The Lycian Way with Baby and Tent – Week 2: Highs, Lows and Surprises
We had always said: we wanted to walk the entire Lycian Way all the way to Antalya – if it was possible with Cleo. Our assumption was: the trail itself would be easy enough for us, but perhaps it could be difficult because of Cleo. This week taught us otherwise: the Lycian Way is a challenge even without a baby, and it is anything but guaranteed that we will make it to the very end.
And when we wrote these lines, only half the week had passed. In the second half, even more surprises awaited us…
After Kalkan: Upwards!
According to the guidebook, after Kalkan there was only one direction: upwards. Although we both like climbing altitude, the next kilometers were tough. Not because of the steepness, but because the path was repeatedly blocked by newly built villas and their walls. Finding the way was correspondingly tedious.
After about 450 meters of ascent we treated ourselves to a breakfast break with a view over Kalkan and the bay far below. Ivo invented a new “trail cuisine”: peanut butter with halva – delicious! Then we climbed another 300 meters to a plateau where we were supposed to see the snow-covered peaks of the Taurus Mountains. But no snow was in sight.
We passed through the village of Bezirgan and found a fig tree. Ivo asked an elderly woman if we could pick a few fruits. As soon as she spotted Cleo in the carrier, she exclaimed “Mashallah,” ran over, and slipped a 20-lira note into Cleo’s carrier. All our attempts to return the gift failed – and so this became Cleo’s very first earned money.
We walked on a bit further to Sarıbelen, where we enjoyed breakfast in a wonderful hippie café and took a long midday break. There we also met a couple from Dresden, whom we had already seen on the very first day. We exchanged stories about blisters, footwear and navigation before continuing on to the next stage.
Shepherd life and golden grasses
In the afternoon, we entered a stage marked with a star in the guidebook – especially beautiful. We walked along small paths through rather flat and barren terrain, with spectacular views of many small islands. Sometimes the sea was to the left, sometimes to the right, with olive trees and dry stone walls in between.
We came across Hussein, a goatherd, his wife, their daughter and her husband, and could hardly believe that this simple mountain farming life existed just one day’s walk from touristy Kalkan – with no mobile reception at all. Ivo and Cleo chatted with the family, while one of the men set off with a rifle to hunt jackals.
We continued across beautiful yellow meadows, lined with old dry stone walls, on red earth. After a total of 25 km we reached Gökçeören, where we pitched our tent on a kind of balcony at a pension, took showers and ended the day with dinner. There we met two more hikers: a Scotsman and a man from Turkey, both in their best years.
Descent to Kaş
The next day again began with the first call to prayer. We quickly descended eight kilometers through beautiful pine forests and, for the first time, felt a hint of a cool morning. Here too it seems autumn is arriving – though “autumn” here means something very different from Germany, Switzerland or South Tyrol.
After a sweaty climb and a spring under a plane tree, we reached the ruins of Phellos. Before descending the roughly 1000 meters down to Kaş (Antiphellos), we stopped in Çukurbağ, where we found a wonderful late breakfast. Even though it was already 1 pm, we devoured another generous Turkish breakfast. The owners had to leave for an appointment but let us stay the afternoon alone in their beautiful garden.
Then came the stony descent into Kaş. There we felt a very different atmosphere compared to Kalkan: more local and active tourism, less British influence, narrow streets and countless sweet desserts.
In the evening we had planned to meet the German-British couple again, but they couldn’t come – a dog had bitten them. A topic that kept us thinking: how can we protect Cleo and ourselves from wild or stray animals? Despite these thoughts, we ended the day with a refreshing swim at sunset.
Water supply on the way
Preparing for the next day also means planning how much water we will need. We calculate about one liter per hour, check where there are restaurants or springs, and discuss where we might eat and sleep. We avoid cisterns, as they are often unreliable.
When we write “restaurants,” this can also mean just a single room with a few benches, where cooking, sleeping, and even the children’s homework all take place. Often we feel like we are the only guests of the day or even the week. Springs are sometimes water taps at mosques or cemeteries. And if a spring looks questionable, we use our Katadyn water filter.
Along the coast
The next day we started late, after shopping and breakfast. The stage led along the coast with many lonely bays, and since Cleo had fallen asleep in the first bay, we kept going until the third. For a moment we worried our water planning might not work out.
