The 540 km long Lycian Way, starting from the Fethiye district of Muğla up to Antalya, is among the top 10 best long hiking routes in the world. Get ready to encounter unique views while walking on this road where you can see every shade of green and blue. The journey, starting with the view of Ölüdeniz, continues its way with magnificent natural wonders. It becomes difficult to hike through the whole route as it is very long. Therefore, it is recommended to set a route before you start hiking.

The Lycian Way, which connects 19 cities that lived during antiquity, was often used as a passage at that time. Although not much remains of these ancient cities today, ancient theatres, columns and sarcophagi are still there. Lycia is the longest hiking route in our country, with the rich flora of the Taurus Mountains, consisting of the virgin bays of the Mediterranean, and red pine forests parallel to the sea.

On the Lycian Way, the winter months are quite mild and the summer months are very hot. It is a route you can choose to walk 11 months of the year. The most ideal period for the Lycian Way parcours is the spring months with colourful flowers and snowy hills. In terms of ideal temperature, you can choose October – November. Because during this period, the humidity decreases and you can walk more comfortably. May – September is the hottest period on the Lycian Way. It also receives heavy rains from November to February.

What is located on the Lycian Way?

The Lycian Way routes offer a lot of options. Starting from Fethiye, which connects ancient cities of different sizes and is located on the Mediterranean coastline, the journey continues as follows: First of all, Ölüdeniz, Butterfly (Kelebekler) Valley, Kabak Bay, Yediburunlar. From here, you enter to Antalya with Patara Beach. Afterwards, it passes through the routes of Kalkan, Kaş, Finike, Gelidonya Lighthouse, Adrasan Bay, Mount Olympos, Göynük Canyon and Konyaaltı Beach. Of course, there are many more routes in between, but they are too numerous to count here. As you can see, a lot of natural beauty accompanies you during your walk. It's a good idea to make a plan for yourself, as you won't be able to walk the whole way.

While touring the Lycian Way, you will encounter not only the coastline but also steep slopes and cliffs come from time to time. When you reach Tahtalı Mountain, you reach a height of 1,800 meters from the sea. The Lycian Way generally goes parallel to the Mediterranean. There are yellow signs waiting for you at the crossroads of the Lycian Way. Thanks to these, you can determine your route more clearly. You may encounter stages of medium or high difficulty in certain areas. If you like hiking, all the difficulties you will face will be worth this unique view. You will encounter signposts every 50 meters on footpaths and every 200 meters on dirt roads.

What are the Lycian Way Stages?

The stages of the Lycian Way, usually from Fethiye to Antalya, are expressed in the east-west axis. The route, which starts from Faralya in the first part of the Lycian Way that consists of two parts, follows the Dodurga Village, cities of Sdyma, Pınara, Letoon, Xanthos and ends in the famous Patara. In the second part, there are very important ancient cities such as Antiphellos, Apollonia, Simena, Myra, Melanippe, Gelidonia, Olympos and Phaselis. Along the way, your journey becomes more and more beautiful thanks to these unique ancient cities.

You can plan your hiking journey as 3, 5, 7 or 10 days for the Lycian Way, depending on the time you will allocate for the walk. It is also possible to walk a certain part of the road in a shorter time frame. If you intend to walk the whole hiking path, you must first be in good physical condition. If you meet these conditions, you can complete the whole path in a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 40 days. The long route of the Lycian Way route is divided into two different routes in Fethiye's Boğaziçi Village, Patara, Delikkemer and Çıralı, and afterwards unites again. If you will be choosing the long route, the recommended plan for your route is as follows:

Gökçeören – Kaş
Kekova – Demre
Patara – Kalkan
Demre – Alakilise – Finike 
Karaöz – Gelidonya Feneri – Adrasan
Adrasan – Olimpos – Çıralı
Kabak Koyu – Alınca 
Çıralı – Beycik
Çıralı – Tekirova
Gavurağılı – Patara
Tekirova – Phaselis – Gedelme
Kaş – Kekova
Beycik – Tahtalı Dağı – Gedelme
Gedelme – Göynük
Göynük – Hisarçandır
Yediburunlar – Gavurağılı
Faralya – Kabak Koyu
Hisarçandır – Geyikbayırı
Hisarönü – Faralya
Alınca – Yediburunlar
Kalkan – Sarıbelen – Gökçeören