Regions & Trail Sections
Welcome to our Hiking Tours, your ultimate guide to exploring the breathtaking
Lycian Way.
To assist with your planning we’ve organized the trail into 8 distinct regions
making it easier for you to navigate.
Each region is further broken down into smaller sections, for better hiking experience.
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Region 01 : Fethiye To Letoon
Distance : 76 KM
The sections in this region connect the city of Fethiye at the western end of the Lycian Way with the village of Letoon at the western edge of a large delta area.
This region offering constantly changing elevation, ancient Lycian ruins, beaches in beautiful coves, friendly people, good food, and more.
This is a mountainous region, sometimes quite steeply. The trail is generally well way marked in this region.
Water isn’t a major problem as you’ll regularly pass through places where you can top-up.
In general, the difficulty level in this region is a bit less than in some other regions though there are still some challenging stretches.
Accommodation in this region is plentiful and there are lots of places for wild camping.
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1 : Fethiye – Kayaköy
2 : Kayaköy – Ovacık
3 : Ovacık – Faralya
4 : Faralya – Kabak
5 : Kabak – Kabak Beach
6 : Kabak Beach – Alınca
7 : Alınca – Yediburunlar
8 : Yediburunlar – Bel
9 : Bel – Gavuragılı
10 : Gavuragılı – Letoon
1 : Letoon – Kınık
2 : Kınık – Çavdır
3 : Çavdır – Üzümlü
4 : Üzümlü – Akbel
5 : Akbel – Gelemis (Patara Village)
6 : Gelemis – Kalkan
1 : Kalkan – Bezirgan
9 km
Easy warm-up’ for those just starting their hike or a gentle conclusion for those ending their adventure in Fethiye.
5.5 km
This is the direct option between Kayaköy and the official Lycian Way start / finish point in Ovacık, typically part of a single stage between Fethiye and Ovacık.
13 km
Most of the section is along sometimes rocky but Beautiful section with fantastic views over the beach and lagoon of Ölüdeniz.
5 km
Enjoyable hilly, forested section with some nice views. There are lots of accommodation options at both ends of this section plus some camping spots along the way.
2 km
Main path connecting the ‘upper’ village of Kabak, located partway up the hillside, with the popular beach area (which is where you’ll find most of the accommodation and F & B options, not surprisingly).
6 km
Beautiful but challenging path with a lot of ascending and descending over rugged terrain.
8 km
Challenging but spectacular section between the villages of Alınca and Yediburunlar (Gey).
6 km
Winding, remote section linking the villages of Yediburunlar (Gey)
and Bel. Sometimes difficult but beautiful section, with many fantastic views down to the coast.
7 km
Challenging section linking the villages of Bel (up in the mountains) and Gavuragılı (on the coast), passing through the hamlet of Belcegiz.
14.5 km
Connects the villages of Gavuragılı and Letoon, passing through the Pydnai ruins and Karadere Beach.
5.4 km
Easy section along paved roads linking the village of Letoon with the small town of Kınık.
4.6 km
Links the villages of Kınık and Çavdır, passing through the Xanthos ruins along the way.
9.2 km
Winding path through the northern part of the delta, linking Çavdır and Üzümlü. Mostly on hillsides with much of it directly on the remains of
a Roman aqueduct.
5.9 km
Section linking Üzümlü and Akbel and passing through the outskirts of Ä°slamlar.
14.5 km
Attractive section linking the villages of Akbel and GelemiÅŸ (aka Patara Village), passing by the extremely impressive Delikkemer Roman aqueduct and finishing close to the excellent Patara ruins and its nearby beach.
20 km
This is the southern half of the loop between GelemiÅŸ and Delikkemer, staying close to the coastline for much of its length, as well as the difficult but very attractive stretch between Delikkemer and Kalkan.
10.3 km
Steep, sometimes rugged, sometimes confusing section linking the town of Kalkan with the mountain village of Bezirgan.
Region 02 : Letoon – Kalkan
Distance : 59.6 KM
Region 03 : Kalkan – Kas
Distance : 55 KM
This is a beautiful, mountainous region rising above the coastal towns of Kalkan to the west and Kas to the east, with steep slopes above both endpoints. There are several villages along the way offering accommodation, water, and limited supplies. Camping isn’t a problem, with lots of good locations.
This region is largely a delta with an endless sea of white greenhouses. As you’d expect with a delta, there’s a lengthy history of civilization in the area, including three notable ancient cities (Letoon, Xanthos, and Patara).
The Lycian Way follows on or alongside roads through much of this section and when off-road largely follows directly on the remains of a Roman aqueduct including at one point crossing an attractive, somewhat narrow aqueduct bridge. An historical highlight, in addition to the three cities, is Delikkemer, a huge, very impressive aqueduct bridge still in decent shape. For relaxation, Patara Beach is very nice
and sandy rather than pebble, which is a nice change!.
