. During the administrative changes, the pine trees around the name inspired the name. ‘Çameli’ means the hand of the pine tree.
City where Gladiators were Trained – Kibyra Ancient City (Cbyra or Cibyra)
Another thing that takes the breath away from paragliding enthusiasts flying over is the ancient city of Kibyra. Kibyra Ancient City, which is only 23 km away from the centre of Cameli, north-east of Yaylacik take-off, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list in 2016. Although it is not strictly within the borders of Çameli, it has become one of the foci of interest of local and foreign tourists due to its proximity. This 2,300-year-old ancient city was unearthed with archaeological excavations that started in 2006.
The stadium with a capacity of 10 thousand people in this ancient city is the most magnificent and the only stadium of its period.
The city also has a 540 m2 Medusa Mosaic, with her hair made of snakes. Her gaze turns people into stone. There is no similar mosaic in the world has been yet found.
Population and Development Programmes
According to the 2021 census, around 18 thousand people live in the district. In recent years, migration to big cities has been felt in Çameli as in other provinces and districts of Turkey. The recent slowdown in migration to big cities has been welcomed with joy in the community. As a neighbourhood, they are looking for ways to keep young people here, not to decrease the number of residents and not to become an old society. In the region, efforts to create new job opportunities, diversify economic activities and improve living and working conditions in rural areas are continuing rapidly. It is also noticed with joy that these efforts are bearing fruit.
For this purpose, feverish work is being carried out in the district. The municipality and non-governmental organisations, public institutions and organisations, private sector representatives, entrepreneurs and local people are developing and realising creative ideas on this issue.
Çameli Local Action Group (ÇAMYEG), a group that has come together to prepare a local development strategy for Çameli, is successfully realising its goals. As conveyed to us by İbrahim Putgül, the consultant of Cameli Culture and Tourism Consultant Local Action Group Associations (ÇAMYEG), also receives various European Union support. With this, Cameli has been and is a pioneer in the region.
Paragliding World’s Favourite
Paragliding stands in a special place in Çameli. There is even a paraglider with the contours of Yaylacık Mountain in the municipality logo.
Many paragliding festivals are organised in Cameli, which is an indispensable place for the enthusiasts of this sport. However, apart from these festivals, there is also intense paragliding tourism in the region. It is an ideal flying area for single and tandem flights and pilot candidate training.
You can take off in any direction from Yaylacık Mountain (ASL 2150m), which is perfect for thermal and XC flights, and you can make long-lasting flights. For this reason, Çameli is always preferred by local and foreign pilots. It is a place where pilots of all levels can spend hours in the air. However, it is not recommended for beginners because it has harsh thermal oscillations in the summer months.
Apart from this, one training runway has been opened in the district. Karadağ, in the centre of Çameli, has three levels and attracts flight schools and pilot candidates to this region.
Paragliding festivals of this year:
| 16-21 May 2023 | Cameli Paragliding Spring Cup |
| 21-27 July 2023 | Pre-Paragliding World Cup (9.Cameli XC Open 2023) |
| 23-28 October 2023 | Condor Wide Open |
In addition, Çameli has hosted the World Cup Qualifying, World Cup, World Cup, World Cup Super Final and Turkey Paragliding Championships.
The Place of Women in Çameli
Everything we see on earth is the work of women! – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
The young population and the development of women and children are being worked on in Çameli.
They have a charming motto: No woman should be obliged to stay home.
Rug, carpet, saddlebag weaving, handicraft, ceramic painting, and digital marketing are just some of them. There are also special sports centres for women.
Çameli Trout
Çameli is probably the first place that comes to mind regarding Trout-farming in Turkey. The district is in one of the leading positions in ensuring the continuity of Turkey’s trout population. This is because 22% of the trout in Turkey’s rivers is supplied from the farms in this region.
There are many trout facilities in the region, most of which are located in Kanlıçay ( According to the data of the District Governorate, they are 98). These facilities contribute significantly to the region’s economy by exporting processed fish to 80 countries in Turkey and abroad.
