localtravelplanner.is

The country we call Turkey nowadays covers lots of land and that land hosts stories of nations and cultures long gone. I have only seen a little part of this land - a strip, called the Lycian Way. And only a part of the Lycian Way. In all, it is about 500 km long. But there is a lot to see on the Lycian Way even if it is only on a ten days walk. 

​

I backpacked with a friend of mine and we started out from east. Taxi from Antalya and then on the trail. Most of the trail was rather easy to find but in some cases no trail or markers were seen. Fortunately, we had gps tracks of all the way we planned to walk. Because of this we could help fellow backpackers who had not found the trail. The map in the book we bought, "The Lycian Way" (Turkey´s first long distance walking route) was useless. 

​

The Lycian Way is easy to walk but water can be a bit of a problem. There are wells on the way but in some cases it would be best not to see what floats in the water. We were there in May. We only saw a handful of hikers, most of them only carrying daypacks: people on assisted hikes. We camped but enjoyed hotels every now and then. I found the locals very nice and helpful. I am not sure what I expected, but I found German more practical than English regarding communication and in some cases a few words in Polish did more than English. 

​

Along the way one can see remains of older cultures. And no wonder: this is the land of the Hattians, Akkadians, and Hittites. A stone tool found in Gediz River (Antalya region) has been securely dated 1.2 million years old. In Karain Cave is evidence of habitation from 500000 - 10000 BCE. Of course, these will not be on the way but one can see along the trail, reminants of the Lycian culture, the Persians, the Greek and the Romans. And the Turks, of course. 

No need for serious boots or heavy gear. Therefore, no need for a heavy backpack. 

​