The Lycian Way: Chimaera, Kekova & Termessos

Eight-day guided trip on the Lycian coast: the Chimaera flames, Maden Bay, Andriake, Simena, Aperlai, stages around Faralya and Ölüdeniz, and the ancient city of Termessos.

This eight-day guided circuit combines several areas of the Lycian coast. Starting from Çıralı, discover the Chimaera flames and Maden Bay, returning by boat. The itinerary continues to Andriake, Simena and Kekova, then the ancient site of Aperlai. Stages from Alınca, Kirme and Kozağaç lead towards Faralya and Ölüdeniz, before the visit to Termessos. This is a selection of walks, rather than a continuous walk all the way between Çıralı and Ölüdeniz. Rated 3/5, the trip includes substantial descents and a stage classified as difficult between Andriake and Simena. Walking times and elevation ch…

CODE AA-LYC-01

8 days · Level 3/5

Day-by-day itinerary

  1. Day 1 / Arrival and transfer to Çıralı — Arrival on the Mediterranean coast and transfer to Çıralı. Check-in, dinner and overnight in a guesthouse.
  2. Day 2 / Chimaera flames – Maden Bay – boat return to Çıralı — The day has two distinct parts: discovering the Chimaera flames, then descending to the coast at Maden. The return to Çıralı is by boat, so this is not a circular walk. 11.1 km, 4–5 h – +350 m / -570 m. Moderate.
  3. Day 3 / Andriake – Simena – Kekova — The route links Andriake to Simena in the Kekova area. It is the longest advertised walk of the week. Its difficult grading should be taken into account even though the elevation change is smaller than on several other stages. 14.7 km, 4–5 h – +200 m / -200 m. Difficult.
  4. Day 4 / Kılınçlı – Aperlai — Starting from Kılınçlı, this stage leads to the ancient site of Aperlai. It is shorter than the previous day’s walk and has a mainly descending profile. The itinerary combines coastal walking with the discovery of an ancient site. 6.1 km, 3–4 h – +90 m / -360 m. Moderate.
  5. Day 5 / Alınca – Faralya — This stage links the heights of Alınca to Faralya along a balcony trail. There is more descent than ascent, so distance alone does not describe the effort involved. The walk ends at Faralya above Butterfly Valley. 8.7 km, 4–5 h – +170 m / -720 m. Moderate.
  6. Day 6 / Kirme – Faralya — Another walk reaches Faralya, this time starting from Kirme. The route passes through pine forests with views of the sea. Although the destination is the same as the previous day, the starting point and elevation profile are different. 8.7 km, 4–5 h – +400 m / -700 m. Moderate.
  7. Day 7 / Kozağaç – Ölüdeniz & ancient city of Termessos — Descent from Kozağaç to Ölüdeniz lagoon (5.2 km, 2–3 h – +40 m / -480 m), then visit of the ancient city of Termessos (2.8 km, 1h30–2h – +194 m / -187 m). Moderate. These figures describe two separate routes, not a walk linking Ölüdeniz and Termessos.
  8. Day 8 / Return flight — Transfer to the airport for the return flight.

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