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Pristine eco-environment

Great vegetarian and vegan food

Quiet mountain location, secluded cove for swimming and snorkelling, situated on the Turquoise Coast in a rural area. Covered yoga space, plus platform for meditation and relaxation (pictured above), all rooms are en-suite.

If location is everything, then Yuva has it all

· 40 acres of private, peaceful woodland and coast
· Fabulous location for sea swimming, snorkelling, diving....
· Coastal and mountain walking along the Lycian Way
· Warm Turkish hospitality
· Excellent vegetarian/vegan food
· Large covered workshop platform with one of the best views in the world

Yuva yoga centre is eight miles from the closest village, we will definitely be 'chilling out' so remember to pack all the things that go with this such as books you have been meaning to read and musical instruments you never have time to play. If you want to escape back to civilisation at any point the local bus stops 15 minutes walk up the hill.

This seashore is known as the Turquoise Coast, referring to the beautiful blue waters. Its most outstanding feature is a huge beach that protects a sandy lagoon called Ölüdeniz. This lagoon contains a rare enzyme thought to have healing properties. Belcekiz is a small resort near Ölüdeniz, with beach cafes and restaurants and is about 25 minutes by local bus from Faralya.

Situated in an area known as Faralya, a rural community of 500 people dispersed along several kilometres of quiet mountainside and forest. Here the western escarpment of the Toros range plunges directly into the sea, olive, citrus, carob trees and pinewoods surround the area.

The local people are open and friendly. Many of them are farmers with small herds of goats, a few cows and a donkey or mule for transport. Much of the forest is protected as a nature reserve and there is a feeling of peace and safety.

This is where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean. The Greek Island of Rhodes is 40 miles off-shore, and on clear evenings becomes visible on the horizon.

“I had a most wonderful time in Yuva, I feel I received so much nourishment and nurture and many blessings from such a heart centred environment...”
Jalilah, counsellor, Surrey

Your Day

This is the perfect place to let go and to enjoy your holiday.

On yoga weeks each day starts with a yoga class.

We will then have a leisurely breakfast after which we will have plenty of time to rest, swim, snorkel, walk in the mountains or to a secluded beach.

If you are feeling more active take the local bus to Ölüdeniz, the nearest resort, about 25 minutes drive. From Ölüdeniz you can scuba dive, paraglide, take boat trips, archaeological excursions...
 

There will be a second yoga class before dinner.

The food at Yuva is delicious Turkish-style vegetarian/vegan, using many local organic ingredients.

At night, under the milky way, people  at the kösk (a traditional raised platform), share a song, dance or game, listen to traditional music and the gentle sound of waves on the rocks.

“Warm clear seas, stunning surroundings, incredible food....”
Teresa & Neville, student & chiropractor, Oxford

Optional extras (approximate prices payable in Turkey)

Local bus to shops and beach: £1 one way.
Beach entrance and sunbed at Ölüdeniz: £2 (there is a free beach too),
Car Hire: from about £30 per day.
Mountain bikes: can be hired at reasonable rates.
Boat trips from Ölüdeniz £8,
Private boat trip from Yuva approximately £15.
Excursions to archaeological and sacred sites: approx. £20.
Paragliding: £70 per session.
Scuba diving: £30 for 2 hours trip.
Other possibilities include: white-water rafting, parascending.
A taxi from Ölüdeniz to Faralya costs about £12 one way.

Click here for additional information including travel details

     2008 programme

Catherine Annis  was originally a professional dancer and has been practicing yoga for over 20 years. 

She holds a Masters degree in ballet studies and is a qualified yoga instructor and Thai massage practitioner.  Her daily yoga practice and teaching focuses on deepening physical awareness and alignment to reveal and release the natural freedom of the body, particularly the spine. 

Catherine has studied Sivananda, Astanga and various forms of Hatha yoga before gravitating to the teachings of Vanda Scaravelli, particularly as expressed by John Stirk.

