{"id":55463,"date":"2025-12-04T12:32:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T09:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.journeys6senses.com\/likiyskaya-tropa-peshiy-marshrut-po-turcii\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T12:34:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T09:34:05","slug":"likiyskaya-tropa-peshiy-marshrut-po-turcii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.journeys6senses.com\/en\/likiyskaya-tropa-peshiy-marshrut-po-turcii\/","title":{"rendered":"Lycian Way – a hiking route through Turkey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Lycian Way is a popular hiking trail along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey. I dreamed about it for a long time, and finally, the day came when I packed my backpack and went to discover the Lycian in the fall of 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why go hiking on the Lycian Way?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It’s not very difficult, there’s a lot of sun, the sea, beautiful scenery, and many ancient sites along the way. Turkey is a wonderful country for travel, with friendly people, delicious cuisine, and affordable prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When to hike the Lycian Way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The best time to hike the Lycian Way is autumn and spring.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring<\/strong> \u2013 from late March to late May.
Pros<\/strong>: already warm, no rainfall, everything is blooming.
Cons<\/strong>: the sea is still cold for swimming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Autumn<\/strong> \u2013 end of September to mid-November.
Pros<\/strong>: lots of fruit \u2013 pomegranates are ripening, you can pick them from trees and eat as you go. Even better, buy pomegranate juice from the locals.
The sea is warm<\/strong> \u2013 +25 \u2103, swimming is a pleasure. The temperature is up to +25\u201330 \u2103. A great time for hiking along the Turkish coast.
Cons<\/strong>: some springs dry out over the summer, so there may be problems with water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In summer<\/strong> on the Lycian Way it is very<\/strong> hot<\/strong> \u2013 the temperature rises above 40 degrees.
In winter<\/strong> \u2013 frequent rains, there may be snow in the mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lycian Way Routes<\/h2>\n\n\n
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The Lycian Way stretches from Antalya to Fethiye<\/strong> \u2013 its length is 540 km. The trail passes by sea beaches and bays, through mountains and canyons, over flat valleys with greenhouses where Turkish tomatoes are grown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the length of the route, it is quite problematic to complete it in one go. It takes 25\u201330 days. Some people lack strength, some time and money for such a long route. Therefore, most often the Lycian Way is divided into two parts, and you can start either from the east or from the west of the trail.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Start from the east<\/strong> \u2013 from Goynuk National Park<\/strong> (located near Kemer), which includes the canyon of the same name. Here, the mountains are quite high and the trail winds among pine forests and steep cliffs. There is also a radial branch up to the summit of Tahtali Mountain<\/strong> (2365 m). Then through Cirali<\/strong> and Adrasan<\/strong>, finishing at Cape Gelidonya<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Or you can start from the west<\/strong> \u2013 from Fethiye<\/strong> or Oludeniz<\/strong>, where the trail also runs along the sea and through mountains, periodically passing through villages and descending to beautiful beaches. Here you can see the Butterfly Valley<\/strong>, Kabak Beach and Paradise Beach, hike the mountains to the largest sandy beach, Patara<\/strong>. Then through the prettiest towns, Kalkan and Kas<\/strong>, to Cape Gelidonya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The section from Demre to Finike<\/strong> \u2013 40 km is most often traveled by bus or hitchhiking. There is little infrastructure here, the scenery is uninteresting.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Both routes \u2013 western and eastern \u2013 take up to 10 days, but you can reduce it to a week if you travel part of the way by bus. Many people do this to avoid trudging through the dull valleys of endless greenhouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked about 60 km on the western route of the Lycian Way. I will tell about my solo travel experience in the Turkish mountains separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infrastructure on the Lycian Way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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There are markings on the Lycian Way \u2013 these are white and red stripes<\/strong> painted on stones, poles, and fences. They are there, but not everywhere \u2013 there\u2019s a chance you might go the wrong way. Therefore, it\u2019s worth downloading the route map to your smartphone and checking it from time to time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along the trail there are settlements, small villages, and towns where you can find accommodation if you\u2019re tired of the tent and want to wash up and do laundry. But again, accommodation is not everywhere, so a tent is necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accommodation on the Lycian Way<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Most tourists walk the Lycian Way with tents. Why? First, not everywhere has affordable accommodation. Sometimes there is a pension, but the price is high (50 euros or more).
Second, it\u2019s a mountain hike and, despite recommended stages and suggested overnight spots, not everyone can complete those stages before dark. Everyone has their own pace, endurance, and budget for hiking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Campsites<\/strong> on the Lycian Way \u2013 this could be a full-fledged campsite with toilet, shower, and electricity. Or just a flat spot for tents with a bathroom in the bushes (I don\u2019t like that, so I try to use roadside caf\u00e9 bathrooms \u2013 sorry for the details).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can pitch your tent on the Lycian trail just in the forest or on an open slope. Even if it\u2019s someone\u2019s goat pasture, most likely no one will say anything. On the contrary, the owners will try to find you a better place, show you where the water is, maybe treat you to something. In the forest, there\u2019s no problem at all \u2013 no permits are needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pensions and small hotels, beach bungalows, hotels \u2013 all of these can be found in some sections of the Lycian Way.
