Lycia
The popular “Turquoise Coast”, was home to the ancient Lycians, a fascinating people culturally distinct from the rest of the ancient world. Lycia today is famous both for recreation and sport, as well as for its antiquities. There are more than 50 historic ruins dating back some 3500 years. Olympos Lodge is located at its heart of this archeological park. The fascinating harbor cities of Phaselis and Gagae are good starting points to delve into the spirit of ancient times.
Yanartas (Flaming Rock)
In mythology Bellerophon was a handsome young man who rode on his winged horse, Pegasus. He wanted to kill the dragon, Chimera (a mixture of a lion, a goat, and a snake), that was spreading terror in Lycia. Bellarophon shot his arrows from Tahtali Mountain and hit his target. After a “flare” fight he buried the still half alive Chimera in the ground. He then built a temple for Athena as a monument of his victory. Even today the hot breath of the obstinate dragon can be felt. Flames greet the stars at night and the rising sun in the morning. On one evening you should walk up to Yanartas to see the fire coming out of the earth, but remember: only children can see the underground dragon.
Ruins of Olympos
A stream runs down to the sea bordering on Olympos Lodge. On its other side are the remains of Olympos, one of the most important port cities of ancient Lycia. Walking along the beach, you reach a canyon with a wonderful open air museum with ruins from Roman, Byzantium and Venetian times scattered in an overgrown park. Among the most impressive constructions are hammams, aqueducts, an acropolis and an agora. It is a pleasure to discover it even without any historic information.
Tours
You can discover some ancient cities like Termessos, Phaselis, Myra, Gagai, Kekova and other places on daily excursions or take a fishing trip by boat. There are a wide variety of walking and climbing tours. Turkey’s first long-distance footpath, the Lycian Way, follows part of the coast of the region. It is considered to have some of the best walking trails in the world. It reaches from Fethiye to Antalya, is 509 kilometers long, and also passes by the Olympos Lodge. If hiking the whole the Lycian Way seems to much, it is fun to just discover parts for a few hours in nice weather.