About this stage
Not the short hop the map suggests. From the ruins of Xanthos above Kınık the waymarked line swings east through Çavdır and Üzümlü, crosses the low hills to Akbel and only then drops to Gelemiş, the village behind the 18 km sand beach at Patara — 34 km in all, usually split at Üzümlü into two gentle days. The direct road is about 15 km, and walkers short of time simply take the dolmuş down it. Patara is the birthplace of St Nicholas (Santa Claus) and features a spectacular Roman triumphal arch, a 5,000-seat theatre, and the oldest known lighthouse in the world.
Stage highlights
- Patara 18km sand beach
- Roman triumphal arch
- Ancient lighthouse and theatre
- Birthplace of St Nicholas
What to expect on the trail
Very little of this stage is by the sea. It is farm lanes and village tracks in the Eşen valley, then rolling hills of olive, pine and maquis between Üzümlü and Akbel, with the beach appearing only on the final descent to Gelemiş. Gradients are gentle throughout.
You'll move between roughly 14 m and 421 m above sea level — 738 m of ascent and 773 m of descent over 34.4 km, about 10 hours of walking.
The gradients are easy and the surfaces kind, but the distance is not a single day for most people: sleep at Üzümlü and arrive in Patara with the afternoon free for the beach. If you would rather not walk the loop, the dolmuş along the direct road is the usual shortcut.
Getting there
Kınık (for Xanthos) is on the Fethiye–Kaş coast road and served by dolmuş; for Patara the dolmuş drops you at the highway turn-off, with a shuttle down to Gelemiş. A dolmuş also runs the direct road between the two, which is how most walkers skip the 34 km loop.
Where this stage fits in the trail
This is stage 7 of 27, 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 6 (Gavurağılı to Letoon/Xanthos) to stage 8 (Patara to Kalkan), 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.