The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking, trekking, and climbing the world

The Southwest Coast Path: South Devon

Back in Devon after four years! The last (and only) time I was in Devon I completed 9 days of hiking along the Southwest Coastal Path (SWCP) from Westward Ho! in Devon to Padstow in Cornwall (see my 2018 blog post). In contrast to those 2+ days in Devon, this time I am spenting 4 weeks, with a two-fold hiking focus: completing some of the southern portion of the SWCP and exploring inland Devon, principally the two moors: Dartmoor and Exmoor. To keep the length of the posts reasonable, I have divided the hikes into two posts. The five days of coastal hiking inn-to-inn is the focus of this post; the inland walks will be the focus of the next one, hopefully published in a few days.

From my AirBnb the South Devon coast was easily accessed by train from the lovely city of Exeter. In about an hour I reached the touristy town of Paignton where I started my generally West-to-East walking adventure. That was Jubilee Sunday and my post begins there. . .

Redcliffe Hotel on the east end of Paignton, Day 1. Paignton was certainly a convenient start point, but is best forgotten.
Corbyn’s Head. I’ve always wondered where that was . . .
Thatcher Rock. The antithesis of Corbyn’s Head. The misty rain lasted much of the first day until. . .
Early evening view from my Babbacombe Hotel terrace
Day 2 started out with much better weather. Here is a view of Oddicombe Beach, a steep descent from the cliff-top town of Babbacombe.
View back towards Torquay (hidden), the main conurbation along this portion of the coast, that I had traversed (in rain) on Day 1 without taking a photo. Though it has its own odd charm, like Paignton I felt that it is best forgotten.
View towards Teignmouth, the destination of the first of two short ferries I took that day
View of colorful Dawlish with the railway going along the coast here.
On the Starcross to Exmouth ferry, the 2nd and longer (at about 20 minutes) of the two ferries that day
The Imperial Hotel, Exmouth, my home for the 2nd night. Though imposing, it is indeed every bit as tired as it looks. Note the giant beach chair. My hotel room did have a small balcony looking out towards the beach.
An Exmouth beach sculpture I saw at the start of Day 3. Unfortunately I was out of coins or I would have contributed to the artist’s fund. The town does have a large sandy beach, unusual for the south coast. It is popular with kite boarders and surfers as well as swimmers (and of course, dog walkers).
The Geoneedle at Orcombe Point. This marks the start of the Jurassic Coast. Note the different rocks comprising one side of the obelisk. They represent the almost continuous sequence of rocks exposed from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods as one heads West to East along the coast. Truly time travel on a geologic scale!
Dew on common flax (Linum usitatissimum)
Purple Heather (Erica cinerea). As with much of southern England, gorse is out-competing heather.
Otter River estuary, a great birding area. I did not have my binoculars and the rain forced me to shelter in a bird hide for a while as I made my way on an unavoidable inland detour around the mouth of the river.
Sidmouth with mist descending. My home for the 3rd night!
A view from Connaught Gardens on the Western end of Sidmouth. The gardens are absolutely gorgeous, but after a long day my appreciation for their beauty was limited.
The Grade II listed Beacon House with a traditional thatched roof, Sidmouth
Looking back on Sidmouth and High Peak (R) at the start of Day 4. It is a lovely town although the beach is only shingle.
Cliffs near Salcombe as the sun emerges after several hours of mist and rain. This is England, after all.
I ended up herding a flock of sheep near Branscombe
Looking back on the gorgeous coastal views near Branscombe
A good view of the Hooken Cliffs (r) and limestone pinnacles (l), highlighting a giant landslip from 1790. This area is part of the 100 sq. mi. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This short ramble through the Hooken Undercliff was a preview for much of the following day’s walking.
The Beer Beach on the morning of Day 5. I stayed in a small B&B in Beer, a beautiful historic village. Somewhat lacking in dining options, I had pre-booked a dinner reservation at The Smugglers Kitchen, an absolutely first rate establishment.
The SWCP heading up the cliffs leaving the village of Beer
Axmouth Harbor and Haven Cliffs
Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis). I should have gotten a better photo, but didn’t realize at the time I was looking at an orchid! Though this species is relatively common, I didn’t see any more.
The SWCP heading through the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs National Nature Reserve, one of the great “wilderness” areas in southern England. With rain threatening all morning, it was nice to be walking through a woodland.
A rare coastal view en-route to Lyme Regis in the Undercliffs Nature Reserve
Red Campion (Silene dioica). I saw many of these pretty wildflowers during my five days of coastal walking.

