The Lycian Way

The Lycian Way

Until the 1950s, the only way to reach the Lycian Coast was by boat or by bone-rattling trips through the mountains in antiquated motor vehicles. Even the main roads of today date only from the 1970s. This is why the stretch of the Turquoise Riviera between Antalya and Fethiye remains remarkably unspoiled. And it's also why it was the perfect place to site Turkey's first and most famous long-distance trekking route, the Lycian Way.

The footpath runs for over 300 miles, marked by red-and-white painted blazes every 50-100 yards along tractor tracks by the sea, following ancient Roman roads, and sometimes clambering up barely visible goat tracks to peaks that rise to nearly 6,500 feet at Mt. Tahtali, one of many high mountains known as Mt. Olympos in antiquity. The upsides include breathtaking views, discovering innumerable ancient ruins, and a chance to accept hospitality in villages little touched by tourism or time. The downside is that backpacks can get heavy and skills with a compass or satellite positioning devices are essential to avoid becoming lost in regions where few people pass by. Despite government support, the track has no legal status and is subject to adjustments due to landslides and fencing by landowners. If you lose the trail of red-and-white flashes, go back to the last one you saw and try again. Be aware, too, that the yellow-and-green Lycian Way signposts are not maintained by their original sponsor, an Istanbul bank, and can be misleading.

It would take a month to walk the Lycian Way from end to end, so most people choose to do a section at a time, camping on high pastures, bathing in remote coves, or relaxing in pansiyons on the way. A few sections are for more serious trekkers, but Kate Clow, the Englishwoman who first designed and mapped the Lycian Way in 2000, recommends several popular day walks near Olympos, including one between Adrasan and Olympos over Mt. Musa; one between Olympos and Tekirova, over the high mountains between Beycik and Gedelme; and one from Karaöz or Adrasan to the lighthouse on Taslik Point. Finding a starting point is easy with Clow's handbook to the trail, or if you spot one of trail markers. Clow's book The Lycian Way is the only guide and source of good maps of the route, and the Web site www.lycianway.com has updates and satellite grid references. As a trekking agent and mule organizer, Clow recommends Middle Earth Travel (Gaferli Mah., Cevizler Sok. No. 20, Göreme, Nevsehir, 50180. 384/271-2558 or 384/271-2559. 384/271-2562. www.middleearthtravel.com).

The best times to trek are in February to mid-March (sometimes rainy but always fresh), early May to mid-July (when spring flowers are out), or September to mid-November (when the sea water is warm and the weather cooler). And when you've finished the Lycian Way, you can try Clow's new project, the St. Paul Trail, which tracks the apostle's journey from Perge/Aspendos north through the canyons of the Toros mountains to Antioch in Pisidia.