The Plateau of Sillyon

We wanted to go on a hike close to Antalya and decided on the site of the ancient city of Sillyon. It sits on top of a plateau just 20 minutes from Antalya. The only people we typically see at the site are the local villagers or shepherds that live in the area. Since the site sits on top of a plateau, it’s a unique feature of the area’s landscape and has some great views of the greenhouses and villages around the plateau. 

As you get closer to the site, you’ll see the Sillyon Market Cafe. If you need to get water or go to the restroom, this is your chance. Unfortunately, the market is not always open, so if they are closed there are no restrooms or other markets in the area. You can park in front of the market or right across the street is a small gravel lot where you can park. 

Ancient Ruins of Sillyon

To get to the trail you’ll pass a local house and then see the signs and trail to start making your way up to the top of the plateau. There are some ancient ruins and walls at the bottom of the trail. There is a slight incline as you start out and it will get rockier and steeper as you make your way up. Our kids did great walking up the trail and would say at times it was difficult because it was steep or you had to climb some rockier areas of the trail.  We took frequent water breaks on our way up and enjoyed the views. 

Local Greenhouses and Antalya Mountains

Once we reached the plateau top, there are so many amazing views of the flat landscape and greenhouses with the Tarsus mountains as the backdrop. All the greenery on top of the plateau is quite overgrown and we had to find good paths to make our way around, especially for the kids. One of the kids had on pants and did well walking through everything. However, our youngest had on shorts and came out with quite a few scratches and knicks. 

There is a section of the plateau that has collapsed on one side due to an earthquake in 1969, where you’ll see part of the amphitheater still on the side of the plateau with the rest of the theater collapsed on the ground. There are some areas with deep crevices that did not collapse, and we stayed clear of those areas as we weren’t sure how safe it was to be walking on them. 

Picnic at Sillyon

We found a high point on the plateau and sat enjoying snacks, water, and the views. It is so quiet and peaceful from the top. It’s a great place to enjoy a picnic if you wanted to hike up the trail with your food. 

There’s not any shade up at the top, so be sure to wear a hat and bring plenty of water for everyone. Even for a hike on a nice spring day, we got hot as the sun is still quite intense. 

Sillyon with Kids

On our way down, our 6-year-old was tired and her legs were scratched up, so Enes ended up throwing her over his shoulder as we made our way down. He made it look so easy! I’ve always called him a goat because he has unbelievable balance and grace as he climbs and hops from rock to rock and bounds down the trail. 

We stopped and talked to an 80-year-old shepherd on our way down that lives near the plateau. He was on his way up to go find his sheep and bring them back down. We were so impressed with the ease in which he took off up the trail. We hope we are doing that well at his age! He said that typically there are more people there during the weekends and it is very quiet during the week. 

Sillyon Spring Water

At the bottom of the trail on the other side of the main city walls, we found a fountain with cool spring water running out of it. We stopped and splashed our faces and neck with the water to cool down and then took a break in the shade.