About this stage
From Faralya village the walk goes back up the road for 2.4 km to the waymarked trail in upper Faralya, then climbs over a ridge to about 650 m before descending steeply through Kabak village to the remote Kabak Beach. From the beach it climbs through dense maquis scrubland to the quiet farming hamlet of Alınca. This is a steep stage with two long climbs and dramatic elevation changes as the path weaves between deep valleys and exposed ridges. Kabak Beach offers a wild swimming stop a little over halfway.
Stage highlights
- Kabak Beach wild swimming
- Terraced hillside gardens
- Remote mountain village of Alınca
What to expect on the trail
The first 2.4 km is on the road from Faralya village back up to the waymarked trail in upper Faralya. From there the path climbs over a ridge, drops steeply through Kabak village to the beach, then climbs through maquis scrub to Alınca. Varied underfoot and visually rewarding.
Water is available at intervals along the route, but plan refills carefully. Top up at every village fountain or natural spring you pass; gaps of 2-3 hours between sources are common.
Shade is patchy. The path weaves between deep valleys and exposed ridges and climbs through maquis scrub to Alınca, so a sun hat, sunscreen and frequent water breaks are needed in summer.
You'll move between roughly 7 m and 747 m above sea level — 1,282 m of ascent and 717 m of descent over 14.3 km, about 5.5 hours of walking: about 8.4 km to Kabak Beach, over a ridge at about 650 m, then about 5.9 km of climbing to Alınca.
A challenging stage with sustained climbs and technical terrain. Allow extra time, start at first light, and carry more water than you think you'll need.
Getting there
Faralya is about 26 km (about 50 min) by road from Fethiye, and minibuses from the Fethiye bus station serve the village. Alınca, at the end, is a small mountain village about 38 km (about 1 h 20 min) by road from Fethiye; to leave, walk on towards Bel or ask your pension to arrange a transfer taxi.
Where this stage fits in the trail
This is stage 3 of 26, part of the Western Lycian Coast section — the western coastal section running from Fethiye through Ölüdeniz, Faralya and the Patara dunes towards Kalkan. It connects stage 2 (Ovacık to Faralya) to stage 4 (Alınca to Bel), and works well as part of a multi-day section walk.
Best time to walk this stage
The Lycian Way is best walked in spring (mid-March to mid-May) or autumn (mid-September to mid-November). October and April offer the most reliable weather: mild temperatures, clear skies, wildflowers in spring or olive harvest in autumn, and far fewer hikers than the shoulders of those windows. Summer (June-August) is generally too hot for comfortable walking — coastal stages routinely exceed 35°C and water sources dry up. Winter (December-February) brings rain to the coast and snow to mountain passes; the trail is walkable but conditions are unpredictable, especially on the higher inland stages.