About this stage
The longest and most demanding cut on the western Lycian Way, and the one most often misjudged. There is no waymarked coastal path from Kalkan to Kaş: the red-and-white line turns inland, climbs from the harbour to the plateau village of Bezirgan, runs east through Sarıbelen and Gökçeören across the Yörük highlands, and drops through Çukurbağ to the bohemian diving town of Kaş. Walked end to end it is 54 km with about 1,700 m of ascent — two or three days, not one, with Gökçeören the natural halfway stop. Kaş has a spectacular Hellenistic theatre overlooking the Greek island of Kastellorizo and is the best resupply point on the entire trail.
Stage highlights
- Antiphellos ancient theatre in Kaş
- Views of Kastellorizo (Meis) island
- King's Tomb Lycian sarcophagus
- Best resupply town on the trail
What to expect on the trail
This is highland walking rather than a shore path: mule tracks and village lanes climbing out of Kalkan to Bezirgan, then open plateau, oak and pine, and long stretches of stony limestone between Sarıbelen, Gökçeören and Çukurbağ before the final steep descent to the sea at Kaş. Expect uneven rock underfoot and little shade on the tops.
The Bezirgan fountain and the spring at Sarıbelen are the listed water points; refill at every village you pass and carry at least 3 litres, because the gaps between sources run to two or three hours.
You'll move between roughly 7 m and 1,029 m above sea level — 1,678 m of ascent and 1,896 m of descent over 54.1 km, around 16–17 hours of walking in total.
Do not try to walk this in a day. Split it at Gökçeören (about 27 km from Kalkan, 29 km on to Kaş), or take three days with nights in Bezirgan and Gökçeören — both villages have simple pensions, so book ahead. Start each day at first light and carry more water than you think you'll need.
Getting there
Kalkan and Kaş are linked by dolmuş every 30 minutes (about half an hour), so the stage is easy to reach from either end and easy to bail out of by returning to the coast road. Gökçeören, the halfway village, is reached by taxi or a pension transfer from Kaş.
Where this stage fits in the trail
This is stage 9 of 27, part of the Central Coast & Kekova section — the central section linking the harbour towns of Kalkan, Kaş and Üçağız with the sunken city of Kekova. It connects stage 8 (Patara to Kalkan) to stage 10 (Kaş to Limanağzı), 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.