Lyme Regis is purportedly lovely, but when I hiked through at the conclusion of my fifth day walking, I was in a hurry to catch my bus, the weather was questionable, and the tourists profuse. Perhaps for these reasons I have no photos of the town. I did manage to catch the hourly bus from there to Axminster station where I was able to connect with a train back to Exeter where my car waited for me. Stats were 56 miles and 9600 ft elevation gain over the five days. Certainly not as strenuous as some of the North Coast of Devon and Cornwall where I averaged about 3000 ft of ascent each day, but an amazingly varied geography with wonderful towns and villages conveniently located along the way. I am more than ever resolved to continue to “fill in” the sections of the SWCP that I have not yet walked.

The Vagabond Hiker

P.S. A note on the photos. I recently purchased a new mobile phone, a Samsung Galaxy A52, which I used for all these photographs. My travels make it more than ever necessary to have dual SIM capability which this international version possesses. I am still learning about the camera, though. . .

Walking in Turkey, Part 2: Cappadocia

Leaving the cosmopolitan city of Istanbul, I boarded a 11/2 hr flight to Kayseri, followed by a one hour taxi to the tourist center of Cappadocia, Göreme, where I had reserved a hotel room for two nights. After a day spent on a guided bus/walking tour of an extensive underground city and the Ilhara Valley, I transferred to Mustafapaşa and met Maggie for a one week self-guided walking tour of the region. Utracks sorted all the details, including accommodation and meals, luggage transfers, and importantly, provided gpx tracks for each day’s walk. I had never used them before, but definitely recommend them for self-guided walking in Europe.

For millions of years the volcanoes of the Central Anatolian Plateau erupted over the land to create the unique rock formations including the fairy chimneys that characterize Cappadocia, Turkey. Through the centuries, civilizations carved houses and churches within these rocky pillars and underground cities, leaving a legacy that is a focal point for visitors to the region. Interspersed among these relics is a living culture of traditional villages, spectacular river valleys and rural settlements. Hopefully this blog captures a bit of these wonders. I include macros of some of the numerous flowers we saw during our walks, and have amended the Lycian Way blog to add a few flowers from there also. Enjoy!

