The enchanting hiking trail of Turkey's Mediterranean coast
On the southern coast of Turkey, a hiking trail stretches over 500 kilometers through the ancient Lycian region, which is a real treat for history-loving travelers.
It is an extraordinary place in terms of nature: picturesque beaches and coastal views, the turquoise Mediterranean Sea, mountains, forests, cliffs. Lycia is also a portal to the history of a very old civilization: the ruins of ancient cities, rock tombs and amphitheaters give a glimpse of the glory days of the past.
We'll go and get to know it better in the spring. This is the best time to hike in Lycia, because the weather is already reminiscent of Estonian summer! We plan to cover selected sections of the hiking trail during the week. We will travel with a daypack (we can leave larger things on the bus), we will stay in guesthouses.
Who is this trip for?
The Lycian Way hike is a great opportunity for those who still find mountain hiking too much (or simply don't want to at the moment), but who want to expand their hiking portfolio with a multi-day outdoor hike.
It is a coastal trail with a lot of ups and downs. On some days, the total ascent is around 1000 m and we are on the trail for 5-8 hours. So the physical strain is quite considerable. On the other hand, we are in civilization with “one foot” the whole time: we spend the night between the sheets, there is no need to worry about cooking or carrying a large backpack.
Overview - short & sweet
Objective: to complete selected sections of the Lycian Way
Dates: 22.03—29.03.2024
Activity: hiking
Adventure guide: Helena Meriste
Technical difficulty level: 1/5 (easy mountain hike; read more From the FAQ page)
Physical difficulty: 2/5 (moderate effort; read more From the FAQ page)
Group size: 13 (including 1 guide)
Early bird (until 31.12.2023) – €950
For slightly later (from 01.01.2024) – €1050
Please note: For community members discount -5% applies (902.5/997.5 €)
Trip price
PRICE INCLUDES
All overnight stays during the trip (hotel in the city, guesthouses/camping cabins on the trail)
All transfers and all local transportation
All breakfasts
Group pharmacy
Hiking organization and conduct by a local hiking guide with experience
Tickets for archaeological attractions along the route (including the ancient city of Phaselis, the ruins of Olympos, the ancient city of Myra)
Stylish Elamus+ designed sports shirt
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE
Flight tickets (Tallinn-Antalya-Tallinn)*
Insurance (travel insurance and sports insurance)
Personal camping equipment (including toiletries and medication)
Meals after breakfast
Unscheduled excursions, transportation, etc. (or if you want to do something extra)
*We coordinate the purchase of flight tickets within the group so that we always take the same flights and arrive on time. If you want to arrive earlier or leave later - this is of course allowed. Please note that if you arrive or leave at a different time than the others, you will have to pay for the airport transfer yourself.
Registration for the trip
Before registering, please read travel conditions. To secure your place on the trip, a deposit (3%) must be paid within 20 business days of receiving the confirmation and invoice by email; if there are less than 30 days left until the trip, the total cost (100%) must be paid. Read more: frequently asked questions ja package tour information sheet.
Schedule and activities
Day 1: Arrival
On the first day we fly from Tallinn to Antalya, the center of the Mediterranean region of Turkey. According to current flight schedules, there are no direct flights at this time, so the flight takes up most of the day. Upon arrival, we head to the hotel and then have time to explore the city and acclimatize to the Mediterranean air. Your body, recovering from the Estonian winter, may be a little skeptical at first, but I promise it will pass quickly. We will find a nice place for dinner in the old town, smell the sea breeze and taste the best.
Day 2: Phaselis Ancient City, Ulupinar-Çıralı and Eternal Flames of Chimaera
We wake up early (but not too early), eat our fill at the hotel and pack for the bus. We drive an hour out of the city to the ancient city of Phaselis. The history of the city of Phaselis dates back almost 2700 years. It is said that Alexander the Great spent his winter vacation there in 333 BC and it must be said that he chose a pretty beautiful place. We explore the ruins of the city and those who wish can take their first dip of the season in the crystal clear sea water.
Then we take the bus a little further (15 minutes) to the Ulupinari waterfalls. While admiring the rushing water in the middle of the pine forest, we can have a light lunch at a local restaurant and then it is (finally) time to put on our backpacks and set off on the hiking trail.
The journey to Çıralı (about 9 km, up to 4 hours) goes through some ups and downs — nothing extreme, but a considerable warm-up for the following days.
A few kilometers before reaching our overnight stop, we pass the eternal flames of Chimaera, or, as they are also called, the burning rocks. Yes, you read that right. The fact is that natural gas is emitted from the cracks in the rocks there, which has been sustaining dozens of smaller and larger fires for centuries.
We admire with a full appetite and then descend the last few kilometers until we reach the seaside town of Çıralı, which is our final destination for the day. We settle in at our accommodation, have dinner and rest.
Day 3: Çıralı-Olympos-Adrasan
After breakfast and several cups of strong Turkish tea, we do a quick morning workout and set off without further ado — today's journey will take a little longer. Oh well, we'll also find time to buy some snacks from the local shop.
The trail begins gently and gently on the beach sand. Then we enter the ancient city of Olympos. We slow down, explore the ruins and imagine ourselves as ancient heroes and heroines (optional).
Then we leave the ruins of civilization and start climbing higher and higher on a rocky forest path. In total, we climb over 900 meters that day. The higher we get, the more beautiful the views become, so it's worth it. As much as we climb, we also descend: by evening we reach the town of Adrasan, surrounded by fields of pomegranate trees.
The plan for the evening is to rest, eat, and treat the first blisters if necessary.
