Lycian Way: route guide

The trail runs along the Lycian coast of southwestern Turkey, from Fethiye in the west to the climbing village of Geyikbayırı, about 20 km west of Antalya, in the east. It is not one continuous ancient path: it strings together old mule and caravan tracks, forest roads and village lanes, and passes Lycian and Roman ruins along the way.

Elevation ranges from sea level to roughly 1,800 m at the pass near Mt Tahtalı (check). Waymarks are the half red, half white rectangle painted on rocks, walls and poles; on side paths that lead to ruins and out-of-the-way sites, yellow replaces the white half. Yellow arrow signs at junctions name the next village and give an approximate distance in kilometres, so a 1 km difference between signs is normal.

The route is maintained by the Turkish Culture Routes Society, which sells the official guidebook and publishes updates. Waymarks are renewed by volunteers roughly every five years, and villagers sometimes repaint or divert them; the new marks rejoin the old ones, so following them still works.

Most hikers do the trail in sections rather than end to end, and the sections near the main towns work as day walks. The route runs west to east from Fethiye and Ölüdeniz through Faralya, Kabak and the Xanthos and Patara area, on past Kalkan and Kaş, around the Kekova ruins at Üçağız, then via Demre, Finike, Adrasan and Olympos before climbing to Geyikbayırı.

Stage distances and walking times vary with the exact line you take and with waymark changes, so plan from the official guidebook and current updates rather than from any single table. Minibuses along the main road connect most trail villages back to Fethiye, Kaş or Antalya, which makes a section-based trip easy to plan.

Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–November) are the usual windows (check): daytime temperatures are workable and most pensions and village cafés are open (check). April can still bring rain and snow on the high pass near Mt Tahtalı (check).

July and August are punishing on exposed limestone (check). If you walk then, start before 6am, finish by noon, and carry at least 3 litres of water per person (check); some sources dry up in late summer (check). Winter is possible on the lower coastal sections but many pensions close and the high sections are cold and wet (check).

The Lycia Marathon uses parts of the route and leaves litter in some areas that is not always cleared; follow leave-no-trace rules and carry out everything, since bins are rare even in mountain hamlets.

Village pensions, guesthouses and small hotels line the route, especially around Faralya, Kabak, Kalkan, Kaş, Üçağız, Adrasan and Olympos (check). Book ahead in May, September and October, when the trail is busiest (check); in July–August coastal places fill with beach holidaymakers (check).

Camping is possible in many spots but not officially designated everywhere (check); ask at pensions whether they allow tents. Some hikers mix walking with dolmuş hops back to a base in Fethiye, Kaş or Antalya and day-walk from there.

If you are not through-hiking, minibuses along the main road connect most trail villages back to Fethiye, Kaş or Antalya, which makes a section-based trip easy to plan.

You lose sodium as well as water when you sweat, so carry sports drinks or electrolyte powder alongside plain water; sports drinks are widely sold in Turkish supermarkets, fortified powders are not. Pack a hat, sun cream, a filter or purification tablets, and a first-aid kit (check).

Footwear matters more than anything else: the trail is rocky, with loose scree and sharp limestone (check). Break in boots before you fly. Trekking poles help on the descents (check).

Scorpions live under rocks in this hot, rocky region. Do not move rocks unless you must, keep tent and pack zips closed, and shake out shoes before wearing them. Snakes are less of a concern but watch for them near streams. Do not take shortcuts: what looks like a shortcut often leads in a different direction, and the waymarks are the reliable line.

Dalaman airport serves the western trailhead; Antalya airport serves the eastern end. Both have frequent intercity bus connections to Fethiye and Antalya.

For the western start, take a dolmuş towards Ölüdeniz and get off just south of the Ovacık/Hisarönü roundabout, at the Montana Resort Hotel sign; the trailhead sign is just past the hotel. The eastern trailhead at Geyikbayırı is 20 km west of Antalya and reachable by local bus or taxi, but it is not signposted.