The Lycian Way is a World known 540 km marked trail between Hisarönü (Fethiye) and Konyaaltı (Antalya). Take a walk in the footsteps of the ancient Anatolian civilizations.
What is The Lycian way?
The Lycian Way was conceived by a British expatriate Kate Clough in 1999.
Many centuries ago the roads of this trial were used by Lycians. According to historians, Lycian people lived in this region in the prehistoric Late Bronze Age. They’ve built plenty of amazing cities along the Mediterranean Sea coast such as Xanthos, Patara, Myra, Pinara, Tlos, Olympos and Phaselis, etc. Keep in mind that the entrance to some ancient cities has the status of an open-air museum with paid entry.
Note: The entrance to any museum in Turkey has a different price for Turkish citizens/residents and for foreigners. This year (2020) the Museum Card (yearly museum pass) cost 60 TL and 650 TL accordingly. If you plan for long holidays in Turkey or living here permanently/long term it will be more beneficial to get the yearly pass, you will save a lot.
This October we had a walk in a short segment of the Lycian Way: Adrasan to Kemer. 60 km in total. And I would like to share with you our experience.
Walking The Lycian Way
First of all, watch the marks carefully. We’ve got lost a couple of times.
Red and white stripes mean that you are on the track.
The red cross means that there are dead-end, don’t enter.
Watch the yellow arrows, it is showing the direction and how many kilometers left to the next destination.
IMPORTANT APP: Maps. me. It shows the roads, forest trails, picnic stops, water sources, hotels, hostels, campings, viewpoints, etc.
When to walk is the best: April-June and September-October. Summertime is too hot, wintertime could be rainy and very slippery.
Surface: dirt roads, rocks and stones, asphalt, sandy, and pebble beaches.
The road is going up to the mountain tops then goes down to the beaches. At some places, you have to climb.
Equipment: Depends on your planning. Be sure to have good non-slippery trekking shoes, drinking water, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, enough T-shirts and socks. Get some snacks, most of the road it is impossible to buy anything. Besides, the humidity is high so don’t expect that your clothes will get dry overnight.
Accommodation: if you have your tent you will find plenty of camping places. If you prefer to sleep in a real bed, you can find plenty of hotels and pensions all along the way.
Do I need a guide to walk The Lycian Way?
Actually, not really. The trail is pretty live and well marked. What you definitely need is an app that I’ve mentioned before. However, I would not recommend you to walk alone. The road is tricky, some places are difficult to reach even with a helicopter, you need someone walking with you in case of an accident.
The general impression from the road: it is not easy but totally worth it.
The views are incredible and there is no other way to observe them. Even if you will reach the bay by boat, you still have to climb up to see the stunning vista.
Turkish people are very friendly and helpful. The road is mostly very clean. Physically it is a difficult journey but mentally it is pure pleasure.
