Why come here
Olympos doesn’t feel like the rest of the Lycian coast. It feels like Goa or Tulum — a slow valley of treehouse hostels and pine-shaded restaurants where the buildings are interrupted by 2,000-year-old ruins. People come for two or three nights and end up staying a week. It is the eastern bookend of Lycia, where the Lycian Way trail finally reaches the sea after 540 km, and where one of the strangest natural phenomena on the Mediterranean coast burns nightly into a hillside.
The geography is unusual. A river runs through a steep-sided pine valley down to a 3-km beach. The ruins of the ancient Lycian city of Olympos are scattered along both banks of the river: a Hellenistic temple gateway half-buried in moss, a Roman bathhouse you can walk through, a ruined harbour where the river meets the sea. The treehouse hostels are mixed in with the ruins. There’s a single rough road in, no through-traffic.
1.5 km up the beach (or via a 4 km road around the headland) is Cıralı — the calmer, family-friendly counterpart. Single-storey bungalows and pensions in citrus orchards, restaurants on the sand, no hostel scene. Same beach, completely different mood.
Above both villages, on the slopes of Mount Chimaera (called Yanartaş in Turkish — "burning rock"), natural gas vents have been on fire continuously for at least 2,500 years. The myth of the Chimaera — the fire-breathing hybrid beast slain by Bellerophon — is set here. The flames are unimpressive in daylight; after dark they look exactly like a hillside on fire.
What to do, by pillar
The eastern terminus of the Lycian Way
Olympos / Cıralı is where through-hikers finish their 540-km walk. The final stages from Tekirova climb over a pine-forested ridge with views back along the entire coast you’ve walked. Many hikers reverse the route, starting here and walking west toward Fethiye — the trail’s gradient is gentler in this direction.
Day-hike options: the eternal flame trail (1 h up from Cıralı, 30 min from the parking area), the Olympos ruins walk (1–2 h easy stroll along both river banks), and the harder climb up to Musa Dağı for views over the valley.
Open the Lycian Way platform →The eternal flame of Mount Chimaera (Yanartaş)
Drive or taxi to the parking area above Cıralı (10 min from the village); then a 30-minute hike up a stony path to the lower flame field. Plan to arrive an hour before sunset — watch the daylight fade and the flames slowly emerge from the rocks. Bring a torch for the descent. There’s a small entry fee (~70 TRY); food and drinks at the parking-area kiosks.
The vents have been documented as continuously burning for over 2,500 years, fuelled by natural methane seeping up through serpentine rock. Periodically a vent goes out and a new one ignites elsewhere; the overall pattern persists.
The Olympos ancient city
The ruins are integrated into the village — you walk through them to reach the beach. Lycian harbour gateway, Roman temple of Mark Antony (the Olympos cult of Hephaistos was famous in antiquity), Byzantine church, medieval pirate-era walls (Olympos was a Cilician pirate stronghold in the 1st century BC). Single low entry fee (~120 TRY); takes 1–2 hours to walk. Bring water and a hat — little shade.
Cıralı Beach & loggerhead turtles
The beach is 3 km of soft pebbles and dark sand — protected nesting site for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Sun loungers and umbrellas are restricted in nesting season (May–October at the south end of the beach). Walking the full 3 km from Olympos to Cıralı end is the best beach walk on the Lycian coast.
No big resorts; beachside restaurants are simple and good. Water clarity is excellent; the bay is sheltered.
Day boats & the eastern end of the Blue Cruise
Two products, two paths from Olympos: single-seat themed day sails to nearby coves (book a seat, see below), or multi-day Blue Cruise gulets that finish here from Fethiye (whole boat, 3–7 nights) via SailTurk.
Olympos is the eastern terminus of the Fethiye → Olympos Blue Cruise route — many gulets finish their multi-day cruises here. Day boats from Olympos and Cıralı go to nearby coves and to Adrasan.
For the multi-day Blue Cruise itself — gulet, catamaran, motor yacht or bareboat — SailTurk is our charter platform, with Olympos and the surrounding bays mapped as anchorages on its 10 curated routes.
