Whether to follow the trails created centuries ago, to have an isolated experience, to be in touch with nature, or just to get away from daily stress and take a break… Whatever the reason is, hiking is one of the best ways to spend time outdoors, and in this article, we are talking about some of the best trails and routes you can walk in Türkiye.
Easy - Intermediate Trails
If you’re new to hiking routes, let's start with routes that will not force you that much. Below you can find easy and medium level alternative tracks that you can explore without much difficulty.
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Azmak - Demircili (Airai) Route
Our first suggestion is in Demircili, İzmir. This track, which is between Sığacık and Azmak Bay, is approximately 8 km long. Although the track is a bit rocky, it’s easy to complete and it’s not a circular one, walking from beginning to the end, you need to walk back on the same route.
You can find further information here.
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Güzelçamlı - Doğanbey Route
Starting from a national park in Kuşadası; Güzelçamlı - Doğanbey Track is great for a daily route. After entering the Güzelçamlı National Park, the village of Doğanbey can be reached with a pleasant walking path. Since this walking route is also not circular, we’d recommend considering the return path.
Technical information can be found here.
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Kilimli Trail
This next route is a charming one where blue meets green, and it’s located in Ağva, İstanbul. The Kilimli Trail is another pleasant route for nature walks. The track is around 4.5 kilometers long and in the form of a circle, so you can easily return to the point where you’ve started.
Find out more here.
Intermediate - Difficult Trails
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The Lycian Way
One of the most beautiful walking routes of the world, the Lycian Way starts from Fethiye and ends in Antalya. In total, it’s a 555 kilometer walking route. Every year, hundreds of tourists come to Türkiye to experience this walking route.
Since the entire route is 555 km, you do not have to walk all the way in one go. There are different tracks on the road. If you wish, you can plan a route where you walk only one or more of these tracks and stay in boutique hotels and mini-pensions on the road or camp.
However, if you are planning to walk the entire route in one go, it may take between 25-40 days depending on your form. On professional trekking routes such as the Lycian Way, the stones along the way are marked in red/white/blue colors. In places where there is no color marking, the walkers generally follow a method where they put the stones on top of each other in order to guide and facilitate those who come after them. As you can follow these guiding signs, you can also carry a GPS device with you if there are bays or landscapes that you plan to get off the road.
The main reason that the walking route is considered one of the most beautiful ones in the world, is that it offers an adventure full of ancient ruins and untouched bays along the way. Walking the Lycian Way will be one of the truly magnificent experiences of a lifetime.
Further information can be found here.
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The Carian Trail
This 820 km long-distance footpath is in the southwestern part of Türkiye and it’s considered as the longest walking route in the country. The trail consists of 4 main parts, you may follow the entire path or complete only a part of the trail. You need a plan according to which route you will follow and how far you will walk.
Each route has various landscapes and different road dynamics. However, it’s important to note that good research and planning is required before starting to walk difficult hiking routes such as the Carian Trail.
It is good to be planned and prepared, from equipment to determining the route, from how and where you will stay, to walking conditions. Another essential point is to do a strict walking training before starting routes such as the Carian Trail or the Lycian Way.
Once you’re all settled, it’s a fascinating experience to walk on these roads that interconnect ancient civilizations, and to be in nature while enjoying the impressive sceneries.
You can visit the official website for further information from here.
These are some of our favorite walking routes in Türkiye. All of these routes are the points that we, Ontrail people, find pleasure discovering. Have a wonderful walk!
