While almost all trekkers who visit Patara walk the Lycian way to Delikkemer via the aqueduct, few people take the long way round, via Vali point. In some ways this is not the best of treks due to the prevalence of trekking on the forest roads, the views that you are awarded as you trek are a treat. From Delikkemer you descend past the striking turquoise of Firnaz bay, to the rocky coastline hiding many coves perfect for a dip. As you climb up the hill above Patara the vie

Sidyma is one of our favorite ancient cities, of the innumerable numbers of ancient remains in Turkey. The city itself is nestled among st the picturesque hamlet of Hisar, a sub village of Dodurga, Western Lycia. The situation of Sidyma is a very defensive spot nestled above steep cliffs, not visible from below or from the sea. Many of the very old settlements of Lycia are in places like this, but were frequently abandoned during the Roman period, when defense was much less

The telephone alarm wakes me at 07:00, pitch darkness, driving rain battering our terracotta roof tiles. The close rumble of thunder. Lets get out of bed and go trekking! If just to prove that trekking in Lycia is a year round activity, up I get, ready the water proof trousers and gaiters. We had planned to go to the highlands but the forecast showed 2 degrees and drizzle. Safest recourse was the old stormy day fallback, the Patara Aqueduct trek. For some reason, whene

Rocky is just a word, Treking in Lycia is a song of stone. While almost all of the Lycian coast is limestone formed, the area between Kalkan and Kekova has the hardest, therefore sharpest rocks available anywhere. Ken Harvey, our local trekking Geologist explained the formation of the hard, sharp rocks that almost look volcanic, with holes and stacks to be found. The passing of water through the limestone, dissolving some of the minerals, leaves the red clay earth which ma

The south coast of Turkey differs from the western Aegean coast in that while the Aegean is made up of lines of hill perpendicular to the sea, with the warm maritime air drifting up the valleys far inland, on the southern coast, the mountain run parallel to the sea, making a very sharp divide between the narrow coastal strip and the continental climate zones only 15 km inland. With the sun bleaching the south faces of the mountains, the norther faces are cooler and damper, i

A trek on the St Nicholas Trail and Lycian way, following the trail of the heretic christians of Lycia

We walked straight from Kaş, the ancient Antiphellos. Antiphellos means 'against Phellos', figuratively 'below Phellos' or 'port of Phellos'. The trek route is well parked and about 12 km in total. Distance is not great but you will climb up 900m of vertical ascent! The site of Phellos is overgrown and has never been fully excavated. Recently there have been some illegal digs which have exposed a mosaic near the heroon. #lycianway #Kaş #Antiphellos #Phellos #Trekking

Trekking in Turkish Mountains filled with Christian remains

We were blessed with the bright clear weather which can frequently make winter walking in Lycia a pleasure. Our trek started from the pass of Kuruova at 1560meters high. We descended on forest tracks lined with Cedar and Juniper, the fresh smells like a soap powder advert. Passing some massively wide oak trees we find the track snake-ing it's way into the Kibris canyon, a nature reserve compelete with Caracal and Ibex. we crossed a slightly exciting wooden bridge over the

From the rocky outcrop of Trysa, the rulers of Central Lycian could look down on their dominion, with views to the Gelodonya cape in the east to the sound of Kekova in the south to Phellos, the next major city in the west. At the height. At the height of their wealth, as a part of the Persian empire, the ruling family built the 'Heroon', a hero's tomb. This grand mausoleum was on the high ridge of Trysa, a walled sanctuary, the upper stones of the walls were decorated with