The Lycian Way 3: Tekirova to Cirali to Gedelme to Camyuva and around Demre

After walking most of the Lycian Way long-distance path as far as Phaselis/Camyuva in 2016, 2017 and 2018, it was always my intention to return to the area to walk the eastern end of the path near Antalya and, maybe, the mountainous stages between Demre and Finike. However, work, other plans and a global pandemic prevented me from returning until 2023. Even then I was not free to travel in April, which is probably the best month for walking in Turkey, and so had to visit in March and take pot-luck with the weather. This necessitated flying from an airport outside of Scotland, where I live, as there were no direct flights available locally that early in the year. In the end, for reasons of cost and convenience, I settled on flying from Luton (where I have family locally) to Antalya (best for the eastern end of the Lycian Way) and back from Dalaman (as I was planning to walk near Demre at the end of my trip and to spend a day in lovely Kas) to Manchester (which was convenient for some work I had do immediately after the trip). I considered starting walking at the eastern end of the path, near Geyikbayiri, but could not make the accommodation work. So I decided to take the bus from Antalya to Tekirova and then walk south to Cirali before setting off on the inland “A” branches of the Lycian Way.

Costs. Flight £104. Antalya hotel (B&B) £35. Tekirova hotel (B&B) £26. Cirali pension (B&B) £22. Ulupinar chalet £49. Beycik room £33. Gedelme hotel £21 per night. Camyuva hotel (B&B) TL1069. Demre room €39 per night. Kas hotel (B&B) £30. Fethiye hotel (B&B) £34. Antalya airport–Antalya hotel taxi transfer £5.46. Antalya–Tekirova bus TL50. Camyuva–Demre bus TL70. Demre–Kas bus TL22. Kas–Fethiye bus TL80. Fethiye–Dalaman airport bus TL60. Entry fees to ancient sites TL30–TL100. Typical evening meal with drinks TL150–TL320. Total cost of trip £745.

Places I stayed and was happy with. Mai Inci Hotel, Antalya (Day 1); Alican Pension, Cirali (Day 3); Lycia Nature House, Ulupinar (Day 4); Beycik Panorama Camping, Beycik (Day 5); Caner Mountain Hotel, Gedelme (Days 6 and 7); Hotel Berke Ranch and Nature, Camyuva (Day 8); Santa Suites, Demre (Days 9 and 10); Hotel Kayahan, Kas (Day 11); Infinity City Hotel, Fethiye (Day 12).

Books. The Lycian Way by Kate Clow (Upcountry Turkey, 4th edition); Lycian Way Topographic Map Atlas by Sergio Mazitto; The Rough Guide to Turkey (Rough Guides, 10th edition).

Maps. As in 2018, I took Sergio Mazitto’s quirky Lycian Way atlas with me and found it to be very useful. I also kept an eye on the very schematic map in the back of The Lycian Way by Kate Clow. However, as usual, the main navigation method was to be aware of the terrain and keep a lookout for the signposts and paint splodges that mark the way.

See also. The Lycian Way 2; The Lycian Way; Patara and Kas.

Day 1: Travel to Antalya. Left my parents’ apartment near Coventry at 7.35 am and caught the train to Milton Keynes, arriving 9.05 am. Arrived at Luton airport at 11.00 am. Boarded plane at 1.15 pm and was airborne at 1.50 pm. Landed in Antalya at 8.30 pm (local time), found my pre-booked taxi at 8.50 pm, and was at my excellent hotel (pre-booked) at 9.25 pm. Went out and bought some snacks as a replacement for dinner.

Day 2: Explore Perge; bus to Tekirova. Breakfast at 9.20 am. Outside, it was raining cats and dogs! After the rain stopped, I went out and changed £300 for TL6661 and bought a local transport (Antray) card (TL15) plus TL25 credit. Left hotel at 11.45 am and caught 11.55 am tram towards Aksu, arriving at 12.30 pm. Walked to ancient Perge ruins, arriving at 1 pm. The theatre and stadium were very impressive. Left at 2.20 pm and caught 2.50 pm tram back towards city centre and the main bus station. Arrived at the bus station at 3.50 pm and was rapidly ushered onto a Tekirova-bound bus at 4 pm. The sky turned pitch black and it began raining hard again. Reached unlovely Tekirova at 5.50 pm after a long bus tour of ugly Kemer. Found my hotel (pre-booked) at 6 pm but was told that I was, in fact, staying in the hotel next door. Went out for dinner at 7.40 pm despite severe misgivings about the weather (loud thunder and bright lightning).

