Olympos Travel Guide
Olympos surprised me more than almost any place I have written about. I had seen the photographs of wooden treehouses strung along a green valley, but nothing prepared me for how small, how wild and how genuinely off the grid it feels. There is no real town here, no supermarket, no main street. There is a beach, a river, a scatter of ancient ruins and a collection of simple treehouse camps, and somehow that is enough to make it one of the most memorable stops on the whole Turkish coast.
How to get there
Olympos sits on the southern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, halfway between Antalya and the small towns of Kas and Kalkan to the west. The nearest big airport is Antalya, about a two hour drive away, and the nearest stop on the coastal dolmus route is the junction village above the valley. From there it is a short drive or a fifteen minute walk down into the greenery itself. I drove, which made day trips to the nearby beaches and the older Lycian sites easy, but plenty of travellers arrive by the modest bus routes from Kemer or Antalya and do perfectly well without a car of their own.
Where to stay
There is effectively one kind of accommodation here, the treehouse camp, and it is wonderful in its own simple way. Wooden cabins raised on stilts among the trees, open sided dormitories, hammocks and long shared dinner tables make up the whole scene, and each camp runs its own little kitchen, bar and nightly campfire. Rooms are genuinely basic, with shared bathrooms and cold showers in many places, so pack light and go with the flow. Book ahead in summer, because the popular camps fill with travellers from all over Europe, the Middle East and beyond months in advance.
The ruins and the river
Do not miss a morning lost among the Lycian ruins that give the valley its name. Ancient walls, a theatre, bathhouses and tombs spread along both banks of the river, tangled with fig trees and ferns, and there is a lovely ruined aqueduct upstream that most visitors walk straight past. I found it far more atmospheric than the cleaned and fenced ancient sites elsewhere on the coast, precisely because the whole place feels abandoned and undiscovered. The river itself is also the valley’s swimming pool, deep enough for a proper dip in places and clear enough to spot the resident turtles floating near the banks on a hot afternoon.
Mount Chimaera and the flames
The other unmissable thing is the eternal fire of Yanartas on the slopes of Mount Chimaera, a steep forty minute climb above the coast. Small gas flames have burned from the rocks here for millennia, and the site is at its most magical after dark, when the whole hillside twinkles like a natural lantern. The walk up is rough, so take torchlight and proper shoes, and go late enough that the dusk has fully fallen. On my visit a handful of us stood in the cool dark while the flames hissed at our feet, and nobody said much at all, which is the highest compliment I can pay any place on this coast.
The beaches around the valley
Olympos beach itself is wide, pebbly and dramatic, with the river emptying out across its sand, and it is ideal for a long lazy afternoon. Just a short drive away is the adjacent stretch known as Cirali, where the longer, gentler beach sits against the forest, and I found the swimming easier and quieter there. I spent one afternoon hopping between the empty coves along the coastal road and ended up swimming alone for hours, something that is genuinely rare on this busy shoreline. Take water, a proper shade hat and a sense of patience, and the coast around the valley rewards you handsomely.
Practical tips for your stay
Leave the car near the camp entrance, because the valley track is narrow and gravelly. Bring insect repellent, a torch and cash, since the camps are cash friendly and the nearest bank machine is up the road in the junction village. The food is simple and communal rather than fancy, so set your expectations to filling lentil soup and grilled fish rather than tasting menus. Wear sturdy shoes for the ruins and the climb to the fire, and pack a light layer for the evenings, which cool off quickly under the trees. Finally, allow a full day or two rather than a single afternoon.
Why Olympos lingers
Olympos rewards patience, and the people who hurry through it miss the best of it. The magic is not in any single attraction but in the slow rhythm of the river, the empty beach, and the long evenings gathered around a campfire with people you met that same day. I went expecting a scrappy backpacker postcard and left with one of the warmest memories of the trip. Give it the time it asks for, surrender to the simplicity of it, and let the valley set the pace. Do that, and you will understand why it stays with you long after the salt has dried.
