Length 12.3 mi Elevation gain 2,440 ft Route type Point to Point. See more ideas about Fethiye, Antalya, Red and white. Most of the accounts of existing walkes seem to take the route from west to east. The Lycian League debated public issues in Patara’s bouleuterion, or council chamber, the heart of this politically advanced society; recently renovated, the structure was an atmospheric spot to watch the sun go down and reflect on these enigmatic people first mentioned in Homer’s Iliad. Description. The pension’s owner guided me to an excellent viewpoint on the dunes overlooking the ruins, where we had a bird’s-eye view of the ancient harbour, now a reedy wetland. I caught a dolmuş around the thrilling corners of the coast road from Ӧlüdeniz, stopping in Faralya for a lunch of cheese and spinach gözleme pancakes, the classic Lycian Way hiker’s fuel. The Lycian Way in Turkey is the perfect answer for all three types of getaways.The Lycian Way (or "Likya Yolu" in Turkish), is a 509-km/300-mile walk along the coast of Turkey from Fethiye to Antalya. Just as we were putting the camera back in the pack, the call to prayer from the mosque … [...], What was I saying yesterday about not being sore? Retreat gang in Turkey, 3rd– 9th October 2020 for a healthy hiking holiday like no other. The legendary Butterfly Valley, its sheer cliffs plunging to a golden beach backed by a simple campsite, is named after its population of colourful Jersey tiger-moths. The route turns left off the forest track and climbs steadily to the lighthouse. Or possibly a few day trips of walking while enjoying a nice sunny vacation? The smashed amphorae, building foundations and staircases disappearing into the blue depths exemplified the Lycian Way’s extraordinary combination of wild Mediterranean landscapes and spellbinding ancient history. It was an easy start, just 5km on forest tracks to somewhere I had long wanted to visit – partly thanks to another book. Along the way, it skirts the coast and climbs up into the rugged backcountry. You’ll find yourself awash in pure history virtually every step of the way (what other trail has you actually walking on an ancient Roman aqueduct for a significant stretch?). Secure your place. After spending a few days in Istanbul and Antalya enjoying the food and sights of Turkey, we took a dolmuş (pronounced: dole-mush) minibus from Antalya to Fethiye, the start of our hike. (Though if you have the spare day, there are now trails linking Fethiye to Ovacik as well – about a 15km walk.) A yellow Lycian Way marker sign and further sign for the Gelidonia Lighthouse was my start point. Located along Turkey’s beautiful Turquoise Coast, the 400 km / 250 mi Lycian Way (aka “Likya Yolu”) is still a relatively unknown trail despite it being heralded as one of the top 10 long distance trails in the world. We laughed … [...], As we walked up the hill to the start of the trail, we stopped to take a picture of the beautiful lagoon below. Its pull on the imagination is undeniable, and it wasn’t long ago that its mix of stunning coastline, resort towns and rustic villages pulled me in. I felt like Laurie Lee, the British writer, excitedly setting off for Spain in As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, except it was a sunny spring morning, well before summer temperatures make the going too hot. I was attracted by the opportunity to mix uncrowded ruins and scenery with seaside holiday towns such as Kalkan and Kaş. The people are incredibly friendly. Along the way you'll encounter the charming and generous Turkish people, eat delicious food, and float in the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. You'll go through rocky coastline, deserted beaches, pine forests, mountain peaks, and ancient ruins. If you are an avid hiker, or simply love the outdoors, the Lycian Way is just the thing for you! The route was researched, designed and waymarked by British amateur historian Kate Clow in the late 1990s, who aimed to identify and protect Turkey’s ancient byways. The village used to have 13 chapels, 2 churches, 2 school buildings and a customs building alongside houses when they were built during the second half of 19th century and first quarter of 20th century. Later that day, a local fisherman ferried me out into the bay to see the ruined Lycian city of Simena, submerged by earthquakes two millennia ago and known as the Batık Şehir (Sunken City). It is Turkey’s first long-distance walking route along the coast of Lycia, which runs from Fethiye to Antalya. The Lycian Way is not a stroll: the trail can be trying due to the karst underground. At the end of the road in the quirky resort town of Kabak, I followed the rocky track down to the beach – the only ways in and out are either by foot or a high-clearance local vehicle – where the village’s traditional industries of farming and beekeeping have been supplemented by a karmic cluster of back-to-nature retreats. The Sunday Times has listed it as one of She went on to promote other Turkish hikes including the St Paul Trail, the Carian Trail and more. Since then, this 540 kilometre (335 mile) long trail has led countless walkers along the ancient ruins, tombs, pathways and port towns of this unique part of Turkey. Best We did not hike the Lycian Way from Fethiye to Hisarçandir as we were travelling with our 2 sons, Simon and Lawrence, who could only be with us for 7 days of the hike. I had set off at 8.15am & reached the lighthouse at 9.30 am after a steady climb. Whether