PATH DETAILS:
Start: 07:15 (starting from Finike)
Start: 07:15 (starting from Finike)
Finish: 19:30 (all breaks are included)
Total distance: 25 km. (Finike-Belos 9 km., Belos-Karlioz Summit (1680 m.) 10 km., Karlioz summit-Kirkmerdiven 3 km., in other words Belos to Kirkmerdiven is 13-14 km. approx.). Lycian Way signposts on the Finike-Myra trail are correct.
Water: In overall, Finike-Myra (Demre) trail contains long ascends & descends with lack of water. In this region water is a problem that you need to carry plenty of with you. While leaving Finike, consider that you would be camping somewhere on top such as Kirkmerdiven or Alakilise and carry plenty of water around 3 lt. per person. On your way you are able to see so many cisterns, however it depends on you to drink water from them or not. Depending on the season there may be people living in uplands who may provide water with you but they may not be there while you pass nearby the settlements. Do not hesitate to request water from them as they will definetely provide water to you.
At Yatikardic region people keep some of the cisterns active and clean, however if there’s no one around it would be hard to draw water from the cisterns. Besides this, if your walk is planned by the end of summer, many of these cisterns will be dry after a long, hot summer.
You may carry a few meters long durable string to draw water and use disinfectant pills if required. There may be some cisterns which have not been sheltered by sticks and twigs, that means an animal would have been fell and died in it. You may need to carry all your food with you. On the trail there’s no grocery, market, village or even a fruit tree. At the Yatikardic region there’s a settlement but we saw nobody during our walk in April.
At Yatikardic region people keep some of the cisterns active and clean, however if there’s no one around it would be hard to draw water from the cisterns. Besides this, if your walk is planned by the end of summer, many of these cisterns will be dry after a long, hot summer.
You may carry a few meters long durable string to draw water and use disinfectant pills if required. There may be some cisterns which have not been sheltered by sticks and twigs, that means an animal would have been fell and died in it. You may need to carry all your food with you. On the trail there’s no grocery, market, village or even a fruit tree. At the Yatikardic region there’s a settlement but we saw nobody during our walk in April.
Accomodation: Between Finike and Myra (Demre) which is called Alacadag pass, camping is the single option cause there’s no pension or village. As said previously, at the Yatikardic region there’re some wooden cottages' verandas at where you may sleep in your sleeping bags. To summarise, finding water sources is a problem however camping is not a big deal. With a good performance the trail can be finalised within one night of camping. You may camp around Kirkmerdiven and on the second day, after a long walk, you may arrive Demre (Myra). If you plan to stay for a second night in this region you may camp in Beloren which is a small village where you can supply water. On the other hand, if you plan to walk from Finike to Alakilise in one day, we would definetely say that it would be a very tiring attempt that you may have to walk with your head lambs during your descend to Alakilise from Kirkmerdiven.
The ones proposing to walk from Demre to Finike may camp at Alakilise during the first day and camp in Belos for the second night if do not want to stay at a pension in Finike town center.
The ones proposing to walk from Demre to Finike may camp at Alakilise during the first day and camp in Belos for the second night if do not want to stay at a pension in Finike town center.
Difficulty: Alacadag pass (between Finike - Myra/Demre) is one of the "lack of water" trails of Lycian Way. Ones, plan to walk between Finike-Myra need to have at least a minor experience on a waterless hiking. This trail is harder compared with Fethiye-Kaş, Kekova paths. Due to elevation, in most of the seasons there may be mist and snow in some areas. In some parts of this route, obtaining the signs would be an issue as the forest management had some work in this area recently. Before going into the paths that take you to Belos, after Finike, forest management strang up a wired fences in some places of the route at where you may see waymarks behind the fences. All you have to do is this area is to follow the the signs by following the tarmac road that will intersect with waymarked paths. As the trails goes above 1000 m., natural effects and bushes may wipe out the signs on the stones. If you can’t find the next waymark, our suggestion is to go back to the last one you saw and restart. After leaving Finike some waymarks may lead you to the forest road and some lead you to the seaside direction, no matter which one you choose, both intersect at the 600 m. elevation which is called Yalakbasi region. You are able to see the signpost here as well.
Path Elevation Graphs and Photos: Please refer to our sister site www.likyayolu.org.
For this path, you can find some detailed information on this LINK. Although site is in Turkish, photos will give you a direction how the paths look like.
Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions. We'll be happy to help.