About this stage
A short but steep forest descent from the mountain village of Bel down to Gavurağılı. The trail follows sections of ancient Roman road — original stone paving still intact in places — through shaded cedar and juniper woodland, losing nearly 800 m of altitude. Seasonal springs run in spring.
Stage highlights
- Ancient Roman road sections
- Cedar and juniper forest
- Seasonal mountain springs
- Long shaded descent
What to expect on the trail
This stage is almost all downhill and steep in places — trekking poles help protect the knees on the long descent.
The route stays under cedar and juniper cover for most of the way, so it is well shaded even in warm weather.
You'll drop from roughly 750 m down to 69 m above sea level on this stage — 195 m of ascent against 792 m of descent over 7.4 km.
Short in distance but demanding on the legs; take the descent steadily and watch your footing on the old stone paving.
Getting there
Bel and Gavurağılı are small villages with very limited public transport. Most hikers reach this stage by walking from a neighbouring section, or by private taxi from Fethiye.
Where this stage fits in the trail
This is stage 5 of 27, part of the Western Lycian Coast section running from Fethiye through Ölüdeniz, Faralya and the Patara dunes towards Kalkan. It connects stage 4 (Alınca to Bel) to stage 6 (Gavurağılı to Letoon/Xanthos), and works well as part of a multi-day section walk.
Best time to walk this stage
The Lycian Way is best walked in spring (mid-March to mid-May) or autumn (mid-September to mid-November). October and April offer the most reliable weather: mild temperatures, clear skies, wildflowers in spring or olive harvest in autumn, and far fewer hikers. Summer (June-August) is generally too hot for comfortable walking and water sources dry up. Winter (December-February) brings rain to the coast and snow to mountain passes; the trail is walkable but conditions are unpredictable, especially on the higher inland stages.