09Dec
Lycian Way
LYCIAN WAY
The Lycian way is Turkey's most famous long-distance hiking trail and also it is always shown in the top 10 hiking destinations in the world. The Lycian way boasts 540 Kilometers marked trail which roughly follows the coastline between Fethiye and Antalya. This fabulous route goes through old Roman paths, dirt roads and forests, ridgeways, and lush valleys as well as passing pristine bays, old fishing towns, and isolated villages.
The starting point of the Lycian Way lies on the outskirts of Fethiye, on the road to Blue Lagoon. It is possible to hike sectors of the Lycian way at different times, however, the full trail takes roughly 35 days to finish. Your first day on this trail is amazing and so popular that you are hiking a rocky path rises hugging the cliffside, with hundreds of paragliders flying over your head and unique views over the Blue Lagoon. The trail continues to Faralya village which is situated at the edge of cliffs overlooking Butterfly Valley. This very spot is the best for watching the sunset. Another favorite sector is the one from Olympos to Goynuk, over 3 days the trail passes the ruins of ancient Olympos, the eternal flames at Cirali, and finally gets through a pine-clad valley to arrive at Goynuk Canyon where you can swim in the icy waters of the canyon.
Besides unbelievable scenery, the Lycian way actually connects 25 ancient Lycian cities which are all protected archaeological sites today. Some of them excavated and became open-air museums which are also accessible by vehicles but many of them are still covered by earth and wild plants
Every year thousands of hikers come to Turkey’s southwest coasts to walk this epic trail. The best time of year for hiking is in spring and autumn since summer is often too hot and it is rainy and snowy in winter.