The Lycian Way is a 540 km long walking route from Fethiye to Antalya in the south of Turkey. It was named after the Lycian Civilization that lived in the region in ancient times. It takes an average of 29 days to walk this road. The route mainly consists of Roman roads, old trails, and mule roads. A large part of the Lycian Way is rocky and stony and not suitable for mountain biking. The route, which lies between the coast and the mountains, has steep elevations. It was researched, designed, and marked by the British/Turkish amateur historian Kate Clow in 1999. It is Turkey’s first long-distance hiking route; it was built to identify and protect some of the country's old roads.
You can choose one of the many routes to walk on the Lycian Way. Faralya (Uzunyurt) Village, Dodurga Village, Sdyma, Pinara - Letoon - Xanthos cities, and Patara, an old port area with its fine sand, are on the first part of the Lycian Way. In the second part, Antiphellos, Apollonia, Simena, Myra, Limyra, and Olympos await those who walk resolutely and tirelessly.
There are public transport facilities along the route, and you can do activities such as swimming, canoeing, or paragliding. The best time to walk is in spring (February-May) or autumn (September-November). Summer months are very hot for long walks in Lycia. If you are going to walk the Lycian Way, you should be prepared for 3 high levels. There are naturally many accommodation alternatives on the route that spreads over a wide area. You can find accommodation in village houses, pensions, or small hotels every evening. Independent hikers can find many places to camp by the water.
You can take a break in many important tourism centers such as Fethiye, Kas, Finike, Kalkan, Adrasan, and Kekova along the Lycian Way, where you will encounter countless ruins from ancient times. It is a long adventure to walk the entire path. However, seeing just a part of it will be enough to leave you with experiences that you will never forget for your whole life. If you want to take a break for a while during the journey and throw yourself into the warm waters of the Mediterranean in the meantime, you can meet the deep blue waters at Patara, Olympos, and Adrasan Bay. If you are interested in ancient ruins, there are more than 20 ancient cities such as Phaselis, Simena, Myra, and Xanthos on the route. Also, Gelidonya Lighthouse, which was chosen as the best view of 2007, is one of the most wonderful places you can see along the way.
This unique route promises countless great places to see, activities to do, and many experiences to live. During the journey, you can climb Tahtalı Mountain, whose height reaches 2365 meters and enjoy looking at the world almost through the clouds. Also, you can see the historic Delikkemer, which was built to deliver water to Patara.