you go for the entire hike or just a day or two, you'll quickly fall in love with this area of the world and your ability to walk right through history. cultureroutesinturkey.com/the-lycian-way We took this challenging and beautiful walk and it was one of the highlights of our world travels, not to mention a muscle and relationship builder as we spent weeks exploring the rocky coastline and piney forests of Turkey together. The following days yielded many sweet memories. Just a day on the Lycian Way, let alone a month, can offer a bevy of sights: secluded beaches, traditional boat-building yards, small fishing villages and Unesco-listed ruins. From Melanippe Beach the remaining hike is 17kms. The Talbots were challenged to tackle the Lycian Way by former Amateur Traveler guest Sherry Ott. Staying in a wooden cabin in Olympos, famous for its ‘tree house’ camps, and walking by night to the Chimaera – a cluster of naturally occurring mountainside flames, attributed by the Lycians to the breath of a terrible monster. Aug 20, 2016 - The Lycian Way in Turkey is the perfect answer for all three types of getaways.The Lycian Way (or "Likya Yolu" in Turkish), is a 509-km/300-mile walk along the coast of Turkey from Fethiye to Antalya. The official start of the the Lycian Way is in Ovacik, but most people begin 15km away in Fethiye. It was magical to overnight here and see Levissi’s spot-lit churches standing sentinel over Kayaköy. Day one hiking the Lycian Way It’s a 17 km hike from Gul Mountain Hotel, about an hour’s drive from Antalya to a small B&B – Suleyman’s Pension in Yayla Kuzdere. It is a combination of several ancient routes of the Lycian people and is marked by a red and white striped logo. My friend Jo is all smiles and enthusiasm as we leave Gul Mountain Hotel We talk about their whole journey as well as segments people with much less time could hike. On my first day of leg stretching, I struck out from Fethiye, leaving its energetic Barlar Sokak (‘Bar St’), marinas and Lycian sarcophagi far below as I climbed the hill. How about a walk through the ruins of history? While the official start of Lycian Way is in Ovacık, the northern suburb of Ölüdeniz, you can hike it all the way from Fethiye (about 15 km away from Ovacık, and the hub of the region) without having the need to referring to road sides with the help of adjoining trails. However, the trail can easily be walked either east (Antalya) to west (Fethiye) or west to east without problem. This is the starting point of our multi-day Lycian Way hike in Turkey. While staying at a pension in neighbouring Gelemiş village, I enjoyed some of the hospitality for which Turkey is justly famous. The Lycian Way offered the chance to have my baklava and eat it. We set off from the start of the route at Ovacik and hiked to Kabak via Kirme and Faralya which took us five and a half hours. Over the hill was the ghost town of Levissi, the ruins of an old Greek settlement abandoned in the 1920s that shares a green valley with modern Kayaköy. There is possibility of visiting an ancient city, swim, and explore flora and fauna, learn culture in 1 day during a hike. December 12, 2018 Ashley Hayes Comments 0 Comment. My next segment brought me from Ovacık, across the front of Baba Dağ (Father Mountain; 1960m) to Faralya, the village above Butterfly Valley. Kayaköy’s lanes snake between vineyards and orchards to tumbledown houses, village cafes and pensions. But my fondest memory was the 4km walk between the tiny fishing villages of Üçağız and Kaleköy, the latter reached only by foot or boat, and named after the Byzantine kale (castle) overlooking its handful of houses. The Lycian Way kicks off at the coastal city of Kaş © Jean-Philippe Tournut / Getty Images, Rolling out Gözleme © Veysel Kaya / Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Cheese and spinach Gözleme © fmajor / Getty Images, Butterfly Valley © Kenan Olgun / Getty Images, Flames from the ground at Mount Chimaera, Turkey © ninelutsk / Getty Images, Rock-cut tombs at the ancient city of Myra © mtnmichelle / Getty Images, The ruins of Patera © efesenko / Getty Images, Ruins at Xantos © Gülcan Aca / Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Clow spent years exploring this sublimely beautiful part of Turkey and bringing local hill farmers round to her envisioned trail and the benefits of tourism (pick up her detailed Lycian Way guidebook and hiking maps if you plan on making the trip). There’s the enormouse 820km Carian Trail, which meanders from the Milas area to the Datça and Bozburun Peninsulas (guiding you toward ancient sites like Lake Baga’s Neolithic cave paintings in the process). The first two are about 500km long. The Lycian Way is one of the world’s greatest long-distance walking trails, winding through 540km of dramatic Mediterranean scenery between the cities of Antalya and Fethiye. I set of in November 2018. So we decided to walk the section from Karaöz to Gedelme with them. The scenery is jaw-dropping. If you’re planning to hike the entire Lycian Way trek, your best best for accommodation is to book your first night in Fethiye and then catch a dolmus minubus to the trailhead at Ovacik the next morning. Not having a month to walk the full 540km, I decided to get a survey of the trail by walking day-long sections, and covering other sections using dolmuş minibuses. So we decided to walk the section from Karaöz to Gedelme with them. Today we woke up with sore backs and legs. Mediterranean Turkey is