Every year a group of long walkers embark on a continental walking holiday. Participants have inevitably changed as have the destinations.This April we went to Turkey for “6 days walking around Fethiye”. with www.lycianwaytrekking.com. What a fascinating week’s walking it proved to be. The area abounds with historic sites from the Lycian,Hellenic,Roman,Byzantine and Ottoman periods. From the mountains we often enjoyed spectacular views of the rugged coast.
The first day we saw the first of many Lycian tombs from 2500 years ago, carved into a rock face. We then walked through the Greek village of Kaya,abandoned in the 1923 population “swap” between Greece and Turkey,before ascending the mountain behind and dropping down to Oludeniz bay.
Over the course of the week we visited a Greek monastery reputedly built by a solitary monk into the rock face,and now inhabited only by a pair of goats. We also visited the ancient Greco/Roman cities of Cadianda and Tlos.On the final day we waded up the spectacular Saklikent Gorge before enjoying lunch at a nearky trout farm.
There was some pretty tough walking ranging from 4 to 6 .5 hours a day ,but everyone proved up to it, despite a few tumbles resulting in a chipped tooth, grazed elbow and twisted knee. Adrian Flynn’s only concern at twisting his knee was not having to accompany his daughter down the aisle at her upcoming wedding !
Returning to the lovely Sea Breeze Hotel many of us enjoyed a swim in the pool and/or a sauna,Turkish bath or massage. What a way to end a strenuous day !
Brian Griffiths