Day 4: Adrasan-Karaöz
We repeat our morning rituals, pack our things and set off. I'll be honest: this is the longest and hardest day. There will be over 1000 m of ascent, a distance of 20 km and we will be on the trail for about 9 hours. And as these things always go, it is also arguably the most beautiful part of our journey! The blue-blue sea will not be out of sight for a moment. Afterwards, of course, we will have to ask ourselves whether it was really necessary to take pictures to fill the phone's memory in one day.
We head to the lighthouse at the tip of the Gelidonya Peninsula, which is also the southernmost point of the Lycian Way. From there, the next overnight stop, Karaöz, is not far away. Karaöz is an ideal place to recharge your batteries (both yours and your phone's), because apart from the beach, eating and sleeping, there are no special attractions there. So we have dinner together and show who still has the energy for it, and then we go shopping.
Day 5: Demre, Myra and Simena
For those who feel like hiking is the last thing they want to do in the morning, there is good news. Today we are taking it very, very easy. The section of the Lycian Way from Karaöz is quite dull for hiking, running mostly along roads. Therefore, we take a bus instead and drive an hour to the town of Demre, where we explore the ruins of Myra, the amphitheater and the rock tombs. Then we drive a few more kilometers to the village of Kaleköy, where we enjoy lunch near the sunken city of Simena. If you are in the mood for climbing, you can enjoy climbing the Simena Fortress. But the rest of the day you can also just dip your toes in the sea water and enjoy the surroundings.
Day 6: Demre-Boğazcık-Limanagzı-Kaş
We wake up at dawn, have breakfast and cover the first few kilometres with the help of a bus: we drive 40 minutes to the settlement of Boğazcık. From there we start the last, more serious day of hiking along the beautiful rocky coast. 15 kilometres of hiking, around 500 metres of ascent (but we descend 750 metres!). In total, we are on the road for 5-6 hours. We pass through old port villages, where we will definitely take a break for a café and a swim. By the afternoon we reach Limanağzı, where a bus is waiting for us to reduce our walking effort by the last kilometres. We drive to Kaş — a lovely bohemian port town. Romantic narrow stone streets, restaurants, handicraft shops… it may happen that some group members will never want to leave. By the way, those who wish have the opportunity to relax their stiff bodies in a hammam!
Day 7: Kaş-Antalya
We quietly start to pull together the details of the hike. From morning to early afternoon there is free time: it can be spent enjoying a rich breakfast, sleeping in, or wandering around Kaş (other modes of transport are also welcome). In the afternoon we pack ourselves for the bus and head to Antalya. Then: city leave! We will have a long evening in Antalya, which everyone can spend exactly as their heart desires.
Day 8: Home!
The city permit lasts until it's time to go to the airport. When exactly, you'll find out when you buy your plane tickets. Until then, you can load your luggage full of Turkish Delight, take pictures of the Old Town's cat colony, and eat Turkish ice cream one or more times.
NB! There may be minor changes to the schedule and planned activities - for example, due to weather and conditions or passenger requests.
What to consider when hiking in Lycia?
food and drink
We eat breakfast at the accommodation. You can count on an endless amount of black tea, olives, bread, different toppings, eggs, different cheeses, something fresh and probably something baked. Experience shows that this fuel will last for a good few hours!
During the day we feed ourselves with snacks, which we each stock up on ourselves. You can bring some from Estonia if you like, but there are also plenty of shops along the way where you can replenish your supplies.
In the evenings we eat at local restaurants.
Regarding drinking water: it is wise to drink bottled water. As mentioned above, there are frequent enough stops to replenish your supplies on the go. At the beginning of the hiking day, you should stock up on 2-3 liters of water in your backpack.
IS THE SUN STILL SHINE?
Yes. The end of March is one of the best times to hike in this area. The air temperature is around 20 degrees, and since hiking can get really hot, you don't want the air temperature to be much higher. After sunset, the air gets cooler, and you should take this into account when packing your clothes. You should also consider the possibility of rain. The sea is not quite warm enough for a swim, but for the brave, there is definitely a chance of a refreshing dip.
Is the internet still available?
For those who want to stay connected to the world, it is most sensible to buy a local SIM for this week. The price should be around €30. However, it should be noted that on some parts of the hike, the network connection is almost non-existent. This is not a problem in villages and overnight stays.
Can I pay by card on site?
Most places accept credit cards. However, it is worth exchanging some Turkish lira on the spot — in some smaller places it may be more convenient. For food (for daily snacks and dinner), €15 per day should be enough.
How to pack a bag?
It's quite simple:
We will be hiking with a daypack (20-35 l, the size of a school bag), which should hold 2-3 l of drinking water, snacks, a few necessary items of clothing (e.g. a jacket), sunscreen, and basic hygiene and first aid supplies.
We can send unnecessary things during the day to the next overnight stay by bus. Since we need quite a few things on this trip, we can also agree when buying plane tickets to buy 2 lower piece of luggage for 3-1 people. That is more than enough. I recommend that you prefer a larger hiking backpack or even a sports bag to a suitcase for large luggage.
See equipment list from here.
Travel documents and flights
The participant is responsible for the validity and orderliness of their travel documents. The following documents are required for this trip:
pass: Estonian citizens can stay in Turkey visa-free for up to 90 days within a six-month period, the passport must be valid for at least 150 days from the date of arrival in the country;
travel insurance;
A hiking-friendly option is also recommended. sports insuranceif travel insurance does not cover it.
Flight tickets are not included in the price, but we ask that you consult with the tour guide in advance when purchasing them, to ensure that you purchase the right tickets at the right time and to the right destination. We will keep those registered for the trip informed about flight availability and schedule.
More questions? See frequently asked questions or ask the adventure guide.
