Hiking Turkey's Lycian Way

Our trip starts today in Fethiye, a thriving coastal town that's home to remains of the ancient Lycian city of Telmessos. There are no other activities planned today, so you're free to arrive at any time. If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive into Dalaman Airport (DLM) which is a one-hour drive away. For those arriving in time, our tour leader will meet you in the hotel reception at 7pm for the initial tour briefing. Afterwards, there'll be the option to have dinner at a nearby restaurant. Should you miss the welcome meeting, our tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. The main trip briefing will normally take place on the morning of day 2 due to some late flight arrivals. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, there'll be the opportunity to take a walk to the Fethiye Archaeological Museum before continuing up to the Amyntas Tomb, cut into the cliffs behind the town. There's an impressive Greco-Roman theatre to be discovered too. In the old centre, known as Paspatur, there's a traditional Turkish Bath that would make a great start to the holiday, too.

After breakfast this morning, we'll have a short transfer to the official start of the Lycian Way near Ovacik village, nestling on the hillside overlooking Oludeniz. We'll commence our hike heading south up onto the outflung shoulders of Baba Dagi (1,989 metres/6,524 feet). Along the way, we'll be rewarded with views back over Turkey's most photographed beach, Oludeniz. Passing through pine forests and remote villages, we'll descend to the village of Faralya which lies on a small plateau above the fjord-like Butterfly Valley, where steep limestone cliffs drop to the sea. Our accommodation tonight is a simple graded family-run hotel. The rooms are simply furnished but comfortable and clean, with private bathrooms. Please note, the rooms may vary in size. Montenegro Motel grows a lot of their own produce and has a small swimming pool (closed during the off-season). It's the perfect spot for a sundowner as it looks out over the stunning Butterfly Valley and the coastline. Today's 14 kilometre/8.8 mile walk is expected to take around 5 hours with 780 metres/2,560 feet of ascent and 800 metres/2,625 feet of descent. The morning is mostly uphill, but the gradient is never severe.

Starting gently uphill through pine forest, we'll reach farmland with open fields that soon give way to spectacular terraces with views to the villages far below, as well as across the sea to distant islands. We'll descend for a while, towards the distant beach and village of Kabak. Skirting the higher slopes of the village, we'll follow an ancient path into a blind valley before climbing up through pine forest again to the tiny village of Alinca. Perched high over the sea we might stop to take a well-earned tea break with the villagers before continuing. In the afternoon, we'll pass high above the beautiful bays of this spectacular coastline as we continue towards the village of Gey, our destination for the night. Please note that there are a couple of very short scree sections that people with bad vertigo may find difficult. Please speak with the tour leader if you're concerned - it will be possible to avoid this by travelling by vehicle from the accommodation to Alinca, around halfway through the walk. Normally there's space in the luggage vehicle for this but on occasions, it will require a taxi at your own expense. Tonight, we'll stay in a traditional village house. Accommodation will be in single-sex, en-suite rooms of up to six people, depending on the size of our group. Gey is a very typical rural Turkish village and the food and hospitality you'll receive is wonderful after a long day walking. Today's 18 kilometre/11.3 mile walk is expected to take around 7 hours with 900 metres/2,950 feet of ascent and 490 metres/1,605 feet of descent, relatively steep for about 1 hour and 30 minutes before lunch.

From Gey, the Lycian Way continues through stunning coastal scenery staying high as far as Bel, then climbs more via some large plains and pine forests, before descending steadily to Sidyma Ancient City (Dodurga Village). The site has some well-preserved and unusual tombs from the Roman and Byzantine periods - the village is amongst, and indeed part of the site. A tea stop can be made at the house opposite the mosque. From the site, we'll make a transfer (approximately a 30-minute drive) to the village of Patara, where we'll spend two nights. Please note that there's another short section of scree on our walk today, in total 500 metres, with a 40-metre section where the path narrows and there's a 45-degree angle. Most people manage it fine but if you suffer from vertigo and would prefer to avoid this section, the tour leader can assist you with alternative options. You could wait in Gey for the group transport and travel with the luggage to Sidyma, normally without charge but not walking at all, or the leader can help to arrange a taxi (this would cost approximately 20GBP) to meet the group in Bel and walk the final third of the route. Today's 12 kilometre/7.5 miles walk is expected to take around 5 hours with 450 metres/1,475 feet of ascent and 600 metres/1,970 feet of descent.

Following the route of the aqueduct from Delikkemer to Patara, we'll hike across fertile rolling fields and through pine forest, enjoying beautiful coastal views before descending to the southern end of Patara Beach. Here, we'll have an opportunity to swim and explore the extensive ruins of ancient Patara, the birthplace of Saint Nicholas. Today's 10 kilometre/6.2 miles walk is expected to take around 3 hours and 30 minutes with 150 metres/490 feet of ascent and 250 metres/820 feet of descent, with additional time for exploration of the ruins and on the beach.

Taking a route across streams and through villages, almost untouched by modern life, our path today climbs to a ridge, Mount Felen, with views of the higher mountains inland and the coast below that are almost unsurpassed. We'll descend by vehicle to Kas, one of the most beautiful ports on the Turkish Riviera, with a dramatic backdrop of limestone cliffs. Kas is a great place to relax, with cafes and restaurants spilling out onto cobbled streets and a network of tiny back alleys to explore. In Kas, we'll stay at the Club Phellos Hotel, conveniently located just a few minutes' walk uphill from the centre of Kas. It has an outdoor swimming pool with sun loungers, open-air breakfast terrace with views down to the sea, and WiFi is available in public areas. All bedrooms have a balcony and either a hillside or sea view and are allocated on a run of house basis. All the rooms have simple decor and are air-conditioned with an en suite bathroom with a toilet, shower and hairdryer. The pool generally opens at the start of May and closes in late October, depending on weather and visitor numbers, and at the start and end of the season will be cold. From November through to May the pool will be empty. Today's 16 kilometre/10 miles walk is expected to take around 5 hours and 30 minutes with 570 metres/1,870 feet of ascent and 370 metres/1,215 feet of descent.

This morning, we'll hike to the hamlet and ancient port of Aperlae and from there travel by boat to the castle-topped village of Simena, possibly one of the most beautiful settings on the Mediterranean. A tiny village accessible only on foot or by boat (it has no roads), its harbour is dotted with ancient sarcophagi (tombs), Roman baths and houses that cling to a hillside beneath a medieval castle. Hiking up to the castle, we'll find a tiny ancient theatre within its walls (the smallest in Lycia, with a seating capacity for about 300 people). Carved from solid rock it's a wonderful place to sit and soak up the beautiful surroundings and layers of history. En-route to Simena, we'll visit the sunken city of Kekova by boat where you can enjoy a BBQ lunch on board. The results of various earthquakes, the partly submerged streets and buildings are visible in the crystal-clear waters and there are visible mosaic pavements, terracotta amphorae, walls and staircases that once formed part of this remote island community. Afterwards, we'll return to Kas for our final evening. Today's 10 kilometre/6.2 miles walk is expected to take around 3 hours with 20 metres/66 feet of ascent and 370 metres/1,215 feet of descent.

Our trip ends today at Dalaman Airport. There'll be two transfers provided to Dalman Airport (DLM) today, which is around a 2 hour and 30 minute drive from the hotel. The morning transfer will be at 7am to arrive at the airport by 9:45am and another later in the day departing at 4:30pm to arrive at the Airport for around 7pm. The earliest your flight can depart is 11:15am or 9pm.