Category: health & safety

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Lycian Way is the most famous long trail in a nation famous for long trails.

• approximately 760 km (470 mi) in length
• the 1st way-marked long-distance footpath
• originally conceived by Briton Kate Clow, it takes its name from the ancient civilization that once ruled the region
• Lycia was very wealthy beginning at least 500 BC. There are historic ruins everywhere.
• I’d call this trail quite safe. But Friederike Elisabeth Newrzella was found dead on October 30, 2026 in a rocky area near Üçağız on my route. Probably killed from a fall.

It’s fantastic. I highly recommend Kaş to Demre if you get to Türkiye.

Click PLAY or watch my 3 day hike on YouTube.

I’d done a week on another section of the Lycian in 2017 and was happy to return in 2026.

Today Turkish Tourism promotes the Lycian coast as part of the Turkish Riviera or the Turquoise Coast. It’s very popular with visitors from Russia, Germany, and the U.K. I’ve seen many Ukrainians on the trail, even in 2026.

Though the most famous ruins are on the western end, the BEST SECTION of the Lycian Way for most hikers is Kaş to Demre.

Day 1

I didn’t leave my private room in Kaş until noon, leaving me only about 6 hiking hours before dusk. Days are short in November.

There are a few beach resorts west of town.

For much of the 3 days, I saw no people — not even local farmers. November is a terrific month for hiking, but it’s late in the year for everyone else. Many tourism companies, restaurants, and hotels are closed.

I did see some pleasure boats along the coast.

The scenery beautiful.

I used AllTrails Lycian Way: Kaş – Limanağzı – Üzümlü. And it was very accurate for this segment 17 of the full trail.

In 2017 I navigated another section of the Lycian with the Kate Clow guidebook — and was constantly lost. GPS phone apps are far, far better. Download for offline use as there are places with no phone service.

I particularly liked the marked possible tenting spots in AllTrails. In fact, I rushed to get to this one — setting up just about in the dark.

A few mosquitoes. Otherwise perfect weather. I didn’t put on the fly.

Day 2

A terrific camping spot is not all that easy to find on this rugged shore. The AllTrails app really helped.

Wild camping is widely tolerated along the Lycian Way on public, non-protected hillsides, beaches, and pine forests away from villages.

While Turkey does not have a formal “right to roam” law, dispersed tenting is standard practice for thru-hikers as long as you practice strict Leave No Trace principles and respect restricted zones.

I did try to set up camp late in the day. Pack up early. And stay out of sight as much as I could.

A bigger concern for hikers on this section is WATER. There’s not much free running water here, especially in November.

First top of conversation with hikers passing the other direction is the next water source.

Folks hike in both directions — but west is better as you have the sun more often on your back, and not in your face.

I resupplied with bottled water every chance I had, starting with 2 – 4 litres most of the time.

Surprisingly, I didn’t see much wildlife. Plenty of lizards. Dragonflies eating mosquitoes. And some birds.

Many of the trails are overgrown with thorny attack bushes. Long protective pants are a good idea.

The plant I most appreciated is the sea squill. Broad, wavy, bright green leaves emerge in the autumn or winter.

All parts considered toxic if ingested or handled directly!

The highlight of the day was scrambling these ruins dating back at least to 400 BC.

I had more time today to find a good campsite off the main trail. And set up in daylight.

It did look like it might rain, so I eventually put on the fly.

Another lovely night.

Day 3

I did get a bit of rain during the night. But the WindQuester Horizon Lite 2 Pro kept me secure and dry.

Kordon Market (also known as Cord Market) is the only real shop on the trail between Kaş and Demre.

I chatted with some hikers here who had a feral dog follow them the previous day. I feared it might follow ME — so took a different way back to the Lycian.

In November I saw many different boats in dry dock undergoing maintenance.

Highlight of day 3 was visiting Simena Castle (Kaleköy Castle or Kale Castle) just above the car-free coastal village of Kaleköy.

It’s known for the smallest Lycian rock-cut amphitheatre seen above.

Here’s the vista from the top.

Though it dates back to at least 400 BC, it had been improved by many over the centuries.

Many tourists combine a visit to this castle with a glass bottom boat tour of a nearby partially sunken ancient city. It sunk due to earthquakes in the 2nd century AD.

I’d actually signed up for a kayak tour — but it got cancelled due to too few tourists.

That castle was one of the few place I saw regular tourists. Back on the trail, I was on my own.

The only river.

There were plenty of possible campsites, but I thought I’d wait for the beach again.

This seemed to be a group on a kayak tour taking one last walk at sunset.

Day 4

Early morning I packed up my tent.

I walked back to the only river of the hike to wash off some of the sand.

I was only a few kms road walk from here to Demre, the end of my hike.

Timing was perfect. This just the beginning of a few days of overcast. Time to leave.

The only flamingos.

I thought I might do some sightseeing in Demre, … but it’s not much of a tourist town.

I caught the next bus back to Kaş. That IS a terrific tourist town. I ended up staying 4 nights.