Skip to main content
Radar Türkiye
Discover events in the app
Open
Radar Türkiye

Walking the Lycian Way, Following the Red and White Marks

Seen from above, the coast of the Teke Peninsula looks like a chain of coves, headlands and pine forests.

Radar TürkiyeRadar Türkiye30 Eylül 202630
No ratings yet

Sign in to like and rate

Walking the Lycian Way, Following the Red and White Marks

Seen from above, the coast of the Teke Peninsula looks like a chain of coves, headlands and pine forests. Once you come down and start walking, you notice something else: for centuries this coast has been stitched together by stone-paved roads, mule tracks and village passes. The Lycian Way is the long-distance walking route that gathers these old roads into a single line, running from the Ölüdeniz coast of Fethiye to Geyikbayırı in Antalya's Konyaaltı district.

This article is written for anyone thinking of walking it. You will find how the route was born, how to read its waymarks, which sections it is made of, the ancient cities you will meet along the way, the months to walk it, how to deal with water and heat, and what to prepare before you set off. The aim is not to get you to finish the whole route in one go, but to help you plan a weekend, a week or a month on this path properly.

How a Route Was Born

The Lycian Way was researched, designed and waymarked by Kate Clow, a British amateur historian who has lived in Turkey since 1989. The route opened in 1999 and, in the words of Kültür Portalı, became Turkey's first long-distance walking route. The waymarking was carried out by volunteers with the support of a bank. The Culture Routes Society describes the purpose of the route as identifying and protecting some of Turkey's old roads.

The path is not a newly cut trail. Kültür Portalı writes that these routes are historic roads that linked the ancient cities of Lycia, that they were renewed in the Roman period and that they were notably rebuilt and repaired under the Emperor Claudius. The society also notes that most of the route consists of Roman roads, old footpaths and mule trails, and that the ground is hard and stony in many places. For this reason the path is not considered suitable for mountain bikes, and it involves frequent steep climbs and descents between the coast and the mountains.

You will come across different figures for its length, and there is a reason for that. According to the Turkish Wikipedia, the route was 509 kilometres long when it opened; Kültür Portalı still speaks of about 540 kilometres and an average walk of one month. The Culture Routes Society, however, now describes the route, including newly added sections, as 760 kilometres and a 35-day walk. Local path networks around Fethiye, Kemer and Konyaaltı have also been linked to the route over time. Whichever figure you take, this is not a walk to be finished in a few days but a landscape to be discovered section by section.

Red and White Waymarks

The Lycian Way is marked with red and white paint marks that follow the tradition of the European GR long-distance footpaths. The mark consists of a white stripe above a red stripe and is painted on suitable rocks or tree trunks so that it can be seen from both directions. This way, everyone walking the route from west to east or from east to west can follow the same marks. The English Wikipedia states that the marks are placed roughly every 50 metres on footpaths and less often on dirt roads.

A mark with a red cross painted over it tells you not to go that way. At junctions there are yellow direction signs. The society notes that waymarks are renewed every two years on new routes and every four to five years on established ones. Where you cannot see a mark, the thing to do is simple: go back to the last mark you saw and look around until you find the next one. If you have not seen a mark for a long time, it is very likely that you have strayed from the path.

The route keeps changing. The society says that the line is frequently redrawn because of new roads, quarries, construction, land sales and landslides, and it keeps the current route on OpenStreetMap. So rather than blindly following an old GPS track, you need to check an up-to-date map. The society also warns that some hiking apps show old versions of the route. Its route updates have reported fake waymarks around a few villages that steer walkers towards particular businesses; if the marks and the map disagree, stopping to check is a good habit.

Sections from West to East

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism's Lycian Way page divides the route into 31 map sheets; walkers, however, mostly think of it in terms of daily sections between villages. The western end lies within the borders of Muğla. On the first section, from Ovacık and Hisarönü to Faralya, turning right off the main track before you reach Faralya opens up the view of Butterfly Valley. The route passes above the valley; the path down into it is descended by holding on to ropes fixed to steep rocks, and the Ministry's page states that this descent is very dangerous for those carrying heavy loads or for inexperienced walkers.

Next, the route descends to Patara via Kabak, Alınca, Yediburunlar and Gavurağılı; between Kabak and Yediburunlar there are two separate options, one along the coast and one inland. After Patara you reach Kaş via Kalkan, Bezirgan, Sarıbelen and Gökçeören. The coast between Kaş and Kekova, the section from Üçağız to Demre and the section from Demre via Alakilise to Finike make up the middle part of the route. In the eastern half you cross from Karaöz to Cape Gelidonya and Adrasan, and from there to Olympos and Çıralı.

