Paradise Found: Walking the Lycian Way's Most Stunning Sections

The morning air at 650 metres carries a particular quality—cool enough to require a light fleece, scented with Turkish pine, and clear enough that the Mediterranean, spread below like rumpled silk, seems close enough to touch. From the terrace of Liberty Villas 33, perched above Yeniköy village, the view stretches across bays and peninsulas to Greek islands floating on the horizon. Coffee in hand, the plan for the day's walk takes shape: which section of the Lycian Way to explore, with the certainty of returning here by sunset.

This is day hiking at its finest—the ability to cherry-pick the best sections of one of the world's great long-distance trails without the burden of multi-day packs, tent camping, or the logistics of linear routes. Over the course of a week, six different segments of the Lycian Way are accessible, each offering something unique, all manageable from this single, strategically positioned base.

The Trail That Time Forgot (But We Didn't)

The Lycian Way winds for 540 kilometres along Turkey's southwestern coast, from Fethiye to Antalya, tracing pathways that have existed for millennia. Some sections follow ancient Lycian roads, stone-paved routes that connected mountain cities with coastal ports. Others follow goat tracks and shepherd paths, high-altitude routes where the air thins and views expand to encompass entire mountain ranges.

The Lycian civilisation flourished here from the 15th century BCE until Roman conquest in 43 CE, leaving behind carved tombs, sarcophagi, and city ruins that dot the landscape. Walking these trails means stepping constantly between past and present—a modern waymarked path suddenly becomes 2,000-year-old paving stones, perfectly preserved under pine needles and time.

But it's the natural beauty that earned Time Out's accolade. The trail navigates between two worlds: the brilliant turquoise Mediterranean below and the pine-forested peaks above. The vertical drama creates constantly shifting perspectives—sometimes one walks at sea level where waves crash against limestone cliffs, moments later the path is on exposed ridges where the trail serpentines visibly ahead for kilometres, suspended between sky and sea.

Day One: Kaş to Antiphellos Ancient City

The trail leaves Kaş heading west and begins climbing immediately through aromatic scrubland where cistus and wild thyme release fragrance. The town sounds quickly vanish, replaced by the chorus of cicadas. The ascent feels purposeful rather than punishing—300 metres gained over two kilometres, which is enough to earn the view without excessive fatigue.

At the high point, the entire bay of Kaş spreads below, with the Greek island of Kastellorizo floating on the horizon. The descent then leads through the scattered ruins of Antiphellos, Kaş's ancient predecessor. Rock-cut tombs line the path, including the most impressive structure: a temple-style tomb sitting alone on a cliff edge, chosen for its eternal sea view. Lunch can be enjoyed in the shade of these two-millennia-old structures.

Day Two: Kaş to Limanağzı Plajı

Starting from the eastern edge of Kaş harbour, the well-marked path immediately begins climbing the cliffs. The first kilometre is the steepest section, ascending quickly through olive trees. The path soon levels out, contouring along the coast approximately 100 metres above the sea.

The walking here is exhilarating, with the trail sometimes running close to the cliff edge. Look out for Loggerhead Sea Turtles below. About an hour in, the secluded coves of Limanağzı come into view. The path descends to the beach for a well-deserved swim. Several small, rustic beach restaurants are available for lunch. Regular boat taxis run frequently from Limanağzı back to Kaş harbour, offering a highly recommended 20-minute sea voyage to conclude the day.

Day Three: Kalkan to Bezirgan Village

Starting from Kalkan, the trail climbs relentlessly—450 metres gained through pine forest and ancient olive groves. The effort delivers proportional rewards at the 5-kilometre mark when the path emerges onto an open ridge, revealing the entire coastline, Patara Beach, and the Xanthos valley.

Bezirgan village appears suddenly, leading to the central kahvehane (Turkish coffeehouse). Here, village life unfolds at its own pace. The elderly men playing backgammon barely look up when walkers arrive—they've seen countless hikers pass through over the decades. Turkish tea arrives in tulip-shaped glasses, accompanied by warm conversation and genuine curiosity about where you've walked from.