The Dawn Ascension from my hotel room terrace in Göreme. It definitely paid to get up before sunrise! Weather depending, Maggie and I hoped to go on a Hot Air Balloon ride one morning. . .
The Ilhara Valley (“Green”) tour began with a couple of stops at viewpoints. The town of Uchisar is seen here, with typical rock formations including numerous fairy towers.
The upper entrance to the Ilhara Valley. We did a short (3.5 km) walk to our restaurant for lunch along the river. The entire valley is 16 km long.
A view along our Ilhara valley river walk
Selime Monastery interior. This complex rock monastery is at the lower end of Ilhara Valley.
A portion of our Mustafapaşa cave hotel suite. The cave hotels we stayed in were definitely an experience!
Cappadocia Walking Week Day 1. View along the road to the village of Ayvali. This day, unlike succeeding ones, we generally walked along a plateau above the maze of valleys. We stayed this night at a homestay with a wonderful family who teaches Cappadocia cooking classes. We feasted this evening (sorry, no food porn on this blog site).
Pheasant’s Eye (Adonis annua)
Squarerose knapweed (Cyanus triumfettii)
Cappadocia Walking Week Day 2. Maggie along Gomeda Valley.
St Basil Church above Gomeda Valley
Lush view along the Gomeda Valley. We walked along at least five valleys this week, each unique in its own way. The riparian vegetation of the Gomeda Valley was particularly lush.
Rock church interior along the Gomeda Valley.
Our walking companion along the Gomeda valley. He joined us for two days.
Looking out from a natural cave along Gomeda valley.
Pigeon houses along the Gomeda Valley. The people had five distinct uses for the pigeons they raised. I’ll let you figure out what they were.
Kent and Dog. Photo courtesy of Maggie.
Poppies and daisies view on road to Ortahisar. We left Gomeda Valley for some plateau walking to the next town on our itinerary.
Ortahisar with its distinctive fort.
The Ortahisar gorge from our Cave Hotel room terrace. Note the pigeon holes.
Cappadocia Walking Week Day 3. A balloon seemingly landing in Ortahisar gorge.
Zemi Valley formation on Day 3.
Another Zemi Valley rock formation
Alkanna orientalis
View of Zemi Valley on the road to Uchisar. Once out of Zemi Valley, we continued along the plateau to our next stop.
The volcanic Erciyes peak (3916m), highest in the area, can be seen here on the road to Uchisar. Snow-covered in May, the ski season generally runs from November through March.
Uchisar also boasts a fort.
Cappadocia Walking Week Day 4. Some typical Love Valley candle-shaped fairy chimneys.
More Love Valley fairy chimneys, at one time providing habitation. Due to the threat of rain, I took very few photos this day.
Cappadocia Walking Week Day 5. Following rain the prior day and in the night, the weather was fine for the hot air balloon ride we had booked. Here some balloons are inflating in the pre-dawn.
Our balloon being inflated.
Balloons rising. I took beaucoup photos, but will only inflict a couple on you here.
Landscape with balloons from ours. The large rectangular gondola was amazingly stable, and held 28 clients along with a pilot and copilot. It was an amazing, though expensive, experience. They jacked the price 50 Euros as this was the last day of Eid in Turkey.
After our balloon ride, we leisurely started a Bozdag Plateau circuit walk. Here is part of the interior of St Nicholas church outside the town of Çavuşin, where we stayed for two nights.
View from the church above Çavuşin.
Another room in the rock church above Çavuşin. Sadly, most of these churches have been defaced (quite literally in many cases!) and covered with graffiti.
Garden Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum divergens)
Bozdag Plateau circuit walk view. We had seen this large plateau (what in the Southwest US would be called a mesa) in the distance on most days. Notice the black berets on the group of Frenchmen at the lower left.
Sicklefruit hypecoum (Hypecoum imberbe)
Some of the many sandstone rock formations on the shoulder of the Bozdag Plateau.
A rest stop surrounded by rock formations
Cappadocia Walking Week Day 6. Rose Valley fairy chimneys. This final day’s walk, to Göreme, we traversed two valleys, the Rose and the Red.
Kent framed in the door of a rock church in Rose Valley, being struck by a ray of light. Photo courtesy of Maggie.
Golden fleece (Urospermum dalechampii)
Maggie exploring Rose Valley
Rose and Red valleys walk vista. Definitely I can see some similarities to Utah.
Some of the Göreme Open Air Museum formations. This was the better of the two “open air” museums we encountered this week. Both were heavily-touristed, though this one was worth the time lingering amongst (and in) these formations.

On arrival in Göreme, I showered, sorted my luggage, and caught a taxi to Kayseri and then the short flight back to Istanbul. After (fortunately) testing negative for Covid, I slept at the airport hotel a few hours, and continued the next day back to Las Vegas via London. Altogether it took nearly 39 hours from Göreme to my AirBnB in Hurricane Utah, followed by several days for my body to adjust to the 9 hour time difference.

I am now packing for my 4 month UK and European summer trip. Please see the 2022 Calendar tab on the upper right of this blog for some of the adventures I’m planning. It’s definitely great to be traveling once again while enjoying the great outdoors. Stay tuned!

The Vagabond Hiker

Walking in Turkey, Part 1: Best of the Lycian Way

On a last-minute impulse inspired by reasonable airfare, I decided to head to Turkey for three weeks of walking and culture. The first portion of the journey took me from Las Vegas to Istanbul via London, and then the next morning on a short flight to Dalaman in Southwestern Turkey. For the next 6 days I walked some of the best portions of the more than 300 miles of coastal and inland trails in this area rich in history. The ex-pat Briton Kate Clow provided the impetus for cobbling together these ancient trails, first opened in 1999. Sadly, since that time a large amount of coastal development has taken place, detracting from sections of the Way. With limited time available, and transfers required to enjoy the most interesting sections of the trail, I booked a self-guided walking week with KE Adventures, whose local agent, Amber Travel, provided superb support, including daily luggage transfers. Enjoy the trek!

