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Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Part of UK in Turkey

3rd May 2016

#Adiosistanbul 4: the Lycian Way

Likya yolu - Kelebekler Vadisi
IMG_4111
On Lycian Way near Butterfly Valley

Ok. The Lycian Way is not in Istanbul.

But having written a blog recently about longer walks outside Istanbul; and another about my favourite shorter walk, I thought I should record the fact that, amongst the many wonders of Turkey we should include the splendid Lycian Way.

I walked the first 40 km of the Lycian Way in April.  The stages were divided, roughly, into: Fethiye (Kayaköy) to Ölüdeniz; Ovacık to Faralya; Faralya to Kabak; and Kabak to Sidyma.  It was wonderful.  The scenery is spectacular; the walking enjoyable; the overnight stays sublime.

Starting Lycian Way in deserted village of Kayaköy
Starting Lycian Way in deserted village of Kayaköy

If you fancy the Lycian Way, I recommend it.  You needn’t be a hiking demon, although some degree of fitness helps.  Nor do you need masses of equipment: a good pair of boots; sun protection; and a rucksack to carry water, food and emergency bits and pieces (lighter, warm clothes, torch, whistle etc) is about it.

The main decision you have to take is whether to walk without help, or to employ a company which will organise overnight accommodation; carry luggage from one overnight stay to the next; provide you with a GPS with the route marked on it, and so on.  I did the latter and found it brilliant, especially the GPS which made it harder to get lost.  But I saw other walkers on the route loaded with gear including tents and cooking stoves.  The choice is yours.

Village breakfast power
Village breakfast power

I could give more tips; but would instead encourage you to have a look at the fine book by Kate Clow.  Kate Clow is a British writer who came up with the idea of the Lycian Way as a long-distance walking footpath.  Brilliant initiative, if you ask me.

Lycian Way passes above Ölüdeniz
Lycian Way passes above Ölüdeniz
A rest spot along the way
A rest spot along the way

Final tip: don’t rush it.  I enjoyed stopping e.g. Faralya, Kayaköy or Kabak to enjoy local hospitality; or at Ölüdeniz or the remote Aktaş beach to take a dip in the sea before continuing the day’s walk.  Magnificent.

The Lycian Way passes the beach at Aktaş
The Lycian Way passes the beach at Aktaş
The path is sometimes steep
The path is sometimes steep
Lycian ruins in Sidyma
Lycian ruins in Sidyma

That’s it.  Enjoy.

Follow Leigh Turner on Twitter @leighturnerFCO 

3 comments on “#Adiosistanbul 4: the Lycian Way

  1. Lovely review, your tour was just like this one I saw online at ambertravel.com/lycian-way-self-guided was this the company you used?

  2. Your blog is wonderful Leigh. See you soon. Kadir Yılmaz 533 437 90 38 (whatsup)

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About Leigh Turner

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of…

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of the UN and other organisations; stories here will reflect that.

About me: I arrived in Vienna in August 2016 for my second posting in this wonderful city, having first served here in the mid-1980s. My previous job was as HM Consul-General and Director-General for Trade and Investment for Turkey, Central Asia and South Caucasus based in Istanbul.

Further back: I grew up in Nigeria, Exeter, Lesotho, Swaziland and Manchester before attending Cambridge University 1976-79. I worked in several government departments before joining the Foreign Office in 1983.

Keen to go to Africa and South America, I’ve had postings in Vienna (twice), Moscow, Bonn, Berlin, Kyiv and Istanbul, plus jobs in London ranging from the EU Budget to the British Overseas Territories.

2002-6 I was lucky enough to spend four years in Berlin running the house, looking after the children (born 1992 and 1994) and doing some writing and journalism.

To return to Vienna as ambassador is a privilege and a pleasure. I hope this blog reflects that.