Hidden paradise Eğrigöl hosts nature enthusiasts

Eğrigöl, located on the Taşeli Plateau at the foothills of the Geyik Mountains on the border of Konya and Antalya, welcomes nomads, nature and photography enthusiasts, and campers with its untouched nature and endemic plants.

Even in the spring, some parts of the region have snow thickness of up to 2-3 meters. Those who want to go from the Hadim district of Konya must endure a difficult 3-4 hour hike to get the area. It is also possible to reach the region by vehicle from the Gündoğmuş district of Antalya.

Eğrigöl, located at an altitude of 2,100 meters on the slopes of the Geyik Mountains, the highest peaks of the Taurus Mountains, draws attention with its plant diversity, different colors of crocuses, and endemic plants. Flowers blooming in different colors among the meanders formed by the streams flowing into the lake, along with the veins of snow cover that stretch across the mountains, create a unique landscape.

Eğrigöl, located in the middle of the triangle formed by the Hadim, Gündoğmuş, and Alanya districts, offers unforgettable moments to nature and photography enthusiasts, as well as fishing enthusiasts who are interested in fishing with a fishing line. Visitors who camp around the lake spend the night here. The area also offers unforgettable moments for mountain biking and trekking enthusiasts.

Near the lake, which sometimes attracts foreign tourists as well, there are plateau houses where nomads take refuge from the hot weather.

While swimming in the sea is possible in coastal cities during the same period, the lake offers visitors the opportunity to ski, as well as hosting picnickers.

Eğrigöl is a region with abundant endemic flowers

Ömer Faruk Gülşen, one of the mountaineers who came to camp in Eğrigöl, said that he had climbed many peaks both in Turkey and abroad for many years. As a nature photographer, he has also climbed mountains in Eastern Anatolia, Black Sea and the Mediterranean regions. He stated that they come to Taşeli plateau to camp with his friends every year and continued as follows: 

"This is a very lush region that I love very much. Its ecosystem is quite different from other regions. There are cedar, juniper, larch, black pine and fir trees up to 1,700 meters. Higher up, there are many endemic flowers. Onion-like plants, yellow and different colored crocuses, tall anemones, tulips can be seen over a wide area. At the Sultan Ana peak a little higher, the Ipar Rose can be photographed. The streams that are fed by snow and springs and flow southward create meanders starting from Eğrigöl and some of them pour into the sea while the rest pour into the Alara River. This is a region that is not well known and therefore not protected. It must be protected."

Gülşen emphasized that Eğrigöl has the features to allow for all kinds of outdoor activities, saying "Eğrigöl is truly a beautiful area for nature tourism. It is one of the best places for mountain biking, nature photography, camping, climbing, skiing, and trekking."