Walking and Ruins in Lycia
Saturday 18 – Saturday 25 May 2024
A glorious walking week in ancient Lycia where our base is a gulet, a traditional Turkish schooner as comfortable as she is romantic, in the company of veteran Turkey hands travel writer Jeremy Seal and archaeologist Yunus Özdemir. Jeremy is a the author of several books on Turkey, among them A Fez of the Heart and Meander, while Yunus is an archaeologist and the co-creator of the long-distance Carian Trail. They have devoted much of their working lives to exploring Turkey and retain a rare passion for the country. Experienced and attentive guides, they boast an unrivalled knowledge of this coast’s history, culture, topography, ancient ruins – and places for lunch (and are known for their lavish picnics). They know the region’s magnificent walking trails and footpaths exceptionally well. Gulet captain Alettin, with whom Jeremy and Yunus have worked for years, knows the best swimming spots and the most secluded anchorages better than anybody.
Excellent food both onboard and onshore, exceptional daily walks to little-visited ancient sites, expert guides and informed talks, delightful swim spots and idyllic overnight anchorages. There is no better way to explore the Turkish Mediterranean’s wonderful coast and walking country.
Given the Turkish Mediterranean’s mountainous topography and the rocky Lycian terrain, you should expect these walks to be reasonably, if not very, demanding. We are in the habit of doing them downhill, ending up wherever we can at the shore for collection by the gulet. These walks are in the region of three hours’ duration.
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Day 1/ Sat 18 May 2024: Guests not joining direct from our Göbekli Tepe and southeast Turkey tour are met at either Dalaman or Antalya Airports for the 2.5-hour transfer to Andriake where our gulet awaits.
Day 2/ Sun 19 May 2024: We put ashore at Andriake for a 45-minute drive into the high backcountry behind Demre where the spectacular landscapes are littered with the barely visited ruins of splendid Byzantine churches. The area, perhaps because of its close association with St Nicholas of Myra, one of the best loved of all saints, seems to have been a particular centre of early Christian devotion. Jeremy is spending a few days reacquainting himself with these routes in September 2023 and will then have more detailed information to share about the walk itinerary. After lunch we return to the gulet and head for our nearby overnight anchorage at Gökkaya.
Day 3/ Mon 20 May 2024: We put ashore at Andriake for the short drive into the hills at Hoyran, a typically remote and lovely Lycian site with views over the sea, where a long path leads down to more exquisite ruins at Istlada. From there the path leads through the woods to Simena where yet more ruins are scattered around an Ottoman citadel above a quaint fishing village. We overnight in a nearby cove.
Day 4/ Tues 21 May 2024: We put ashore at the Kekova village of Üçağız for the short drive to Apollonia. We explore this delightfully remote and little-known site before beginning the three-hour hike down to Aperlae where we pick up the old Roman road that leads across the isthmus to the bay where our gulet awaits. We spend the afternoon heading west to our overnight anchorage at Firnaz (where an additional evening walk, for those with puff to spare, can be taken up to the remarkable Roman aqueduct at Delikkemer).
Day 5/ Weds 22 May 2024: We put ashore at Kalkan for the 75-minute drive to Alinca, a village high in the mountains where our dramatic hike to Kabak begins. The path descends along the foot of high cliffs, through pine forests, with splendid views of the sea. We lunch at Kabak, a hidden beach set deep in the forest, where our gulet collects us. We overnight at nearby Gemiler.
Day 6/ Thurs 23 May 2024: We make an early start to cross the Bay of Fethiye before breakfast which we take at Batik Hamam. Then we set off uphill through pine forests to the ancient city site of Lydae, home to a few shepherds’ settlements, before descending to our gulet on the far side of the peninsula. We pass the afternoon at Ağlımanı where we overnight.
Day 7/ Fri 24 May 2024: An early start brings us to Iztuzu where we offload into a local caique and journey through the beautiful reed beds of the Dalyan Delta. We put ashore to embark on our final walk through the hills to Ekincik. We rejoin the gulet for our last night which we spend in a nearby bay.
Day 8/ Sat 25 May 2024: We say goodbye to the crew at Ekincik where we put ashore. We may have time to visit ancient Kaunos, at Dalyan, before making for nearby Dalaman Airport.
Click here for the tour itinerary on Google Maps
Our tours are designed and run by us. We make it our business to be there every time you descend a ladder into a dinghy, clamber onto a jetty, wander through an ancient site or along a footpath. But we cannot always be your eyes; it pays to be aware that the ground is often uneven, not to say steep, with no shortage of rocky protuberances, in Turkey. You will need a reasonable level of mobility, balance and fitness. We grade the sites we visit to the best of our ability, but cannot be absolutely sure that all outings and activities will be within the capabilities of all guests. We expect you to follow our advice if we feel that an outing, or an element of an outing, is beyond you. If you are the least uncertain as to your suitability to join a tour, we’d urge you to consult us.
COST: £2,050 per person sharing a cabin. £2,600 for single occupancy (£1,750 and £2,300 respectively for guests also booked on the immediately preceding Gobekli Tepe and southeast Turkey tour). Singles who are prepared to pair up will be given priority to the twin cabins. Price includes all meals, onboard alcohol, guiding and talks, outings, tips and airport transfers. It does not include flights, visas and onshore alcohol.
Your holiday is fully bonded and administered by Heritage Group Travel (www.grouptravel.co.uk) in Bath. For a small charge Heritage can also assist with your flights.
The trip will only run with sufficient numbers; early indications of interest are much appreciated.
All initial enquiries, or requests for printable copies of this itinerary, to Jeremy Seal. (jeremy@somewherewonderful.com; 07757 703604).