Trail & Heritage
The Lycian Way: Delikkemer Siphon to Patara
Trek along one of the Lycian Way's finest day stages, starting at the 2,000-year-old Roman inverted siphon aqueduct and descending past olive groves to Patara.
✨Key Highlights
- ✓Marveling at the 2,000-year-old Roman inverted siphon aqueduct at Delikkemer
- ✓Panoramic Mediterranean sea views along ancient stone paths lined with wild thyme and sage
- ✓Descending through olive groves straight into the ancient city ruins of Patara
- ✓Concluding your hike with a celebratory swim along Patara's 18-km sandy beach
The Lycian Way, voted one of the world's premier long-distance hiking trails, stretches 500 km across the rugged southwest coast of Turkey. The section passing directly above Kalkan and continuing to Patara is widely considered one of its most fascinating single-day stages.
The trail begins near Delikkemer, where you can marvel at an extraordinary feat of Roman engineering: a 2,000-year-old inverted siphon aqueduct built of interlocking stone blocks that carried fresh spring water across a 200-meter-wide valley into ancient Patara under immense pressure.
From Delikkemer, the trail winds along ancient goat paths through fragrant pine woodlands, wild thyme, and sage, offering sweeping panoramas of the open Mediterranean. The final stretch descends gently through centuries-old olive orchards directly into the monumental ruins of ancient Patara, finishing with a swim at Patara’s 18-km sand beach.
💡Practical Tips & Advice
- •Wear sturdy trail shoes or hiking boots with good grip on limestone paths
- •Carry at least 1.5 litres of water per person, hat, and sunscreen; shade is limited in sections
- •Follow the standard red-and-white trail markers painted along stones and pine trees
Looking for more?
Discover other authentic experiences and full days along Kalkan's coast and hinterland.