Fethiye / Oludeniz, Turkey
Ancient caravan routes link with narrow mule tracks to create the famous Lycian Way, one of Europe’s most beautiful long-distance trails. Walking the full length – around 500 kms between Fethiye and Antalya – would take a month: this holiday is a great taster for novice and experienced walkers alike. The trail winds through flower-studded meadows and pine forests to abandoned villages and coastal views. We warm up with a local hike before exploring two of the most rewarding sections of the Way close to our small and friendly hotel. Three free days during the week give you time to explore Oludeniz, enjoy a boat trip along the coast, try paragliding or enjoy independent hikes.
Lycian Walking Tour
The official start point of the Lycian Way is in Ovacik above Oludeniz, so our small and friendly Forever Hotel is the ideal base for this new walking holiday. It has 19 rooms for single occupancy, a generous (unheated) pool surrounded by loungers and the atmosphere is very much like a private villa party. There’s a poolside bar and dining area, a table-tennis table, free Wi-Fi and pretty gardens with self-standing hammocks. Exclusive hotel to Friendship Travel.
Our package includes a Turkish buffet breakfast each morning, and four evening meals each week in the hotel’s own restaurant. Wine is not included with meals but the bar offers a wide selection of alcoholic and soft drinks. The walks will be Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – weather permitting.
Optional extras – enjoy a Turkish bath to relax your muscles or see more of the beautiful coastline on a boat trip from Olu Deniz (weather permitting). Both payable locally and your host will have more details.
Your Room
All rooms at the Forever offer a comfortable king-sized bed as standard, as well as quality furnishings and a modern shower room, with a hairdryer. Air-conditioning and a safe are available at extra charge. Our prices are based on ground floor rooms with no terrace: rooms on 1st and 2nd floors with a balcony carry a modest supplement, as do 3rd floor rooms with access to the roof terrace.
Room upgrades are available
Room with a balcony for extra £5 per night or room with a roof top terrace for an extra £7 per night.
Hotel Facts
- King sized bed
- Hairdryer
- WiFi
- Beach towels
- Air conditioning*
*Charge payable locally
- Room safe*
- Swimming pool
- Bar/dining area
- Table tennis
Itinerary
Walk 1, Kayakoy – Oludeniz (Blue Lagoon) Warm up walk, 6km (3 hours). Medium grade.
Following a short drive to the village of Kayakoy (ancient Karmylassos), we wander through the deserted, cobble street of this (UNESCO) historical Greek town and make our way up over the hills. We move onward through the cool shade of the pine forest and reach a spectacular sea view point for some picture taking.At the end of our three hour promenade , there is time to contemplate, swim and rest at the world renowned Blue Lagoon (Oludeniz) before heading back to the hotel.
Walk 2, Kirme- Montana, 8km (5 hours). Medium-hard grade
After the Kayakoy-Oludeniz warm-up trek and the eclectic city tour, now time to tackle the real Lycian Trail. For this trek we shall reverse our path, meaning, instead of walking from Fethiye towards the east, we drive east to Kirme village and proceed west back to Fethiye. This is in order to avoid a challenging 2 hour steep climb from 300m to 750m. We are pleasantly compensated though with a magnificent view of the infamous Blue Lagoon and Belcekiz beach along the way. During this part, we are under the watchful eye of Baba Mountain as we journey along its skirt.Fearless paragliders swirl over our heads from their 1750m departure point, resembling giant, colourful butterflies.One must take notice at also what lies at our feet, since wild endemic flowers and herbs in this area make this region a unique Mediterranean flora bed that should not be missed. Back to the hotel.
Walk 3, Faralya – Kabak, 8km (4 hours). Medium grade
Our drive this time takes us to Butterfly Valley, near Kirme.Before heading off we will view the Valley and the beaches from top of the cliff sharp 300m high, incredible view not to miss, perfect place to take picture, golden sand, turquoise and cobalt blue sea, green forest and cliff, immortalize the view forever. Walk start with a small uphill from the road in to forest and then mostly straight and down trough pine forest till Kabak.To end the walk and reach the isolated beach.Now we can rest by the beach or swim in open sea waves. Then back to the hotel.
Of-course you need to be mobile and reasonably fit to enjoy this holiday, and have a well-broken pair of walking boots: this is not a route to tackle in trainers.
Location
The Forever Hotel is less than 5kms / 10 mins by bus from the shingley beach of Oludeniz and the lovely sandy beach at the Blue Lagoon plus the coastal resort of Fethiye is a 30-minute bus ride over the hill. Ovacik is also the official starting point of the way-marked Lycian Way, following mule tracks through pine forests to rocky outcrops for fabulous coastal views, so this is a great choice for early and late season walking.
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