Some of them are listed on Booking<\/a><\/strong>. But you should book early \u2013 they might be full with groups, and in Turkey Booking only works via VPN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to walk Western Lycian without a tent \u2013 list of hotels on this route<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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For those who want to hike the Lycian Way without a tent, I have compiled a list of inexpensive hotels and campsites where you can spend the night with all the amenities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fethiye<\/strong>:
El Camino Hostel & Pub<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 a hostel in the Fethiye Marina area with private rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oludeniz<\/strong>:
CC’s Butik Hotel<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 a clean and simple hotel for an overnight stay on the route and not far from the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faralya<\/strong>:
Faralya Misafir Evi<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 family hotel above Butterfly Valley, next to the highway, cafes, and restaurants.
Keyif Motel<\/strong><\/a> <\/a>\u2013 hotel on the trail from Faralya to Kabak, with a pool and small single rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kabak<\/strong>:
Reflections Camp<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 a campsite where you can pitch your own tent or stay in a ready-made tent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alinca<\/strong>:
T\u00fcrkdomes Glamping<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 glamping dome with excellent sea and star views, glamping with all amenities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karadere (before Patara beach)<\/strong>:
Likya Inn<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 clean rooms with sea view. Friendly staff. Breakfast and dinner available on site. Convenient to stay when crossing from Bel toward Patara beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gelemi\u015f (Patara beach):<\/strong>
Golden Lighthouse Hotel<\/a> <\/strong>\u2013 quiet, inexpensive guesthouse close to Patara beach on the way to Kalkan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kalkan<\/strong>:
Lizo Hotel<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 one of the cheapest and coziest hotels in resort Kalkan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water on the Lycian Way<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Water<\/strong> \u2013 springs are marked on the map (drop icon), but there are nuances. First, in autumn not all springs have water \u2013 they dry up. Second, some springs are technical water \u2013 wells with stagnant water, only suitable for boiling. You can\u2019t always get it \u2013 there\u2019s no bucket with rope, wells without wheels. There are campsites on the beach with no water \u2013 you\u2019ll need to carry water for 2 days if you\u2019re hiking with a tent and through wild areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in general, if you carry a daily supply of water (1.5 liters was enough for me), it is enough for one stage. On average, the stages are designed for a day\u2019s hike of 10 to 20 km. Some people walk fast and do 2\u20133 stages per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food and meals on the Lycian Way<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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There are places along the way to eat tasty and inexpensive food. What do local cafes offer? Most often it\u2019s Turkish pancakes with filling \u2013 g\u00f6zleme. It\u2019s a very thin dough, like lavash, with cheese, potatoes, sometimes meat inside. They wrap it up and bake this on an iron sheet over the fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G\u00f6zleme, the portion is huge, I split it \u2013 ate some, wrapped the rest and ate it for the next meal. You can always have some tea straight away. A full Turkish breakfast is often included in the price of accommodation, if you stay in a pension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is the Lycian Way difficult?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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If I compare it to my previous solo routes \u2013 Camino de Santiago<\/a><\/strong> and Rota Vicentina<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 the Lycian Way is a bit tougher. There are constant ascents and descents, sometimes long both up and down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you compare it with the Alps<\/strong> and Himalayas<\/strong>, it was harder there. In the Himalayas, with constant ascents and descents, there was not enough oxygen. On the Lycian, with oxygen, it\u2019s fine.
In the Alps, it was also harder \u2013 there were snowfields, scree, and climbing around the Matterhorn. There\u2019s none of that on the Lycian \u2013 just tiredness from mountain hiking with a backpack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s put it this way \u2013 for the Lycian Way, a moderate level of fitness is enough. Basically \u2013 not harder than our Carpathians, but there are nuances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are sections where a rather steep ascent may be accompanied by scree, a narrow trail, and cliffs. Here you need to be extra careful; if you know you\u2019re afraid of heights or may get dizzy, it\u2019s better to avoid such places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are sections with long ascents, for example from Oludeniz the trail immediately leads steeply uphill. But what scares me more are the long descents, after which your toes hurt and your knees shake. There are plenty of those as well.<\/p>\n\n\n

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There are roads in the mountains<\/strong>, but not everywhere. On many sections, you have the option to skip a difficult part by hitchhiking or taxi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are sections you can easily cover by transport. For example, through valleys with continuous greenhouses for many kilometers where you always have to walk on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to take on the Lycian Way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Because my journey was short\u2014my route took only four days\u2014the contents of my backpack may not be very informative for those preparing for a week-long hike on the Lycian Way. Still, I\u2019ll write my perspective on what to take, and what might not be needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equipment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This list is for those going on a Lycian hike with a tent. If you plan to stay in pensions\/hostels, obviously you need a smaller backpack and won\u2019t need a tent or sleeping bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n