Fethiye and Xanthos

After Breakfast we drove along the coast to the ancient City of Xanthos. The site has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. Xanthos is mentioned by numerous ancient Greek and Roman writers.

Strabo notes Xanthos as the largest city in Lycia. Both Herodotus and Appian described the conquest of the city by Harpagus on behalf of the Persian Empire, in approximately 540 BC. The prosperity of Lycia during the Persian occupation is demonstrated by the extensive architectural achievements in Xanthos, particularly the many tombs, culminating in the Nereid Monument.

After visiting Xanthos we continued to the Saklikent Canyon (Hidden City).
Saklikent Canyon is the second largest canyon in Europe. The Canyon is 300 meters deep and 18 km long, resulting from the abrasion of the rocks by flowing waters over thousands of years. As the level of water rises during winter months, visitors can enter the canyon only in the summer. 4km of the canyon are walk able after April, when most of the snow in the Taurus Mountains has melted and passed through on its way to the Mediterranean Sea.

We spent the night in Fethiye.Read more