Lycian Way: Gelemiş and Patara
Days 2 - 6 on the Lycian Way
On the second day of our attempt to hike the Lycian Way, we bailed on the idea of backpacking the entire length of the trail due to the heat. Instead, we enacted Plan B: bus to key towns along the route and hang out for several days to day hike, explore, see the sites, and simply be open to discovery. After exploring Xanthos, we rode the local bus to Gelemiş. We got a room in town at the Denge Inn for two nights - then later extended our stay in Gelemiş another two nights at the Apollon Hotel because we couldn’t bear to leave this chill little paradise!
From the first evening in Gelemiş, we developed a routine that would extend throughout the week: as the sun began to dip lower in the sky, we walked the main road though town up a long, winding hill. At the top of the hill, the road curved sharply; pavement turned to a mix of dirt and sand, and we continued to a pine grove at the edge of the sand dunes. Decision time, determined by mood of the day: plop on the sand dunes with a blanket and bottle of wine to watch the sunset OR trudge through the dunes to the beach and immerse ourselves in the warm waters of the Mediterranean as the sun sank into the sea. #Paradise every single evening!
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Day Hike Along the Lycian Way
One early morning when the temperature was a bit cooler, we hiked about 5 miles along the Lycian Way leading out of Gelemiş. The excursion took us along mostly wide dirt roads up to the top of a hill overlooking Gelemiş and the ancient city of Patara. Along the route, we encountered a few fiercely barking dogs, but thankfully they were behind gates. Any dogs out running the streets were friendly and curious.
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It was a good way to stretch our legs, experience the Lycian Way a bit, and earn our ridiculously large breakfast at Denge Inn: soft warm flat bread, variety of cheeses, homemade jams, cherries, eggs, sausages, huge salad, fried potatoes, green and black olives, honey butter, tahini paste, balsamic pomegranate sauce, roasted red peppers, chocolate coffee cake to accompany perfectly made Turkish coffee, and (for dessert!) buttery pastries. Needless to say, we didn’t need to eat again until evening when we stayed at Denge Inn.
Patara: Ancient Lycian City
Patara Ancient City, with Hadrian’s Gate in the background
Seeing the ancient Lycian city of Patara from the trail definitely wasn’t enough for me. We headed out early the following day to find the backroad to the archaeology complex. Patara is not yet a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but I have no doubt that it will make the list one day soon. Of all the ruins we saw in Turkey, Patara was the most expansive and well-preserved — probably because it was buried for hundreds of years beneath the sand. Archeologists knew there was an ancient city buried there, but they waited for staffing and funds before finally beginning to excavate the goodies in 1988 under the direction of Prof. Fahri Işık and Prof. Havva İşkan Işık of Akdeniz University.
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There is SOOO much to see here: a Roman bathhouse, temples, civic buildings, a massive arched city gate and grain warehouses attributed to Roman Emperor Hadrian, an aqueduct, well-preserved amphitheater, an ancient lighthouse built under Nero ~64-65 AD, and a spectacular wooden ship! The excavation of the site and reconstruction are beautiful! And still much to be discovered, as large portions remain buried!
Golden Hands Ali and St. Nicholas Restaurant
Among the gems of Gelemiş, I must mention “Golden Hands Ali”, the town masseuse. Before coming to Turkey, we had spent the summer in Italy hiking through the Dolomites. Our feet and legs were still a little tender from all those miles - until we met Ali. During our five day stay in Gelemiş, we each booked two 60 minutes sessions with Ali to work out the kinks, especially in our calves and feet. Pure bliss! He’s really a master! Another place worth mentioning is St. Nicholas Restaurant, where we had the best meal in Gelemiş - a vegetarian casserole, well-cooked sea bream, lots of rice and a free plate of mezze. Good wine, too! Excellent food, laid-back atmosphere, and reasonable prices.
Gelemiş Street and Beach Scenes
The vibe in this beach town at the end of the season was so laid back and relaxing - it absolutely stole our hearts. The townspeople told us that we visited just before season end. If we had come in another week or two, the town would be empty and all businesses closed for the winter season. Apparently, this is a popular summer vacation spot that is usually crowded and busy with tourists. We lucked out, ‘cause we practically had the place to ourselves and enjoyed every quiet, relaxing moment.
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Next stop on our “lazy” Lycian Way expedition was Kaş, where we really embraced the sea with some scuba diving, sea kayaking, more archaeology, and another day hike along the trail…