According to the guidebook there should have been a campsite here – with a restaurant. But the cliffs that opened up the view to the bay made the place seem deserted. All the more our relief when, approaching, we spotted some empty beer crates – always a sign of civilization. So we enjoyed a very refreshing lunch break with the only dish available: an omelette. No mobile reception, no people-watching, no choices – just sea and peace. Very relaxing.
We decided to continue to the next beach, and once there, we had another crazy idea: although evening was approaching, we walked further to Boğazcık. Behind the bay there would have been wonderful wild camping spots, but without water. So we continued into the sunset, strengthened by a bag of chips.
In Boğazcık there were supposed to be two accommodations. One was closed due to the owner’s honeymoon, but we were allowed to camp for free in the “School Garden.” This turned out to be a eucalyptus grove with picnic tables, probably part of a school or a cultural center. We got water from the mosque and fell asleep surrounded by the wonderful scent of eucalyptus – heavenly.
Pain and short stages
Since the descent to Kaş, Ivo had been struggling with foot pain. Our “medical advice” – ChatGPT – recommended cooling, massaging, mobilizing and stabilizing with kinesio tape. But the tape didn’t stick long to his hairy legs.
We cautiously walked about 7 km to the Purple House at Aperlai Bay, where we had breakfast. Ivo snorkeled among the ruins submerged in the water – a magical moment. Afterwards we walked to the next restaurant, had lunch, rested during the heat, and added another short evening stage.
In the evening we reached Kaleköy/Üçağız, where the owner of the Purple House helped us. He had once worked as a bouncer in Antalya and has hosted hikers for 20 years. He recommended a spot outside the village where we camped under a grand starry sky.
Hornet alarm
The next morning we were walking almost at sea level when Marie suddenly screamed: an oriental hornet had hidden in her shoe tongue and stung her. We cooled the spot immediately. Fortunately, we were able to continue and soon reached a beautiful pebble bay, almost deserted except for a few British hikers. We rested there before continuing on to Demre.
At the Andriake harbor (Demre’s port) we treated ourselves to spaghetti with tomato sauce, breakfast and beer. Cleo was gifted some apples. We even managed a secret shower at the campsite.
One and a half kilometers further we reached Demre, the city of Saint Nicholas, and fittingly checked into the “Santa Suites.”
But when Marie took off her shoe to shower, her foot swelled so badly that she could hardly walk. Ivo went alone to meet four other hikers, and came back with pide, çiğköfte and walnut salad – but without antihistamine. So he went out again and returned with baklava and the much-needed medicine.
Rest and hospital
The next morning we enjoyed not being in the tent, but in a room. We slept in and treated ourselves to a delicious breakfast. Cleo was practically “kidnapped” by the hosts and carried from table to table for a while, even by another family with children. The highlight was freshly baked bazlama, a warm flatbread we ate with breakfast.
Marie’s ankle was still swollen, but she was able to walk again. We stocked up on supplies for the next stages: noodles, soup, oats, crackers, nuts. But Cleo had started coughing, Ivo was feeling under the weather, and his foot needed rest as well. So we made the heavy but right decision to take a full rest day.
During the night, Cleo’s condition suddenly worsened: strong coughing, crying, difficulty breathing. We went to the hospital. The hotel owner, himself the father of a newborn, drove us there and helped translate. After long examinations Cleo was better, and by 5 am we were back at the hotel.
We spent the following day mostly catching up on sleep. Cleo was cheerful again – but the fright was still deep in our bones.
Lessons of the week
This second week on the Lycian Way taught us a lot: we are humble toward our bodies, which carry us day after day. Traveling with a baby means many things are unpredictable. Cleo had been very healthy in her life so far, so her first infections or colds were difficult for us to assess. But we are learning, trying to make good decisions, and not letting either overconfidence or fear guide us.
A little anecdote at the end
In difficult moments we sometimes wonder if what we’re doing with Cleo is really right. All the more precious when we unexpectedly receive confirmation. On the stage to Kaş, after scrambling over some cliffs, we met an elderly woman by the path. She said: “What you are doing is the best thing you can do with children – simply take them everywhere you go. You made my day.”
She told us she had done a lot with her daughters, but now she thought much more would have been possible. This brief encounter made us very happy and encouraged us to keep going our way.
Outlook
Today, as you read this, we are already back on the trail – on our third day after Demre. We are all doing well again, and we are walking in the sunshine along the long beach near Finike. 🌊☀️
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