Hike Turkey’s Lycian Way

Begin your adventure in the harbour town of Fethiye, built on the site of ancient Telmessos and set between a sheltered bay and forested mountains. Offshore islands dot the Gulf of Fethiye, while the waterfront curves around a marina filled with sailing boats. Our welcome briefing takes place tomorrow morning. We recommend arriving a day or two early, giving you time to enjoy the waterfront, visit the Lycian tombs or settle into the slower pace of the coast before the adventure begins. Alternatively, extend your time in Turkey by pairing this adventure with our Discover Istanbul trip on selected departures – check Dates & Prices to find the combinations that work together. Want more time in Fethiye? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

We have our welcome briefing this morning, when we meet our tour leader and gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. It’s our first day of hiking today, but first we visit the ghost town of Kayaköy, where roofless stone houses and churches cover the hillside. The predominantly Greek Orthodox settlement was abandoned following the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923, and our tour leader helps us understand the human history behind the ruins rather than simply passing through them. We then drive (30 minutes) to Ovacık and the official start of the Lycian Way. The trail climbs the western slopes of Babadağ through pine woodland, opening onto views across the blue waters of Ölüdeniz lagoon and the Mediterranean. Continuing through small upland settlements, we cross the mountainside before descending to Faralya, on the plateau above Butterfly Valley. This evening, your tour leader ensures a big Turkish welcome by arranging a group dinner.

Leaving Faralya on foot, we climb through pine woodland with the Mediterranean appearing between the trees. The trail leads towards Kabak, a small coastal settlement reached through a steep-sided valley, before turning inland and ascending towards Alınca. This is one of the more challenging stages, but our tour leader knows where to pause and where the terrain requires extra care. Near Alınca, we stop for tea at a viewpoint above the coast before continuing through the hills towards Gey. Tonight, we stay in a traditional village house, where our host family will welcome us and serve a home-cooked dinner of traditional Turkish cuisine, including fresh vegetables, meat, salads, and other local dishes. It’s a warm and relaxing way to settle in after the longest walk of the trip.

Today’s trail replaces the higher mountain terrain with cultivated fields, olive groves and small agricultural settlements. We follow a rural section of the Lycian Way through Dodurga and towards Gavurağılı, with sections overlooking the Mediterranean and the coastal plain around Patara. Along the way, our tour leader can provide context on farming and village life in this less-developed stretch of the route, while also guiding us through a mixture of tracks, paths and uneven ground. After completing the walk, we transfer (1hr 20min) to Kaş for the night.

Transfer (45 minutes) to Delikkemer, where our hike begins beside one of the Lycian coast’s most impressive pieces of Roman engineering, the Delikkemer Aqueduct. The water system carried fresh water towards Patara and included a rare, pressurised siphon constructed from precisely carved stone blocks. Following the aqueduct, we hike towards ancient Patara. Once an important harbour and a leading city of the Lycian League, Patara contains the restored assembly building where representatives met to conduct civic business. Our tour leader brings the scattered remains into focus as we visit the site, helping us picture the city when ships entered its now-silted harbour. We then return to Kaş.

A transfer (45 minutes) takes us to the start of our hike. We descend towards Aperlai, an ancient Lycian port occupying both sides of a narrow peninsula. Sarcophagi, building foundations and harbour remains provide clues to the settlement’s maritime past and its reported involvement in producing purple dye from marine snails. Reaching the shore, we board a boat for lunch and a cruise among the sunken city ruins of Kekova. From the deck, we can see walls, steps and foundations partly submerged beside Kekova Island. Protected status means boats pass slowly through the archaeological zone and swimming is not permitted directly above the ruins. We also pass Simena, now known as Kaleköy, before continuing by road (two hours) to Çıralı.

Set out on foot from our accommodation towards the eternal flames of Chimaera. Here, natural gas escaping through the rock fuels clusters of small flames, a geological phenomenon associated in antiquity with the fire-breathing creature of Greek mythology. The remains of a sanctuary dedicated to Hephaistos, god of fire and metalworking, stand nearby. Our route continues uphill towards Ulupınar, reaching approximately 1,739ft (530m) before descending. With our tour leader setting a comfortable pace, we negotiate the rocky paths and pause to examine the flames and archaeological remains. We finish with time for lunch at a local restaurant, then transfer (approximately 1hr 30min) to the old quarter of Antalya, Kaleiçi. Its lanes preserve architecture from several periods, while the Roman-era Hadrian’s Gate and old harbour reveal the city’s long Mediterranean history.