Moreover, eating the freshest trout in the restaurants in 13 of these facilities is possible. A minor annotation; alcohol is served in only 2 of them.
The climate change that has gripped the whole world and the drought problem it brings with it is, of course, one of the biggest problems of Cameli. In this regard, farmers and trout producers are given information meetings and detailed training on water’s economical, efficient and sustainable use.
Mountainbike (MTB) Trails
The Çameli region offers incredible opportunities for mountain bikers. 1380 km of adrenaline-packed trails in different difficulty levels are waiting for you. With an altitude difference of up to 1000m are between 20 and 80 km long.
Rivers, forests, wild animals, ancient ruins, narrow passages and natural waterfalls await you on your tours and spur each other on to ever new motivation. Every year hundreds of athletes of different levels come to Çameli and the municipality is strongly committed to the maintenance of the trails.
As expressed by the mayor of Çameli, great importance is given to cycling at every opportunity. Every year, usually in September, an international mountain bike marathon (XCM) is organized in Çameli.
This year also, numerous athletes participated in the organization, giving the event a colorful picture of participants. Contact us if you want to know these different possibilities and/or for many other things you can think of.
Walnut of Çameli
The soil climate structure of Çameli allows this nut to be grown efficiently in the region. As a result, the number of farmers producing walnut has been increasing yearly.
Denizli – the province to which Çameli belongs in walnut production – produced the most walnuts in Turkey until last year. However, they seem to have lost the leadership to another region this year. This may be why Çameli aims to produce 4 thousand tonnes of walnuts this year. By the way, Turkey is the 4th most walnut-producing country in the world after China and America.
Slow City – Cittaslow
Çameli’s motto is slow-city. So, for example, you cannot see traffic lights in this city. In particular, they are in an understanding that encourages a calm, slow and quality life. They are also trying to fulfil all the prerequisites necessary to become a full member of the Cittaslow municipalities association, established in Italy in 1999. According to what we were told, they have already successfully implemented 80% of the required criteria. Keep going, Çameli!
Milan Kundera wrote in his novel slowness: “When everything happens so fast, no one can be sure of anything, not even of himself” and continued, “The degree of slowness is directly proportional to the intensity of the moment. The degree of speed is directly proportional to the intensity of forgetting. There is a secret relationship between slowness and recollection, speed and forgetting. A person who wants to remember something slows down his gait. On the other hand, a person who is trying to forget a bad event he has just experienced can’t help but speed up his walk.”
Trekking and Nature Walk
Those who love nature walks have a choice of trekking routes with various difficulty levels in Çameli. There are a total of 54 trekking routes with a walking distance of 5-15 km. These trails, which are 580 km long, are waiting to be explored.
Signposts are placed in appropriate places, so anyone who wants to be in touch with nature can walk alone without a guide. Like the Grande Randonnee long-distance hiking trails familiar in Europe, the signs are red-white lines indicating the path and direction. These characteristic markings are seen along the route, especially at forks and junctions.
During the walks, you can walk through the fruit and vegetable gardens in the village and find the opportunity to taste these attractive foods in season. It is also possible to encounter ancient ruins from the past on these routes. Or it is also possible to be a guest on the beautiful courses where you can meet nomad houses along the walk and taste local foods. You can see and collect thyme species and mountain streams during these rich walks.
At the end of 8 summit routes, you are watching the sunrise or sunset can be one of the most enjoyable moments of your walk. These unique moments will make you forget all your tiredness. It is even possible to see Fethiye, Babadağ Mountain, the Mediterranean and Çameli from a bird’s eye view.
Camping and Picnic Areas
We have good news for you if you want to wake up to the silence right in nature and witness the first hours of the morning. Over 50 camping and picnic areas await nature lovers on dozens of hiking routes mentioned above. Some of them also have electricity, WC and shower facilities.
Canyons
The beauties of Çameli are not limited to this. There are precisely four canyons within the borders of Çameli, a total of 25 km long and breathtakingly beautiful canyons. It is even possible to do rafting in some of these canyons with a difficulty level of 5.