Hiking the Western Lycian Way

You land in Dalaman or Antalya and make your way to Fethiye. The warmth and scents of the Mediterranean greet you immediately. You check into a charming boutique hotel on the edge of town, where the balconies face the sea.
The evening is free – take the opportunity to stroll along the waterfront promenade, find a restaurant with views over Böcek Bay, or simply lean back and listen to the lapping of the waves.

The first hike begins in Ovacik, with Babadag mountain as a majestic wall on one side and the sea sparkling below. The trail winds through pine trees, olive groves and small villages – and suddenly you might catch a glimpse of Ölüdeniz lagoon, Turkey's most photographed view. After about 13 km and a couple of hundred meters of elevation, you reach the village of Faralya, high up on a cliff. Here you stay in a simple guesthouse on the edge of the ravine where the silence can seem total when the sun sets.

After breakfast you hike upward with views toward Kabak Bay with cliffs that plunge straight down into a turquoise sea. You can choose to follow the coastal trail or take an alternative mountain route. The hike ends in the small mountain village of Alinca, where the air carries the scent of lavender and pine.

The trail offers dramatic cliff faces and shady ravines as you leave Alinca. Past Sancakli Bay and the small village of Gey, the path winds onward toward Bel – a place where the tranquility feels almost tangible. You will hike 14 km while the landscape shifts between mountains and sea, silence and beauty.

The day begins with you walking down toward the sea, through pine forests and cultivated fields, until you reach Karadere's quiet beach – a perfect spot for a refreshing morning swim. Then you continue up onto the ridge and are rewarded with expansive views over Patara's sandy beach, the world's longest coastline that houses nesting sea turtles (about 16 km). In the evening you have a transfer to Patara and check into a beachside guesthouse in the winding alleys.

You are driven to Akbel and hike along the Delikkemer aqueduct, an impressive feat of ancient engineering. The stone walls wind over slopes and through forest, and you can almost hear the echo of the water that once flowed to Patara. When you reach Patara you encounter more ancient ruins: the triumphal arch, the aqueduct's terminus, the harbor baths and the ruins of a settlement that once lay at the heart of Lycia.

The last hiking day takes you through small villages and valleys. You follow old water channels and trails toward Cavdir, and then continue to the ancient capital Xanthos – a place where burial monuments, Lycian inscriptions and Roman ruins bear witness to ancient times. The last evening is spent in Patara or Gelemis, where you can feel the presence of history in every stone and enjoy the fragrant evening breeze.

After breakfast you bid farewell to Lycia, unless you choose to continue the eastern part of the hike. You will carry with you new images and memories – but above all the feeling of having hiked through a region where nature, history and stillness meet.