Dynamic Hatha Yoga with Tracy Lee Jackson
Tracy has practiced and studied yoga for over a decade in London, India and California.

She continues to practice with truly inspirational and well known teachers, including Leela Miller, Jonathan Monks, David Swenson, Dharma Mittra, Sarah Powers, Danny Paradise, Michael Fukumura, Max Strom, Jason Nemer, Bhava Ram - all of whom have informed her teaching greatly.

Her classes in London range from chair yoga for the elderly and after school yoga club for kids to Sivananda and Astanga based dynamic Hatha styles for everyone in-between.

Tracy will be teaching Dynamic Hatha Yoga on this holiday. Visit her website at www.yogamiss.com

Please note Tracy's week needs 8 people to go ahead - at the moment we have 5 (as at 1st May)

Accommodation at Yuva Eco Holiday Centre: simple yet practical

At Yuva, among 40 acres of protected pine forest, the accommodation is simple and practical. We blend the benefits of modern conveniences with the character of nine village-style dwellings.

There are 4 rustic traditional Anatolian style houses, built of natural materials such as cedar wood, stone, mud and straw. Each building has two spacious twin or double bedded rooms, overlooking the bay.

In addition there are 4 single rustic log cabins.

Bedding is made of pure Turkish cotton. All rooms have an ensuite shower and toilet, with hot water supplied by Solar Energy. The double/twin rooms offer spectacular views of the Mediterranean.

Food - The dining area is a covered terrace, with views of the sea.

We serve breakfast after morning yoga and dinner after the evening session.  A vegan option is available on request.

Good, healthy food is at the centre of our philosophy. We serve delicious vegetarian and vegan meals, using many local organic ingredients.

Menus are drawn from Turkey’s rich culinary traditions and centuries-old village food preparation methods. To these we add the know-how of contemporary international wholefood cuisine.

Turkey is famous for its wide range of vegetarian fare. Meze is the collective name given to a wide range of small dishes, i.e. biber dolmasi green peppers stuffed with rice raisins and pine nuts, sigara boregi cheese filled pastry rolls, saksuka aubergine, tomatoes and hot peppers in olive oil.

A typical Turkish breakfast at Yuva consists of: home-baked breads, tahini, bulghur porridge, local mountain honey, yoghurt, fresh fruit, homemade jam, eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, olives, tea or herb tea.

Lunches are available to order and cost about £5.
 

“The venue is stunning, the natural surroundings are beautiful. The double rooms are light and spacious, with lovely log fires. The people and food were great and really made the holiday.”
Caroline, Chelmsford
 

Eco-Living - Environmentally-responsible tourism

Day-to-day
Yuva helps protect 400 acres of coastal pine forest. We use solar energy for hot water. Our traditional flat-bread is baked on an open wood fire, and other loaves and cakes in a wood-fired oven. We use organically grown spelt, maize, rye and barley flours. We grow some organic vegetables and fruit on site, and buy as much local organically grown produce as possible. We promote traditional farming and food processing methods with our special organic products such as: tahini, pekmez (pure mulberry syrup), spelt bulghur, poppy seed paste... We use these and many other organic products in the preparation of our food. We run a cottage industry harvesting and drying organic herbs. This approach also helps the local villagers to build awareness and maintain their ways instead of discarding them for modern ones.
 

The centre itself
Yuva is built of natural materials that blend with the environment such as timber, rock, clay, mud, straw, and lime (almost no cement has been used on site). Our water supply is local, from the spectacular mountains above us. We minimize waste and re-cycle and compost as much as possible. Sewage goes straight in to septic tank soak-aways, helping to build the fertility on parts of the site.
 

Yuva values: Sustainable living, traditional lifestyles, organic gardening, renewable energy, environmentally conscious tourism. Never take without giving back.
 

For more information please contact us at:   Free Spirit Travel   or call on:   01273-564230

Updated 24/07/2008