Region Two
Patara Beach North Side - Kaş
Day 5: Patara Beach North Side - Üzümlü
Distance: 30km/18.5mi
Elevation Gain: 672m
Elevation Loss: 309m
Max Elevation: 368m
Day 5 begins with 12kms of easy, flat road walking through pomegranate trees and green houses growing tomatoes. There are loads of water stations and a couple of supermarkets along this section so be sure to empty those bottles, shedding any unnecessary weight. If you are short of time then this road section up to the ruins of Xanthos in Karaköy can be skipped as there are many taxis and busses.
After you've explored this ruins of Xanthos and the well preserved amphitheatre, you continue up the road until you reach the village of Çavdır where there is a supermarket, cafe and a couple of taps to fill up on water. Be sure to do this as there are no more springs, however you do cross a thin, fast flowing stream about 4kms before Üzümlü.
Between Çavdır and Üzümlü the path becomes interesting as you will be walking along an aqueduct that offers great views of the beach and farm land far below. You are elevated but flat as you might expect from an aqueduct. After this the trial has about 300 metres of elevation through a pine forest leading to the village of Üzümlü that is dotted with gorgeous villas and holiday homes.
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There are lots of water stations when passing through the green house section. You will notice these tall, square shaped metal tanks with two taps on them. These are great because the water is usually very cool.
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There are supermarkets dotted along the path all the way up to Çavdır as well as a couple of food vendors in Karaköy.
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I stayed at Villa Lapaz Esintisi for 150 Lira, including dinner and breakfast. This place was gorgeous, offering hillside views of Patara Beach, fantastic food and very welcoming hosts. My favourite accommodation on the trial.
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The section after Çavdır, where you walk along the aqueduct is very scratchy as the plants are overgrowing into the path.
Day 6: Üzümlü - Gelemiş
Distance: 27km/16.5mi
Elevation Gain: 726m
Elevation Loss: 1,026m
Max Elevation: 419m
The day begins by zig zagging between the villa's and construction sites that cut straight across the trail. You just have to use your common sense to stay on path and try not to enter private property as there is likely to be guard dogs. Once you've left Üzümlü you join back up to the aqueduct all the way to the village of Akbel. Once again you are rewarded with magnificent views of the farms below and once again your legs will be scratched to shit, so wear trousers if you have any.
The village of Akbel sits along the main road (D400) so there are many restaurants, water sources and mini markets to stock up as well as a bus service if you wanted to skip a section.
Continuing along the trail out of Akbel you join the scratchy path again for 5kms until you reach the ruins of Delikkemer however it's well worth it as this old gate and wall is very impressive. The trial continues along a well maintained coastal road until you reach the first beach, making sure you follow the road down to the left, close to water level. This is the last of the water sources so fill up as the trial becomes very exposed and has a steep section towards the end.
This remaining section has gorgeous little beaches with sky blue water that is well worth a stop to swim and enjoy. The rest of the day is pretty simple with a couple of small hills until you reach one last big climb. I remember this day being absolutely boiling, made worse with the lack of shade, meaning that reaching the peak was quite a relief.
Next continue the path down to the beach, making sure to follow the signs carefully, as cutting the corner would see you scrabbling through very thorny bushes. I still have bristles in my socks. Finally you will arrive at Patara Beach where a well deserved beer is available. If you are interested then there are a fair amount of ruins here to explore but when I arrived the sun was setting so I just hitched a ride into Gelemiş.
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There is a spring in the village of Akbel.
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Make sure to fill up at the first beach you arrive at after leaving Delikkemer and walking along the tarmac.
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There are a couple of mini-markets in Üzümlü.
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Akbel has restaurants and markets.
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Gelemiş has an amazing restaurant called Patara Gozleme Evi which served homemade ravioli for a very reasonable price. Highly recommend.
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Gelemiş has loads of accommodation but I stayed in an apartment at Hotel Sema with 3 others and we split the cost, 50 LIra each plus 30 for breakast.
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The scratchy bushes growing over the path had my legs bleeding by the end of the day.
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Very exposed second half of the day, with little water and steep climp.
Day 7: Gelemiş - Sarıbelen
Distance: 28km/17mi
Elevation Gain: 1,433m
Elevation Loss: 705m
Max Elevation: 898m
The morning starts with a gentle walk through a quiet forest which was really relaxing and offered some well needed shade compared to the previous days. There is a single spring on route, just before you arrive at the previously visited Delikkemer wall/gates. Definitely fill up as there won't be anymore until reaching Kalkan town.
After Delikkemer the path forks, offering an easier inland route or the difficult coastal route. The coastal was crazy and surprisingly dangerous, long winded and not that enjoyable. There is no shade and the path was hard to follow as it hugs the cliff side. I would recommend taking the inland path as I didn't really gain anything from the coastal and it slowed the pace down on what was to become a long day.
Kalkan is a sea of villa's and tourist shops, with lot's of accommodation if needed. It was really not my scene so I stocked up on supplies, had a snack and continued on my way. From here, prepare yourself with one hell of climb, with about 5kms of solid incline. It was real tough so make sure you've shed any unnecessary weight, carrying only as much water as you need. There is a good spring when you first enter the village of Bezirgan, which is recognisable by the chicken huts that line the path.
Make your way through the quiet village until you reach the new road that has been built along the side of the hill. Make sure to keep an eye of your navigation as the route only follows this road for a couple of hundred metres. There is one more small, but steep climb up to yet another road and from here it's a relatively boring climb down to the village of Saribelen. If you're tired then consider hitching a ride as people will likely stop to offer anyway.