Day Four: Yeniköy to İslamlar Village Circuit

Beginning close to Yeniköy, the trail contours along the 650-metre elevation line through pine forest and agricultural terraces. The gentle gradient makes this walk meditative. Look for wild orchids and tortoises. İslamlar village marks the halfway point, famous for its trout farming.

Lunch here, featuring freshly grilled trout caught from the village's spring-fed pools, is highly recommended. The return leg passes several isolated Lycian tombs carved into cliff faces. The rhythm of this walk—a late start, leisurely lunch, and mid-afternoon return—makes it ideal for integrating with pool time and rest.

Day Five: Patara Viewpoint Trail

An early start is critical for this exposed high-altitude route, which follows the ridgeline between 700 and 800 metres elevation. Spring brings an astonishing carpet of wildflowers—wild gladioli, orchids, and poppies paint the hillsides in saturated colours that seem impossible under the intensity of Mediterranean light.

Several sections traverse exposed cliff edges where the trail narrows, offering views of the entire path stretching ahead and the mountains rising behind. The silence here is profound—no villages, no roads, just wind, birdsong, and the distant susurration of the sea far below.

Day Six: Kaputaş Beach Coastal Section

The trail follows clifftops above a dramatic coastline, with frequent platform-like viewpoints where the walking pauses naturally. At the 3.5-kilometre mark, the trail reaches a viewpoint directly above Kaputaş Beach—a crescent of white sand wedged between towering cliffs, its water graduating from pale turquoise at the shore to deep sapphire offshore.

Stairs cut into the cliff provide access to the beach. This is the designated swimming stop. The water is startlingly clear and cold, even in summer. Loggerhead sea turtles are sometimes spotted swimming in the clear water far below.

Day Seven: Phellos Mountain Route

The trail to ancient Phellos climbs to 950 metres, gaining 600 vertical metres over 4 kilometres. Much of the ascent is on original Lycian stone steps—thousands of them, worn smooth by 2,500 years of feet. The engineering is remarkable; each step is placed with precision, the gradient never becoming punishing, the path switching back upon itself in elegant curves.

At the summit acropolis, a 360-degree panorama awaits: the Mediterranean stretches to the southern horizon, mountain ranges recede into haze to the north, and the modern world seems impossibly distant. The silence here is profound. The ruins themselves—theatre, agora, necropolis—are barely excavated, adding to the sense of discovery.

The Art of Day Walking

Multi-day trekking has its romance—the self-sufficiency, the linear progression, the stripped-down simplicity. But day walking from a fixed base offers something different: the freedom to walk hard, knowing comfort awaits. No need to ration water or carry three days of food. No setting up tents in the dark or waking to condensation-soaked sleeping bags.

From Liberty Villas 33, each morning begins the same way: coffee on the terrace, studying maps, checking weather, loading daypacks with water, snacks, and sun protection. The drive to each trailhead takes between 10 and 40 minutes, winding through villages where life proceeds at its ancient rhythm. Then the walking begins.

By mid-afternoon, back at the villa, the pool becomes the centrepiece of recovery. Muscles that worked hard all morning relax in cool water whilst the sun arcs toward its evening position. Dinner might be at one of the local restaurants in Kalkan or Kaş, or prepared at the villa using ingredients from the weekly market—tomatoes that taste like tomatoes should, olives cured by hand, bread still warm from the bakery.

Beyond the Trail

A week focused purely on walking would be remarkable enough, but this region offers compelling reasons to occasionally trade boots for beach time or cultural exploration. The ancient cities of Xanthos and Letoon, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, lie within easy reach. Patara Beach—18 kilometres of uninterrupted sand backed by dunes and ruins—provides the ideal counterpoint to mountain walking.

The town of Kaş itself deserves attention: a working harbour where fishing boats still land their catch each morning, waterfront restaurants where meze and fresh fish are served with effortless hospitality, and a warren of narrow streets where bougainvillea cascades from balconies and small shops sell everything from spices to hand-woven kilims.

