A traveller, yearning rest and fun adventures, reached the Turkish shore of the Mediterranean named by Lycia. Soon he discovered, he can have many adventures and at the same time set his mind at ease, on this lovely little patch of land. In a few days he soaked in so much of the local natural beauty, made friendships with local people and tried his skills at haggling, while traveling through a unique time machine of ancient ruins and sights. But all along the way, he was able to spoil his taste buds with excellent cuisine and also kept fit. Heading forth a few days later, he could not help thinking about what he’d seen and felt, it kept ringing in his head: »çok gűzel.«
Lycia stretches along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey from Fethiy to Antalya. Since there are so many holiday packages that offer all inclusive Turkish resorts, we tend to think there’s nothing else the countryside has to offer. But this coast is rich with culture and history that lays in the background of all that luxury. Especially Lycia, where endless beaches jam packed with tourists are replaced by hidden coves and the artificial parks are replaced by virgin nature and offer us a chance to see the life in villages where tradition has not retreated and was not replaces by loud clubbing until the early dawn. The regional centre is Fethiye.
Not so long ago, the area was not connected with (still constructed) roads. This had always been a part of the world reachable only by sea or on foot (or maybe on a back of a donkey). The ancient paths, used by so many people throughout the history, however, still remain. This is the longest marked hiking path in Turkey, 509 km all together that connects Fethiy and do Antalya. The main activist in preserving and restoring the path is an Englishwoman Kate Clow.
This path really is something very special for every traveller, because it takes you between rocky mountains, pine-wood forests, views of the Mediterranean all along the way. The combination of mountains and sea is giving us a special feeling while moving from one native village to the other. Special natural offers us great opportunities to cool down in the crystal clear water in many groves, bays and coves along the way. Resting away from all the hustle and bustle of tourist centres and sea resorts, you get to discover archaeological legacy of the coastal Turkey. And all you need to do is to set your feet in motion. The path has many boarding facilities – weather it be simple camping sights, or small local hotels. The best time to visit Lycia is autumn or spring, when temperatures are most traveller friendly. You might want to also see what the Sunday Times says about the path – it proclaimed it one of the most beautiful long distance walking path in the world.
This time “Popotniško združenje Slovenije” invites you to join the discovery of Lycia. We start walking April 19th 2013 and return April 26th. Don’t miss out the varied adventures you’ll get along the way.
