Stage 26 · Route 26
Göynük canyon: the Lycian Way’s wet stage
Updated: 2026-09-07
The canyon descent that walkers on the eastern trail talk about most. From the yayla the path drops into the Göynük gorge and follows the river down between walls, crossing it repeatedly; in spring the crossings can be waist deep and in autumn they can be dry. Measured at 12.6 km for the canyon and 4 km from its mouth to the town, about nine hours in all.
It is graded hard for the wading and the scrambling, not for the climbing. In high water it is a different proposition and should not be attempted alone.
Want this walked with bags moved and beds booked? Plan it with us ↓
- Distance
- 16.6 km
- Time
- 8.5–9 h
- Grade
- Hard
- Terrain
- Down through Göynük canyon: a river gorge with wading sections that can be waist deep in spring, then a final 4 km to the town. Widely called the highlight of the eastern trail.
- Sleep at the end
- Hotels in Göynük, about 3 km off the trail on the coast
- Water
- Streams in the canyon; carry for the plateau
- Getting there
- Göynük is on the coast road with buses to Antalya and Kemer
- From Kaş
- About 4.5 h by bus
Highlights
- The canyon itself: walls, pools and water in the dry season
- The first sight of the Antalya coast from the plateau edge
- Göynük, with hotels and buses, after days of mountain
Season and water level
Spring snowmelt fills the canyon; autumn leaves it walkable with dry feet in places. Ask locally before committing in April or May, and do not go in after heavy rain at any time of year. Sandals or shoes you do not mind soaking are the standard advice, and a dry bag for everything else.
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.
Questions people actually ask
Do you have to wade in Göynük canyon?
In spring, yes, sometimes to the waist. In autumn the crossings are often shallow or dry. Never after heavy rain.
Is Göynük on the trail?
The town is about 3 km off the route on the coast road. It has hotels and buses to Antalya.