It is believed that the only man who dined with the gods, Tantalos, was exiled from Olimpos for believing in Anatolian mother goddess Cybele. And dumed forever to hunger and thirsth next to Hades. The slit that Tantalos was thown is believed to be today’s Karagöl.
Karagöl is a tectonic lake located on Yamanlar Mountain, Izmir. The lake is a piece of heaven with the willow trees touching the water, a beautiful forest and the ducks swimming in the lake.
The road to Karagöl is filled with roadbends. An deven though during our trip there we had to deal with one flat tire and one empty fuel tank (with no gas station anywhere near), the final destination was worth it.
If you go there on weekend, the daytime it is filled with people barbecuing. But if you stay after the sunset, it is the most piece and quite anyone can hope for.
Though it is a designated camping area, there is no electricity provided for the tents and no cell reception, the best kind of camping for me. And though the camping area is in fact in the forest, you can cheat and put your tent next to the lake.
There is an open space in the forest where you can practice shooting, well at least we did :)
Beginners luck :)
If you ever come to Izmir make sure add Karagöl to your visit list.