Where's Grayleen?

We have done some pretty amazing hikes on this trip, including several that frequently top lists of the most amazing hikes in the world and deservedly attract swarms of hikers. The Lycian Way in Turkey, on the other hand, receives very little such attention and was almost deserted while we were there. That being said, we found it to hold its own among these legendary trails and think it is truly a hidden gem. The fact that you don’t have to gamble with the alpine and sub-alpine weather of many of those other treks is an added bonus. This is the Mediterranean, after all!

Hiking the Lycian Coast

We only hiked a short part of the 509 km (316 mile) Lycian Way, a one-day hike from Oludeniz to Kabak Valley. (We know that at some point in our lives, we will have to hike the whole thing from end to end.) The entire challenging trail hugs the Mediterranean Coast, taking you along and over jagged cliffs overlooking the sea as you hike from small town to small town. Many nights you can lodge in and eat at tiny guest houses. You can stop by some of the many beaches along the way to cool off. If you can get past the frustrating paucity of information to be found about the Lycian Way, you will be rewarded. We cannot recommend it highly enough.

Our own journey ended at a little slice of heaven, the Shambala Resort in tiny Kabak Valley. We had planned to stay only one night in order to return to Fethiye for a 3-night boat trip, but we canceled our plans when we realized that we had stumbled upon paradise.  (The screaming deal we negotiated– less than half the advertised price– didn’t hurt either.)

Shambala is a peaceful resort perched on the hillside of Kabak Valley overlooking Kabak Beach. It is very new age, billing itself as an 11:11 project. But somehow, chatting with the staff about their quests to attain a higher plane of consciousness just felt right at this place, even to these two skeptics. It’s hard to describe exactly what it is that makes it so amazing; the Lonely Planet describes it as “more than the sum of its parts”. I would say that it gets all of the details right, from the wooden sculptures to the cozy seating areas to the mind-bogglingly delicious organic food. It is also run with such attentiveness and efficiency that when we commented that the little seating area outside our bungalow could use some shade, within fifteen minutes there were five men putting a thatched roof over it. And the zen of the place and inner peace of the staff can’t help but infuse the atmosphere. A fellow guest quipped, “Peace, love, and dinner at eight,” and we couldn’t agree more.

Unfortunately, we have no pics from Kabak or our Lycian Way hike since we accidentally left our memory card behind in Fethiye… oops!  Well, that’s just one more reason why we’ll have to go back.  Pics from Fethiye and a day hike we did in the area here.