Fethiya Old Town market. My first night’s accommodation was nearby in the historic center. The market is a great place to stock up on dried fruits and nuts for the trail.
Some of the many Lycian rock tombs on the outskirts of Fethiya, Day 1. I walked directly from my hotel, though the official start of the Lycian Way was at the start of my 2nd day of walking.
The tomb of Amyntas, built by the Lycians in 350 BC, with poppies in the foreground.
Macro of a Pale Poppy (Papaver argemone)
Fethiya coastal view from the Tomb of Amyntas
A cobbled old Roman road through a pine forest, en route to Kayakoy, my first night’s destination.
Fragrant wisteria in bloom along a Kayakoy village road. This once thriving down fell largely into ruin after 1923 due to the population exchange with Greece following the Greco-Turkish war.
Roman sarcophagi along a Kayakoy village road
Villa Rhapsody, Kayakoy. A highly-recommended choice that served dinner and breakfast, and provided a pack lunch for the next day’s walk.
The official start to the Lycian Way, Day 2
Ölüdeniz town, beach, and coast, shortly after the start of the Lycian Way
Atmospheric trail view of Babadag Mountain on a traverse of its shoulder
Pink rock-rose (Cistus creticus)
The bole of an ancient olive tree, Kirme village
Abandoned terraces and sea views above Faralya, Day 3
Mallow (Mallow silvestris)
Rugged coastal topography en route to the Alinca watershed on Day 3
A somewhat battered looking turtle seen at the start of a steep descent on the Lycian Way
More amazing coastal topography from Day 3
The Ottoman Cistern at Sancakli, where my transfer was supposedly waiting. The route I took included transfers on 5 of the 6 days in order to avoid less interesting sections of the Lycian Way. All except this one went smoothly.
Patara city gate (1st century CE). My Day 4 walk began at the ancient city of Patara.
Harbor Street, Patara, dating from the 1st century BCE.
Assembly Hall of the Lycian League in Patara, housing “history’s earliest and perfect example of government,” according to Montesquieu.
Patara beach. The beach and surrounding coastal area is undeveloped due to nesting of endangered Loggerhead turtles. This was by far the best beach I encountered, and in April with chilly water was mostly deserted.
The Lycian Way following a Roman aqueduct, Day 4
Lycian coastal views on Day 4
Sage leaf rock-rose (Cistus salviifolius)
Another view of the Roman aqueduct, near Delikkemer (Myra)
Kas theatre, Day 5. This ancient theatre (200-300 BCE) is the only one facing the sea in Anatolia.
View from the cafe in Kaş where I enjoyed a late morning iced coffee. While some days were 8+ miles and 2000 ft or more elevation gain, other days were short enough to enjoy a leisurely start. The town of Kaş was a wonderful overnight stop, and featured two vegan restaurants! An extra day spent here sea kayaking and enjoying the ambience would have been greatly enjoyed.
Path along the karstic coast on Day 5. For those non-geologists reading this blog, karst is an irregular limestone region with sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns.
A beach cove vista on Day 5. I had a relaxing paddle on this remote pebble beach.
View from my transfer boat, heading to the fishing village of Simena
A view from my patio of my Simena pensione
Simena fort and sarcophagi at the start of Day 6
More karstic coast, Day 6
A lizard that did not look like he wanted to be messed with
An abandoned house near the coast from the Ottoman days
Church ruins at the ancient site of Istlada, most of which has not been excavated and is charmingly free from tourism.

Following this wonderful week of walking the Lycian Way, I flew to Istanbul for a city break, spending three nights in the boutique hotel Ibrahim Pasha in the historic center, convenient to many of the most interesting cultural sites in this megalopolis.

Istanbul Blue Mosque from the terrace of the Ibrahim Pasha Hotel, taken on my 60th birthday with a glass of chilled white wine in hand!

After Istanbul, I flew to Kayseri and took a taxi to Göreme in Cappadocia for the next eight days of walking and culture, highlighted in my next blog post.

The Vagabond Hiker

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