A magnificent hiking route within nature and history: the Lycian Way

The Lycian Way invites you to explore the historical and natural beauties of southwestern Turkey by foot. If you love hiking and are passionate about history, the Lycian Way will be an excellent choice. If you have set your mind on embarking on this journey, your first stop should be Fethiye because this route starts in Hisarönü, located in the Fethiye district of Mu?la, and ends in Geyikbay?r? in the Konyaalt? district of Antalya. As is known, ancient Lycia was a civilization established on the Teke Peninsula. Traces of the Lycians can be found in many ancient cities. Patara, Tlos, Pinara, Olympos, Xanthos, Phaselis, and the Lycian League... They all are among the city-states belonging to the Lycians. The Lycian Way passes through these places where the Lycians ruled and has a total length of 760 kilometers. It is considered one of the best long-distance hiking trails in the world. Completing the route on foot takes 29 days. It's quite long and exhausting, but equally beautiful. Carrying your backpack and walking amidst nature and history is an invaluable pleasure.

The Lycians used this route for transportation as well as for commercial and military purposes. The idea of turning this route into a hiking trail was conceived by Kate Clow, an amateur historian of English-Turkish descent residing in Turkey since 1989. She discovered and became one of the first to walk this route. The Lycian Way, with 509 kilometers opened in 1999, was marked with the contributions of volunteers, including Garanti Bank and Clow.

Hikers on the Lycian Way benefit from signs and marked maps that can guide them along the way. In addition, red and white lines at certain points of the route also help hikers navigate.

In some parts of this route, you can use your mountain bike. Besides the Lycian Way, you can also use roads passing through villages and forests.

If you join this hike, you will encounter beautiful views along the way. And don't forget to take photos at the scenic Gelidonya Lighthouse.

What can you bring?

February, May, September, and November are quite suitable for hiking the Lycian Way. Before embarking on the journey, you should dress appropriately for the season and wear comfortable hiking shoes... Additionally, you should bring sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat, spare clothes, slippers, a swimsuit and towel, a water bottle, snacks, a raincoat, and other necessary items. Those who want to camp can bring a tent, sleeping bag, and necessary camping equipment, but be mindful not to carry a heavy backpack as it may make hiking difficult.

Since walking for 29 days can be exhausting, it's advisable to stay in accommodations along the way where there are amenities for relaxation.

How to get there?

If you're coming from a distant location by plane, it's best to start the Lycian Way from Fethiye by landing at Dalaman Airport. You can quickly and comfortably reach Hisarönü in Fethiye from Dalaman by renting a chauffeured car.

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