Fethiye – Kayaköy [7]

Main Path (extended)

Fethiye – Kayaköy

ID:

Optional extended section of the Lycian Way (which technically starts / ends in Ovacık), typically part of a stage connecting Fethiye with Ovacık and/or Ölüdeniz.

While there are certainly nicer, more memorable sections elsewhere along the trail, this makes for a pleasant, easy ‘warm-up’ for those just starting their hike or a gentle conclusion for those ending their adventure in Fethiye.

Image credit:

Rebecca Scheer

Essentials

Fethiye (city)

Kayaköy (village)

N-S section at the western end of the trail, with Fethiye to the north.

Mostly a climb and descent of one modest-sized hill with typical slope of about 14% on both sides.

Follows a mix of good-quality footpaths and paved roads. The southern portion is through the sprawling village of Kayaköy.

Way-finding is generally good with a mix of signposts and painted blazes. If you do happen to miss a turn, you’ll generally still end up where you need to be.

Metrics

Select the tab below corresponding to the direction you plan to walk.

Towards Kayaköy:

Towards Fethiye:

8.8 km / 5.5 mi

Distance

445 m / 1,460 ft

Ascent

320 m / 1,050 ft

Descent

~3.6 hrs

Duration

8.8 km / 5.5 mi

Distance

320 m / 1,050 ft

Ascent

445 m / 1,460 ft

Descent

~3.6 hrs

Duration

Pros & Cons

Here’s what jumps out to us about this section…

Positives

Good ‘warm-up’ / ‘cool down’ section.
The ‘ghost town’ in Kayaköy is quite interesting and worth a bit of time.
Full range of all major amenities at both endpoints.

Negatives

A nice enough section, but nothing notable. If you skip it, you won’t really miss anything major (especially since you can visit Kayaköy’s ‘ghost town’ via a dolmuş outing).
Significant portion is on paved road.
No amenities, other than water, available in-between the endpoints.

Handy Things to Know

The following notes are gathered from our own experiences and from feedback sent to us by other hikers. Let us know how we can improve these notes – and thanks!

Wayfinding

Moderate. There’s some trail signposts to help you stay oriented and blazes here and there.
For the most part this is an easy path to follow.

Water

There’s a couple of water fountains available along the way but it is best to load-up at the endpoints just in case.

Highlights

Passes the Fethiye Castle at the N end, which is worth a brief look. Has some great views looking out over Fethiye.
There’s some Lycian tombs at the N edge of Kayaköy as well as an old cemetery near the hilltop if you want to make some past-their-due-date ‘I see dead people’ jokes (yep, guilty as charged…).
The Kayaköy end of this section is at the fascinating ghost town (abandoned village). Well-worth some time exploring.

Tips

Where this section isn’t actually on roads it follows close to them the entire way. If weather conditions are poor, it’s possible to just stay on the roads.
There are several convenient off-route shortcuts you can take to slightly shorten this section, if you wish.
There’s no formal trailhead in Fethiye; we’ve simply picked a convenient location.

Route Planning

There’s regular / frequent dolmuş service between Fethiye and Ovacık if you want to skip this extended part of the trail.

Alerts / Hazards

When you are on roads, there isn’t much room on the side of them; keep an eye out for traffic, especially near curves.

Accommodations

There’s lots of accommodation options at both endpoints but nothing in-between.

Camping

We haven’t done any wild camping along this stretch, but we’ve been told by a few people that they have done so without any issues.

Amenities

Full range of amenities available in Fethiye.
Most (restaurants, market, transportation, etc.) are available in Kayaköy as well.

Transport

Several dolmuş stops available along the section.
Frequent dolmuş service is available from both endpoints to / from major locations in the region.

Attractions & Highlights

Notable highlights along the trail and at either endpoint include:

Historical Site

Cliffside Tombs (incl Temple of Amyntas)

In Fethiye
Historical Site

Lycian Tomb near Cultural Centre

In Fethiye
Historical Site

Fethiye Castle Ruins

In Fethiye
Cultural

Archeological Museum

In Fethiye
Cultural

Community Cultural Center

In Fethiye
Historical Site

Lycian Sarcophagi Near Cliff Tombs

In Fethiye
Historical Site

Lycian Tomb in Middle of Road

In Fethiye
Historical Site

Roman Amphitheatre

In Fethiye
Historical Site

Hillside Tombs

At North Edge of Kayaköy
Historical Site

Kayaköy ‘Ghost Town’

In Kayaköy

Accommodations

Here’s what we’re currently tracking for this trail section:

Guesthouse

Belci City Residence

In Fethiye
Hostel

Sakura Hostel & Pub

In Fethiye
Hotel

Exelans Hotel

In Fethiye
Guesthouse

Tan Pansiyon

In Fethiye
Guesthouse

Fethiye Guest House

In Fethiye
Guesthouse

El Camino Hostel & Pub

In Fethiye
Guesthouse

Amintas Hostel & Motel

In Fethiye
Hostel

Blue Bells Hostel

In Fethiye
Guesthouse

Han Camping & Pension

In Kayaköy
Guesthouse

Misafir Evi

In Kayaköy
Guesthouse

Selçuk Pension

In Kayaköy

Wild Camping Locations

Here are the wild camping locations that we’re currently tracking along this trail section:

Water Sources

Here are the water sources that we’re currently tracking along this trail section or at either endpoint:

Water Source

Cistern

In Fethiye
Water Source

Water Fountain

Between Fethiye & Kayaköy
Water Source

Cistern

At northern edge of Kayaköy
Water Source

Fountain in Kayaköy

In Kayaköy
Water Source

Water Fountain

In Kayaköy
Water Source

Water Fountain

in Kayaköy
Water Source

Water Fountain

In Kayaköy

Where to Next?

From Kayaköy:

The main path directly links Kayaköy with Ovacık. However, a popular alternative is to head to Ölüdeniz first. It’s a more scenic route, with nice views of Ölüdeniz’s lagoon. From there you could walk uphill to Ovacık or (recommended) just catch a dolmuş. However, keep in mind that you’ll have much better views of Ölüdeniz during the climb to Kirme from Ovacık, so you aren’t really missing anything if you head directly to Ovacık.

Main Path (Extended Trail)

Kayaköy – Ovacık

Distance

5.5 km / 3.4 mi

Ascent

360 m / 1,181 ft

Descent

220 m / 722 ft

Est. Duration

2.5

This is the direct option between Kayaköy and the official Lycian Way start / finish point in Ovacık, typically part of a single stage between Fethiye and Ovacık.
Optional Path

Kayaköy – Ölüdeniz

Distance

5.1 km / 3.2 mi

Ascent

210 m / 689 ft

Descent

365 m / 1,198 ft

Est. Duration

2.25

This off-route variant ascends and descends a modest-sized hill, with very nice views down on Ölüdeniz’s famous lagoon during the descent (for eastbound walkers). Passes through Kayaköy’s intriguing ‘ghost town’ ruins.

From Fethiye:

Congratulations! You’re done. Time to go home or maybe explore some other parts of Turkey (the Carian Trail, St. Paul’s Trail, and Cappadocia are all highly recommended).

Safe travels! We hope our website has been helpful to you. If you have suggestions on how we can improve things, please let us know.

A small request: We’d love to be able to use your photo collection in our project. It helps with our trail research (sort of our own version of Google Street View) and, of course, gives us more photos to use on our website. If you want to share them with us (for the Lycian Way or any long-distance trail), let us know and we’ll arrange a transfer. And thanks!

Pretty Pictures

Sometimes nothing beats a good photo. Or even a bad photo! If you’d like to share some or all of your photo collection with the Trekopedia community, contact us at photos@trekopedia.com and we can arrange a transfer of them. And thanks!

All photos are copyright by their respective owners and are used with permission.

Looking over Kayaköy on the approach from Fethiye

Photo by
The Trekopedia Team
Rocky trail near highpoint between Fethiye and Kayaköy

Photo by
Rebecca Scheer

–
Fall 2022
Hiking through peaceful woodlands

Photo by
Rebecca Scheer

–
Fall 2022
Quiet footpath through woodlands between Fethiye & Kayaköy

Photo by
Darren Moens

–
Oct 2022
Tombs at edge of Kayaköy

Photo by
Darren Moens

–
Oct 2022
Hiker filling a water bottle between Fethiye and Kayaköy

Photo by
T Roszkowski

–
Spring 2022
Kayaköy’s ghost town seen from a distance on the approach from Fethiye

Photo by
The Trekopedia Team

How You Can Help

Trail research is never actually done. Here’s some of what we’re looking for:

✅ More photos! Ideally with geo-location information in the metadata. In addition to using some photos on Trekopedia, we add them to our internal reference database which significantly helps us with trail research. The more photos, the better! If you are willing to share your collection with us, we’d be incredibly grateful. Let us know and we’ll arrange a transfer.

✅ Points of interest. Help us identify (and geo-locate) accommodations, attractions, restaurants, markets, trail waypoints, confusing or problematic junctions, difficult or hazardous places, water sources, and so on.

✅ Tips & recommendations. Share your thoughts with other hikers.

In addition to the above, please see this article for information on more general ways you can help. Thanks!