well set up for tourism, and I met numerous hikers who had their bags driven to their next stop by an accommodating guesthouse owner. And my choice to experience the trail in small chunks had the added benefit of cutting down on what I’d need to carry with me. … When they left us we started the Lycian Way at Fethiye and worked our way to Karaöz. If you are not trained, you'd better contact an Tour Operator who will help you to find the best and easiest parts. All editorial views are those of Lonely Planet alone and reflect our policy of editorial independence and impartiality. The Lycian Way (Turkish: Likya Yolu) is a marked long-distance trail in southwestern Turkey around part of the coast of ancient Lycia. The Lycian Way is hardly the country’s only popular footpath – the country boasts over a dozen official paths across the land. Over a delicious home-cooked feast later that night, I chatted to a German couple walking sections of the trail; it was May so it was a great time to see the Mediterranean tourist hotspots with smaller crowds than peak season, but the Lycian Way was bustling with hiking boots and boisterous camaraderie. And the good news is: it is waymarked and can be split up into 29 days of walking in nature and history. This route runs along the coast of southwestern Turkey, from the beach resort of Oludeniz to the village of Geyiknayiri, near the city of Antalya. There’s Letoon, a religious sanctuary dedicated to Zeus’ lover Leto, the national deity of Lycia; and the grand Roman theatre and pillar tombs at Xanthos, the Lycian capital until Brutus attacked in 42 BC and the inhabitants committed mass suicide. Lycian Way day hike. Lycian Way is 540km long marked GR trekking route of Turkey. Sinking a sundowner in the terrace restaurant, with its dangling lanterns, sea views and cool international crowd relaxing to chilled tunes, this section of the long-distance hike didn’t feel like a hardship. The Lycian Way is a 509 km (300 miles), 25-day way-marked footpath around the coast of Lycia in southern Turkey, from Fethiye to Antalya. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and backpacking. I followed the coastal path, overlooking a cerulean bay broken by the undulating outlines of islands and peninsulas, to a boat-building yard, where wooden gület yachts were under repair for the coming summer. The trail itself can take the average thru-hiker five to seven months to complete. The Lycian Way covers 540km along Turkey’s old roads. Lycian Way is 540km long marked GR trekking route of Turkey. There is possibility of visiting an ancient city, swim, and explore flora and fauna, learn culture in 1 day during a hike. 9 days of solo hiking in Turkey... As soon as I heard about the Lycian Way hike in Turkey I was super keen and ready for a proper adventure. Using a boat to hike this portion of the Lycian Way (from Kas to Demre) is a perfect way to experience the Lycian Way AND the Mediterranean. It is approximately 540 km long and stretches from Ölüdeniz, near Fethiye, to Geyikbayırı. But the Lycian Way remains Turkey’s original and most popular long-distance trail. The Appalachian Trail is a 2,200-mile hike that begins (or ends) at Mount Katahdin in Maine and rolls through 14 states to its endpoint on Springer Mountain in Georgia. The 540km waymarked footpath – typically a 29-day trek – follows the bulging outline of the Teke Peninsula between the tourist towns of Fethiye and Antalya. Lycian Way is 540km long marked GR trekking route of Turkey. In summer it is too hot to hike on the lycian way trails (already in May we suffered a lot from the heat) and in winter there can be snow on several sections of the trek (there are passages at more than 1500m altitude – not the section we did, but further away). Kate Clow with … One day you are high up in the mountains and the next on one of th… If you're young and strong, you can go camping and finish the way in about three weeks. Is there a better way to spend a Sunday than hiking on The Lycian Way with good company in warm, Spring weather? In ancient times, a mining area located in the South-West of Asia Minor, in the region of the Teke Peninsula, was called Lycia. It is a combination of several ancient routes of the Lycian people and is marked by a red and white striped logo. Their crumbling burial monuments add further lyricism to the scenery, and I couldn’t wait to experience the whole thing. Backpacking Camping Hiking Nature trips Views. On The Lycian Way November 2019 Days 1 to 3 Here is my experience of Hiking on The Lycian Way between Karaoz and Cirali. The next place I lingered was Patara, where a meadow strewn with Lycian ruins, from a 5000-seat theatre to a colonnaded street, leads to Turkey’s longest interrupted beach (18km). Hike the Lycian Way – cancelled due to COVID Join the Sust! The Lycian Way runs for a little over 500 km (not counting getting lost) from Fethiye in the west to Antalya in the east. Hiking into the hills from chichi Kalkan, with its atmospheric terrace restaurants, to the mountain village of Bezirgan, a world away from the coastal hubbub with its stone cottages and grain stores among the fields. Here lies the stomping ground of the mysterious Lycian League, credited with establishing the world’s first parliament at Patara, before they were absorbed by the Roman Empire. Go through rocky coastline, deserted beaches, pine forests, mountain peaks, and backpacking young and strong you! 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