2 : Bezirgan – Sarıbelen
4.3 km
Winding mountain section between Bezirgan and Sarıbelen that mainly involves climbing / descending one large hill.
3 : Sarıbelen – Gökceören
12 km
Winding, hilly, and mostly remote mountain section between Sarıbelen and Gökceören with some steep and rugged parts.
4 : Gökceören – Çukurbag
21.5 km
Long attractive section through rugged surroundings between the villages of Gökceören and ÇukurbaÄŸ that is constantly either ascending or descending (though not overly steeply for the most part). Passes through the notable Phellos ruins.
5 : Çukurbag – Kas
7.0 km
Rugged, steep section with beautiful views linking the village of Çukurbag with the coastal town of Kas.
Region 04 : Kas – Demre
Distance : 53.5 KM
This is a gorgeous stretch of the Lycian Way that roughly hugs the coastline the whole way. There’s lots of beautiful views, several ancient cities (Aperlai, Apollonia, Talmussa, Andriake, and Myra), lots of random ruins scattered here and there, a near-infinite number of wonderful coves and inlets, and very attractive fishing villages at Üçagız and Kaleköy.
While there are no major elevation changes, the trail in this region still involves near constant small ascents and descents over rugged, rocky terrain, making this region more challenging than it might initially seem. Give yourself a bit of extra time and watch your footing carefully as the trail surface is often very uneven. Note: There are lots of places along this stretch where you could bypass some difficult terrain using nearby rural roads / tracks. If you are getting tired or simply want to pick up your pace a bit, look at the map for options.
1 : Kas – Limanagzı
2 : Limanagzı – Bogazcık
3 : Bogazcık – Aperlai
4 : Aperlai – Ücagız
4.1 km
Very scenic coastal path over small, rolling hills with a moderately challenging portion (steep, rugged, with ropes for balance) at the end.
15 km
Long, rugged, mostly very remote section connecting Limanagzı with Bogazcık. Has many great coastline views.
6.6 km
Enjoyable section between the village of Bogazcık and the ancient ruins at Aperlai, with an optional short detour to the Apollonia ruins.
7.7 km
Rugged, rocky, beautiful section, mostly along or close to
the shoreline, between Aperlai and Ücagız a favourite for many people.
5 : Ücagız – Kaleköy
2.2 km
Easy section, ascending and descending a small hill around the bay on
a good quality trail, linking Ücagız with a junction a bit to the NE of Kaleköy (Simena).
6 : Kaleköy – Kapaklı
6.5 km
Attractive, remote section linking Kaleköy with Kapaklı. This section consists of rolling hills, passing Smuggler’s Inn (a remote restaurant)
and two different ruins of castles.
7 : Kapaklı – Demre
11.4 km
Popular alternative to the main path between Kapaklı and Demre and Myra, going via the hamlet of Çayagzı instead.
Region 05 : Demre – Finike
Distance : 39.2 KM
This is typically a three-day mountainous section that has no accommodation options and thus normally requires camping. If you really want to do this section, though, there is a way to do it without camping if you are willing to organize some logistics.
The trail is steep and rugged. It’s an attractive hike with beautiful vistas. Demre is notable for the excellent Myra ancient city, as well as the Church of St. Nicholas. Up in the mountains, you’ll be able to explore both the Alakilise ruins (a popular place to wild camp) and the Belos ruins.
1 : Demre – Alakilise Ruins
12.5 km
Westernmost portion of the remote, beautiful 39 km mountain route between Demre / Myra and Finike, usually done over three stages and typically requiring camping.
2 : Alakilise Ruins – Yatıkardıç Yayla
12.2 km
Mostly follows rugged mountain paths, with a small bit along tracks. There’s a fair amount of scree on both sides of the mountain as well as some rock fields. Proceed with caution and watch your footing carefully.
3 : Yatıkardıç Yayla – Finike
14.5 km
This is mostly rugged mountain trails though parts are along rural roads and tracks.
Region 06 : Finike – Çıralı
Distance : 65 KM
This region can be broken down into three sub-regions: a coastline walk on pavement through farm country
(greenhouses everywhere) between Finike and Karaöz, a remote hike around the beautiful Gelidonya peninsula between Karaöz and Adrasan, and an ascent / descent of a mountain between Adrasan and Çıralı.
The walk between Finike and Karaöz is arguably the most boring, uninteresting part of the Lycian Way. It is a long flat walk along / near the shoreline, entirely on pavement, passing greenhouse after greenhouse. Most people walk it in a single day though it can be split into two days if necessary. There are several accommodation options along the way, along with a few small markets. Based on feedback we’ve received, a huge percentage of Lycian Way hikers simply skip it, taking a bus / taxi or hitch-hiking over the stretch.
