Lycian Way

The Lycian Way (Likya Yolu) is Turkey's flagship long-distance trail — 540 km along the ancient Lycian coast from Ovacık near Fethiye east to Hisarçandır near Antalya, threading pine forests, clifftop pastures, Lycian rock tombs, and ancient ruins (Xanthos, Patara, Myra, Olympos) above the Mediterranean. Designed and waymarked by Kate Clow in 1999, it was the country's first signed long-distance path and remains one of The Sunday Times' "world's top 10 walks".

The trail alternates between coastal cliff sections (Kabak, Patara, Olympos beaches just below), inland mountain passes climbing to 1,800 m (the Tahtalı massif south of Antalya is the trail's highest point at 2,365 m on the optional summit detour), and historic descents through Lycian rock-cut tombs and Hellenistic theatres. Highlights include the spectacular Butterfly Valley descent from Faralya, the perfectly preserved Hellenistic theatre at Patara, the Lycian city of Xanthos, Saint Nicholas's Myra (the original Santa Claus's hometown), and the mysterious natural eternal flames of the Chimaera at Yanartaş. Most thru-hikers take 25–30 days at 18 km/day; many walk just the popular western Fethiye-to-Kaş section as a 7–10 day trip.

The walking season is spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) — Mediterranean summer (June–August) is too hot, with daytime temperatures above 35 °C and limited water on the inland sections. The trail is waymarked with red-and-white stripes (the standard European long-distance system), though some markers have faded; carry a GPS track. Accommodation is in pansiyons (family-run guesthouses, ~€30–50 with breakfast and dinner), small hotels in the resort towns, and wild camping above villages. Kate Clow's *The Lycian Way* (Upcountry Publishing) remains the canonical English-language guide. Earthquakes (most recently 2023 in southeastern Turkey, well east of the trail) and occasional forest fires (Antalya 2021) have minimally affected the route.