Day 3: Walk to Cirali. Breakfast at 8.45 am. Left hotel at 10.30 am, bought snacks, and began walking along the Lycian Way towards Cirali. As in 2018 (but in the opposite direction), I followed what I think is the “old” route (as in Mazitto’s book) since I can find no evidence that the “new” route (as described in Kate Clow’s book) is actually used or been waymarked. The walk along the track from Tekirova to Maden beach was more interesting than I remembered from 2018, but rather more undulating too. I found the walk from Maden to Cirali to be really quite tough, climbing up over three headlands, especially because I was tired by that point. Reached my friendly pansiyon (pre-booked) in Cirali at 5.25 pm (so 6 h 55 min walking). Went out for dinner at 7.20 pm.

Day 4: Walk to Ulupinar. Breakfast at 9.15 am. Left pension at 11.10 am and bought snacks for the day. Walked along road to Chimaera/Yanartas entrance, following the first half of Stage 23A. Saw the burning natural gas vents. Carried on up path and talked to Israeli couple on top of the pass, next to another set of flames. Descended from pass through forest and crossed the Ulupinar river with some difficulty. Turned right along track as instructed but then somehow missed the optimal route into the village. Never mind! I reached my clean lodge accommodation (pre-booked) after a bit of an extended detour at 3.10 pm (so 4 h walking). Went out for dinner at 6.50 pm.

Day 5: Walk to Beycik. Left the chalet at 11 am. Walked along the road to a restaurant and had some brunch. Left restaurant at 12 noon and climbed up to D400 main road, now a dual carriageway. I could not see how to cross the central barrier until I saw people using the makeshift “stile”. Walked up minor road in warm sunshine, now following the second half of Stage 23A, then up forest track, but then came up against some locked gates, blocking the original Lycian Way. Skirted round the enclosed area with the help of a Turkish family and their dog, but it was not fun. Walked up nice forest track then up good path until above the lower part of Beycik. But then there was a horrid scramble up the nose of a ridge and then an equally horrid rising traverse above a bulldozed track. Finally, I reached the upper part of Beycik and my very basic one-room chalet (pre-booked) at 4.10 pm (so 4 h 10 min walking). Dinner was arranged for 7 pm but I was summoned at 6.45 pm as the chips were ready.

Day 6: Walk to Gedelme. Breakfast at 8 am. Left my Beycik accommodation at 9 am. Following Stage 24A, I reached the 1800 m pass to the west of Mount Tahtali/Olympos at 12.40 pm and felt I was doing well. But then I encountered snow. Lots of it, hiding the usual painted waymarking. And large animal (predator?) tracks... Lots of them. Floundered nervously around in rocks and snow until I encountered the road near the Çukuryayla at 1.30 pm. Talked to some Byelorussians and then Russians. Needed a comfort break and forgot my camera, having to climb steeply back uphill for 11 min to retrieve it. Reached seemingly deserted village of Yayla Kuzdere at 4.25 pm. Walked down to Gedelme at pace on Lycian Way forest track, the first part of Stage 25A, arriving 6 pm at my very welcoming and lovely hotel (pre-booked) (so 9 h walking). A very memorable day! Dinner at 7 pm. I asked to stay a second night as I was clearly too tired and sore to contemplate continuing with the hike the next day.

Day 7: Rest day in Gedelme. Breakfast at 9.50 am. Back at room at about 10.30 am. Booked accommodation for the rest of my trip. Based on my experience with the swollen Ulupinar river, I decided I did not want to try the river crossing west of Göynük and so I would head back to the coast along the alternative branch of the Lycian Way. Went for wander to Gedelme cave and castle from 1.10 pm until 2 pm. Went for second wander between 5 and 5.30 pm. Dinner at 7 pm.

