PATH DETAILS:
Start: 07:50 (starting from Kirkmerdiven)
Finish: 18:30 (all breaks are included)
Total distance: 19 km. (Kirkmerdiven-Alakilise 5 km., Alakilise-Zeytin 2 km., Zeytin-Beloren 3 km., Beloren-Myra 9 km.)
Water: Possibility of finding water here is slightly higher than Finike-Kirkmerdiven route. Because there are active cisterns on your route to Alakilise and Beloren village where you have the chace to fill your bottles.
This is a long route and you have to be prudent about your water consumption. Of course you need to consume water but as you're going to camp, there are not too many places to fill your bottles. So always keep some water with you. Finike-Myra (Demre) is long route (minimum 2 days) that you have to camp (no pensions, hostels etc.), so you need to carry your water with you.
There is a cistern in Alakilise can find a tin and rope nearby. However, the color of the water is brown (because of soil), so you may need disfectant pills or even boiling if you have a camping stove with you. There’s also another cistern between Kırkmerdiven and Alakilise by the sheppard’s hut. After Alakilise, there’s no water till Beloren even in Zeytin village.
There may be water in Zeytin but as there’re a few houses around, so you may not find water if there’s no one in. Do not waste your time looking for an active cistern. There are lots of Roman cisterns on this route but most of them are not active. In Beloren, local people still collect rain water to drink and consume. There is no fountain in the village but do not hesitate to ask for water from cause you definitely need it during your way down to Myra. Even you do not meet any local just knock on a door and that’s it.
If you do not fill your bottles in Beloren, your next chance will be Kutluca (after a long 2-3 km.s of tiring walk from Gavuryolu), a settlement on uplands of Demre. Excluding the two cisterns around Alakilise, there’s no water source (cistern or fountain) in the nature on this route. All you have to do is to drink water from the cisterns or ask local people for water in the settlement areas.
Accomodation: No facilities like pensions or hostels. You have to camp or arrange daily tours. Most preferred and best options for camping, Alakilise or Zeytin Village. As you walk through Zeytin and approach to Beloren camping can be a problem (less shade and plain areas). However, you may definitely camp in Beloren but placing your camp in nature is always better, this why we recommend Alakilise and Zeytin. After Beloren the trail goes on rocky ancient Gavuryolu paths where there’s no possibility to camp till Myra. As Myra is around 1-2 km far away from city centre of Demre, finding a pension would not be a problem in Demre. There are also plain areas around Myra for camping. But you need to ask for permission.
Difficulty: Route descends you to sea level till Myra. This is a long and tiring descend (starting from 1600 m. (5000 ft)) in some places especially Kirkmerdiven to Alakilise and Gavuryolu paths you have to be careful due to slippery paths (scree and pebbles). We can say that this trail is one of Lycian Way’s waterless and hardest route. Patience and experience is necessary. There’re some marking problems during your descent to Alakilise from Kirkmerdiven (Papazkayasi) and around Alakilise. This is mainly due erosion (scree) in Kirkmerdiven and goats in Alakilise. If you are not able to see the waymarks, don’t panic. Just look for them patiently. No rush. We recommend you to spend your time looking for the waymarks rather than going into a wrong path and trying to create your own route. Although the path goes parallel to the dirt road, there are marking problems after you leave from Alakilise and make your way to Zeytin. Paths between Zeytin and Beloren the route is not long and hard than you think.
There are ancient ruins in Beloren. They are not on your way but just ask for them to see. Ancient name of Beloren is Muskar. After Beloren, Gavuryolu path begins. In ancient times Gavuryolu should have been used to connect people from Myra to Beloren (Muskar) then to Alakilise.
During your descend from Gavuryolu you have panoramic Demre views. This route is long but easier than Kirkmerdiven routes. You should hike on this ancient well-preserved Gavuryolu path (stone pedestrians and lots of small cisterns are still visible and impressive). After you go down to stream bed and greenhouses of Demre stream (dries in summer). After greenhouses a total of 3 or 4 km.s of walk will take you to Myra after you pass the bridge on stream.
Apart from this, some hikers bypass long Gavuryolu path (Myra/Beloren). They begin or end the route in Beloren. If you think that you have strict timing or feel yourself tired, you may consider this, as there’s a tarmac road between Beloren and Demre. You may ask for a vehicle in Beloren or wait for a vehicle for the bypass. There is a taxi driver Ismet Duran serves in Demre or you may give him a call for a taxi (+90-542-587 19 72 / +90-536-372 08 56).
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.