# Gökçeören to Çukurbağ over Phellos: the long day above Kaş

Stage 12 · Route 11 — Updated: 2026-09-07 — https://ghostofkas.com/lycian-way/gokceoren-to-cukurbag/

The stage that earns the inland route. From Gökçeören the trail works along the ridge for hours, climbs to the acropolis of Phellos, and then drops a thousand metres through thorn and rock to Çukurbağ with Kaş and the sea filling the view. Trekopedia’s GPS track measures it at 21.6 km with 795 m of ascent and 1,145 m of descent, close to nine hours of walking.

The guidebook lists this route at 14 km. The gap is too big to be rounding; it is probably a difference in where the two sources start and finish, and possibly in which of the ridge paths they follow. Until we have walked it with our own track, plan for the longer figure.

- Distance: 21.6 km
- Ascent: 795 m
- Descent: 1145 m
- Time: 8–9 h
- Grade: Hard
- Terrain: A long ridge traverse with a climb to the acropolis of Phellos, then a steep, stony descent through maquis to the village of Çukurbağ above Kaş.
- Sleep at the end: Çukurbağ village rooms; a small boutique stay between Çukurbağ and Kaş; Kaş itself 7 km further
- Water: Seasonal only; carry a full day’s water from Gökçeören
- Getting there: Taxi from Kaş to Gökçeören to start; Çukurbağ is a short taxi from Kaş
- From Kaş: Çukurbağ is 15 min by taxi from Kaş

## Ghost cities on this stage

- **Phellos** — the Lycian hill city above Kaş, whose port was Antiphellos, the town you are walking towards. Sarcophagi, walls and a relief of a bull on the summit, and no ticket gate because there is no road.

## Highlights

- Phellos, the highest and loneliest ruin on the western trail
- The first view of Kaş and Meis island from the ridge
- Wild boar tracks on the path, and sometimes the boar

## Phellos and why it matters here

Kaş was Antiphellos, the port of Phellos: the harbour town that served the hill city. When you stand among the sarcophagi on the summit and look down at the harbour, you are looking at the relationship that built the town you will sleep in tonight. Phellos has no road and no ticket office, which is why it is the least visited of the big Lycian sites, and why a licensed guide who knows the paths is worth having for this day.

## Doing Phellos from Kaş in a day

The full stage is too long for most people as a day trip, but Phellos itself is not. From Çukurbağ a path climbs to the site and back in a few hours. Taxi up from Kaş in the morning, walk to the ruins, come back to the village for lunch. We arrange this with a guide who has walked it for years; it is the best half day in the hills behind the town.

Plan this with us: Tell us your dates, how many of you there are and how far you like to walk in a day. We reply within a day with a plan and a price from a licensed local agency — guided or self-guided, luggage moved, beds booked. No payment on this site. mailto:ghost@ghostofkas.com?subject=Lycian%20Way%20%E2%80%94%20G%C3%B6k%C3%A7e%C3%B6ren%20to%20%C3%87ukurba%C4%9F%20(Phellos)

## Questions people actually ask

### How long is Gökçeören to Çukurbağ?

GPS-measured at 21.6 km and nearly nine hours. The guidebook figure of 14 km is disputed; plan for the longer one.

### Is there water on the stage?

Nothing reliable. Springs are seasonal and dry from summer into autumn. Carry a full day, four litres in warm weather.

### Can I visit Phellos without walking the whole stage?

Yes, from Çukurbağ, a short taxi ride from Kaş. The climb to the site and back is a half-day walk.

All stages: https://ghostofkas.com/lycian-way/