Efeler Way
Efeler Yolu
A 500 km marked trail through the mountains east and south of İzmir, from Bornova to the House of the Virgin Mary above Ephesus, themed on the culture of the efe and zeybek.
At a glance
- Starts in
- Kavaklıdere, Bornova
- Ends in
- Meryemana, Selçuk
- Length
- 500 km
- On foot
- ≈ 20–25 days
- Countries
Türkiye
About the trail
The efe were the leaders of the zeybek, armed highland bands of western Anatolia whose dances and costumes are still part of Aegean folklore. The Efeler Way follows village paths, summer pastures and old mountain passes through their former country, from Kavaklıdere in İzmir's Bornova district to Meryemana, the House of the Virgin Mary on Bülbül Dağı above Ephesus.
The route crosses Nif Dağı, the Bozdağ range and the mountains around Aydın, with stage ends in Kemalpaşa, Bayındır, Ödemiş, Kiraz, Beydağ and Tire before it comes down to Selçuk. Its stages are rated medium-hard to hard, and its founders present the whole route as a challenge.
The official site lists 27 main stages of 14 to 24 km plus one alternative, about 500 km in total, waymarked in red and white on the main line and red and yellow on the variant, with tracks available in common hiking apps. The project, founded and directed by Özgür Özkaya, was named among the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories in 2023.
Nearby trails
No source gives the days on foot, so they are worked out from the length at 20–25 km a day.