Izmir Homeros Valley
Izmir Homeros Valley
Homeros Valley, located in Bornova district, 16 kilometers from the center of Izmir, is a green recreation area. It was put into service by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality in May 2008. The cave attracts the attention of local and foreign tourists and is visited. However, the valley has attracted the attention of not only travelers but also people from many different fields such as historians, literati, painters and writers and has been visited for centuries.
Homeros, who gave the valley its name, is an Ionian poet who is famous for the compilations of the Iliad and Odyssey epics. A temple was built in the valley in the name of Homeros, the son of the river god, and this valley is now known as the Homeros Valley. It is rumored that the cave where Homeros, who lived in Izmir and known to be from Izmir, lived, is in the Homeros Valley. It is said that Homeros drew inspiration from this when he created his works.
In the 7-kilometer-long Homeros Valley project, 18 ponds were built and approximately 75 thousand plants were planted around them. Homeros Valley, which has a large area of 500 thousand square meters, is home to 182 kinds of plants such as plane trees, acacia trees and 103 kinds of birds, as well as endemic plants of Izmir. A very peaceful natural environment has been created for those who want to get away from the crowd of the city and relax.
What are the activities that can be done in Homeros Valley?
There are ponds, walking tracks, jogging paths, bicycle paths, recreation areas and a small amphitheater in the Homeros Valley. You can take a peaceful nature walk accompanied by bird sounds and lush scenery on the hiking trails here. Bird enthusiasts can bring a binocular with them to observe during the walk. A pleasant picnic can be made in the forest in the recreation area. Visitors who wish can start their day with a nice breakfast at the restaurant serving in the valley.
In addition to enjoying the natural beauties and peace in Homeros Valley, there are also fun activities. Here, you can play on paintball tracks prepared by a business, drive ATV vehicles, and have fun.
The cave where Homeros is believed to have lived is located at the top of the valley. It can be reached here in about 10 minutes by taking a slightly steep slope from the paths.
How to Get to Homeros Valley?
You can reach Homeros Valley by private vehicle or public transportation. Visitors who will come by private vehicle can easily reach Homeros Valley by following the D300 road from Izmir city center. Passengers who will prefer public transportation should first come to the village minibus stop next to the old market place in Bornova. You can reach the valley by taking one of the Kayadibi minibuses from here. However, it is useful to pay attention to the minibus hours. There are not many minibus services for departure and the return time is usually 17:30. It is also possible to reach Homeros Valley by city buses departing from Bornova. You can reach Homeros Valley by taking the municipal bus numbered 566 connected to ESHOT from Bornova Metro or by taking the bus numbered 365-566 from EVKA-3 Metro. However, as with minibuses, the services of municipal buses are quite rare. Bus 566 does not operate on weekends, and bus 365 does not operate on Sundays. For this reason, it is necessary to carefully check the bus and minibus times before planning the trip.