Day 8: Walk to Camyuva. Breakfast at 9 am. Talked to two mature Israeli walkers. They had started the Lycian Way from the eastern (Antalya) end but had needed to wade waist-deep through the river to the north of Gedelme and were abandoning their original plan. So I decided I had made the right decision. Left hotel at 10.35 am, initially on Stage 25A of the Lycian Way, but then joined road down towards Kuzdere at 11.10 am. Reached Roman bridge at 12.20 pm and had a tea. Left at 12.40 pm, walked along road through Kemer canyon (now following Stage 24B in reverse), and then off through the woods on a track for seemingly ages before arriving at my fairly luxurious hotel (pre-booked) near Camyuva at 2.40 pm (so 4 h 5 min walking). Moved to bar about 4 pm for beer and better WiFi and was alarmed by Bror, the world’s biggest dog. Back at room at about 6 pm. Went for dinner at 7.05 pm

Day 9: Walk to main road; bus to Demre. Breakfast at 9.20 am. Left hotel at 11.55 am. Reached Camyuva bus stop on D400 at 12.45 pm (so 50 min walking, initially along Stage 24B in reverse). Bati Antalya bus came at 1.17 pm. Stopped for short break at Olympos and again at Kumluca otogar. Yet another one in Finike otogar at 2.40 pm. Arrived in Demre at 3.25 pm and was at my smart hotel (pre-booked) at 3.35 pm. Went out for dinner at 7.05 pm.

Day 10: Walk around Demre; explore Sura/Soura. Left hotel at 9 am and walked to Andriake, arriving 9.55 am. Walked along beach and over second bridge (which was still intact) but then picked wrong Lycian Way branch (Stage 17, heading back to Kapakli), wasting about 40 min. Started off on correct branch, following Stage 18, which was excellent until I had to scramble up to a flat area with goats where I joined the concrete road. Reached public road then started up gorge containing fascinating ancient mule track. But I was discouraged by the isolation, the absence of a path on Openstreetmap, the obvious removal of the Lycian Way signpost at the gorge entrance, and a shortage of water. So I returned and continued along the road, detouring to look at ancient Sura/Soura. Arrived back at Demre hotel at 3 pm (so 6 h wandering). Went out for dinner at 7 pm.

Day 11: Bus to Kas. Left Demre hotel at 10.30 am. Bus left at 10.58 am and arrived in Kas at 11.42 am. Arrived at my lovely hotel (pre-booked) at 12 noon and they let me have my room early, which was nice. Went out at 1.20 pm walked towards Liman Agizi, but not down the cliff. There seems to have been a lot of horrible new buildings going up in this area. Got back to hotel at 3.10 pm. Changed £20 for TL452. Went out for dinner at 6.55 pm.

Day 12: Bus to Fethiye. Discovered that the clocks don’t change in Turkey! Breakfast at 8.45 am. Left hotel at 11.30 am. Caught 12 noon bus to Fethiye, arriving at 2.20 pm. Walked to nice hotel (pre-booked), arriving 2.55 pm. Went out for dinner at about 7 pm.

Day 13: Travel to Manchester. Breakfast at 8 am. Left hotel at 8.45 am, arriving at Fethiye otogar at 9.10 am, with the 9.30 am Havas bus waiting. Arrived at virtually empty Dalaman airport at 10.30 am. Incoming flight landed at 12.26 pm. Boarded near-empty plane at 1.10 pm. Airborne at 1.50 pm. Landed on time at 4.12 pm. Out of airport easily and boarded 4.48 pm train to Manchester Piccadilly, arriving at 5 pm. Was at my hotel (pre-booked) at 5.15 pm.

Wildlife seen. Caspian Turtle, Starred Agama, Common Darter, Red-veined Darter.

Other useful links. Official Lycian Way website

Taxi transfer from Antalya airport

Buses to and from Kas, etc.

Reflections. My previous walking along the Lycian Way had been in April and early May and I would say that March was a little too early to be considered optimal. Although I met with no serious rain on my walking, the weather was cool and grey at the start and only brightened up – just in time! – for my walk through the mountains on Day 6. However, the torrential rain on Day 2 and (I guess) the melting snows had filled the rivers, making my crossing of the Ulupinar river on Day 4 difficult and dissuading me from attempting the crossing near Göynük. Furthermore, the snowy conditions at the top of the pass on Day 6 would, I judge, seriously challenge an inexperienced walker. There was also much less wildlife around than on my previous visits to the area. And there were very few places to eat open in the smaller villages. However, having said all that, the best bits of Turkey were still there, the lovely green countryside and the friendly rural people.

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