WHAT IS IT:   In ancient times, the southern coast of Turkey along the Mediterranean was settled by fascinating people known as the Lycians. For more than a thousand years, the Lycians resisted domination by the Greeks, Persians, Rhodes, and Cilician pirates before becoming independent allies of the Romans around 167 BC. Today, the shoreline of southern Anatolia in Turkey is known for its blue waters, secluded beaches, and the ruins of places like Myra, Patara, Xanthos and Tlos. Another legacy of the Lycians are their temple tombs which are cut into the rock face of coastal mountains and inland hills. Remarkably well-preserved, hundreds of these majestic rock-cut tombs and other monuments and ruins can be viewed in the area running from Fethiye in the west to Kemer in the east.

“One way to see these sites is to hike for a day on a portion of the Lycian Way which is a series of trails that extend for about 350 miles.”

One way to see these sites is to hike for a day on a portion of the Lycian Way. This series of trails extends for about 350 miles through this area all the way to Antalya. Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful hikes in the world, the Lycian Way is a marked route consisting of footpaths, mule trails and remnants of Roman roads. I saw some of Lycia’s splendor on a 14-hour adventure with a guide in 2012 that included driving to several mountaintop ruins and walking along parts of the Lycian Way. One group of tombs we sighted near Limyra sparkled like gold in the sun on top of a nearby ridge. We considered climbing up for a closer inspection like Indiana Jones, but warnings of snakes in the underbrush from local farmers deterred us from any further adventure for the day.

INTERESTING FACTS: Some parts of the Lycian Way date back to the time of Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. The most popular route starts near the Turkish town of Fethiye and provides a view down to the world-famous blue lagoon at Oludeniz Beach.

GUIDE SERVICES: Guide Services are highly recommended. Aykut Altinisik from Antalya is an English-speaking guide who can arrange tours and hikes to this area.

DIFFICULTY LEVEL:  Moderate to hard depending on the length and location selected for the walk.

WHEN TO GO: The Lycian coast has a short and somewhat rainy winter which begins in late November and ends in March so walks should be carefully planned. The temperature gradually becomes quite hot in the spring and then remains hot and dry until late fall.

HOW TO GET HERE: The closest airports for the Lycian Way are Dalaman in the west and Antalya in the east.  Both are connected to Istanbul and a few cities in Europe and the UK.   

WHERE TO STAY: There are numerous large hotel complexes located at various waterfront towns along the Lycian Way, but serious hikers usually arrange to stop at guest houses if walking for several days.