Both Sports and Travel! Lycian Way, One of the Most Beautiful Walking Routes in the World

The Lycian region, which literally means “Land of Light”, covers the area where the Gulfs of Fethiye and Antalya flow into the Mediterranean, today called the Teke Peninsula. The Lycian walking route is the first of Turkey’s first long-term walking trails and among the 10 longest walking trails in the world, with 19 of the 52 ancient cities in this section.

In this article, we will briefly talk about the Lycian Way to give you, our readers, a general idea, because some things cannot be explained, you have to go and see them in person.

What is the Lycian Way?

It is known that work began in 1992 and it was opened to service in 1999 with the marking of some parts of its paths, but the Lycian Way we are talking about covers a distance of 555 km starting from Fethiye and extending to Antalya, so you can guess that the Lycian Way walking route was brought to tourism with great effort.

We should definitely mention a name that pioneered the walking route, which is still being worked on by the adults, in this article.

Inventor of the Route

Kate Clow states that she came to Istanbul for a project in the 90s and since she was already a traveler, she came to Antalya for a vacation when she had the opportunity due to her interest in archeology and nature. It is not hard to guess what happens next in the story. Kate Clow, who still lives in Antalya today, continues her research on the Lycian Way after being convinced that Antalya is the place she is looking for and continues to produce many guidebook-like works in this field. In the years before the pandemic, the Lycian Way was on the list as one of the paths walked by approximately 2000 people per year, while visitors who want to take photos of its unique landscapes exceed this number.

What to Pay Attention to on the Lycian Way?

The Lycian Way has multiple walking trails. Some of the trails are 4-5 or 8-10 hours long. Walking the entire path can easily take 45 days. The difficulty level of the Lycian Way that you have decided to walk is medium-high. In other words, there are several things that must be taken into consideration for those who will have such an experience for the first time.

First of all, the path you start walking takes place on a coastline in a geography that can only be called mountainous terrain. You should take care to have enough water with you. Although there are nomadic villages in the mountainous terrain where you can ask for help in any case, you should protect yourself from scorpions, insects, ticks or other animals that the forests host in nature.

Choosing the right clothing is another factor. It is useful to definitely prefer lightweight shoes that wrap around your ankles and cotton clothes. There are signs and markings that guide you throughout the walk, but the signs are not the same in every area. You should also carefully choose the walking equipment you want to carry with you just in case, because the weights in your bag may force you to take a break while you are walking.

Advice for Adventurers

The best times to walk the Lycian Way are April-May and September-November. At the same time, it may be relatively easier to cope with the difficulties brought by nature during these months. During the walk, many ancient cities that hosted Greek and Roman civilizations are seen, so we recommend that you have a history book with you in addition to the Lycian Way book written by Kate Clow. In addition, at this point, it will be very helpful for you to review the Lycian Way page prepared by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism during the preparation phase before and during the walk.

Documentaries and researches that show the starting and ending points of the walking trails with maps and provide general information about the places you see during the walk are presented in sufficient detail. You can access this information from the link.

If you are choosing this walk for the first time by leaving your comfort zone, there are camping areas on some routes where you can use the toilets, and checking them before you start would be one of the right decisions you will make. If you decide to do this walk, do not forget that the most beautiful views in the world will accompany you.

Written by: Şebnem Gürer