I strongly suspect that the new road leads to the village of Saribelen, however I didn't want to take it as I was worried I would miss something on route. As it turns out, there isn't much to see on this last section anyway. Buy the time you come to it, the map might have been updated to show this road.
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There is a spring between Gelemis and Delikkemer, as well as lot's of shops in Kalkan.
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Be aware there is no water in-between Kalkan and Bezirgan village, however these are wells and the cleanliness is questionable. There is a spring once you reach the village.
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There are lots of restaurants and markets in Kalkan to stock up at.
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I stayed at Mozaik pension for 130 Lira which included dinner and breakfast. This place was lovely with incredible hosts, clean rooms and great food. There was also a speaker on the roof that I took full advantage of.
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Another option is Owlsland Pension located in Bezirgan, however the owner was no where to be seen.
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A relatively secluded morning with limited water spots.
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The climb out of Kalkan is very tough with loose ground and a sharp incline. The way-marks can easily be missed.
Day 8: Sarıbelen - Phellos
Distance: 27km/16.5mi
Elevation Gain: 750m
Elevation Loss: 791m
Max Elevation: 1,033m
After a fantastic breakfast at Mozaik Pension, the day begins with an easy walk out of Saribelen village following a rough coastal road. The footing is fairly flat, passing through a number of goat farms and at one of these there is a man called Hüseyin who will most likely invite you in for tea. As with all shepherds and goat farms, expect to see some aggressive guard dogs however from my experience in Turkey, most were very friendly, especially on the path. I did however, hear a lot of stories and met a lady who had been bitten so just be aware of the danger.
After Hüseyin's House, the path continues straight through old, stone covered fields that are very easy to navigate. Soon you'll notice the path gradually descending until you reach a fork in the path. There are two ways, the left taking you down a tarmac road and the right, through the bushes until you reach the village of Gökçeören. If you go left like I did then you will be greeted energetically by a man in a car inviting you into his pension for food and accommodation. It is believed that this man changed the path to the road so he could watch and see people walking, then he would get in his car and greet them. He is quite pushy however overall, just a harmless fella wanting to make some money. He doesn't have prices but instead asks you to pay what you think. As a reference, the average pension will charge 100 Lira for dinner, breakfast and a night's sleep, but he will ask for double. Outside his place is a fast flowing spring.
For the next 6-7kms the trail is very easy, heading downhill on a quiet road with a good amount of shade. There is little camping on this stretch with tree covered hills either side of the path however there are two good springs that you won't miss as well as a cool little picnic area with an outside fireplace and bench. It is important to fill up here as there won't be anymore water until you reach the village of Pınarbaşı, 10-15kms away, and remember to bring extra if you intend to camp. At the bottom of the road, there is a big field on your right with a couple of spots to pitch your tent.
You now leave the road and begin a long steep climb through the forest for about 4kms. I do not remember this section being particularly hard but instead a bit of a relief after spending so much of that day walking downhill. This section is very secluded and I didn't see anybody else but instead wild pigs and horses. There is an interesting section towards the top of the climb where you pass through a ruin of a village, providing a couple of good places to camp. Several maps say there are springs along this section however any I found were dry.
The final section of the day follows a newly dug dirt road that has been cut into the side of the hills all the way up to just outside of Phellos, an ancient burial site. It was here I set up camp in the dark without fully realising where I was. The place offered some amazing views of the night sky. Would recommend.
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There is limited water this day, however very manageable with a bit of forward thinking.
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Gökçeören village has serval good springs and further on down the path there are two more, however this is it for the rest of the day. Remember to fill up, and once you start the steep climb up the forest then there is no more water until after Phellos.
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There are no shops this day however you can get some cooked food at the Pension I mentioned in Gökçeören. Note that there is no guarantee the owners will be in so make sure you have packed some food and most likely you will be camping tonight.
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I wild camped in the ruins of Phellos, which was one of the best nights I've had with great night gazing opportunities as well as a view of the villages down below.
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There are several guard dogs this day and although they look scary, most are big babies. Just be wary as there can always be a horrible one.
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The second half of the day is very quiet, and you will most likely not see anybody at all. Something to consider if hiking solo.
Day 9: Phellos - Kaş
Distance: 11km/7mi
Elevation Gain: 88m
Elevation Loss: 878m
Max Elevation: 862m
The trail down from Phellos is relatively easy however the footing is loose and steep until you arrive in Pınarbaşı where there is a welcoming spring. From here you will walk on a road for about 3kms where you will pass by a couple of pension's just outside of Çukurbağ. After this it's flat and easy through rocky fields until you pass through some thick bushes, arriving at a flag pole overlooking Kaş far below.
The route down is steep and loose and you will likely see people as this is a popular day hike up to the flag pole. Upon arriving in Kaş, this nice lady gave me some fruit and I saw some familiar faces of people met earlier on the hike. It's a beautiful town, but very touristy with loads of accommodation available. I stayed in Paydos Pansiyon, which was very central and close to the sea front. I arrived here about 11am so had a lot of time to chill on the pebble beach and explore the small market.
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There is a good spring in Pınarbaşı but this is it, however this is plenty for the rest of the day, especially as it's all downhill.
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I stopped for food at Eflatun Pension just outside of Çukurbağ for a lovely breakfast. Other than this, there is nothing until you reach Kas.
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I stayed at Paydos Pansiyon for 150 Lira which included a fantastic breakfast. It was a lovely stay, and they provided beach towels which was a nice touch. Breakfast wasn't served until 9 or maybe 10.
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The footing is loose on the descents.