Practical Wisdom Earned

Some lessons are worth sharing. Start early, especially in warmer months—being on the trail by 7:00 AM transforms the experience. The light is softer, the air cooler, and the sense of having the landscape to yourself is profound. Carry more water than seems necessary; three litres per person is not excessive on exposed sections.

Navigation requires attention despite good waymarking. Download offline maps. Carry a portable battery pack. The Lycian Way's red-and-white markers are generally reliable, but mountain weather can reduce visibility quickly, and some sections see infrequent maintenance.

Footwear matters more than any other single piece of kit. Proper hiking boots—not trainers, not approach shoes, but actual boots with ankle support—make the difference between enjoying the walk and enduring it. The terrain is unforgiving: loose scree, smooth ancient paving stones, exposed roots, and ankle-turning rocks. Break boots in thoroughly before arrival.

The Seasons of Walking

Spring (March through May) brings wildflowers and temperatures that range from pleasant to warm (15–25°C). This is peak hiking season, when the landscape explodes with colour and every hillside becomes a botanical garden.

Autumn (September through November) offers the most reliable weather—clear skies, mild temperatures (18–28°C), and the most stable conditions of the year. October is particularly fine, with warm days, cool nights, and almost no rainfall.

Summer (June through August) requires strategy. The heat is serious—30–40°C on exposed sections—but manageable with very early starts or by focusing on higher-elevation walks where temperatures moderate. The long days mean getting up at 5:00 AM still provides ample time for afternoon pool recovery.

Winter (December through February) is unpredictable but can be magical. Snow occasionally dusts the higher peaks, and rain brings temporary streams cascading down cliff faces. Temperatures range from 10–18°C, perfect for walking, though some days are simply too wet to make hiking pleasant.

The Living Landscape

Walking the Lycian Way means encountering a landscape that remains fundamentally agricultural. Shepherds still move flocks through the mountains following seasonal patterns unchanged for centuries. Villagers tend olive groves and vegetable terraces carved into impossible slopes. The bell of a goat herd often provides the first warning that you're about to round a corner into a flock spread across the trail.

Wildlife reveals itself to patient observers. Tortoises lumber across paths with dignified slowness. Butterflies—swallowtails, painted ladies, blues—flit constantly between wildflowers. Birds of prey ride thermals above ridges: buzzards, kestrels, and occasionally eagles. In quiet moments, the landscape feels crowded with life, all of it going about its business with complete indifference to human presence.

Why Time Out Got It Right

"The most beautiful trail in the world" is a bold claim, impossible to verify objectively. But after a week walking these sections—after watching the Mediterranean turn from pewter to turquoise as dawn breaks, after sitting amongst 2,400-year-old tombs eating lunch, after swimming in water so clear that every pebble on the seabed is visible—the claim seems not just justified but conservative.

The Lycian Way offers something increasingly rare: genuine remoteness without extreme difficulty, ancient history without the crowds that overwhelm more famous sites, and natural beauty that photographs cannot adequately capture. Walking here feels like a privilege—temporary access to a landscape that will continue its existence with or without human attention.

The Return Home

On the final evening at Liberty Villas 33, the ritual repeats one last time: sunset from the terrace, the sea far below turning from turquoise to indigo to black, lights beginning to sparkle in coastal towns, the first stars emerging. The week's walking has left its marks—boots dusty and scuffed, legs pleasantly tired, skin sun-touched despite careful sun protection.

But what lingers most is not physical. It's the accumulated memory of moments: standing alone on high ridges where the only sound was wind through pine trees, sharing tea with village men who spoke no English but communicated perfectly through gesture and smile, swimming in hidden coves where the water was absurdly clear, walking ancient roads where countless feet had passed before.

The Lycian Way earns its reputation. Time Out's accolade is deserved. And Liberty Villas 33 provides the perfect base from which to experience it—comfortable enough to recover properly each day, positioned strategically enough to access the trail's finest sections, elevated enough that views never become ordinary.

Paradise found, indeed. And having found it, the only question is: when can I return?