In a striking contrast, Karaöz to Çıralı is incredibly beautiful. Karaöz to Adrasan involves hiking around a gorgeous peninsula with a lighthouse at the point and great views of several iconic little islands slightly off-shore. The eastern half is rugged. Water can sometimes be a problem though often isn’t; carry extra until you can confirm the state of fountains along the way. Between Adrasan and Çıralı, you’ll hike over a mountain and pass through the excellent Olympos ruins.
1 : Finike – Karaöz
29 km
Long but easy section between Finike and Karaöz following alongside or close to the shoreline, passing through the communities of Hasyurt, Kumluca, and Mavikent.
2 : Karaöz – Adrasan
20.5 km
This long, rugged, exhilarating section links the village of Karaöz with the town of Adrasan going via the Gelidonya Lighthouse near the tip of the Gelidonya peninsula. Challenging but beautiful section with fantastic views and constantly changing terrain. This is one of the most memorable portions of the Lycian Way.
3 : Adrasan – Çıralı
15.5 km
Beautiful section between Adrasan and Çıralı traversing Musa Dagı (Mount Moses) and passing through the Olympos ruins.
Region 07 : Çıralı – Göynük Yayla
Distance : 65 KM
There are two major variants through this region, both of which are official paths, one via an interior mountain path and one that is partially along the coast and partially mountainous. We deem the interior path as the ‘Main’ variant and the coastal variant as the Alternate, though both are excellent options and neither is necessarily ‘better’. Our personal preference is for the interior path, but it’s a tough choice. If you opt for the coastal variant, we highly recommend a side-hike up to the burning rocks above Çıralı (especially nice at night!). The Main variant passes directly through them.
The interior variant is the more challenging option, with more stretches of rugged terrain and more elevation changes. It passes close to the dramatic peak of Tahtalı Dagı. Optionally, there’s an unofficial side-hike you can take (in good weather conditions) from the Lycian Way to the peak. You can also take a fantastic cable car ride
too, from the peak and the coast, close to the path of the coastal Lycian Way variant. The views from the peak are spectacular if conditions are clear.
The coastal variant hugs the coastline between Çıralı and the Phaselis ruins just east of the town of Tekirova. From there, it ascends up into the mountains, sometimes quite steeply and sometimes over rugged terrain. Along the coast itself, the path is generally good and often follows quiet tracks through woodlands. There are numerous attractive coves / inlets.
1 : Çıralı – Ulupınar
8.1 km
Mountain section, passing the famous ‘burning rocks’ of the Chimaera. There’s an access fee for this zone. There are water falls / streams coming down the mountain that are cold and refreshing.
2 : Ulupınar – Beycik
9.3 km
Mountain section that is part of the ‘interior’ route between Çıralı and Göynük Yayla
3 : Beycik – Yayla Kuzdere
12.5 km
Beautiful mountain section that is part of the interior route between Çıralı and Göynük Yayla.
This section involves steady ascending and descending and is quite steep almost the entire way. It reaches the highpoint for the entire Lycian Way, close to the peak of Tahtalı Dagı.
4 : Yayla Kuzdere
Gedelme
7.0 km
Mountain section linking Yayla Kuzdere and Gedelme that is part of the interior route between Çıralı and Göynük Yayla.
5 : Gedelme
Göynük Yayla
9.2 km
Follows a mixture of rural roads and good-quality mountain trails.
Region 08 : Göynük Yayla – Geyikbayırı
Distance : 65 KM
This is a mountainous, extremely beautiful region. Of particular note is the stretch between Göynük Yayla and Göynük Canyon which for many is a highlight of the trail. It is a very rugged, challenging stretch, though, and sometimes (mainly in early spring) can have a couple of difficult spots due to high water levels that might require some waist-high wading.
From Göynük Canyon to Geyikbayırı is rugged mountain hiking, with lots of elevation change, sometimes-difficult terrain, and generally poorer trail quality and way finding than elsewhere on the Lycian Way.
Trails over grown with prickly bushes also seem to be a more frequent problem on this stretch, though of course it always depends on how recently the trail maintenance team has been through the area. It is a very attractive stretch, but also sometimes can be a frustrating one for many hikers.
1 : Göynük Yayla - Göynük Canyon
2 : Göynük Canyon – Hısarçandır
3 : Hısarçandır – Çitdibi
4 : Çitdibi – Geyikbayırı
12.6 km
Beautiful but frequently rugged and challenging mountain section with many great views and interesting rock formations, with the gorge itself a popular highlight.
19.3 km
Long section linking Göynük Canyon with the village of Hısarçandır. This used to be the first or last section of the Lycian Way (depending on which way you were walking) until it was extended in early 2014.
8 km
Rugged, winding section between Hısarçandır and Çitdibi, passing through the mountains with some moderately steep portions.
15 km
This is the eastern end of the Lycian Way. It’s almost a continual climb or descent, with some portions moderately steep. Much of this section is rugged, with uneven surfaces and sharp rocks.