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NATURE
Apart from the
beauty of the natural landscapes formed by the islands, the sea, the
hills, the rocky mountains, the pine tree woods and steep slopes, the
peninsula also has a very rich fauna and flora to offer.
Next to some
very rare species, the
Karaburun
Peninsula
has a varied wildlife stock: wild boar, marten, badger, otter, hare,
birds of prey (eagle, buzzard, falcon etc.), water-turtles, river-crabs,
chameleon, snakes and lizards as well as many butterflies and other
insects like beetles, grasshoppers, praying mantis etc.
The sea which
surrounds the peninsula also has a lot to offer. Nearly all species one
can find elsewhere along the Turkish shores, are represented in the
waters around the
Karaburun
Peninsula.
The Mediterranean
Monk seal (Monachus monachus),
of which only 500 are surviving in the world (100 of them in
Turkey
), is undoubtedly the most important rare species living along the
shores of Karaburun. Along the coast of the
Karaburun
Peninsula
, there are many breeding caves, which the Monk seals use to give birth.
Important efforts are being made to preserve and protect these animals
and to save them from total extinction. The same goes for the rare Audouin’s gull, Peregrine Falcon and Merlin.
The undergrowth
of the
Karaburun
Peninsula
consists mostly of dense Mediterranean shrub with the exception of some
locally growing bigger trees and bushes. In the higher parts of the
peninsula pine forests dominate. One also finds many healing plants
which are still used by the villagers, plants such as spurge, pennyroyal,
common poppy, perforate St-John’s-wort, thyme, caper, silifa,
Aaron’s rod, sea squill, sage, wild lavender etc.
But the peninsula also offers special products peculiar to this area such
as the “Hurma”- olive (an
olive which, through a microclimate effect, ripens directly on the tree
and needs no further treatment before consumption), the narcissus
flower and the artichoke.
The different types of thyme and sage, wild lavender and hundreds of
wild flowers turn the
Karaburun
Peninsula
into a huge natural garden.
Meteorological
data
The
climate on the
Karaburun
Peninsula
is favorable for tourism activities throughout the whole year. Winters
are generally mild (average temperature:
12°C
) and with little rain (average: 23 days/year). In the summer months the
average temperature is
28°C
. But one of the most interesting and extraordinary characteristics of
the
Karaburun
Peninsula
is that the air contains 23 % oxygen and an average humidity level of
only 40 %. This high oxygen
level is favorable to many typical medical problems. Although no
scientific research has been done so far, it is generally known that
people with health problems such as rheumatism, diabetes, stress,
psychological and lung problems, feel better after only 3 days in
Karaburun.
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