Hike Through History: Türkiye’s Lycian Way Ranked The World’s Most Beautiful Trail

Published on November 3, 2025

The Lycian Way has a full magnitude of 540 kilometres (335 miles) and is simply a coastal way that originates astatine Fethiye municipality of Muğla and ends astatine Antalya connected Turkiye’s confederate Mediterranean seashore . Time Out has awarded nan Lycian Way nan golden badge for nan astir beautiful hike successful nan world. With nan Time Out award, this way now has world nickname for nan upland and oversea views on pinch nan archaeological remnants nan way contains.

The Lycian Way is nan 1st connected nan database of astir scenic stepping routes successful nan world of this publication based successful nan United Kingdom and highlights nan measurement arsenic 1 of nan astir beautiful agelong region hikes connected earth. Its unsocial operation of ancient ruins, conifer woodland, and agrarian Turkish countryside makes nan hike a genuinely divers and beautiful experience.

The Mediterranean Route betwixt Fethiye and Antalya

The way Lycian Way starts astatine Fethiye and finishes astatine Antalya is pinned connected nan Mediterranean Turkiye border. These 2 cities on pinch nan way is possibly on nan astir visited Turkiye tourism locations . The ancient region of Lycia is filled pinch nan metropolis regions which day backmost each nan measurement to nan 2nd period BC, now filled pinch stunning ruins that make nan region look untouched.

The way originates astatine Fethiye and reaches Geyikbayırı, southbound of Antalya, aft skirting on various landmarks specified arsenic nan Patara Beach, Ölüdeniz Lagoon, nan ancient metropolis of Myr, and nan butterfly valley. The way attracts galore section and and world climbers for its upland paths and show of oceans and cliffs.

The way tin beryllium done successful parts, arsenic good arsenic successful full, and is marked pinch achromatic and reddish waymarks. This includes aggregate weeks of hiking. The parts of nan twelvemonth astir sought aft are outpouring and fall, for they connection mild temperatures on pinch a blossoming Mediterranean area.

Heritage and Tourism on nan Lycian Way

The Lycian Way is simply a hike that is complete 25 kilometers agelong and features aggregate humanities sites. This includes nan Xanthos and Patara, Letoon which are important to UNESCO world heritage. Travelers are capable to witnesser and observe Roman Amphitheatres, Lycian stone tombs, and Byzantine churches rich | successful history of nan area.

Coastal towns on nan way connection guesthouses and accomodation specified arsenic Kaş, Finike, Kalkan, Demre and welcoming accepted turkish food. Many of the…

Local municipal governments, tourism bodies, and hiking groups collaborate successful maintaining nan way to facilitate easy usage and guarantee nan preservation of nan environment. It is captious to nan enhancement and multi-faceted promotion of tourism and sustainable recreation successful nan full region to attain a due equilibrium betwixt nan protection of taste practice and tourism development.

Fethiye and Antalya: The Port of Entry to nan Lycian Way

Both Fethiye and Antalya are nan main points of entree for travelers who are starting aliases ending nan Lycian Way.

Fethiye, successful nan Muğla province, is celebrated for its beautiful harbor, animated marketplaces, and a number of hiking destinations specified arsenic Babadağ Mountain and Saklıkent Gorge. Its location adjacent to Ölüdeniz, 1 of nan astir photographed beaches successful each of Türkiye, makes it a convenient starting constituent for nan trail.

At nan different extremity of nan trail, Antalya is arsenic convenient for hikers who are completing nan line. The metropolis is location to nan aged municipality of Kaleiçi arsenic good arsenic respective Roman buildings, including Hadrian’s Gate, and is surrounded by luxury resorts for relaxation aft nan hike. It is served by nan AYT airport, which is good connected to respective awesome cities successful Europe and nan Middle East; arsenic a result, Antalya is simply a reasonably celebrated destination for world travelers.

Ecotourism and Sustainable Travel

In Turkey, nan Lycian Way has pioneered nan conception of ecotourism and promoted nan thought of slow recreation and community-based tourism. Most of nan hikers walk nan nighttime successful family-run guesthouses, eat location nutrient offered to them, and bargain handmade souvenirs straight from nan villagers. This ensures nan income resulting from tourism gets circulated to these smaller communities and helps clasp their accepted ways.

In addition, preserving nan ecological equilibrium on nan way has besides begun. Care groups, on pinch section governments, activity together to beforehand responsible travel, including nan simplification of waste, on nan route, strict adherence to way sanitation, and conservation of endemic works species.

There are besides immoderate quote biology groups who usage nan way to beforehand outdoor activities that conserve nan region’s earthy assets. This has led them to see it to beryllium nan astir sustainable shape of tourism on nan Mediterranean.

Recognition successful Global Tourism Rankings

Time Out’s summation of nan Lycian Way to Time Out’s nickname database was a portion of a number of world awards that nan Turkish tourism sights received. In nan magazine, on pinch nan Inca Trail successful Peru, nan Camino de Santiago successful Spain, and nan Torres del Paine Circuit successful Chile, for nan remainder of them, nan Lycian Way was classed nan highest for its assortment and easiness of access.

The ranking is expected to summation world consciousness of nan way and pull much visitors seeking long-distance trekking experiences that harvester quality and culture.

Travel agencies some successful Turkey and different countries connection guided and self-guided packages on nan Lycian Way. These packages scope from short three-day sections to consolidated afloat twenty-five-day expeditions. These packages are often paired pinch taste excursions to adjacent ancient sites and moreover to definite coastal towns.

Travel Tips for Exploring nan Lycian Way

The champion clip to sojourn is successful betwixt March and May and September to November. These are nan times erstwhile nan temperatures are mean and nan trails are astatine their astir picturesque.

The trouble level for astir sections is mean to challenging. The terrain varies greatly and whitethorn see a operation of upland tracks and coastal paths arsenic good arsenic agrarian roads.

Accommodation on nan way offers impermanent houses and mini hotels arsenic good arsenic campsites. Kaş and Kalkan are 2 towns successful which group often connection typical accommodations for those travelling nan route.

Public carrier to astir trailheads is offered by buses and section dolmuş which are shared minivans. These buses tin beryllium boarded from adjacent towns and moreover from nan airports astatine Fethiye and Antalya.

Conclusion

The Lycian Way has been cited arsenic nan world’s astir beautiful hiking way and has truthful brought a important magnitude of escapade tourism to Turkey. The way marvelously dips from Fethiye to Antalya and is laden pinch ancient ruins, agrarian landscapes, coastal scenery, and rich | culture.

With nan expanding liking from each complete nan world, much and much hikers are apt to sojourn nan Lycian Way for its genuine and eco-friendly hiking adventures on nan beautiful Mediterranean seashore of Türkiye.