After Çıralı the route splits in two. The coastal branch continues north via Tekirova and Phaselis. The mountain branch climbs from Beycik to the pass west of Mount Tahtalı; the Ministry's page describes this stretch as running among centuries-old cedar and juniper trees and snow hollows. The two branches meet at Gedelme and the route ends at Geyikbayırı via Göynük and Hisarçandır. The English Wikipedia gives İncegeriş Hill, at 1,811 metres, as the highest point of the route. For a short holiday, easily reached sections such as Kaş to Kekova, Adrasan to Olympos or Çıralı to Tekirova make a good start.

Ancient Cities Along the Way

According to the Culture Routes Society, the path passes about 25 remote historical sites. On this route you approach the cities not by car but on foot, along the old paths that linked them. In the west come Pinara and Sidyma, Letoon and Ksantos, and then the old port city of Patara. In the middle part of the route lie Antiphellos in Kaş, Aperlai near Üçağız, Apollonia near Boğazcık, and in Demre, Myra and the port city of Andriake.

Between Kekova and Demre the society rearranged the route in 2017. The path now passes the remains of İstlada from Üçağız, follows a Roman road between Kapaklı and Hoyran and calls at the cleared ruins of Hoyran. In Demre, the path described on the Ministry's page leads from the pebble beach along a narrow track to a wooden bridge, and from there through the archaeological site of Andriake to the main road. In the east, Olympos, Yanartaş at Çıralı and Phaselis, set against the shore, are the last major stops on the route.

Exploring most of these cities in detail takes more time than fits into a walking day. If you want to add an ancient city to your plan, keep that day's distance short and check the current visiting conditions of the site on the Ministry's official website.

When to Walk

The Culture Routes Society's advice is clear: the best periods are February to May or September to November. The society also notes that February is often milder and sunnier than March. In spring there is still snow on the high hills and the slopes are covered in flowers. From January to early April there is usually snow above 1,500 metres; take this into account if you are planning the mountain branch around Tahtalı in these months.

From mid-December to the end of January most of Turkey sees violent storms and snow, and the society advises against walking in this period. Summer, on the other hand, is too hot for long walks on this coast. The air cools as you climb; the society reminds walkers that the temperature drops by about 7 degrees for every 1,000 metres, but on the coastal sections you cannot benefit from this coolness.

Water and Heat

Finding water in villages is usually easy; the society states that every village has clean water points such as springs, fountains or drinking troughs. The problem starts on the long stretches between villages. According to the Ministry's page, after Kalkan drinking water can only be found at the fountains in Bezirgan. The society writes that there is no water at all on the Elmayanı to Çitdibi section, which was moved from a forest road onto a footpath in 2020, and that the nearest source is at Üçsöğüt.

In dry summers wells and springs can run dry from August onwards, and the society stresses that this risk is seen particularly on the Carian Way and the Lycian Way. Between June and the end of October you need to purify well water with iodine or sterilising tablets, or boil it. Plan each day around the next reliable water point and put enough water in your pack to cover that distance. On a hot day, spending the midday hours in the shade and splitting the walk between morning and late afternoon saves both your water and your strength.

Preparation and Safety

On the limestone ground wear thick-soled boots, preferably with ankle support. Long trousers and a long-sleeved shirt are useful on stretches with dense thorny scrub. In late autumn and early spring, waterproofs and a head torch should also be in your pack. The society says that even on the longest section you need to carry no more than two days' food, and that simple food such as bread and cheese can be asked for from villagers.

For accommodation there are village houses, guesthouses and small hotels along the route, and for those walking with their own tent there are camping places near water. Light fires only in existing fireplaces and put them out completely before leaving; carrying a gas stove for cooking is the safest option. Cover up when passing through villages and do not walk bare-chested. If you meet shepherd dogs, call loudly for the shepherd rather than waving a stick.

The society states that the route is generally safe to walk alone, but that you should not walk alone in mist or heavy rain. On mountain sections near or above the tree line, have a GPS or a phone with an up-to-date map with you. A small first-aid kit, a charged phone and the contact details of search and rescue teams such as AKUT should be a permanent part of your pack. Telling someone the day's route before you set off is also a simple but effective precaution.

Sources

Comments

0/1000

Be the first to comment