Is the Lycian Way Dangerous? It is one of the first questions people ask when they start planning a trip to the Lycian Way. And it is a fair question. The trail runs along remote clifftops above the Mediterranean. It crosses mountain ridges far from any town. It passes through areas with no phone signal […]

A Guide to Kalkan for Lycian Way Hikers There are towns on the Lycian Way that you pass through. And then there is Kalkan. Kalkan is the kind of place that stops you. Not because it demands your attention — it is too understated for that. But because everything about it is quietly, precisely right. […]

Saint Nicholas Was Lycian: The Real Story Behind Santa Claus You are walking through the ruins of an ancient city. Sand dunes have swallowed most of it. A Roman theatre emerges from the ground ahead of you, remarkably intact. A wide beach stretches beyond the ruins to the sea. This is Patara — capital of […]

Understanding Lycian Rock Tombs | Why Are They So High Up? You notice them before you understand them. A shape in the cliff face that is too regular to be natural. Columns carved from living rock. A dark rectangular opening ten, fifteen, twenty metres above the ground. You stop walking and look up. How did […]

10 Moments on the Lycian Way That Will Stop You in Your Tracks You will be walking the Lycian Way. Head down, pack on, counting kilometres. Thinking about lunch or your feet or whether the guesthouse has hot water. And then something will happen that makes you stop completely. Not because you planned to stop. […]

The Best Apps and Maps for Hiking the Lycian Way Before you step onto the Lycian Way, there is one practical question worth getting right: How are you going to navigate it? The trail is marked with red and white painted waymarks on rocks, trees, and walls. On popular sections, these are frequent and clear. […]

The Ancient Lycian League: The World’s First Democracy? You are standing in an ancient theatre above the sea. The stone seats rise in a semicircle above you. The stage is open to the sky. Below, through a gap in the hills, the Mediterranean catches the afternoon light. Two thousand years ago, this theatre was not […]

Exploring Ölüdeniz and the Start of the Lycian Way There are places in the world that look exactly like their photographs. Ölüdeniz is not one of them. The photographs are good. The turquoise lagoon, the white pebble beach, the mountains rising behind — you have probably seen the images. They are on the cover of […]

A Guide to Kaş for Lycian Way Hikers There is a moment, usually on the second or third day of hiking into Kaş, when the town appears below you. Red rooftops. A small harbour. Bougainvillea spilling over white walls. The Greek island of Meis sitting just four kilometres offshore, so close it looks like you […]

Who Were the Lycians? A Brief History for Hikers You are walking a rocky coastal path above the Mediterranean. The sea below is the colour of turquoise glass. Pine trees line the hillside. A lizard crosses the path in front of you and disappears into the rocks. Then you turn a corner and stop. Carved […]