Walking & Cruising Western Lycia

Walking & Cruising Western Lycia Overview

This is a dream trip for walkers and sailors alike, with fabulous swims and stunning archaeology thrown in for good measure.

Rated by The Sunday Times as one of the ‘Ten Best Walks in the World’, the Lycian Way in Turkey follows 300 miles of ancient trails and mule roads that linked the region before the coming of the car. We follow some of its very best stretches, averaging about 5-6 miles walking a day, with a traditional gulet ever present offshore, providing elegant transport, dining and accommodation.

We’ll stroll along Roman roads, retrace the route of a 2,000 year old aqueduct, and follow in the footsteps of characters from Alexander the Great to modern day shepherds.

On foot we will be able to discover many of the remote archaeological sites, like Sidyma, an ancient town perched in the hills that encompasses a modern day tiny farming village. We’ll walk the magnificent opening section of the Lycian Way, with wonderful views in all directions, visit the ghost town of Kaya, abandoned by the Greeks after the exchange of populations in 1923 (the centrepiece of Louis de Bernières’ novel, Birds Without Wings); and discover Kekova, one of the most romantic and picturesque areas on the Turkish coast. More often than not we’ll be the only people exploring the historic ruins on our journey.

From footpaths by the coast, to goat tracks high up in the hills, this is an archaeological tour and gulet cruise packed full of breathtaking panoramas.