Overview

This is the full ‘official’ route starting in Ovacık and finishing in Hısarçandır (though actually it was announced in 2014 that the Lycian Way has been extended for an extra two days of walking – we’ll update this route once we have more details). It goes via the Sidyma ruins (instead of Gey) and takes the ‘inland’ route (climbing Tahtalı Dağı) from Çıralı to Hısarçandır, rather than the alternative ‘coastal’ route via Tekirova. Most people will do this route in about 26 to 30 days of walking. We’ve organized it into 27 stages, though adjust it to suit your pace.

This route assumes you are going from west to east (which is how it is most commonly done), though you can also do the route entirely in reverse.

This official route starts off with some beautiful but not-too-challenging sections that allow your legs to build up their strength before the tougher mountainous sections towards the end. That said, there is still some good climbing even in the early sections (such as the climb from Kabak Beach to Alınca).

The stage breaks listed for this route are somewhat arbitrary. You should modify them to suit your own needs, based on your anticipated walking pace, whether or not you are camping, and so on. It is also worth spending some time studying the full list of sections to see some of the interesting alternatives available to you at various points along the way.

Note that while the official start is in Ovacık, there really isn’t any reason not to start in Fethiye. The trail from Fethiye is fully waymarked and it acts as a good ‘warm up’ for the more challenging stages ahead. Plus, it takes you through the interesting ‘ghost town’ of Kayaköy, which is very different from what you’ll see elsewhere along the Lycian Way. Starting in Fethiye adds an extra day to your trek. See the Fethiye to Hısarçandır route for that option.