Best It is the country’s oldest long-distance trail, created in 1999 by the British expat Kate Clow. I set of in November 2018. The Lycians were a democratic but independent, warlike people, with a developed art style and a high standard of living. The official start of the the Lycian Way is in Ovacik, but most people begin 15km away in Fethiye. Is there a better way to spend a Sunday than hiking on The Lycian Way with good company in warm, Spring weather? 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. The Lycian Way is one of the world’s great long-distance hiking trails, regularly featuring in top-10 lists for its unique combination of Mediterranean views, mountainous hinterland, Turkish culture and ancient ruins. The trail connects villages to ancient Lycian cities via nice views of mountains amd sea. 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. 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. 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. I was attracted by the opportunity to mix uncrowded ruins and scenery with seaside holiday towns such as Kalkan and Kaş. Patara was Lycia’s major port, as well as the 3rd-century birthplace of St Nicholas, the Byzantine bishop also known as Santa Claus. 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. While staying at a pension in neighbouring Gelemiş village, I enjoyed some of the hospitality for which Turkey is justly famous. 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. Along the way, it skirts the coast and climbs up into the rugged backcountry. … You'll go through rocky coastline, deserted beaches, pine forests, mountain peaks, and ancient ruins. British ex-patriot Kate Clow was the creator. 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. Lycian Way Trekking (LWT) specialises in guided walks in this spectacularly beautiful part of the world, specifically tracks and trails around Fethiye and Oludeniz region. My next segment brought me from Ovacık, across the front of Baba Dağ (Father Mountain; 1960m) to Faralya, the village above Butterfly Valley. If you're young and strong, you can go camping and finish the way in about three weeks. 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). I spent the night at a stylish lodge there in the valley, where rustic cabins dot the slope and Vinyasa flow yoga took place on a forest platform. 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. 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. Length 12.3 mi Elevation gain 2,440 ft Route type Point to Point. 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). 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 Lycian Way covers 540km along Turkey’s old roads. 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. There is possibility of visiting an ancient city, swim, and explore flora and fauna, learn culture in 1 day during a hike. The Lycian Way has become established enough now that there are almost always accommodation regularly available throughout the trek (with the notable exception of the long multi-day stretch through the mountains between Myra and Finike, for which ‘wild’ camping is still the only option – though those sections can easily be skipped). 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. Lycian Way Eastern Section Hike Lycian Way Eastern Section Hike. 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. It was magical to overnight here and see Levissi’s spot-lit churches standing sentinel over Kayaköy. The trail connects villages to ancient Lycian cities via nice views of mountains amd sea. The trail itself can take the average thru-hiker five to seven months to complete. Backpacking Camping Hiking Nature trips Views. She went on to promote other Turkish hikes including the St Paul Trail, the Carian Trail and more. It is Turkey’s first long-distance walking route along the coast of Lycia, which runs from Fethiye to Antalya. 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. Their crumbling burial monuments add further lyricism to the scenery, and I couldn’t wait to experience the whole thing. Kayaköy’s lanes snake between vineyards and orchards to tumbledown houses, village cafes and pensions. Retreat gang in Turkey, 3rd– 9th October 2020 for a healthy hiking holiday like no other. Hike the Lycian Way – cancelled due to COVID Join the Sust! 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. Lycian Way day hike. The Lycian Way ,trekking, culture, and sea | The Lycian Way is a long-distance footpath in Turkey around part of the coast of ancient Lycia. The Lycian Way is one of the world’s great long-distance hiking trails, regularly featuring in top-10 lists for its unique combination of Mediterranean views, mountainous … I had set off at 8.15am & reached the lighthouse at 9.30 am after a steady climb. The Lycian Way runs for a little over 500 km (not counting getting lost) from Fethiye in the west to Antalya in the east. If you are an avid hiker, or simply love the outdoors, the Lycian Way is just the thing for you! One day you are high up in the mountains and the next on one of th… In ancient times, a mining area located in the South-West of Asia Minor, in the region of the Teke Peninsula, was called Lycia. 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. How about a walk through the ruins of history? 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. The first two are about 500km long. December 12, 2018 Ashley Hayes Comments 0 Comment. We literally stepped out of the hotel and we are on the Lycian Way. 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. View Full Map. The trail connects villages to ancient Lycian cities via nice views of mountains amd sea. The Lycian Way offered the chance to have my baklava and eat it. A yellow Lycian Way marker sign and further sign for the Gelidonia Lighthouse was my start point. But after a few minutes of moving around, we were ready to go again. 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