Patara and Kas, Turkey

My original plan was to travel to Kas and spend two weeks continuing my walk along the Lycian Way from where I had left off the previous year. But I had been suffering from a nasty chest infection for a couple of months and decided that I would not be fit enough for such an undertaking. So, after much soul searching, I decided to cut my trip down to one week (which cost me £44 to rebook the flight, which I have not included in my costs for this trip below) and to return to Patara and Kas. These were two of my favourite places from my previous trip and would allow me to do some nice day and half-day hikes, including one around the Yaliburun headland, which was a section of the Lycian Way that I had missed out on my previous visit owing to a navigational error.

Costs. Flight £120 (including hold baggage as I had originally intended to take a tent). Visa £16. Car parking £31. Fethiye hotel (B&B) £23. Patara pension (B&B) £15 per night. Kas hotel (B&B) £35 per night. Dalaman airport–Fethiye shared taxi transfer £7. Fethiye–Patara bus TL12. Kas–Fethiye bus TL18. Fethiye–Dalaman airport bus TL15. Bottle of local beer TL12. Typical evening meal with drinks TL32–TL50. Total cost of trip £455.

Places I stayed and was happy with. Infinity Exclusive City Hotel, Fethiye (Day 1, Read my review); Zeybec 1 Pension, Gelemis/Patara (Days 2–4, Read my review); Hotel Sonne, Kas (Days 5–7, Read my review).

Books. The Lycian Way by Kate Clow (Upcountry Turkey, 4th edition); The Rough Guide to Turkey (Rough Guides, 9th revised edition).

See also. The Lycian Way; The Lycian Way 2; The Lycian Way 3.

Day 1: Travel to Fethiye. Left home at 12.40 pm. Reached Edinburgh airport about 1.40 pm. Remind me not to travel at Easter again! Flight delayed until 3.40 pm but, in fact, did not push back until 4.00 pm, 50 min late. Landed at 10.05 pm, 25 min late, but then had to wait a while for, first, my bag and, then, my shuttle taxi to fill up. I shared the taxi with an argumentative Scottish couple and the sneezing and coughing driver. Really not great! Reached my convenient Fethiye hotel (pre-booked) about 11.35 pm.

Day 2: Travel to Patara. Breakfast at 8.20 am. Walked to bus station and bought bus ticket to Patara for 1.30 pm bus. Walked back to hotel, arriving about 11.35 am. Left again at 12.40 pm,  checking out, and reached bus station at 1.05 pm. Bus left about 1.35 pm and dropped me off at Patara Junction at 2.55 pm. I walked 3 km down road to Patara village, arriving at my pleasant pansiyon (pre-booked) at 3.40 pm. Went for beer followed by kebab dinner at 5.25 pm. The village was very quiet even compared with the previous year.

Day 3: Walk around Patara ruins and down to beach. Breakfast at 8.10 am. Left pansiyon at maybe 9.30 am and followed the back route down to the Patara ruins thus avoiding (unintentionally) the entrance fee. Looked at the granary, temple-tombs, the excellent pharos, etc., which I had missed on my last visit. I also saw tortoises, a baby turtle, a possible snake in the water, and some good damselflies. However, the weather was windy and a bit cool. I then walked down to empty and very windy beach. Came back through ruins and returned to my pansiyon at 2.00 pm. Had beer but then where to eat as very few places seemed open? Eventually found kofte and chips at a rather strange but OK place.

Day 4: Walk around Yaliburun headland. Breakfast at 8.10 am and started walking at 10 am. The walk around the headland is part of the Lycian Way (sections of both Stages 8 and 9) but, to my surprise, I found the route easy to follow! Unintentionally, I “picked up” a stray but friendly dog about 10.45 am on the hillside above Patara and he walked with me. I reached the Delikkemer aqueduct at 1.50 pm and joined part of the walk I had done (in the opposite direction) the previous year. Reached a bar in Patara at 3.45 pm (so 5 h 45 min walking), still with the dog. Had two beers – both the dog and I were hot and knackered. Went out for dinner about 7 pm and had meatballs and rice.

Day 5: Travel to Kas. Breakfast at 9.05 am. Left pansiyon at 11.20 am and walked 3 km back to the main road. Reached bus stop at road junction at 12 noon. Bus came at 12.25 pm. Reached Kas at 1.15 pm. Bought supplies and then arrived at my small but lovely hotel (pre-booked) at about 1.30 pm. Went for walk around town. Went out for a kebab dinner.

Day 6: Walk to Liman Agazi. Breakfast at 8.40 am. Left hotel at 10.05 am and followed Stage 14 of the Lycian Way around to Liman Agazi, arriving 11.20 am. Very beautiful walk with lots of greenery and spring flowers. Steep descent to the beach and boat jetties, via a couple of rock-cut tombs and a roped section. Stopped for a beer. Carried on along Lycian Way (Stage 15). But then picked up "return" trail that avoided the roped section. Got back to hotel at 1.55 pm. Went out for dinner about 7 pm and had an average pizza and a beer.

Day 7: Walk around Kas. Breakfast at 8.30 am. Left hotel at 10 am and started climbing cliff behind Kas (this is part of Stage 13 of the Lycian Way in reverse). Reached top at 11.40 am and looked around a bit before eating a snack I had brought with me. Descended the steep path very carefully and got back to the hotel at 1.40 pm. Left again at 3.40 pm and went round Doric tomb and theatre; got back to hotel at 4.45 pm. Went for dinner about 7.30 pm.

Day 8: Travel home. Breakfast at 9 am. Left hotel at 11.30 am, leaving rucksack. Took some photos and then had a couple of coffees in the main square. Collected rucksack and walked to bus station for 1.30 pm Fethiye bus. Arrived in Fethiye at 3.50 pm and was fought over by the two bus companies, Muttas and Havas! Got on 4.30 pm Havas bus. Arrived at airport at 5.50 pm. Interestingly, both domestic and international flights now use the same terminal. Flight delayed until 12.05 am! Lots of people checking in bags because of the stupid tablet and laptop ban. Landed at Edinburgh at 2.50 am local time and then it was the usual rubbish Edinburgh airport experience – the bags did not start appearing until 3.50 am! Then I walked to the car park (there was no sign of the shuttle bus), which tried to charge me £12.50 extra. Home at 5.00 am.

Wildlife seen. Greek Tortoise, Southern Emerald Damselfly, Broad Scarlet, Epaulet Skimmer, Red-veined Darter, Norfolk Hawker, African Ringlet, Glossy Ibis, Little Egret.

Other useful links. Official Lycian Way website

Taxi transfer from Dalaman

Buses to and from Kas and Patara

Reflections. This was undoubtedly a very pleasant trip to one of my favourite parts of Turkey. But I was disappointed not to be continuing with the Lycian Way and so it was always going to feel second best. The weather was rather cooler than on my visit the previous year and the spring seemed less advanced, with more snow visible on the high mountains. Perhaps for this reason, there seemed to be less wildlife around and less varied than I had encountered previously.

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