One of the prettiest and most remote sites in this part of Turkey, Olympos combines an Indiana Jones site with a good beach and great scenery. Located in the middle of a national park area the site is set on both sides of a stream which is fed from the surrounding hills. Never really excavated, much of the area is covered in fairly dense woodland which gives it the air of an unexplored, secret place. It's nice to be able to combine exploring with swimming and sunbathing and the nearby village of Cirali makes a good base, 10 minutes walk along the beach and with a much wider range of accommodation than that offered by Olympos itself.
Olympos was one of the most easterly of the Lycian cities (see Xanthos) and takes it's name from Mount Olympos of Lycia, now known as Tahtali Dag. The city was dedicated to Hephaestus, god of the forge, to whose presence was attributed the ever burning flames of the Chimaera, located the other side of Cirali.
The theatre - almost completely overgrown, you probably won't notice it until you enter through the arched gate, this is a great place to pick your own bay leaves
The drainage system - a very well preserved drain takes you off the main track and past some sarcophagi
The Ionic temple door - dedicated to Marcus Aurelius (some roman bloke)
One of the prettiest and most remote sites in this part of Turkey, Olympos combines an Indiana Jones site with a good beach and great scenery. Located in the middle of a national park area the site is set on both sides of a stream which is fed from the surrounding hills. Never really excavated, much of the area is covered in fairly dense woodland which gives it the air of an unexplored, secret place. It's nice to be able to combine exploring with swimming and sunbathing and the nearby village of Cirali makes a good base, 10 minutes walk along the beach and with a much wider range of accommodation than that offered by Olympos itself.
Olympos was one of the most easterly of the Lycian cities (see