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A map of the Lycian Way that shows the route from Fethiye to Antalya

Hiking from Ovacik to Faralya on the Lycian Way

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Juliette

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The hiking route from Ovacik to Faralya on the Lycian Way is the official start point of the trail.

Total Distance: 15km

Check out my itinerary for this section here.

Read about my experience hiking this section here.

A map of the Lycian Way route from Ovacik to Kabak.

Ovacik: is the official starting point, close to Olundeniz(beach town of Fetihye)

Faralya: is a small town on the cliffside of Butterfly Valley(*you cannot reach butterfly valley from here)

Ovacik is the official starting point of the Lycian Way with a big yellow sign that everyone has to snap in a picture.

Ovacik has camping places and airbnbs where you can walk from your accommodation to the start of the trail, however it’s very easy to take a taxi as the driver will definitely know where you’re going by looking at your backpack.

The first section of the trail is walking along roads to get to the main mountain, Babadag or father mountain. The hike is pretty steep uphill and once you reach the top you will hike through two villages until you reach Faralya.

The view of Oludeniz Beach from the Lycian Way trail in Fethiye, Turkey.
A sign that marks the trail on the Lycian Way showing Babadag to the right and Ovacik to the left.
A hiker on the Lycian Way looking out over Oludeniz Beach in Fethiye, Turkey.
A hiker on the Lycian Way wearing a heavy duty backpacking backpack.

The first village you hike through will have a restaurant for gozleme.

The second village, Kirme has some nice spots to eat and have cay.

On my first trek of the Lycian Way, I camped in the first village at the town mosque. People here were very hospitable and friendly. If you need to camp before reaching Faralya, I recommend staying in the first village not the second village.

At the first village I camped in the mosque next to some farm animals:

A campsite on the Lycian Way at the village of Kirme in Fethiye, Turkey.
Campsite at the mosque
Goats foraging in the village of Kirme on the Lycian Way.
Charming Village

The second village has some great places to relax and have some gozleme:

A cafe on the Lycian Way named Lemon Cafe has comfortable seating and delicious Turkish cuisine.
Lemon Cafe
A plate full of Gozleme at the Lemon Cafe, a common meeting point for hikers on the Lycian Way.
Gozleme
A glass full of ayran, a traditional Turkish drink that is served commonly on the Lycian Way.
Ayran
A Turkish street dog following a Lycian Way hiker through a village in Fethiye, Turkey.

In Faralya there are airbnbs and hotels available, but they can be pretty pricey and must be booked in advanced. I’ve never seen an open spot on arrival.

There is free camping available right on the cliffside of Butterfly Valley, with a gorgeous view. You’ll need to walk down a very steep road past a general store, you will see it immediately after exiting the trial. The camping spot is pretty popular. There’s a bathroom and water available for a few liras per use.

*You cannot reach Butterfly Valley from Faralya. This was possible in the past, but due to the danger of the climb down to the valley it has been closed. A lot of people hope to reach Butterfly Valley from here but it is not possible.

You can only reach Butterfly Valley by boat from Oludeniz Beach.

If you’d like to learn more about how to reach Butterfly Valley click here.

The view of the cliffsides of Butterfly Valley from the trail of the Lycian Way.
Butterfly Valley
A Lycian Way hiker ascending a mountain in Fethiye, Turkey.
Butterfly Valley

For a visual aid, watch my video I made on this section of the Lycian Way:

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Juliette

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