Open SailTurk →Where to stay
Neighbourhoods at a glance
Olympos treehouses
The original 1990s scene. Wooden cabins on stilts among the trees, dorms or basic doubles, half-board (breakfast + dinner) included as standard. Backpacker / younger crowd; bar evenings.
- Half-board pricing (€20–50 per person)
- Basic showers, no a/c in cheaper cabins
- Right next to the ruins and beach
Olympos pensions
Quieter family-run alternatives to the hostels. More private rooms, less party scene, still in the valley. A few proper boutique options too.
- $40–120 / night
- Same beach access
- Walk to ruins and dinner
Cıralı bungalows
Single-storey wooden or stone bungalows in citrus orchards, often with breakfast on a vine-covered terrace. Couples and families. Quieter than Olympos by a wide margin.
- $60–180 / night
- 5–10 min walk to Cıralı beach
- Restaurants nearby but no nightlife
Cıralı beachfront
A handful of small hotels right on the beach. Better value than equivalent beachfront in Antalya proper. Books up well ahead in summer.
- $100–250 / night
- Sea views, direct beach access
- Restricted lighting in turtle nesting season
Practical info
Getting there
Olympos / Cıralı share an approach — an 8-km road branching south off the D400 main highway between Antalya and Kumluca.
- Shuttle bus from Antalya: direct buses (~$10, 1.5 h) drop at the Olympos junction; from there take a dolmuş or hostel-arranged pickup down the approach road ($3–5).
- Private transfer from Antalya Airport: ~€60 door-to-door, 1.5 h.
- Dolmuş from Kumluca otogar: if arriving by long-distance bus, transfer here; runs every 30–60 min in season.
- Driving from Antalya: 1.5 h on the D400, scenic coastal route. Olympos has rough parking outside the village; Cıralı has parking at hotels.
Getting around
The Olympos road is walkable end to end (1 km). Cıralı village is walkable. Between them: 4 km by road around the headland, or 1.5 km along the beach (the most pleasant route — cross the river mouth and walk). Dolmuş runs the road periodically. Most travellers walk the beach in either direction at least once.
Money
ATMs in Cıralı; less common in Olympos (one or two). Hostels often want cash for the half-board nightly rate. Restaurants take cards. Eternal flame entry is cash-only.
The view from here — nearby attractions
- Phaselis: 25 min north on the D400. Three ancient harbours, a Roman aqueduct in the pines, swimming straight off the ruined quayside. One of the best-preserved coastal ancient sites in Turkey.
- Adrasan: 30 min south, a quieter pebble beach village with a different vibe again. Day-trip option or alternative base if Olympos / Cıralı feel too busy.
- Tahtalı (Olympos Mountain) cable car: 30 min north, 2,365 m peak above the coast, ascended by a Swiss-built cable car. Views over the entire eastern Lycian coast.
- Antalya old town: 1.5 h north. Roman walls, Hadrian’s Gate, the Yivli minaret. Day trip or stop on the way to the airport.
Frequently asked
Is Olympos still good or has it been spoilt?
Still good, with the right expectations. The treehouse-hostel scene has matured (more dorm rooms have hot water now; some hostels are properly boutique) but the valley is still a valley with no through-traffic, the ruins are still woven into the village, and the beach hasn’t been built on. If you arrive expecting a 1990s backpacker grail and find it modernised, you’ll be disappointed. If you arrive expecting a quirky valley with cheap food, ancient ruins and a turtle beach, you’ll be happy.
Can I stay just one night?
You can but you’ll feel the rush. Two nights minimum to do the eternal flame and walk the beach; three to add the Olympos ruins and a day boat. Five if you want to use Cıralı as a slow base after a longer Lycian trip.
Is Olympos / Cıralı good for kids?
Cıralı yes — bungalows, calm beach, gentle ruins walk, the eternal flame as an evening adventure. Olympos itself less so, unless you’re happy with a hostel atmosphere and hostel food.
How does this compare to Kaş?
Different planet. Kaş is harbour life, dive shops, Greek-island ferry, ancient theatre. Olympos / Cıralı is a pine valley, treehouses, eternal flame, end of a long trail. Some travellers do both; some pick one.